New Orleans vs Baton Rouge Air Quality Comparison
Which city has cleaner air right now, from the latest EPA AirNow AQI
As of November 8, 2026, Baton Rouge, LA has cleaner air than New Orleans, LA — AQI 28 (Good) vs 31 (Good), a gap of 3 AQI points in the latest EPA AirNow observations. Lower AQI means cleaner air. New Orleans's reading is driven by O3 and Baton Rouge's by O3.
New Orleans, LA
Good
Baton Rouge, LA
Good
Summary
Baton Rouge has 3 points better air quality
Baton Rouge has an AQI of 28 compared to 31
Reduce Indoor Ozone in New Orleans
Today's main pollutant in New Orleans is ground-level ozone (AQI 31). 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 | New Orleans | Baton Rouge | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | AQI 53 | AQI 44 | Baton Rouge |
| Sun, Nov 8 | AQI 56 | AQI 58 | New Orleans |