Boston vs Worcester Air Quality Comparison
Which city has cleaner air right now, from the latest EPA AirNow AQI
As of September 16, 2026, Worcester, MA has cleaner air than Boston, MA — AQI 32 (Good) vs 33 (Good), a gap of 1 AQI points in the latest EPA AirNow observations. Lower AQI means cleaner air. Boston's reading is driven by O3 and Worcester's by O3.
Boston, MA
Good
Worcester, MA
Good
Summary
Worcester has 1 points better air quality
Worcester has an AQI of 32 compared to 33
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Boston
Today's main pollutant in Boston is ground-level ozone (AQI 33). 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.
Compare activated-carbon purifiers (for gases & ozone):
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5-Day Forecast Comparison
| Day | Boston | Worcester | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | AQI 60 | AQI 60 | Tie |