Pittsburgh vs Scranton Air Quality Comparison
Which city has cleaner air right now, from the latest EPA AirNow AQI
As of September 23, 2026, Scranton, PA has cleaner air than Pittsburgh, PA — AQI 19 (Good) vs 31 (Good), a gap of 12 AQI points in the latest EPA AirNow observations. Lower AQI means cleaner air. Pittsburgh's reading is driven by O3 and Scranton's by O3.
Pittsburgh, PA
Good
Scranton, PA
Good
Summary
Scranton has 12 points better air quality
Scranton has an AQI of 19 compared to 31
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Pittsburgh
Today's main pollutant in Pittsburgh 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 | Pittsburgh | Scranton | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | AQI 31 | AQI 27 | Scranton |
| Wed, Sep 23 | AQI 35 | AQI 29 | Scranton |
| Thu, Sep 24 | AQI 37 | AQI 31 | Scranton |