New York vs Albany Air Quality Comparison
Which city has cleaner air right now, from the latest EPA AirNow AQI
As of November 8, 2026, New York, NY has cleaner air than Albany, NY — AQI 17 (Good) vs 25 (Good), a gap of 8 AQI points in the latest EPA AirNow observations. Lower AQI means cleaner air. New York's reading is driven by PM2.5 and Albany's by O3.
New York, NY
Good
Albany, NY
Good
Summary
New York has 8 points better air quality
New York has an AQI of 17 compared to 25
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Albany
Today's main pollutant in Albany is ground-level ozone (AQI 25). 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 York | Albany | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | AQI 45 | AQI 24 | Albany |
| Sun, Nov 8 | AQI 45 | AQI 19 | Albany |