EnviroNearby

New Hanover County, North Carolina air quality history

Daily Air Quality Index summaries from EPA monitors in New Hanover, North Carolina, 1980–2025.

77%
Good days in 2025
41
Median daily AQI, 2025
2
Days above 100 in 2025
365
Days with an AQI in 2025 (of 365)

In 2025, EPA reported a daily Air Quality Index (AQI) for New Hanover, North Carolina on 365 days. 281 of those days (77%) were in the Good range, and the median daily AQI was 41. That median is about the same as the typical monitored county in North Carolina (median 39 across 33 counties), and about the same as the typical monitored U.S. county (40). The main pollutant was fine particles (PM2.5) on 271 days. Across the years with fuller monitoring, the share of Good days rose: an average of 62% in 1980–1982 versus 74% in 2023–2025.

Years with fewer than 120 monitored days (1987, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1995) are shown in the table but left out of comparisons and trend statements.

How the days broke down each year

Each bar is one year. The colored segments show the share of monitored days that fell in each AQI category.

Share of monitored days in each AQI category, by year0%25%50%75%100%1980: Good 72 of 126 days1980: Moderate 36 of 126 days1980: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 16 of 126 days1980: Unhealthy 2 of 126 days19801981: Good 85 of 141 days1981: Moderate 48 of 141 days1981: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 7 of 141 days1981: Unhealthy 1 of 141 days1982: Good 120 of 172 days1982: Moderate 48 of 172 days1982: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 2 of 172 days1982: Unhealthy 2 of 172 days1984: Good 151 of 212 days1984: Moderate 44 of 212 days1984: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 15 of 212 days1984: Unhealthy 2 of 212 days1985: Good 149 of 227 days1985: Moderate 65 of 227 days1985: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 13 of 227 days1987: Good 28 of 29 days1987: Moderate 1 of 29 days19871988: Good 151 of 222 days1988: Moderate 62 of 222 days1988: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 8 of 222 days1988: Unhealthy 1 of 222 days1989: Good 58 of 60 days1989: Moderate 2 of 60 days1990: Good 139 of 219 days1990: Moderate 61 of 219 days1990: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 17 of 219 days1990: Unhealthy 2 of 219 days1991: Good 57 of 58 days1991: Moderate 1 of 58 days1992: Good 179 of 234 days1992: Moderate 43 of 234 days1992: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 10 of 234 days1992: Unhealthy 2 of 234 days19921993: Good 56 of 56 days1994: Good 155 of 237 days1994: Moderate 64 of 237 days1994: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 16 of 237 days1994: Unhealthy 2 of 237 days1995: Good 61 of 61 days1996: Good 149 of 232 days1996: Moderate 69 of 232 days1996: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 14 of 232 days1997: Good 146 of 237 days1997: Moderate 67 of 237 days1997: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 21 of 237 days1997: Unhealthy 3 of 237 days19971998: Good 193 of 287 days1998: Moderate 71 of 287 days1998: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 18 of 287 days1998: Unhealthy 5 of 287 days1999: Good 256 of 360 days1999: Moderate 99 of 360 days1999: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 5 of 360 days2000: Good 237 of 366 days2000: Moderate 106 of 366 days2000: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 21 of 366 days2000: Unhealthy 2 of 366 days2001: Good 244 of 365 days2001: Moderate 109 of 365 days2001: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 12 of 365 days2002: Good 250 of 362 days2002: Moderate 96 of 362 days2002: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 15 of 362 days2002: Unhealthy 1 of 362 days20022003: Good 266 of 355 days2003: Moderate 81 of 355 days2003: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 8 of 355 days2004: Good 228 of 324 days2004: Moderate 93 of 324 days2004: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 3 of 324 days2005: Good 159 of 258 days2005: Moderate 90 of 258 days2005: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 9 of 258 days2006: Good 184 of 358 days2006: Moderate 170 of 358 days2006: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 4 of 358 days2007: Good 191 of 362 days2007: Moderate 166 of 362 days2007: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 5 of 362 days20072008: Good 148 of 183 days2008: Moderate 34 of 183 days2008: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 1 of 183 days2009: Good 239 of 356 days2009: Moderate 117 of 356 days2010: Good 240 of 360 days2010: Moderate 119 of 360 days2010: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 1 of 360 days2011: Good 237 of 361 days2011: Moderate 122 of 361 days2011: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 2 of 361 days2012: Good 248 of 352 days2012: Moderate 102 of 352 days2012: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 2 of 352 days20122013: Good 187 of 359 days2013: Moderate 172 of 359 days2014: Good 225 of 345 days2014: Moderate 120 of 345 days2015: Good 288 of 354 days2015: Moderate 66 of 354 days2016: Good 302 of 359 days2016: Moderate 57 of 359 days2017: Good 297 of 356 days2017: Moderate 59 of 356 days20172018: Good 302 of 329 days2018: Moderate 27 of 329 days2019: Good 305 of 348 days2019: Moderate 43 of 348 days2020: Good 328 of 357 days2020: Moderate 29 of 357 days2021: Good 286 of 360 days2021: Moderate 74 of 360 days2022: Good 268 of 361 days2022: Moderate 93 of 361 days20222023: Good 237 of 362 days2023: Moderate 124 of 362 days2023: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 1 of 362 days2024: Good 293 of 363 days2024: Moderate 70 of 363 days2025: Good 281 of 365 days2025: Moderate 82 of 365 days2025: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 2 of 365 days2025
  • Good
  • Moderate
  • Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
  • Unhealthy
  • Very Unhealthy
  • Hazardous

Typical and high-end AQI over time

The median is the middle day of the year. The 90th percentile is the level that only the highest 10% of days exceeded.

Median and 90th-percentile daily AQI, by year0501001501980: 90th percentile AQI 1051981: 90th percentile AQI 931982: 90th percentile AQI 841984: 90th percentile AQI 931985: 90th percentile AQI 841987: 90th percentile AQI 461988: 90th percentile AQI 841989: 90th percentile AQI 371990: 90th percentile AQI 971991: 90th percentile AQI 361992: 90th percentile AQI 901993: 90th percentile AQI 331994: 90th percentile AQI 971995: 90th percentile AQI 271996: 90th percentile AQI 871997: 90th percentile AQI 1011998: 90th percentile AQI 1001999: 90th percentile AQI 692000: 90th percentile AQI 902001: 90th percentile AQI 772002: 90th percentile AQI 772003: 90th percentile AQI 642004: 90th percentile AQI 672005: 90th percentile AQI 742006: 90th percentile AQI 712007: 90th percentile AQI 702008: 90th percentile AQI 582009: 90th percentile AQI 582010: 90th percentile AQI 612011: 90th percentile AQI 632012: 90th percentile AQI 582013: 90th percentile AQI 642014: 90th percentile AQI 612015: 90th percentile AQI 542016: 90th percentile AQI 542017: 90th percentile AQI 542018: 90th percentile AQI 502019: 90th percentile AQI 532020: 90th percentile AQI 482021: 90th percentile AQI 552022: 90th percentile AQI 552023: 90th percentile AQI 622024: 90th percentile AQI 552025: 90th percentile AQI 551980: Median AQI 481981: Median AQI 451982: Median AQI 421984: Median AQI 421985: Median AQI 441987: Median AQI 281988: Median AQI 431989: Median AQI 231990: Median AQI 451991: Median AQI 221992: Median AQI 401993: Median AQI 201994: Median AQI 441995: Median AQI 151996: Median AQI 461997: Median AQI 481998: Median AQI 411999: Median AQI 362000: Median AQI 432001: Median AQI 402002: Median AQI 392003: Median AQI 362004: Median AQI 372005: Median AQI 462006: Median AQI 492007: Median AQI 492008: Median AQI 412009: Median AQI 422010: Median AQI 442011: Median AQI 432012: Median AQI 422013: Median AQI 492014: Median AQI 432015: Median AQI 382016: Median AQI 352017: Median AQI 382018: Median AQI 312019: Median AQI 372020: Median AQI 342021: Median AQI 402022: Median AQI 422023: Median AQI 442024: Median AQI 392025: Median AQI 411980198719921997200220072012201720222025
  • Median daily AQI
  • 90th-percentile daily AQI

Main pollutant by day, 2025

On each monitored day, the AQI reflects whichever measured pollutant had the highest index. This counts how many days each pollutant set the AQI. A pollutant that was not measured here cannot appear.

PollutantDays as main pollutantShare of monitored days
Fine particles (PM2.5)27174%
Ozone9426%

Year-by-year data

Annual AQI summary by year
YearDays with AQIGoodModerateUnhealthy for Sensitive GroupsUnhealthyVery UnhealthyHazardousMedian AQI90th pct.Max AQIMain pollutant
20253652818220004155121PM2.5
2024363293700000395597PM2.5
202336223712410004462142PM2.5
2022361268930000425580PM2.5
2021360286740000405593PM2.5
2020357328290000344877Ozone
2019348305430000375380Ozone
2018329302270000315077Ozone
2017356297590000385467PM2.5
2016359302570000355490PM2.5
2015354288660000385471PM2.5
20143452251200000436193PM2.5
20133591871720000496497PM2.5
201235224810220004258122PM2.5
201136123712220004363120PM2.5
201036024011910004461129PM2.5
20093562391170000425881PM2.5
20081831483410004158116Ozone
200736219116650004970119PM2.5
200635818417040004971129PM2.5
20052581599090004674147Ozone
20043242289330003767122Ozone
20033552668180003664129Ozone
200236225096151003977156Ozone
2001365244109120004077133Ozone
2000366237106212004390182Ozone
19993602569950003669113Ozone
1998287193711850041100169Ozone
1997237146672130048101179Ozone
199623214969140004687150Ozone
1995616100000152737PM10
199423715564162004497177Ozone
1993565600000203344PM10
199223417943102004090169Ozone
1991585710000223652PM10
199021913961172004597151Ozone
1989605820000233755PM10
19882221516281004384154Ozone
1987292810000284660PM10
198522714965130004484147Ozone
198421215144152004293166Ozone
19821721204822004284179Ozone
1981141854871004593166Ozone
198012672361620048105161Ozone

What this data can and can’t tell you

It is a county-level summary. EPA reports one AQI per day for the county, based on the monitors operating there. Air at a particular street, school or home can differ, especially near roads, industry or wildfire smoke.

It is not a health assessment. The AQI is EPA’s scale for communicating daily air quality. A county’s history can’t tell you what the health risk is for any particular person. For daily conditions and health guidance, see AirNow.

Rules change over time. EPA has revised AQI breakpoints, most recently for fine particles in 2024, so some year-to-year change can reflect the scale rather than the air.

Counties in North Carolina with a similar median AQI in 2025

All monitored counties in North Carolina

Source: U.S. EPA AirData, “Annual AQI by County” files for 1980–2025 (EPA download page). EPA file dates: 2026-06-26. Imported into EnviroNearby November 5, 2026. How we use this data · Report a problem