Austin vs McAllen Air Quality Comparison
Which city has cleaner air right now, from the latest EPA AirNow AQI
As of September 23, 2026, McAllen, TX has cleaner air than Austin, TX — AQI 47 (Good) vs 51 (Moderate), a gap of 4 AQI points in the latest EPA AirNow observations. Lower AQI means cleaner air. Austin's reading is driven by O3 and McAllen's by PM2.5.
Austin, TX
Moderate
McAllen, TX
Good
Summary
McAllen has 4 points better air quality
McAllen has an AQI of 47 compared to 51
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Austin
Today's main pollutant in Austin is ground-level ozone (AQI 51). 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.
Compare activated-carbon purifiers (for gases & ozone):
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