(NEXSTAR) — Ah-choo! Does spring have you sneezing, wheezing or congested? Where you live may be making your allergies worse.
The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America recently ranked the 100 most-populated metropolitan areas on how challenging it is for seasonal allergy sufferers who live there. The foundation used 2019 U.S. Census Bureau data, pollen scores, over-the-counter allergy medicine sales and estimates of allergy-specific health care access.
AAFA’s 2022 Allergy Capitals list shows the states with the highest number of “challenging” seasonal allergy cities are Connecticut, Texas and New York — which have three cities each. Florida, Pennsylvania and South Carolina come in second with two cities each.
Find the full list below and decide if it’s time to move!
Most challenging cities
- Scranton, Pennsylvania
- Wichita, Kansas
- McAllen, Texas
- Richmond, Virginia
- San Antonio, Texas
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Hartford, Connecticut
- Buffalo, New York
- New Haven, Connecticut
- Albany, New York
- Bridgeport, Connecticut
- Springfield, Massachussetts
- Dayton, Ohio
- Columbia, South Carolina
- El Paso, Texas
- Syracuse, New York
- Des Moines, Iowa
- Miami, Florida
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Jacksonville, Florida
- Grand Rapids, Michigan
- Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Greenville, South Carolina
What’s the deal with Scranton? AAFA explains Scranton is the top seasonal allergy offender year-round, for both spring and fall allergies due to higher-than-average pollen levels and having fewer board-certified allergists/immunologists in the area.
‘Average’ seasonal allergy cities (26-75)
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Riverside, California
- Dallas, Texas
- Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Greensboro, North Carolina
- Poughkeepsie, New York
- Houston, Texas
- Knoxville, Tennessee
- Toledo, Ohio
- Lakeland, Florida
- Daytona Beach, Florida
- Columbus, Ohio
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Orlando, Florida
- Sarasota, Florida
- Louisville, Kentucky
- Tuscon, Arizona
- Cape Coral, Florida
- Palm Bay, Florida
- Akron, Ohio
- Oxnard, California
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Worcester, Massachusetts
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Tampa, Florida
- Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Augusta, Georgia
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Nashville, Tennessee
- Jackson, Mississippi
- Rochester, New York
- Detroit, Michigan
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Los Angeles, California
- New York, New York
- Austin, Texas
- Chicago, Illinois
- Providence, Rhode Island
- Cincinnati, Ohio
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Kansas City, Missouri
- Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Boston, Massachusetts
‘Better than average’ seasonal allergy cities (76-100)
- Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Spokane, Washington
- Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Baltimore, Maryland
- Ogden, Utah
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Boise, Idaho
- Bakersfield, California
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Stockton, California
- Madison, Wisconsin
- San Diego, California
- Washington, D.C.
- Salt Lake City, Utah
- Fresno, California
- Phoenix, Arizona
- Provo, Utah
- Denver, Colorado
- Sacramento, California
- Portland, Oregon
- San Jose, California
- San Francisco, California
- Durham, North Carolina
- Seattle, Washington
California contains the most “better than average” seasonal allergy cities on the list. The AAFA notes pollen count estimates are “limited” in Alaska and Hawaii and aren’t included.
Pollen allergy (spring) season usually begins around early February and continues through early summer, depending where you live. But a study published in the Nature Communications academic journal last month indicates the season could become even longer due to climate change. Researchers estimate the season could begin up to 40 days earlier than it does now and pollen concentrations even higher — all contributing to worse allergy seasons overall.