Albuquerque Air Quality in 2021

In 2021, Albuquerque's air quality (Albuquerque, NM area) had a median daily AQI of 64 (Moderate) across 365 monitored days. 21 days (5.8%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 60 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 171 (Unhealthy). Ground-level ozone set the daily AQI on 151 of those days. The cleanest month of 2021 was March (median AQI 53, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 75, 6 days above 100, peak 153).

64
Median AQI
Moderate
21
Days above AQI 100
5.8% of 365 days
92
90th percentile AQI
worst 1 day in 10
171
Peak AQI
Unhealthy
O3
Main pollutant
151 of 365 days
60
Good days
16.4% of days
  • Good: 16.4%
  • Moderate: 77.8%
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 5.2%
  • Unhealthy or worse: 0.5%

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QUICK ANSWER

How was Albuquerque's air quality in 2021?

Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 64, with 21 days above AQI 100 out of 365 monitored — the 5th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.

  • Peak AQI in 2021: 171 (Unhealthy).
  • Ground-level ozone was the main pollutant on 151 days.
  • Cleanest month: March; worst: June.

Frequently asked questions

What was the average AQI in Albuquerque in 2021?

EPA's Air Quality System puts Albuquerque's (Albuquerque, NM) median daily AQI for 2021 at 64, which is Moderate. 21 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 171.

Which month had the worst air quality in Albuquerque in 2021?

The cleanest month of 2021 was March (median AQI 53, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 75, 6 days above 100, peak 153).

Was 2021 a good or bad year for Albuquerque's air?

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2021 ranks 5th cleanest by days above AQI 100. 2021's median of 64 is above the area's typical annual median of 61.

Albuquerque month by month in 2021

Albuquerque air quality month by month, 2021 (Albuquerque, NM, EPA AQS daily AQI)

MonthDays monitoredMedian AQIDays above 100Peak AQIMain pollutant
January3162092PM2.5
February2857079PM2.5
Marchcleanest3153081O3
April30572135PM10
May31633134O3
Juneworst30756153O3
July31876119O3
August31643171O3
September30611112O3
October3154076PM2.5
November3068096PM2.5
December3177095PM10

How 2021 compares

Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2021 ranks 5th cleanest by days above AQI 100.

2021's median of 64 is above the area's typical annual median of 61.

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

Right now in Albuquerque

The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Albuquerque's AQI at 61 (PM10). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.

View current Albuquerque air quality →

Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Albuquerque, NM), 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.