San Francisco vs Santa Rosa Air Quality Comparison

Which city has cleaner air right now, from the latest EPA AirNow AQI

As of November 8, 2026, Santa Rosa, CA has cleaner air than San Francisco, CA — AQI 6 (Good) vs 13 (Good), a gap of 7 AQI points in the latest EPA AirNow observations. Lower AQI means cleaner air. San Francisco's reading is driven by O3 and Santa Rosa's by O3.

San Francisco, CA

Good

StateCalifornia
Dominant PollutantO3
CategoryGood

Santa Rosa, CA

Good

StateCalifornia
Dominant PollutantO3
CategoryGood

Summary

Santa Rosa has 7 points better air quality

Santa Rosa has an AQI of 6 compared to 13

Our Pick

Reduce Indoor Ozone in San Francisco

Today's main pollutant in San Francisco is ground-level ozone (AQI 13). 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.

Carbon Value4.7(74,000+ ratings)
Levoit Core 300
True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
Activated carbon + HEPA — targets gases as well as particles

Compare activated-carbon purifiers (for gases & ozone):

Carbon Value
Levoit Core 300
HEPA + Carbon
True HEPA + activated carbon · CADR ~141 CFM · rooms up to 219 sq ft
~$1004.7
Check Price on Amazon →
Best for Gases
Coway AP-1512HH (HEPA + Carbon)
HEPA + Carbon
True HEPA + activated carbon layer · rooms up to 361 sq ft
~$2304.6
Check Price on Amazon →
Large Room
Coway AP-1512HH Mighty
HEPA + Carbon
True HEPA + carbon · CADR ~246 CFM · rooms up to 361 sq ft
~$2304.6
Check Price on Amazon →

Prices are approximate and subject to change. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

5-Day Forecast Comparison

DaySan FranciscoSanta RosaBetter
TodayAQI 55AQI 44Santa Rosa
Sun, Nov 8AQI 56AQI 50Santa Rosa