Buffalo Air Quality in 2021
In 2021, Buffalo's air quality (Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY area) had a median daily AQI of 46 (Good) across 365 monitored days. 2 days (0.5%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 223 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 108 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 241 of those days. The cleanest month of 2021 was October (median AQI 38, 0 days above 100) and the worst was May (median 43, 2 days above 100, peak 108).
- Good: 61.1%
- Moderate: 38.4%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
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How was Buffalo's air quality in 2021?
Good on a typical day: median AQI 46, with 2 days above AQI 100 out of 365 monitored — the 5th cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.
- ✓Peak AQI in 2021: 108 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was the main pollutant on 241 days.
- ✓Cleanest month: October; worst: May.
Frequently asked questions
What was the average AQI in Buffalo in 2021?▾
EPA's Air Quality System puts Buffalo's (Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY) median daily AQI for 2021 at 46, which is Good. 2 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 108.
Which month had the worst air quality in Buffalo in 2021?▾
The cleanest month of 2021 was October (median AQI 38, 0 days above 100) and the worst was May (median 43, 2 days above 100, peak 108).
Was 2021 a good or bad year for Buffalo'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 46 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 44.
Buffalo month by month in 2021
Buffalo air quality month by month, 2021 (Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Month | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31 | 46 | 0 | 66 | PM2.5 |
| February | 28 | 44 | 0 | 68 | PM2.5 |
| March | 31 | 39 | 0 | 65 | O3 |
| April | 30 | 44 | 0 | 87 | O3 |
| Mayworst | 31 | 43 | 2 | 108 | O3 |
| June | 30 | 53 | 0 | 100 | O3 |
| July | 31 | 53 | 0 | 99 | PM2.5 |
| August | 31 | 53 | 0 | 78 | PM2.5 |
| September | 30 | 39 | 0 | 57 | PM2.5 |
| Octobercleanest | 31 | 38 | 0 | 61 | PM2.5 |
| November | 30 | 40 | 0 | 64 | PM2.5 |
| December | 31 | 52 | 0 | 69 | PM2.5 |
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 46 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 44.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Buffalo
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Buffalo's AQI at 24 (PM2.5). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.
View current Buffalo air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY), 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.