Philadelphia Air Quality in 2024
In 2024, Philadelphia's air quality (Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD area) had a median daily AQI of 53 (Moderate) across 366 monitored days. 15 days (4.1%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 139 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 150 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 230 of those days. The cleanest month of 2024 was September (median AQI 49, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 64, 4 days above 100, peak 150).
- Good: 38.0%
- Moderate: 57.9%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 4.1%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Philadelphia
Today's main pollutant in Philadelphia is ground-level ozone (AQI 44). Important: standard HEPA filters do NOT remove ozone — only a purifier with a substantial activated-carbon bed adsorbs it. The biggest wins are cutting indoor sources (gas appliances, certain "ionizer" purifiers) and ventilating when outdoor ozone is low (early morning). A high-carbon unit helps with the gases and VOCs that linger indoors.
Recommended: Levoit Core 300 — True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
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How was Philadelphia's air quality in 2024?
Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 53, with 15 days above AQI 100 out of 366 monitored — the 4th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.
- ✓Peak AQI in 2024: 150 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was the main pollutant on 230 days.
- ✓Cleanest month: September; worst: June.
Frequently asked questions
What was the average AQI in Philadelphia in 2024?▾
EPA's Air Quality System puts Philadelphia's (Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD) median daily AQI for 2024 at 53, which is Moderate. 15 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 150.
Which month had the worst air quality in Philadelphia in 2024?▾
The cleanest month of 2024 was September (median AQI 49, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 64, 4 days above 100, peak 150).
Was 2024 a good or bad year for Philadelphia's air?▾
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2024 ranks 4th cleanest by days above AQI 100. 2024's median of 53 is below the area's typical annual median of 56.
Philadelphia month by month in 2024
Philadelphia air quality month by month, 2024 (Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Month | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31 | 55 | 0 | 91 | PM2.5 |
| February | 29 | 55 | 0 | 100 | PM2.5 |
| March | 31 | 52 | 0 | 84 | PM2.5 |
| April | 30 | 55 | 0 | 87 | O3 |
| May | 31 | 57 | 2 | 129 | PM2.5 |
| Juneworst | 30 | 64 | 4 | 150 | O3 |
| July | 31 | 67 | 4 | 143 | O3 |
| August | 31 | 57 | 4 | 129 | O3 |
| Septembercleanest | 30 | 49 | 0 | 100 | O3 |
| October | 31 | 53 | 0 | 84 | PM2.5 |
| November | 30 | 48 | 1 | 104 | PM2.5 |
| December | 31 | 52 | 0 | 85 | PM2.5 |
How 2024 compares
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2024 ranks 4th cleanest by days above AQI 100.
2024's median of 53 is below the area's typical annual median of 56.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Philadelphia
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Philadelphia's AQI at 44 (O3). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.
View current Philadelphia air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD), 2019–2025. Daily AQI per CBSA is the highest AQI reported by any monitor in the area that day; the defining parameter is the pollutant that set it. Month and season statistics pool every such day in the period across all years listed. Retrieved 2026-09-09.