Bad Air Days in Orange County, New York: 1 a Year

1 bad air day a year

Fewer bad air days than most monitored US counties. Ranked 682 of 996 monitored counties, where 1 is worst.

What makes them bad: mostly particles: smoke and dust (80% particle days).

When the bad days come in Orange

Most bad days here fall in June and July. Averaged over 2016 to 2025.

Is a purifier worth it here?

Bad air days are rare here. A standard furnace filter is enough; no purifier needed for outdoor air.
On the odd bad day, check AirNow and keep windows shut.

The record for Orange

In 2000 to 2009 this county averaged 16 bad days a year; in 2016 to 2025, 1. The air has improved. The worst recent year was 2023, with 6 bad days on 357 monitored days.

Date	AQI	Main pollutant
2023-06-07	185	PM2.5
2023-06-30	161	PM2.5
2023-06-06	156	PM2.5
2021-07-20	149	PM2.5
2023-06-08	148	PM2.5

The air on a normal day

Across 3,617 monitored days from 2016 to 2025, the air in Orange County rated Good on 82% of them, more often than the 72% typical of monitored counties, and Moderate on 18%. The median day sat at AQI 36; one day in ten went above 55.

The pollutant setting the AQI on an ordinary day here:

fine particles (PM2.5)63%2,265 days
ozone37%1,352 days

Orange County by year

Year	Days monitored	Good	Moderate	Over 100	Over 150	Median AQI	Highest AQI
2025*	358	311	46	1	0	27	108
2024	348	297	51	0	0	28	79
2023	357	270	81	6	3	34	185
2022	363	292	71	0	0	37	73
2021	364	294	69	1	0	37	149
2020	366	307	59	0	0	38	97
2019	365	307	58	0	0	39	74
2018	365	279	85	1	0	39	147
2017	365	305	60	0	0	39	84
2016	366	299	66	1	0	38	112
2015	365	256	105	4	0	41	147
2014	365	267	98	0	0	42	97
2013	365	267	98	0	0	38	88
2012	366	255	111	0	0	42	97
2011	365	218	144	3	1	45	166
2010	363	224	130	9	1	43	154

*2025 may be a partial year in EPA's file.

New York compared

How this is counted

A bad air day is a day the county's daily AQI from EPA AirData went above 100, the level where EPA tells children, older adults and people with asthma or heart disease to cut back outdoors. Monitors do not run every day, so yearly counts are scaled to 365 days. This is the record, not today's air: for that, check AirNow. More on the method in how the county numbers are made, on the AQI 100 line in what counts as a bad air day.