This Map Shows The Worst (and Best) Cities For Seasonal Allergies

Springtime is the best time of year. The green grass comes back, the trees spring anew, the birds sing their songs, and flowers brighten up our days, too. But it’s also the worst for people who have to deal with seasonal allergies and asthma. Statistics show that more than 50 million Americans living with various allergies each year. A lot of those people deal with seasonal pollen and apparently, some cities in the U.S. are better than others to live in if allergies are a part of your life.

The symptoms of seasonal allergies vary from person to person. For some, it’s an annoying thing that can be easily managed with over-the-counter medications. While, for some others, the symptoms can be debilitating depending on what pollens are in the air, which can vary a lot based on where you live.

And that’s where the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) report comes in handy. The non-profit released its 2022 report which gives details on this year’s spring and fall allergies based on collected data.

Allergies can also trigger asthma episodes or attacks. Around 60-80 percent of the 25 million people in the U.S. with asthma have allergic asthma. “We see spikes in emergency room visits that coincide with spikes in pollen seasons,” says Kenneth Mendez, CEO and president of AAFA. “Around 3,600 people per year die from asthma, so it is important to address and manage asthma and allergy triggers where you live.”

In order to rank the cities in order of most challenging to live in for people with seasonal allergies, the AAFA took a few factors into consideration including spring pollen scores, fall pollen scores, over-the-counter medication use in the city, and the availability of allergists.

Those points were then weighted and sorted to find out the cities that are the most and least challenging to live in if you deal with pollen giving you symptoms.

The top 10 most challenging places to live with seasonal allergies are:

1. Scranton, Pennsylvania
2. Wichita, Kansas
3. McAllen, Texas
4. Richmond, Virginia
5. San Antonio, Texas
6. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
7. Hartford, Connecticut
8. Buffalo, New York
9. New Haven, Connecticut
10. Albany, New York

The top 10 least challenging places to live with seasonal allergies are:

1. Fresno, California
2. Phoenix, Arizona
3. Provo, Utah
4. Denver, Colorado
5. Sacramento, California
6. Portland, Oregon
7. San Jose, California
8. San Francisco, California
9. Durham, North Carolina
10. Seattle, Washington

What can you do about your allergies, if moving isn’t possible? “Schedule an appointment with your allergist to work on a treatment plan together after reviewing your symptoms and considering allergy testing,” Dr. John James, medical specialist and spokesperson for AAFA says.

Adding, “These measures will help identify specific therapies to help reduce allergy symptoms and to improve your quality of life. There are many options available, including environmental controls and medical treatments, to treat pollen allergies.”

To read the full report, check out AAFA.