What's the air quality in Bolton? NO₂ 13.8 µg/m³
In 2025 the average resident of Bolton lived with background NO₂ of 13.8 µg/m³, Very High for England and Wales and 1.4 times the WHO guideline of 10. PM2.5 was 7.5 µg/m³, Typical for England and Wales and 1.5 times the WHO guideline of 5. The typical area in England and Wales has NO₂ of 7.2 and PM2.5 of 7.4 µg/m³.
- PM2.5
- 7.5 µg/m³
- NO₂ for England and Wales
- Very High
- Figures for
- 2025 annual average
Modelled background levels averaged over where residents live (Census 2021), not roadside levels. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Defra modelled background pollution, 2025. How we calculate this
All house prices in BoltonIs the air quality good in Bolton?
Background NO₂ in Bolton is 13.8 µg/m³, 1.4 times the WHO guideline of 10, and higher than the typical area (7.2). That puts it in the Very High band. Background PM2.5 in Bolton is 7.5 µg/m³, 1.5 times the WHO guideline of 5, and higher than the typical area (7.4). That puts it in the Typical band. Most of England and Wales is above the WHO guideline for PM2.5, so the bands compare places with each other rather than giving a pass or fail.
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂): 13.8 µg/m³
NO₂ level is Very High, on a scale from Very Low to Very High.
Very High means the highest fifth of areas in England and Wales for NO₂.
| Very Low | up to 4.7 |
|---|---|
| Low | 4.7 to 6.5 |
| Typical | 6.5 to 7.7 |
| High | 7.7 to 9.2 |
| Very High | over 9.2 |
WHO guideline: 10 µg/m³ (in the Very High band). UK legal limit: 40 µg/m³.
Fine particles (PM2.5): 7.5 µg/m³
PM2.5 level is Typical, on a scale from Very Low to Very High.
Typical means the middle fifth of areas in England and Wales for PM2.5.
| Very Low | up to 6.0 |
|---|---|
| Low | 6.0 to 7.2 |
| Typical | 7.2 to 7.7 |
| High | 7.7 to 8.2 |
| Very High | over 8.2 |
WHO guideline: 5 µg/m³ (in the Very Low band). UK legal limit: 20 µg/m³, with a target of 10 µg/m³ in England by 2040.
The bands split every area we cover into fifths by its level, from Very Low to Very High. The map uses the same colours.
Which part of Bolton has the cleanest air?
Horwich has the lowest background NO₂ of the 3 areas of Bolton, at 10.9 µg/m³. Westhoughton has the highest, at 13.2 µg/m³. Average house prices are shown alongside, so you can weigh air quality against cost.
| Area | NO₂ | PM2.5 | NO₂ band | Average price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HorwichVery High | 10.9 | 6.8 | Very High | £230,260 |
| BlackrodVery High | 11.8 | 7.1 | Very High | £227,594 |
| WesthoughtonVery High | 13.2 | 7.6 | Very High | £225,992 |
Levels in µg/m³, 2025 annual average.
How does air quality in Bolton compare with nearby areas?
Background NO₂ in Bolton compared with the 6 nearest other areas in Greater Manchester.
Bolton vs Wigan
- Bolton
- NO₂ 13.8 µg/m³
- Wigan
- NO₂ 13.3 µg/m³
Open comparison
Bolton vs Bury
- Bolton
- NO₂ 13.8 µg/m³
- Bury
- NO₂ 14.6 µg/m³
Open comparison
Bolton vs Salford
- Bolton
- NO₂ 13.8 µg/m³
- Salford
- NO₂ 17.6 µg/m³
Open comparison
Bolton vs Trafford
- Bolton
- NO₂ 13.8 µg/m³
- Trafford
- NO₂ 15.2 µg/m³
Open comparison
Bolton vs Rochdale
- Bolton
- NO₂ 13.8 µg/m³
- Rochdale
- NO₂ 13.6 µg/m³
Open comparison
Bolton vs Manchester
- Bolton
- NO₂ 13.8 µg/m³
- Manchester
- NO₂ 16.6 µg/m³
Open comparison
Does this include busy roads?
No. These are background levels: yearly averages over 1 km squares, away from the immediate influence of roads. Right beside a busy road in Bolton, NO₂ can be much higher. Councils publish roadside monitoring in their annual air quality reports.
What else do people ask about Bolton?
More quick answers on house prices, sales, areas, green space, crime, air quality and listed buildings in Bolton.
- What is the average house price in Bolton?
- When did average house prices in Bolton reach their peak?
- How many properties are being sold in Bolton?
- What type of properties are sold in Bolton?
- What price range do most homes sell for in Bolton?
- What is the most expensive (and cheapest) area of Bolton?
- How many parks and green spaces are in Bolton?
- What is the crime rate in Bolton?
- How many listed buildings are in Bolton?
- How do Bolton house prices compare with another area?
Where does this data come from?
Price information is from HM Land Registry, location boundaries are from OpenStreetMap, and households and population are from Nomis Census 2021 postcode estimates (21 March 2021). Parks and green space are from OS Open Greenspace. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Listed buildings and scheduled monuments are from Historic England and Cadw, and conservation areas from planning.data.gov.uk. © Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Source: planning.data.gov.uk, Open Government Licence v3.0. Air quality is from Defra modelled background pollution maps. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Defra modelled background pollution, 2025.
Last updated 11 November 2026 at 01:29 with the latest Land Registry data (September 2026). The Bolton dataset covers 9,883 postcodes.
Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. This data is licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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