San Francisco vs Bakersfield Air Quality Comparison
Which city has cleaner air right now, from the latest EPA AirNow AQI
As of September 24, 2026, San Francisco, CA has cleaner air than Bakersfield, CA — AQI 52 (Moderate) vs 67 (Moderate), a gap of 15 AQI points in the latest EPA AirNow observations. Lower AQI means cleaner air. San Francisco's reading is driven by PM2.5 and Bakersfield's by O3.
San Francisco, CA
Moderate
Bakersfield, CA
Moderate
Summary
San Francisco has 15 points better air quality
San Francisco has an AQI of 52 compared to 67
Reduce Indoor Ozone in Bakersfield
Today's main pollutant in Bakersfield is ground-level ozone (AQI 67). 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 | San Francisco | Bakersfield | Better |
|---|---|---|---|
| Today | AQI 55 | AQI 101 | San Francisco |