El Paso 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 El Paso, TX — AQI 39 (Good) vs 40 (Good), a gap of 1 AQI points in the latest EPA AirNow observations. Lower AQI means cleaner air. El Paso's reading is driven by O3 and McAllen's by PM2.5.
El Paso, TX
Good
McAllen, TX
Good
Summary
McAllen has 1 points better air quality
McAllen has an AQI of 39 compared to 40
Reduce Indoor Ozone in El Paso
Today's main pollutant in El Paso is ground-level ozone (AQI 40). 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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