New York vs Raleigh Air Quality Comparison
Which city has cleaner air right now, from the latest EPA AirNow AQI
As of September 11, 2026, Raleigh, NC has cleaner air than New York, NY — AQI 41 (Good) vs 44 (Good), a gap of 3 AQI points in the latest EPA AirNow observations. Lower AQI means cleaner air. New York's reading is driven by O3 and Raleigh's by PM2.5.
New York, NY
Good
Raleigh, NC
Good
Summary
Raleigh has 3 points better air quality
Raleigh has an AQI of 41 compared to 44
Reduce Indoor Ozone in New York
Today's main pollutant in New York is ground-level ozone (AQI 44). 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 | Raleigh | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | AQI 45 | AQI 58 | New York |