Elma Center, New York Air Quality
Elma Center air quality today — the AQI, the main pollutant, and whether it’s safe to exercise outside right now
Elma Center, NY · Air quality right now
The air quality index in Elma Center, NY is 52 (Moderate) right now — acceptable for most people.
Is it safe to be outside in Elma Center today?
AQI 52 Yes — air quality is Moderate
Fine for most; unusually sensitive people can take it easy.Main pollutant: PM2.5Observed 12:00 AM EDT
Pollutants right now
- PM2.57.3 µg/m³Main pollutantfine particles — smoke, exhaust, soot
- PM107.3 µg/m³coarse particles — dust, pollen, ash
- Ozone41 µg/m³smog — builds on hot, sunny days
- NO₂16 µg/m³nitrogen dioxide — traffic, combustion
ExerciseOK to run for most; sensitive athletes can ease the intensity.
How to read Elma Center’s air quality
Guides: The AQI Scale, Explained · Air Quality Alerts, Decoded · How to Read a Wildfire Smoke Map · Why Wildfire Smoke Travels 1,000 Miles.
Air quality over time in Elma Center
Across the EPA’s county records from 2020 to 2025, Elma Center’s cleanest year was 2020 (median AQI 41) and its most polluted was 2023 (median AQI 48); the typical (median) day has held roughly steady since 2020.
| Year | Median AQI | Unhealthy+ | Main pollutant | USG | Moderate | Good |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 41 | 2 | PM2.5 | 0 | 86 | 278 |
| 2021 | 46 | 0 | PM2.5 | 1 | 139 | 225 |
| 2022 | 44 | 0 | PM2.5 | 2 | 125 | 238 |
| 2023 | 48 | 3 | PM2.5 | 5 | 159 | 198 |
| 2024 | 43 | 0 | PM2.5 | 1 | 131 | 234 |
| 2025 | 44 | 0 | PM2.5 | 11 | 121 | 233 |
“USG” is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (AQI 101–150); “Unhealthy+” combines the Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, and Hazardous days. In 2024 the EPA tightened the annual fine-particle (PM2.5) standard to 9 µg/m³ from the previous 12 µg/m³, so counties near the old limit read worse against the new one. Source: EPA AQS annual summaries, 2020–2025.
Frequently asked
- What was the worst year for air quality in Elma Center?
- In the EPA's 2020–2025 county records, 2025 had the most days above AQI 100: 11 days (11 Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups, 0 Unhealthy or worse). The highest median AQI came in 2023 (48; 2025's was 44).
- How many unhealthy air days does Elma Center have?
- Across 2020–2025, 1% of the days reported for Elma Center's county had an AQI above 100 (25 of 2192), about 4 days a year. 2025 had 11 days.
- What's the main air pollutant in Elma Center?
- PM2.5: it drove Elma Center's county AQI on the most days in every year of the EPA's 2020–2025 records.