Utica, Rome and Syracuse get a lot of cloudy days and a lot of annual precipitation, especially snowfall during the winter months.

But, the bright side, in and around Central New York their air quality is actually pretty good. According to a recent study published in FilterBuy.com, three Upstate metropolitan areas boast some of the best air quality in the nation. Albany, Rochester, and Syracuse are all in rarefied air, inside the top 10.

Analysts at Filterbuy used the 2019 Air Quality Index (AQI) values from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assess an area’s level of air pollution. Higher AQI values are an indicator of poor air quality. Lower values are better.

Across the entire United States, Honolulu in Hawaii finishes first with an AQI value of 29, with 339 good days, and zero unhealthy or hazardous days. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario in the southern California area, with all of its smog issues, comes in at rock-bottom when it comes to good air. Its 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 according to NYup.com:

#6 Albany-Schenectady-Troy
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

#5 Rochester
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

#4 Syracuse
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

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