Charlotte Air Quality in 2022

In 2022, Charlotte's air quality (Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC area) had a median daily AQI of 52 (Moderate) across 365 monitored days. 3 days (0.8%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 170 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 126 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 202 of those days. The cleanest month of 2022 was September (median AQI 47, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 66, 2 days above 100, peak 126).

52
Median AQI
Moderate
3
Days above AQI 100
0.8% of 365 days
71
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
126
Peak AQI
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
PM2.5
Main pollutant
202 of 365 days
170
Good days
46.6% of days
  • Good: 46.6%
  • Moderate: 52.6%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.8%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%

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QUICK ANSWER

How was Charlotte's air quality in 2022?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 52, with 3 days above AQI 100 out of 365 monitored — the 4th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.

  • Peak AQI in 2022: 126 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
  • Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was the main pollutant on 202 days.
  • Cleanest month: September; worst: June.

Frequently asked questions

What was the average AQI in Charlotte in 2022?

EPA's Air Quality System puts Charlotte's (Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC) median daily AQI for 2022 at 52, which is Moderate. 3 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 126.

Which month had the worst air quality in Charlotte in 2022?

The cleanest month of 2022 was September (median AQI 47, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 66, 2 days above 100, peak 126).

Was 2022 a good or bad year for Charlotte's air?

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2022 ranks 4th cleanest by days above AQI 100. 2022's median of 52 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 52.

Charlotte month by month in 2022

Charlotte air quality month by month, 2022 (Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC, EPA AQS daily AQI)

MonthDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
January3152070PM2.5
February2853075PM2.5
March3151084PM2.5
April3052080O3
May3155093O3
Juneworst30662126O3
July31491119O3
August3148080O3
Septembercleanest30470100O3
October3153069PM2.5
November3048076PM2.5
December3153072PM2.5

How 2022 compares

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2022 ranks 4th cleanest by days above AQI 100.

2022's median of 52 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 52.

Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.

Right now in Charlotte

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Charlotte's AQI at 36 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.

View current Charlotte air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC), 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.