Harrisburg vs Scranton Air Quality Comparison
Which city has cleaner air right now, from the latest EPA AirNow AQI
As of September 23, 2026, Scranton, PA has cleaner air than Harrisburg, PA — AQI 23 (Good) vs 27 (Good), a gap of 4 AQI points in the latest EPA AirNow observations. Lower AQI means cleaner air. Harrisburg's reading is driven by O3 and Scranton's by O3.
Harrisburg, PA
Good
Scranton, PA
Good
Summary
Scranton has 4 points better air quality
Scranton has an AQI of 23 compared to 27
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Harrisburg
Today's main pollutant in Harrisburg is ground-level ozone (AQI 27). 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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5-Day Forecast Comparison
| Day | Harrisburg | Scranton | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | AQI 24 | AQI 27 | Harrisburg |
| Wed, Sep 23 | AQI 32 | AQI 29 | Scranton |
| Thu, Sep 24 | AQI 34 | AQI 31 | Scranton |