Raleigh vs Winston-Salem Air Quality Comparison
Which city has cleaner air right now, from the latest EPA AirNow AQI
As of November 8, 2026, Winston-Salem, NC has cleaner air than Raleigh, NC — AQI 17 (Good) vs 25 (Good), a gap of 8 AQI points in the latest EPA AirNow observations. Lower AQI means cleaner air. Raleigh's reading is driven by O3 and Winston-Salem's by PM2.5.
Raleigh, NC
Good
Winston-Salem, NC
Good
Summary
Winston-Salem has 8 points better air quality
Winston-Salem has an AQI of 17 compared to 25
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Raleigh
Today's main pollutant in Raleigh 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 | Raleigh | Winston-Salem | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | AQI 33 | AQI 22 | Winston-Salem |
| Sun, Nov 8 | AQI 37 | AQI 28 | Winston-Salem |
| Mon, Nov 9 | AQI 43 | AQI 36 | Winston-Salem |