San Antonio’s air quality again ranks among the nation’s worst, according to the American Lung Association’s 2025 “State of the Air” report.
The San Antonio–New Braunfels–Kerrville metro area is listed as the 20th most polluted in the U.S. for ground-level ozone, or smog—worse than its 24th-place ranking last year. The ranking reflects Bexar County’s weighted average of 10.7 unhealthy ozone days per year during 2021–2023, which earned an “F” grade.
The American Lung Association’s annual assessment compiles the latest quality-assured monitoring data for two key pollutants —ozone and fine particles — over a three-year period. Ozone aggravates asthma and other lung diseases and has been linked to heart attacks, strokes, and premature death.
Nationwide, the 2025 report estimates that 156 million people—about 46% of Americans—live in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution.
San Antonio’s particle-pollution picture is more mixed. For short-term spikes in PM2.5, the metro ranked 156th worst, with the area’s highest reading in Atascosa County averaging 0.7 unhealthy days per year—good for a “B” and an improvement from last year’s ranking of 84th worst. However, for year-round PM2.5, the metro slipped to 70th worst nationally, though Atascosa County still met the federal annual standard.
Public health advocates say persistent ozone exceedances remain a significant concern for children, seniors, outdoor workers, and people with chronic lung or heart disease.
The Lung Association points to hotter summers and stagnant air, conditions that can intensify ozone formation, as ongoing challenges, and it urges policymakers to back federal clean-air programs while local officials pursue transportation, industrial, and land-use strategies that reduce emissions.
The report underscores San Antonio’s progress on some particulate measures, but its overall message is cautionary: ozone pollution here ranks among the nation’s most problematic, and continued action is needed to protect public health across the metro.
Guests:
JoAnna Strother is the American Lung Association Senior Director of Advocacy
Joshua Smith is a senior attorney with the Sierra Club's Environmental Law Program.
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This interview will be recorded live Tuesday, September 23, 2025.
