Albuquerque vs Santa Fe Air Quality Comparison

Which city has cleaner air right now, from the latest EPA AirNow AQI

As of September 23, 2026, Santa Fe, NM has cleaner air than Albuquerque, NM — AQI 31 (Good) vs 33 (Good), a gap of 2 AQI points in the latest EPA AirNow observations. Lower AQI means cleaner air. Albuquerque's reading is driven by O3 and Santa Fe's by O3.

Albuquerque, NM

Good

StateNew Mexico
Dominant PollutantO3
CategoryGood
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Santa Fe, NM

Good

StateNew Mexico
Dominant PollutantO3
CategoryGood
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Summary

Santa Fe has 2 points better air quality

Santa Fe has an AQI of 31 compared to 33

Our Pick

Reduce Indoor Ozone in Albuquerque

Today's main pollutant in Albuquerque is ground-level ozone (AQI 33). 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.

Carbon Value4.7(74,000+ ratings)
Levoit Core 300
True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
Activated carbon + HEPA — targets gases as well as particles
~$100
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Compare activated-carbon purifiers (for gases & ozone):

Carbon Value
Levoit Core 300
HEPA + Carbon
True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
~$1004.7
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Best for Gases
Coway AP-1512HH (HEPA + Carbon)
HEPA + Carbon
True HEPA + activated carbon layer · rooms up to 361 sq ft
~$2304.6
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Large Room
Coway AP-1512HH Mighty
HEPA + Carbon
True HEPA + carbon · CADR ~246 CFM · rooms up to 361 sq ft
~$2304.6
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Prices are approximate and subject to change. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

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