What's the air quality in York? NO₂ 10.1 µg/m³
In 2025 the average resident of York lived with background NO₂ of 10.1 µg/m³, Very High for England and Wales and about the WHO guideline of 10. PM2.5 was 7.2 µg/m³, Low for England and Wales and 1.4 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
- 7.2 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 YorkIs the air quality good in York?
Background NO₂ in York is 10.1 µg/m³, about 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 York is 7.2 µg/m³, 1.4 times the WHO guideline of 5, and lower than the typical area (7.4). That puts it in the Low 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): 10.1 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): 7.2 µg/m³
PM2.5 level is Low, on a scale from Very Low to Very High.
Low means the second-lowest 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 York has the cleanest air?
Strensall with Towthorpe has the lowest background NO₂ of the 31 areas of York, at 7.8 µg/m³. Copmanthorpe has the highest, at 11.3 µg/m³. Average house prices are shown alongside, so you can weigh air quality against cost.
| Area | NO₂ | PM2.5 | NO₂ band | Average price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strensall with TowthorpeHigh | 7.8 | 6.8 | High | £348,742 |
| ElvingtonHigh | 8.2 | 6.9 | High | £337,736 |
| WheldrakeHigh | 8.3 | 6.9 | High | £439,518 |
| KexbyHigh | 8.4 | 6.9 | High | £716,666 |
| HaxbyHigh | 8.5 | 7.0 | High | £358,125 |
| WiggintonHigh | 8.5 | 6.9 | High | £314,695 |
| EarswickHigh | 8.6 | 7.0 | High | £624,500 |
| Stockton-on-the-ForestHigh | 8.6 | 7.0 | High | £375,610 |
| HoltbyHigh | 8.7 | 7.0 | High | £832,500 |
| DunningtonHigh | 8.9 | 7.0 | High | £401,231 |
| SkeltonHigh | 9.0 | 6.9 | High | £341,440 |
| HuntingtonHigh | 9.1 | 7.0 | High | £308,299 |
| HessayHigh | 9.1 | 6.9 | High | £280,000 |
| New EarswickVery High | 9.2 | 7.0 | Very High | £253,126 |
| Askham RichardVery High | 9.3 | 7.0 | Very High | £503,750 |
| Upper PoppletonVery High | 9.6 | 7.0 | Very High | £460,893 |
| Heworth WithoutVery High | 9.6 | 7.2 | Very High | £326,849 |
| Rufforth with KnaptonVery High | 9.7 | 7.0 | Very High | £493,181 |
| RawcliffeVery High | 9.8 | 7.0 | Very High | £336,870 |
| Clifton WithoutVery High | 9.8 | 7.1 | Very High | £320,008 |
| NaburnVery High | 9.8 | 7.0 | Very High | £260,000 |
| DeightonVery High | 9.8 | 6.9 | Very High | £412,000 |
| Acaster MalbisVery High | 9.8 | 7.0 | Very High | £576,000 |
| Nether PoppletonVery High | 10.0 | 7.1 | Very High | £493,038 |
| OsbaldwickVery High | 10.2 | 7.2 | Very High | £364,216 |
| HeslingtonVery High | 10.5 | 7.2 | Very High | £499,514 |
| Askham BryanVery High | 10.6 | 7.1 | Very High | £525,608 |
| MurtonVery High | 10.7 | 7.2 | Very High | £361,250 |
| BishopthorpeVery High | 10.9 | 7.3 | Very High | £411,502 |
| FulfordVery High | 10.9 | 7.3 | Very High | £367,427 |
| CopmanthorpeVery High | 11.3 | 7.2 | Very High | £396,661 |
Levels in µg/m³, 2025 annual average.
How does air quality in York compare with nearby areas?
Background NO₂ in York compared with the 6 nearest other areas in England.
York vs North Yorkshire
- York
- NO₂ 10.1 µg/m³
- North Yorkshire
- NO₂ 6.9 µg/m³
Open comparison
York vs East Riding of Yorkshire
- York
- NO₂ 10.1 µg/m³
- East Riding of Yorkshire
- NO₂ 7.8 µg/m³
Open comparison
York vs West Yorkshire
- York
- NO₂ 10.1 µg/m³
- West Yorkshire
- NO₂ 11.7 µg/m³
Open comparison
York vs North Lincolnshire
- York
- NO₂ 10.1 µg/m³
- North Lincolnshire
- NO₂ 8.9 µg/m³
Open comparison
York vs Kingston upon Hull
- York
- NO₂ 10.1 µg/m³
- Kingston upon Hull
- NO₂ 11.4 µg/m³
Open comparison
York vs South Yorkshire
- York
- NO₂ 10.1 µg/m³
- South Yorkshire
- NO₂ 10.0 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 York, NO₂ can be much higher. Councils publish roadside monitoring in their annual air quality reports.
What else do people ask about York?
More quick answers on house prices, sales, areas, green space, crime, air quality and listed buildings in York.
- What is the average house price in York?
- When did average house prices in York reach their peak?
- How many properties are being sold in York?
- What type of properties are sold in York?
- What price range do most homes sell for in York?
- What is the most expensive (and cheapest) area of York?
- How many parks and green spaces are in York?
- What is the crime rate in York?
- How many listed buildings are in York?
- How do York 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. Crime is from police.uk street-level data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: police.uk. 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 01:00 with the latest Land Registry data (September 2026). The York dataset covers 12,732 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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