Newark Air Quality in 2022

In 2022, Newark's air quality (New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA area) had a median daily AQI of 54 (Moderate) across 365 monitored days. 11 days (3.0%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 134 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 161 (Unhealthy). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 237 of those days. The cleanest month of 2022 was April (median AQI 48, 0 days above 100) and the worst was July (median 74, 6 days above 100, peak 161).

54
Median AQI
Moderate
11
Days above AQI 100
3.0% of 365 days
80
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
161
Peak AQI
Unhealthy
PM2.5
Main pollutant
237 of 365 days
134
Good days
36.7% of days
  • Good: 36.7%
  • Moderate: 60.3%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 2.7%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.3%

Reduce Indoor Ozone in Newark

Today's main pollutant in Newark 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 Newark's air quality in 2022?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 54, with 11 days above AQI 100 out of 365 monitored — the 2nd cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.

  • Peak AQI in 2022: 161 (Unhealthy).
  • Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was the main pollutant on 237 days.
  • Cleanest month: April; worst: July.

Frequently asked questions

What was the average AQI in Newark in 2022?

EPA's Air Quality System puts Newark's (New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA) median daily AQI for 2022 at 54, which is Moderate. 11 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 161.

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

The cleanest month of 2022 was April (median AQI 48, 0 days above 100) and the worst was July (median 74, 6 days above 100, peak 161).

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

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2022 ranks 2nd cleanest by days above AQI 100. 2022's median of 54 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 54.

Newark month by month in 2022

Newark air quality month by month, 2022 (New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA, EPA AQS daily AQI)

MonthDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
January3158087PM2.5
February2858097PM2.5
March3153083PM2.5
Aprilcleanest3048087O3
May3152093PM2.5
June30582122O3
Julyworst31746161O3
August31613119O3
September3050068PM2.5
October3153067PM2.5
November3052069PM2.5
December3153091PM2.5

How 2022 compares

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2022 ranks 2nd cleanest by days above AQI 100.

2022'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 Newark

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

View current Newark 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.