Bakersfield Air Quality in 2020
In 2020, Bakersfield's air quality (Bakersfield, CA area) had a median daily AQI of 83 (Moderate) across 366 monitored days. 130 days (35.5%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 56 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 267 (Very Unhealthy). Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 184 of those days. The cleanest month of 2020 was March (median AQI 43, 0 days above 100) and the worst was September (median 154, 28 days above 100, peak 267).
- Good: 15.3%
- Moderate: 49.2%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 26.8%
- Unhealthy or worse: 8.7%
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How was Bakersfield's air quality in 2020?
Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 83, with 130 days above AQI 100 out of 366 monitored — the 7th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.
- ✓Peak AQI in 2020: 267 (Very Unhealthy).
- ✓Ground-level ozone was the main pollutant on 184 days.
- ✓Cleanest month: March; worst: September.
Frequently asked questions
What was the average AQI in Bakersfield in 2020?▾
EPA's Air Quality System puts Bakersfield's (Bakersfield, CA) median daily AQI for 2020 at 83, which is Moderate. 130 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 267.
Which month had the worst air quality in Bakersfield in 2020?▾
The cleanest month of 2020 was March (median AQI 43, 0 days above 100) and the worst was September (median 154, 28 days above 100, peak 267).
Was 2020 a good or bad year for Bakersfield's air?▾
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2020 ranks 7th cleanest by days above AQI 100 — the worst year on record here. 2020's median of 83 is above the area's typical annual median of 72.
Bakersfield month by month in 2020
Bakersfield air quality month by month, 2020 (Bakersfield, CA, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Month | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31 | 72 | 1 | 106 | PM2.5 |
| February | 29 | 63 | 0 | 93 | PM2.5 |
| Marchcleanest | 31 | 43 | 0 | 65 | O3 |
| April | 30 | 51 | 1 | 115 | O3 |
| May | 31 | 67 | 6 | 156 | O3 |
| June | 30 | 89 | 8 | 150 | O3 |
| July | 31 | 101 | 20 | 219 | O3 |
| August | 31 | 115 | 20 | 235 | O3 |
| Septemberworst | 30 | 154 | 28 | 267 | O3 |
| October | 31 | 112 | 21 | 170 | O3 |
| November | 30 | 94 | 12 | 162 | PM2.5 |
| December | 31 | 89 | 13 | 133 | PM2.5 |
How 2020 compares
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2020 ranks 7th cleanest by days above AQI 100 — the worst year on record here.
2020's median of 83 is above the area's typical annual median of 72.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Bakersfield
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Bakersfield's AQI at 70 (PM10). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.
View current Bakersfield air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Bakersfield, CA), 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.