Nashville vs Knoxville Air Quality Comparison
Which city has cleaner air right now, from the latest EPA AirNow AQI
As of September 23, 2026, Nashville, TN has cleaner air than Knoxville, TN — AQI 28 (Good) vs 36 (Good), a gap of 8 AQI points in the latest EPA AirNow observations. Lower AQI means cleaner air. Nashville's reading is driven by O3 and Knoxville's by O3.
Nashville, TN
Good
Knoxville, TN
Good
Summary
Nashville has 8 points better air quality
Nashville has an AQI of 28 compared to 36
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Knoxville
Today's main pollutant in Knoxville is ground-level ozone (AQI 36). 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 | Nashville | Knoxville | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | AQI 50 | AQI 50 | Tie |
| Thu, Sep 24 | AQI 50 | AQI 50 | Tie |