EnviroNearby

Nueces County, Texas air quality history

Daily Air Quality Index summaries from EPA monitors in Nueces, Texas, 1980–2025.

41%
Good days in 2025
53
Median daily AQI, 2025
8
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 Nueces, Texas on 365 days. 148 of those days (41%) were in the Good range, and the median daily AQI was 53. That median is higher than the typical monitored county in Texas (median 43.5 across 44 counties), and higher than the typical monitored U.S. county (40). The main pollutant was fine particles (PM2.5) on 279 days. Across the years with fuller monitoring, the share of Good days fell: an average of 83% in 1980–1982 versus 48% in 2023–2025.

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 279 of 345 days1980: Moderate 36 of 345 days1980: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 17 of 345 days1980: Unhealthy 10 of 345 days1980: Very Unhealthy 3 of 345 days19801981: Good 130 of 150 days1981: Moderate 12 of 150 days1981: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 6 of 150 days1981: Unhealthy 2 of 150 days1982: Good 240 of 298 days1982: Moderate 44 of 298 days1982: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 10 of 298 days1982: Unhealthy 4 of 298 days1983: Good 247 of 324 days1983: Moderate 56 of 324 days1983: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 17 of 324 days1983: Unhealthy 4 of 324 days1984: Good 297 of 356 days1984: Moderate 49 of 356 days1984: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 7 of 356 days1984: Unhealthy 2 of 356 days1984: Very Unhealthy 1 of 356 days1985: Good 277 of 363 days1985: Moderate 71 of 363 days1985: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 10 of 363 days1985: Unhealthy 4 of 363 days1985: Very Unhealthy 1 of 363 days19851986: Good 290 of 365 days1986: Moderate 63 of 365 days1986: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 10 of 365 days1986: Unhealthy 2 of 365 days1987: Good 251 of 365 days1987: Moderate 84 of 365 days1987: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 23 of 365 days1987: Unhealthy 7 of 365 days1988: Good 287 of 363 days1988: Moderate 58 of 363 days1988: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 12 of 363 days1988: Unhealthy 6 of 363 days1989: Good 292 of 364 days1989: Moderate 55 of 364 days1989: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 11 of 364 days1989: Unhealthy 6 of 364 days1990: Good 292 of 363 days1990: Moderate 49 of 363 days1990: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 19 of 363 days1990: Unhealthy 3 of 363 days19901991: Good 305 of 361 days1991: Moderate 47 of 361 days1991: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 8 of 361 days1991: Unhealthy 1 of 361 days1992: Good 319 of 364 days1992: Moderate 31 of 364 days1992: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 12 of 364 days1992: Unhealthy 2 of 364 days1993: Good 306 of 363 days1993: Moderate 42 of 363 days1993: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 12 of 363 days1993: Unhealthy 3 of 363 days1994: Good 300 of 357 days1994: Moderate 46 of 357 days1994: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 8 of 357 days1994: Unhealthy 3 of 357 days1995: Good 270 of 358 days1995: Moderate 57 of 358 days1995: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 23 of 358 days1995: Unhealthy 8 of 358 days19951996: Good 318 of 365 days1996: Moderate 34 of 365 days1996: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 10 of 365 days1996: Unhealthy 3 of 365 days1997: Good 310 of 364 days1997: Moderate 44 of 364 days1997: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 9 of 364 days1997: Unhealthy 1 of 364 days1998: Good 300 of 362 days1998: Moderate 47 of 362 days1998: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 12 of 362 days1998: Unhealthy 3 of 362 days1999: Good 291 of 364 days1999: Moderate 52 of 364 days1999: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 16 of 364 days1999: Unhealthy 5 of 364 days2000: Good 272 of 366 days2000: Moderate 82 of 366 days2000: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 11 of 366 days2000: Unhealthy 1 of 366 days20002001: Good 235 of 365 days2001: Moderate 117 of 365 days2001: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 11 of 365 days2001: Unhealthy 2 of 365 days2002: Good 257 of 365 days2002: Moderate 94 of 365 days2002: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 11 of 365 days2002: Unhealthy 3 of 365 days2003: Good 261 of 365 days2003: Moderate 87 of 365 days2003: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 15 of 365 days2003: Unhealthy 2 of 365 days2004: Good 267 of 366 days2004: Moderate 89 of 366 days2004: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 9 of 366 days2004: Unhealthy 1 of 366 days2005: Good 147 of 365 days2005: Moderate 216 of 365 days2005: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 2 of 365 days20052006: Good 145 of 365 days2006: Moderate 213 of 365 days2006: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 7 of 365 days2007: Good 164 of 365 days2007: Moderate 198 of 365 days2007: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 3 of 365 days2008: Good 174 of 359 days2008: Moderate 179 of 359 days2008: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 6 of 359 days2009: Good 181 of 365 days2009: Moderate 182 of 365 days2009: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 2 of 365 days2010: Good 208 of 361 days2010: Moderate 145 of 361 days2010: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 8 of 361 days20102011: Good 214 of 365 days2011: Moderate 140 of 365 days2011: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 10 of 365 days2011: Unhealthy 1 of 365 days2012: Good 213 of 366 days2012: Moderate 148 of 366 days2012: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 5 of 366 days2013: Good 218 of 365 days2013: Moderate 147 of 365 days2014: Good 207 of 365 days2014: Moderate 157 of 365 days2014: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 1 of 365 days2015: Good 203 of 365 days2015: Moderate 160 of 365 days2015: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 2 of 365 days20152016: Good 272 of 366 days2016: Moderate 94 of 366 days2017: Good 217 of 357 days2017: Moderate 140 of 357 days2018: Good 214 of 365 days2018: Moderate 151 of 365 days2019: Good 198 of 365 days2019: Moderate 166 of 365 days2019: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 1 of 365 days2020: Good 227 of 366 days2020: Moderate 137 of 366 days2020: Unhealthy 2 of 366 days20202021: Good 200 of 364 days2021: Moderate 162 of 364 days2021: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 2 of 364 days2022: Good 208 of 365 days2022: Moderate 155 of 365 days2022: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 2 of 365 days2023: Good 196 of 365 days2023: Moderate 167 of 365 days2023: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 2 of 365 days2024: Good 178 of 366 days2024: Moderate 172 of 366 days2024: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 15 of 366 days2024: Unhealthy 1 of 366 days2025: Good 148 of 365 days2025: Moderate 209 of 365 days2025: Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups 8 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 year0501001980: 90th percentile AQI 871981: 90th percentile AQI 671982: 90th percentile AQI 841983: 90th percentile AQI 871984: 90th percentile AQI 671985: 90th percentile AQI 701986: 90th percentile AQI 641987: 90th percentile AQI 901988: 90th percentile AQI 741989: 90th percentile AQI 711990: 90th percentile AQI 771991: 90th percentile AQI 611992: 90th percentile AQI 581993: 90th percentile AQI 641994: 90th percentile AQI 671995: 90th percentile AQI 971996: 90th percentile AQI 581997: 90th percentile AQI 621998: 90th percentile AQI 741999: 90th percentile AQI 842000: 90th percentile AQI 662001: 90th percentile AQI 742002: 90th percentile AQI 712003: 90th percentile AQI 772004: 90th percentile AQI 642005: 90th percentile AQI 712006: 90th percentile AQI 742007: 90th percentile AQI 732008: 90th percentile AQI 742009: 90th percentile AQI 682010: 90th percentile AQI 692011: 90th percentile AQI 712012: 90th percentile AQI 682013: 90th percentile AQI 692014: 90th percentile AQI 672015: 90th percentile AQI 672016: 90th percentile AQI 602017: 90th percentile AQI 622018: 90th percentile AQI 672019: 90th percentile AQI 662020: 90th percentile AQI 672021: 90th percentile AQI 672022: 90th percentile AQI 652023: 90th percentile AQI 712024: 90th percentile AQI 812025: 90th percentile AQI 761980: Median AQI 331981: Median AQI 351982: Median AQI 311983: Median AQI 381984: Median AQI 301985: Median AQI 371986: Median AQI 351987: Median AQI 391988: Median AQI 351989: Median AQI 331990: Median AQI 331991: Median AQI 321992: Median AQI 311993: Median AQI 341994: Median AQI 321995: Median AQI 401996: Median AQI 321997: Median AQI 321998: Median AQI 351999: Median AQI 362000: Median AQI 372001: Median AQI 412002: Median AQI 412003: Median AQI 412004: Median AQI 382005: Median AQI 532006: Median AQI 532007: Median AQI 522008: Median AQI 522009: Median AQI 512010: Median AQI 472011: Median AQI 472012: Median AQI 472013: Median AQI 462014: Median AQI 482015: Median AQI 482016: Median AQI 402017: Median AQI 452018: Median AQI 442019: Median AQI 492020: Median AQI 462021: Median AQI 472022: Median AQI 472023: Median AQI 482024: Median AQI 512025: Median AQI 531980198519901995200020052010201520202025
  • 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)27976%
Ozone8323%
Coarse particles (PM10)31%

Year-by-year data

Annual AQI summary by year
YearDays with AQIGoodModerateUnhealthy for Sensitive GroupsUnhealthyVery UnhealthyHazardousMedian AQI90th pct.Max AQIMain pollutant
202536514820980005376137PM2.5
2024366178172151005181153PM2.5
202336519616720004871101PM2.5
202236520815520004765106PM2.5
202136420016220004767113PM2.5
202036622713702004667162PM2.5
201936519816610004966107PM2.5
20183652141510000446799PM2.5
20173572171400000456297PM2.5
2016366272940000406094Ozone
201536520316020004867112PM2.5
201436520715710004867105PM2.5
201336521814700004669100PM2.5
201236621314850004768147PM2.5
2011365214140101004771154Ozone
201036120814580004769126PM2.5
200936518118220005168108PM2.5
200835917417960005274129PM2.5
200736516419830005273126PM2.5
200636514521370005374147PM2.5
200536514721620005371113PM2.5
20043662678991003864169Ozone
200336526187152004177169Ozone
200236525794113004171187Ozone
2001365235117112004174169Ozone
200036627282111003766161Ozone
199936429152165003684164Ozone
199836230047123003574182Ozone
19973643104491003262154Ozone
199636531834103003258169Ozone
199535827057238004097192Ozone
19943573004683003267192Ozone
199336330642123003464197Ozone
199236431931122003158169Ozone
19913613054781003261151Ozone
199036329249193003377154Ozone
198936429255116003371156Ozone
198836328758126003574182Ozone
198736525184237003990190Ozone
198636529063102003564154Ozone
198536327771104103770201Ozone
19843562974972103067202Ozone
198332424756174003887164Ozone
198229824044104003184195Ozone
19811501301262003567164Ozone
1980345279361710303387232Ozone

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 Texas with a similar median AQI in 2025

All monitored counties in Texas

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