| Rank | City | State |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boise | ID |
| 2 | San Diego | CA |
| 3 | Tulsa | OK |
| 4 | Provo | UT |
| 5 | Rochester | NY |
| 6 | Wichita | KS |
| 7 | Raleigh | NC |
| 8 | Ogden | UT |
| 9 | Spokane | WA |
| 10 | Greenville | SC |
| 11 | San Francisco | CA |
| 12 | Minneapolis | MN |
| 13 | Salt Lake City | UT |
| 14 | Richmond | VA |
| 15 | Colorado Springs | CO |
| 16 | Little Rock | AR |
| 17 | Toledo | OH |
| 18 | New Orleans | LA |
| 19 | Winston-Salem | NC |
| 20 | Lakeland | FL |
How the ranking works
AAFA ranks the 100 most populous metro areas in the contiguous U.S. using three factors: tree, grass and weed pollen scores (how many days each city has high or very high pollen counts), over-the-counter allergy medicine use, and the number of board-certified allergists. The full list of 100 is in AAFA's report.
Living in an allergy capital
- Learn your season: see when is allergy season.
- Start your medicine about two weeks before symptoms usually begin.
- Size an air purifier for your bedroom with the air purifier calculator.
- If over-the-counter medicine is not enough, an allergist can test you and discuss allergy shots.
Source: Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, "Allergy Capitals 2026", checked October 17, 2026.
