25 Worst U.S. Cities for Allergy Sufferers

Sorry to residents of—or anyone planning a trip to—Wichita, Kansas. The city has been named the allergy capital of the United States for the third year in a row.

1. These Cities Are Rough on People With Allergies
2. 10 Cities Where Allergy Sufferers Can Find Relief
3. 5 Tips for Keeping Pollen Out of Your House

These Cities Are Rough on People With Allergies

The title was given by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), which determined its rankings from pollen scores for tree, grass, and weed pollen in the 100 most populous metropolitan statistical areas (basically cities including their suburban surroundings) in the contiguous United States. (Alaska and Hawaii were excluded from the research because they’re often excluded from national pollen tracking systems.)

Other factors featured in the analysis were over-the-counter allergy medication usage rates and the number of allergy specialists available. Each place was given a score out of 100—and Wichita’s score was 100, thanks to a dearth of allergy specialists and higher-than-average pollen counts and allergy medicine use.

In second place is New Orleans, Louisiana, up from way down in 34th place on the 2024 list. Why the leap? According to the AAFA’s report [PDF], “New Orleans experienced a much higher weed pollen season, possibly due to increased moisture from Hurricane Francine,” which reached the city right around the weed pollen season of fall 2024. The report also mentioned that the growing season was longer than usual due to especially warm temperatures that autumn.

10 Cities Where Allergy Sufferers Can Find Relief

Generally, cities in the Lower Midwest and near the East Coast tend to be allergy hot spots. So where should you go to escape itchy eyes and incessant sneezing? Utah. The Beehive State had three cities in the bottom 10 of all 100 places included in the study: Salt Lake City in 99th place, Provo in 94th, and Ogden in 92nd. Ohio is another good option: Akron and Cleveland both made the bottom 10.

5 Tips for Keeping Pollen Out of Your House

One of the best ways to manage allergies is to leave pollen where it belongs—outside. In its report, the AAFA offered some helpful tips for keeping your house free of pollen. Here’s a handful of easy ones:

• Remove your shoes before entering your home.
• Change and wash clothes after outdoor activities.
• Wipe furry animals off when they come inside or bathe them weekly.
• Shower before bed to keep pollen out of your bedding.
• Keep windows closed during pollen season or peak pollen times (usually midday).

For more ways to fight allergies and the entire list of 100 cities, check out the full study in PDF form.

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