Nashville Air Quality in 2020
In 2020, Nashville's air quality (Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN area) had a median daily AQI of 51 (Moderate) across 366 monitored days. 2 days (0.5%) reached Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse, 178 were Good, and the year's peak AQI was 121 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) set the daily AQI on 280 of those days. The cleanest month of 2020 was January (median AQI 44, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 54, 1 day above 100, peak 121).
- Good: 48.6%
- Moderate: 50.8%
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 0.5%
- Unhealthy or worse: 0.0%
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Nashville
Today's main pollutant in Nashville is ground-level ozone (AQI 39). 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.
Recommended: Levoit Core 300 — True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
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How was Nashville's air quality in 2020?
Moderate on a typical day: median AQI 51, with 2 days above AQI 100 out of 366 monitored — the 3rd cleanest of 7 years on record for the area.
- ✓Peak AQI in 2020: 121 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
- ✓Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was the main pollutant on 280 days.
- ✓Cleanest month: January; worst: June.
Frequently asked questions
What was the average AQI in Nashville in 2020?▾
EPA's Air Quality System puts Nashville's (Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN) median daily AQI for 2020 at 51, which is Moderate. 2 days were Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse and the year's highest AQI was 121.
Which month had the worst air quality in Nashville in 2020?▾
The cleanest month of 2020 was January (median AQI 44, 0 days above 100) and the worst was June (median 54, 1 day above 100, peak 121).
Was 2020 a good or bad year for Nashville's air?▾
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2020 ranks 3rd cleanest by days above AQI 100. 2020's median of 51 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 52.
Nashville month by month in 2020
Nashville air quality month by month, 2020 (Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN, EPA AQS daily AQI)
| Month | Days monitored | Median AQI | Days above 100 | Peak AQI | Main pollutant |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Januarycleanest | 31 | 44 | 0 | 72 | PM2.5 |
| February | 29 | 47 | 0 | 62 | PM2.5 |
| March | 31 | 46 | 0 | 68 | PM2.5 |
| April | 30 | 50 | 0 | 62 | O3 |
| May | 31 | 44 | 0 | 61 | O3 |
| Juneworst | 30 | 54 | 1 | 121 | PM2.5 |
| July | 31 | 52 | 0 | 77 | PM2.5 |
| August | 31 | 51 | 0 | 64 | PM2.5 |
| September | 30 | 48 | 0 | 77 | PM2.5 |
| October | 31 | 53 | 1 | 102 | PM2.5 |
| November | 30 | 55 | 0 | 91 | PM2.5 |
| December | 31 | 57 | 0 | 84 | PM2.5 |
How 2020 compares
Among the 7 years EPA has published for the area (2019–2025), 2020 ranks 3rd cleanest by days above AQI 100.
2020's median of 51 is in line with the area's typical annual median of 52.
Activity-specific thresholds: running, cycling, kids' sports.
Right now in Nashville
The latest EPA AirNow observation puts Nashville's AQI at 39 (O3). The figures above are multi-year annual statistics, not today's reading.
View current Nashville air quality →Source: EPA Air Quality System (AQS) pre-generated Daily AQI by CBSA files — daily AQI by CBSA (Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN), 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.