3 Upstate NY cities rank among best places with good air quality in U.S.

Essential Albany  Our state’s capital is steeped in history and interesting architecture

The New York State Capitol Building in Albany, completed in 1899. (Stefani Reynolds for NYup.com)SYR

The air in Upstate New York deserves some recognition.

According to a recent study, three Upstate metropolitan areas have some of the best air quality in the nation. Albany, Rochester, and Syracuse rank among the top 10.

Analysts at Filterbuy used the 2019 Air Quality Index values from the Environmental Protection Agency to measure an area’s air pollution. Higher AQI values indicate that an area experiences higher pollution levels and worse air quality. The lower the values, the better air quality.

Of all the cities in the United States, Urban Honolulu in Hawaii ranks number 1 with an AQI value of 29 with 339 good days and zero unhealthy or hazardous days. Guess which place is the worse? Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario in California tops that list. This West Coast city’s AQI value is 89 and has only 42 good days while 145 unhealthy or hazardous days.

Here are the ranking details of the Upstate cities.

Albany New York Capitol night

Night falls on the state Capitol, top, and downtown Albany as seen from Rensselaer, N.Y., on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016. (AP Photo/Mike Groll) APAP

#6 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY

  • Median Air Quality Index for 2019: 37
  • Good days: 322
  • Moderate days: 43
  • Unhealthy or hazardous days: 0
  • Maximum Air Quality Index observed in 2019: 92
  • Population: 883,169
High Falls in Rochester N.Y.

A train travels over the High Falls in Rochester, N.Y.Michael Greenlar | mgreenlar@syracuse.com

#5 Rochester, NY

  • Median Air Quality Index for 2019: 37
  • Good days: 317
  • Moderate days: 48
  • Unhealthy or hazardous days: 0
  • Maximum Air Quality Index observed in 2019: 90
  • Population: 1,071,082
Syracuse skyline

The Syracuse skyline is seen from downtown, looking toward University Hill, on Aug. 21, 2020. (Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com)Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com

#4 Syracuse, NY

  • Median Air Quality Index for 2019: 37
  • Good days: 337
  • Moderate days: 28
  • Unhealthy or hazardous days: 0
  • Maximum Air Quality Index observed in 2019: 77
  • Population: 650,502

Read more about the study’s methodology here.

More NYup

Agritourism in Upstate NY: 15 farmstays for families to enjoy

Fall Fun: 28 corn mazes to wander through in Upstate NY

Weird Upstate: 13 unique roadside attractions you’ll want to see

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.