There are many factors to consider when choosing the right city for your next move. Housing prices, local economy, and distance to friends and family all play considerable roles in your decision. However, weather and regional humidity are two aspects of a location you should never overlook. If you’ve never lived in a city with extreme humidity, it can be a jarring experience.

To help you make the best possible decision for your next relocation, we here at Today’s Homeowner conducted a study that looked at the most and least humid cities in the U.S. This article sheds light on our findings and briefly discusses some of the major impacts humidity can have on your home.

Main Findings

Our research shows that the top five most humid cities in the U.S. are:

  • Lake Charles, LA (90% humidity)
  • Jackson, MI (90% humidity)
  • Meridian, MI (90% humidity)
  • Brownsville, TX (90% humidity)
  • Port Arthur, TX (90% humidity)

On the other end of the spectrum, the least humid cities in the U.S. are:

  • Las Vegas, NV (36% humidity)
  • Bishop, CA (38% humidity)
  • Phoenix, AZ (46% humidity)
  • Tucson, AZ (47% humidity)
  • El Paso, TX (50% humidity)

Average Humidity by City

We gathered comprehensive data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on the humidity of each city in the U.S. We then compiled this information to find the average annual humidity. We could rank each city from there, finding the most humid to the least humid. Below we will present each end of the spectrum, followed by the complete list of all analyzed cities.

Cities With the Highest Humidity

In the top five, we have Lake Charles, LA, Jackson, MS, Meridian, MS, Brownsville, TX, and Port Arthur, TX, all at 90% humidity. While Lake Charles, Jackson, and Meridian were not a big surprise, Port Arthur and Brownsville were more unexpected. Most people picture large pastures and arid deserts when they envision Texas. However, Texas is still a coastal state in the Gulf of Mexico with plenty of port cities.

Beyond the top five, we have Victoria, TX (90%), Gainesville, FL (89%), Baton Rouge, LA (89%), Corpus Christi, TX (89%), and Houston, TX (89%). Again, we see that Texas holds the most spots, comprising five of the top 10, followed by Louisiana and Mississippi, tied for second place. It should be no surprise that all states in the top 10 have been within the Gulf of Mexico. Jackson is the most inland city on this list, but its humidity is explained by its proximity to the state’s massive inland swamps and bogs.

The final five most humid cities on our list are Quillayute, WA (89%), St. Paul Island, AK (88%), Fort Myers, FL (88%), Jacksonville, FL (88%), and Orlando, FL (88%). This final set of cities threw a few curve balls, most notably St. Paul. We would have never guessed a small island in Alaska would rank in the top 15 most humid cities. The city of St. Paul rests on an island of the same name, located in the Bering Sea between Mainland Alaska and Russia. The island is cold, with temperatures ranging from minus 26°F to 66°F, with an average of around 32°F. Due to the island’s high winds, small size, and the surrounding water, even at its frigid temperatures, it possesses high humidity.

Our data shows that the most humid cities are those along the country’s southern border. While there are some exceptions, mainly Washington and Alaska, it’s important to remember that you don’t always need high heat to have high humidity. While heat is a major factor in producing humid climates, a location with enough rainfall (like Washington state) or a location exposed to high winds along large bodies of water (such as St. Paul) can produce humidity.

Cities With the Lowest Humidity

Graphic of the least humid cities in the U.S.

If you’re looking to avoid humidity, you might want to consider cities located in the Central or Western portions of the United States. The top five least humid cities are Las Vegas, NV (36%), Bishop, CA (38%), Phoenix, AZ (46%), Tucson, AZ (47%), and El Paso, TX (50%). This data shows the true diversity of some states’ ecosystems and environments. While California is a coastal state, Bishop lies far inland, on the other side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, resting along the border of Nevada. We also have El Paso, showing Texas contains both the most and least humid cities in the U.S. While Texas does possess great humidity along its coast, it contains arid deserts, where El Paso lies. Specifically, El Paso rests in Texas’s northwestern corner, along the border of Mexico and New Mexico.

The next five driest cities are Denver, CO (50%), Blue Canyon, CA (51%), Winslow, AZ (52%), Albuquerque, NM (53%), and Grand Junction, CO (56%). With this next set of cities, Colorado ties with New Mexico and California, each holding two spots, respectively.

The last set of least humid cities in the U.S. follow suit to the first 10, including mostly central desert states. The final five include Roswell, NM (58%), Colorado Springs, CO (58%), Los Angeles, CA (58%), Lander, WY (60%), and Winnemucca, NV (60%). Unsurprisingly, Arizona holds the most spots in the top 10 driest cities, with a total of three. Behind Arizona, we have Nevada, New Mexico, and Colorado, all tied for second place with two entries a piece.

While coastlines create the most humidity, we can see that deserts create the least. If you’re looking for arid locations, your best bet is heading to the Central states. Or you can try locations like Texas or California, whose diversity of climates can allow you to experience both extremes with a quick car ride across the state.

Full Data

This table shows the results of our study, presented in the form of a sortable table.  You can sort the table by rank, city name, or average annual humidity.

Rank

City

State

Average Annual Relative Humidity

1

Lake Charles

LA

90

2

Jackson

MS

90

3

Meridian

MS

90

4

Brownsville

TX

90

5

Port Arthur

TX

90

6

Victoria

TX

90

7

Gainesville

FL

89

8

Baton Rouge

LA

89

9

Corpus Christi

TX

89

10

Houston

TX

89

11

Quillayute

WA

89

12

St. Paul Island

AK

88

13

Fort Myers

FL

88

14

Jacksonville

FL

88

15

Orlando

FL

88

16

Tallahassee

FL

88

17

Olympia

WA

88

18

Mobile

AL

87

19

Montgomery

AL

87

20

Cold Bay

AK

87

20

Daytona Beach

FL

87

20

San Francisco

CA

87

20

New Orleans

LA

87

20

Shreveport

LA

87

25

Asheville

NC

87

26

Yakutat

AK

86

27

Tampa

FL

86

28

Augusta

GA

86

29

Macon

GA

86

30

Savannah

GA

86

31

Tupelo

MS

86

32

Astoria

OR

86

33

Eugene

OR

86

34

Bristol

TN

86

35

Elkins

WV

86

36

Huntsville

AL

85

37

Fort Smith

AR

85

38

Pensacola

FL

85

39

Vero Beach

FL

85

40

Athens

GA

85

41

Columbus

GA

85

42

Charleston

SC

85

43

Chattanooga

TN

85

44

Birmingham

AL

84

45

Bethel

AK

84

46

Juneau

AK

84

47

Little Rock

AR

84

48

Waterloo

IA

84

49

Paducah

KY

84

50

Houghton Lake

MI

84

51

Saint Cloud

MN

84

52

Columbia

MO

84

53

Wilmington

NC

84

54

Salem

OR

84

55

Columbia

SC

84

56

Huron

SD

84

57

Knoxville

TN

84

58

Nashville

TN

84

59

Waco

TX

84

60

Peoria

IL

83

61

Rockford

IL

83

62

Springfield

IL

83

63

Evansville

IN

83

64

Dubuque

IA

83

65

Alpena

MI

83

66

Lansing

MI

83

67

International Falls

MN

83

68

Rochester

MN

83

69

Springfield

MO

83

70

North Platte

NE

83

71

Raleigh

NC

83

72

Grand Forks

ND

83

73

Toledo

OH

83

74

Aberdeen

SD

83

75

Austin

TX

83

76

Galveston

TX

83

77

San Antonio

TX

83

78

Charleston

WV

83

79

Huntington

WV

83

80

Green Bay

WI

83

81

Madison

WI

83

82

Annette

AK

82

83

Barrow

AK

82

84

King Salmon

AK

82

85

Miami

FL

82

86

West Palm Beach

FL

82

87

Fort Wayne

IN

82

88

Indianapolis

IN

82

89

Sioux City

IA

82

90

Topeka

KS

82

91

Flint

MI

82

92

Grand Rapids

MI

82

93

Duluth

MN

82

94

Lincoln

NE

82

95

Binghamton

NY

82

96

Mansfield

OH

82

97

Youngstown

OH

82

98

Portland

OR

82

99

Sioux Falls

SD

82

100

Seattle

WA

82

101

Beckley

WV

82

102

La Crosse

WI

82

103

Atlanta

GA

81

104

Hilo

HI

81

105

Moline

IL

81

106

South Bend

IN

81

107

Des Moines

IA

81

108

Concordia

KS

81

109

Lexington

KY

81

110

Muskegon

MI

81

111

Kansas City

MO

81

112

St. Louis

MO

81

113

Grand Island

NE

81

114

Norfolk

NE

81

115

Omaha

NE

81

116

Cape Hatteras

NC

81

117

Charlotte

NC

81

118

Greensboro

NC

81

119

Bismarck

ND

81

120

Fargo

ND

81

121

Williston

ND

81

122

Akron

OH

81

123

Cincinnati

OH

81

124

Dayton

OH

81

125

Tulsa

OK

81

126

Williamsport

PA

81

127

Greenville

SC

81

128

Richmond

VA

81

129

Kotzebue

AK

80

130

Chicago

IL

80

131

Wichita

KS

80

132

Jackson

KY

80

133

Detroit

MI

80

134

Concord

NH

80

135

Atlantic City

NJ

80

136

Rochester

NY

80

137

Columbus

OH

80

138

Oklahoma City

OK

80

139

Medford

OR

80

140

Memphis

TN

80

141

Homer

AK

79

142

Kodiak

AK

79

143

Valdez

AK

79

144

Key West

FL

79

145

Louisville

KY

79

146

Caribou

ME

79

147

Minneapolis

MN

79

148

Valentine

NE

79

149

Albany

NY

79

150

Buffalo

NY

79

151

Syracuse

NY

79

152

Cleveland

OH

79

153

Allentown

PA

79

154

Pittsburgh

PA

79

155

Wichita Falls

TX

79

156

Lynchburg

VA

79

157

Wallops Island

VA

79

158

Milwaukee

WI

79

159

Nome

AK

78

160

Sacramento

CA

78

161

Wilmington

DE

78

162

Lihue

HI

78

163

Dodge City

KS

78

164

Portland

ME

78

165

Avoca

PA

78

166

Dallas

TX

78

167

Del Rio

TX

78

168

Norfolk

VA

78

169

Santa Barbara

CA

77

170

Kahului

HI

77

171

Baltimore

MD

77

172

Blue Hill

MA

77

173

Kalispell

MT

77

174

Missoula

MT

77

175

Erie

PA

77

176

Harrisburg

PA

77

177

San Angelo

TX

77

178

Mcgrath

AK

76

179

Hartford

CT

76

180

Islip

NY

76

181

Philadelphia

PA

76

182

Burlington

VT

76

183

Roanoke

VA

76

184

Talkeetna

AK

75

185

Long Beach

CA

75

186

Santa Maria

CA

75

187

Bridgeport

CT

75

188

Worcester

MA

75

189

Providence

RI

75

190

Abilene

TX

75

191

Anchorage

AK

74

192

San Diego

CA

74

193

Washington

DC

74

194

Honolulu

HI

74

195

Lubbock

TX

74

196

Spokane

WA

74

197

Gulkana

AK

73

198

Fresno

CA

73

199

Sexton Summit

OR

73

200

Amarillo

TX

73

201

Bettles

AK

72

202

Fairbanks

AK

72

203

Stockton

CA

72

204

Goodland

KS

72

205

Boston

MA

72

206

Glasgow

MT

72

207

Scottsbluff

NE

72

208

Newark

NJ

72

209

Midland

TX

72

210

Yakima

WA

72

211

Walla Walla

WA

71

212

New York

NY

70

213

Alamosa

CO

69

214

Lewiston

ID

69

215

Havre

MT

69

216

Sheridan

WY

69

217

Big Delta

AK

68

218

Pocatello

ID

68

219

Pendleton

OR

68

220

Rapid City

SD

68

221

Helena

MT

67

222

Burns

OR

65

223

Casper

WY

65

224

Flagstaff

AZ

64

225

Boise

ID

64

226

Elko

NV

64

227

Pueblo

CO

63

228

Billings

MT

63

229

Great Falls

MT

63

230

Reno

NV

63

231

Salt Lake City

UT

63

232

Bakersfield

CA

62

233

Redding

CA

61

234

Clayton

NM

61

235

Cheyenne

WY

61

236

Ely

NV

60

237

Winnemucca

NV

60

238

Lander

WY

60

239

Los Angeles

CA

58

240

Colorado Springs

CO

58

241

Roswell

NM

58

242

Grand Junction

CO

56

243

Albuquerque

NM

53

244

Winslow

AZ

52

245

Blue Canyon

CA

51

246

Denver

CO

50

247

El Paso

TX

50

248

Tucson

AZ

47

249

Phoenix

AZ

46

250

Bishop

CA

38

251

Las Vegas

NV

36

Final Thoughts

The results of our study came with plenty of surprises. For example, most homeowners would not suspect a city on an island just off Alaska to be one of the most humid in the U.S. It also shows that many states, particularly those along a coastline, like California and Texas, can have both extremely arid and humid cities. Overall, if you’re looking for a humid location to live in, you’ll want to move to a location along the Southeastern portion of the U.S. On the other hand, if you can’t stand humidity and want something much dryer, you’re best suited to move inland, aiming for western states like Arizona or Colorado.

What Does High Humidity Even Mean?

Humidity is the measure of the amount of water vapor within the air. There are several kinds of humidity, such as absolute and specific, but relative humidity is the most common, often referenced in weather reports. This humidity measurement tracks the current level of water vapor in the air compared to the maximum amount of moisture the current temperature can hold. Air can only hold so much moisture depending on its current temperature, so if it is 86°F outside, it can only hold about 30 grams of water vapor per cubic meter.

How Does Humidity Affect Mold Growth?

Mold requires water to grow and spread. Areas with higher humidity allow mold to grow more quickly and effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions

What areas in the U.S. are most humid?

The most humid location in the U.S. is the Southeastern Coastal Plain along the Gulf of Mexico. Other locations, specifically along the Northwest Coast, also have high humidity.


Is humidity worse in Texas or Florida?

It depends on how you want to look at it. Texas holds five spots in the top 10 most humid cities, while Florida only holds one, so Texas possesses more cities with extreme humidity. But, if you look further out to the top 20 or 30 cities, Florida has more overall entries than Texas. So, Florida has more locations with high humidity, but Texas has the most locations with the highest intensity of humidity.


Where is the most humid place to live?

The most humid city in the United States is Lake Charles, LA. But, Jackson, MI, Meridian, MI, Brownsville, TX, and Port Arthur, TX, also have humidity that rivals Lake Charles.


Methodology

To find the most and least humid cities, we analyzed weather data from the NOAA. We analyzed data for 251 cities throughout the United States. We used data on the average annual humidity data for mornings, using the most recent 2021 and 2022 data. This annual average data accounts for changes in months and seasons.

Editorial Contributors
Sam Wasson

Sam Wasson

Staff Writer

Sam Wasson graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Film and Media Arts with an Emphasis in Entertainment Arts and Engineering. Sam brings over four years of content writing and media production experience to the Today’s Homeowner content team. He specializes in the pest control, landscaping, and moving categories. Sam aims to answer homeowners’ difficult questions by providing well-researched, accurate, transparent, and entertaining content to Today’s Homeowner readers.

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Lora Novak

Senior Editor

Lora Novak meticulously proofreads and edits all commercial content for Today’s Homeowner to guarantee that it contains the most up-to-date information. Lora brings over 12 years of writing, editing, and digital marketing expertise. She’s worked on thousands of articles related to heating, air conditioning, ventilation, roofing, plumbing, lawn/garden, pest control, insurance, and other general homeownership topics.

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