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The 25 Worst Cities for People With Spring Allergies

The 25 Worst Cities for People With Spring Allergies

The highly encouraged and in some places strictly enforced social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic may come as a relief to people with spring allergies.

Early March is usually a time when more than 50 million Americans who suffer from allergic rhinitis, the medical name for hay fever or seasonal allergies, start experiencing the unpleasant symptoms of their immune system’s hypersensitivity to pollen from trees, grass, weeds, or airborne mold spores.

24/7 Tempo reviewed the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s 2020 report on metropolitan cities where people are most affected by spring allergies.

In addition to pollen, air pollution — which is unhealthy for anyone exposed to it — can make life particularly miserable for people with allergies. It is especially true of particulate matter 2.5 pollution (PM2.5), or fine inhalable particles that have a diameter of less than 2.5 microns — about 3% of the diameter of a human hair.

Spring allergies can cause sneezing, stuffy and runny nose, watery eyes, as well as itchy nose, eyes, and mouth, according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology — and here are 20 easy remedies that can help relieve allergy suffering.

 

To identify the 25 worst cities for people with spring allergies, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s 2020 report on the 100 metropolitan cities where people are most affected by spring allergies. The AAFA ranking is based on a total score, which includes seasonal pollen measures, over-the-counter allergy medication use, and number of allergy specialists. For each city, AAFA obtained a comprehensive index of the population at risk of being affected by pollen and allergy prevalence for each pollen type, using the most recently available 12-month data.

The measure of fine particle pollution (PM2.5) comes from the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2020 report on air quality and air pollutants in the United States. Population figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 5-year American Community Survey.

Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images

25. Greenville, South Carolina
> Score: 73.3 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 24th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 57 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 883,853

Source: SeanPavonePhoto / Getty Images

24. Columbia, South Carolina
> Score: 74.3 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 19th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 63 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 816,664

Source: Davel5957 / Getty Images

23. Tulsa, Oklahoma
> Score: 75.1 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 53rd worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 90 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 985,233

Source: hstiver / Getty Images

22. Louisville, Kentucky
> Score: 75.3 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 6th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 126 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 1,285,270

Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

21. Grand Rapids, Michigan
> Score: 75.6 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 44th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 24 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 1,050,440

Source: DebraMillet / Getty Images

20. Syracuse, New York
> Score: 76.1 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 12th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 25 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 654,705

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

19. Albany, New York
> Score: 77.3 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 29th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 58 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 880,481

Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

18. Providence, Rhode Island
> Score: 77.7 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 3rd worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 36 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 1,615,516

Source: Jacek_Sopotnicki / Getty Images

17. Buffalo, New York
> Score: 77.7 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 16th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 48 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 1,131,570

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

16. Dallas, Texas
> Score: 77.8 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 45th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 80 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 7,255,028

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

15. Memphis, Tennessee
> Score: 78.4 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 4th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 114 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 1,345,991

Source: f11photo / Getty Images

14. Las Vegas, Nevada
> Score: 80.2 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 34th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 29 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 2,141,574

Source: Ron and Patty Thomas / Getty Images

13. Dayton, Ohio
> Score: 81.2 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 13th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 93 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 802,645

Source: MattGush / Getty Images

12. Riverside, California
> Score: 82.0 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 52th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 43 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 4,518,699

Source: Oliver Kawwass / Getty Images

11. Virginia Beach, Virginia
> Score: 82.3 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 50th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 58 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 1,722,001

Source: HaizhanZheng / Getty Images

10. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
> Score: 85.1 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 41th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 164 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 2,339,941

Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

9. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
> Score: 86.1 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 18th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 106 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 1,369,759

Source: ChristianProhaska / Getty Images

8. Bridgeport, Connecticut
> Score: 86.7 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 40th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 74 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 944,348

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

7. San Antonio, Texas
> Score: 87.2 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 14th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 169 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 2,426,204

Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

6. New Haven, Connecticut
> Score: 87.3 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 23rd worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 49 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 859,339

Source: DenisTangneyJr / Getty Images

5. McAllen, Texas
> Score: 87.5 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 1stworst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 120 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 849,389

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

4. Hartford, Connecticut
> Score: 90.1 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 22th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 39 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 1,209,367

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

3. Springfield, Massachusetts
> Score: 90.5 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 5th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 70 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 630,275

Source: Alex Potemkin / Getty Images

2. Scranton, Pennsylvania
> Score: 98.5 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 8th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 15 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 556,926

Source: Sean Pavone / Getty Images

1. Richmond, Virginia
> Score: 100.0 (Avg: 65.50)
> Rank in spring of 2019: 10th worst city
> PM2.5 pollution 24-hr average: 68 µg/m3 (EPA’s standard is 35 µg/m3)
> Population: 1,281,530

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