Houston vs El Paso Air Quality Comparison
Which city has cleaner air right now, from the latest EPA AirNow AQI
As of September 23, 2026, El Paso, TX has cleaner air than Houston, TX — AQI 38 (Good) vs 101 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups), a gap of 63 AQI points in the latest EPA AirNow observations. Lower AQI means cleaner air. Houston's reading is driven by O3 and El Paso's by O3.
Houston, TX
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
El Paso, TX
Good
Summary
El Paso has 63 points better air quality
El Paso has an AQI of 38 compared to 101
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Houston
Today's main pollutant in Houston is ground-level ozone (AQI 101). 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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