What HomeNHealthy reports
HomeNHealthy uses the closest same-state AirNow reporting area within 160 miles and shows the highest pollutant AQI reported for that area. The city profile includes the reporting-area name, distance, pollutant, category and observation time when available.
What AQI means
The Air Quality Index converts concentrations of common outdoor pollutants into a public communication scale. A higher number represents greater short-term health concern. AQI is an outdoor, area-level observation; it does not reveal the air inside a particular house.
Why it is excluded from the index
A smoke plume, dust event or weather shift can move AQI sharply within hours. That makes it useful for current decisions but unsuitable as a major input to a slow-moving residential-environment ranking. Methodology v2.0 displays AQI as a live tile and gives it zero index weight.
Preliminary versus regulatory data
AirNow describes its observations as preliminary. For regulatory and historical trend analysis, EPA’s Air Quality System or AirData should be used instead. HomeNHealthy never describes an AirNow snapshot as an annual exposure measure.
Known limitations
- A reporting area may be many miles from the city center.
- Outdoor monitors do not measure filtration, ventilation or pollution sources indoors.
- Conditions may be stale or unavailable when the source feed fails.
- A citywide AQI cannot determine personal exposure.