A non-profit allergy patient organization has ranked Wichita #1 on a list for most challenging place to live for people who suffer from seasonal allergies. The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has ranked Wichita #1 on that list for the last 3 years.
According to the AAFA; Wichita has worse-than-average tree and grass pollen, worse-than-average allergy medicine use, and worse-than-average number of board-certified allergists/immunologists.
The list has Wichita in first place, followed by New Orleans. Oklahoma City and Tulsa in Oklahoma follow at 3rd and 4th respectively. Memphis, Tennessee and Little Rock, Arkansas come in at #5 and #6; with the final four on the list concentrated in the southern part of the East Coast. The other end of the list, those cities considered best for allergy sufferers, include Cleveland, San Diego, Akron, Salt Lake City, and Boston.
The AAFA says their ranking is based on analysis of data from the 100 most-populated Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the contiguous 48 states as determined by the most recent U.S. Census Bureau population estimates from 2023. The individual factors analyzed for the 2025 rankings are pollen scores for tree, grass, and weed pollen, over-the-counter allergy medication use, and number of allergy specialists.