Houston vs Dallas Air Quality Comparison

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

As of September 23, 2026, Houston, TX has cleaner air than Dallas, TX — AQI 77 (Moderate) vs 122 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), a gap of 45 AQI points in the latest EPA AirNow observations. Lower AQI means cleaner air. Houston's reading is driven by O3 and Dallas's by O3.

Houston, TX

Moderate

StateTexas

Dominant PollutantO3

CategoryModerate

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Dallas, TX

Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups

StateTexas

Dominant PollutantO3

CategoryUnhealthy for Sensitive Groups

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Summary

Houston has 45 points better air quality

Houston has an AQI of 77 compared to 122

Our Pick

Reduce Indoor Ozone in Dallas

Today's main pollutant in Dallas is ground-level ozone (AQI 122). 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.

Best for Gases4.6(8,000+ ratings)

Coway AP-1512HH (HEPA + Carbon)

True HEPA + activated carbon layer · rooms up to 361 sq ft

Heavy activated-carbon bed adsorbs ozone & VOCs that HEPA filters cannot capture

~$230

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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