Jersey City Air Quality in 2020

In 2020, Jersey City's air quality (New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA area) had a median daily AQI of 54 (Moderate) across 366 monitored days. 11 days (3.0%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 131 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 140 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 240 of those days. The cleanest month of 2020 was April (median AQI 45, 0 days above 100) and the worst was July (median 80, 6 days above 100, peak 140).

54
Median AQI
Moderate
11
Days above AQI 100
3.0% of 366 days
80
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
140
Peak AQI
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
PM2.5
Main pollutant
240 of 366 days
131
Good days
35.8% of days
  • Good: 35.8%
  • Moderate: 61.2%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 3.0%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%

Reduce Indoor Ozone in Jersey City

Today's main pollutant in Jersey City 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.

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QUICK ANSWER

How was Jersey City's air quality in 2020?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 54, with 11 days above AQI 100 out of 366 monitored — the 1st cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.

  • Peak AQI in 2020: 140 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
  • Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was the main pollutant on 240 days.
  • Cleanest month: April; worst: July.

Frequently asked questions

What was the average AQI in Jersey City in 2020?

EPA's Air Quality System puts Jersey City's (New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA) median daily AQI for 2020 at 54, which is Moderate. 11 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 140.

Which month had the worst air quality in Jersey City in 2020?

The cleanest month of 2020 was April (median AQI 45, 0 days above 100) and the worst was July (median 80, 6 days above 100, peak 140).

Was 2020 a good or bad year for Jersey City's air?

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2020 ranks 1st cleanest by days above AQI 100 — the best year on record here. 2020's median of 54 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 54.

Jersey City month by month in 2020

Jersey City air quality month by month, 2020 (New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, EPA AQS daily AQI)

MonthDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
January3155088PM2.5
February2957074PM2.5
March3147067PM2.5
Aprilcleanest3045057O3
May3146064O3
June30602112O3
Julyworst31806140O3
August31642119O3
September3053080PM2.5
October3153080PM2.5
November3055099PM2.5
December31551127PM2.5

How 2020 compares

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2020 ranks 1st cleanest by days above AQI 100 — the best year on record here.

2020's median of 54 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 54.

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

Right now in Jersey City

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Jersey City's AQI at 44 (O3). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.

View current Jersey City air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA), 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.