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America’s Most Humid Cities

Jordan Rosenfeld

The amount of water vapor in the air — more commonly referred to as humidity — can turn a lovely day stiflingly hot or chillingly wet, depending on the temperature. While humidity is necessary to make rain and helpful at keeping the flu at bay, it isn’t always harmless. Hot, humid air can trigger asthma attacks. It can damage paper, destroy priceless museum pieces and literally rain on your parade. High humidity can also affect allergies to mold, dust mites and pollen.

Humidity varies from place to place. Warm air generally contains more water vapor than cold air, which may be why the air feels moister in Honolulu than in New York. The time of day makes a difference, too. You’ll notice that it’s more humid in the morning in almost every city. This is because of the dew point — the temperature that the air must cool to in order to hit a relative humidity of 100%. Relative humidity is the amount of moisture that’s actually in the air versus how much it’s capable of holding at a given temperature. Since low overnight temperatures are often close to the dew point, relative humidity is usually highest around sunrise.

Using climatic data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, GOBankingRates found the average relative humidity for some of the country’s largest cities to determine the most humid major American city.

50. Las Vegas

  • Morning humidity: 36%

  • Afternoon humidity: 20%

  • Average humidity: 28%

  • Average temperature: 72.2 degrees

49. Phoenix

  • Morning humidity: 46%

  • Afternoon humidity: 23%

  • Average humidity: 34.5%

  • Average temperature: 76.4 degrees

48. Tucson, Arizona

  • Morning humidity: 47%

  • Afternoon humidity: 24%

  • Average humidity: 35.5%

  • Average temperature: 71.7 degrees

47. El Paso, Texas

  • Morning humidity: 50%

  • Afternoon humidity: 27%

  • Average humidity: 38.5%

  • Average temperature: 68.1 degrees

46. Albuquerque, New Mexico

  • Morning humidity: 53%

  • Afternoon humidity: 29%

  • Average humidity: 41%

  • Average temperature: 59.1 degrees

45. Denver

  • Morning humidity: 50%

  • Afternoon humidity: 43%

  • Average humidity: 46.5%

  • Average temperature: N/A

44. Colorado Springs, Colorado

  • Morning humidity: 58%

  • Afternoon humidity: 40%

  • Average humidity: 49%

  • Average temperature: 51.2 degrees

43. Bakersfield, California

  • Morning humidity: 62%

  • Afternoon humidity: 37%

  • Average humidity: 49.5%

  • Average temperature: N/A

42. Los Angeles

  • Morning humidity: 58%

  • Afternoon humidity: 54%

  • Average humidity: 56%

  • Average temperature: 65.2 degrees

41. Fresno, California

  • Morning humidity: 73%

  • Afternoon humidity: 40%

  • Average humidity: 56.5%

  • Average temperature: 66 degrees

40. Sacramento, California

  • Morning humidity: 78%

  • Afternoon humidity: 45%

  • Average humidity: 61.5%

  • Average temperature: 61.7 degrees

39. New York

  • Morning humidity: 70%

  • Afternoon humidity: 54%

  • Average humidity: 62%

  • Average temperature: 55.9 degrees

38. Washington

  • Morning humidity: 74%

  • Afternoon humidity: 53%

  • Average humidity: 63.5%

  • Average temperature: 59.8 degrees

37. Boston

  • Morning humidity: 72%

  • Afternoon humidity: 57%

  • Average humidity: 64.5%

  • Average temperature: 53 degrees

36. Honolulu

  • Morning humidity: 74%

  • Afternoon humidity: 56%

  • Average humidity: 65%

  • Average temperature: 79.4 degrees

35. Long Beach, California

  • Morning humidity: 75%

  • Afternoon humidity: 55%

  • Average humidity: 65%

  • Average temperature: N/A

34. Baltimore

  • Morning humidity: 77%

  • Afternoon humidity: 53%

  • Average humidity: 65%

  • Average temperature: 56.7 degrees

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33. Philadelphia

  • Morning humidity: 76%

  • Afternoon humidity: 54%

  • Average humidity: 65%

  • Average temperature: 57.5 degrees

32. Dallas

  • Morning humidity: 78%

  • Afternoon humidity: 54%

  • Average humidity: 66%

  • Average temperature: 68.3 degrees

31. Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Morning humidity: 81%

  • Afternoon humidity: 52%

  • Average humidity: 66.5%

  • Average temperature: 62.6 degrees

30. Wichita, Kansas

  • Morning humidity: 80%

  • Afternoon humidity: 55%

  • Average humidity: 67.5%

  • Average temperature: 58 degrees

29. Oklahoma City

  • Morning humidity: 80%

  • Afternoon humidity: 55%

  • Average humidity: 67.5%

  • Average temperature: 60.3 degrees

28. Louisville, Kentucky

  • Morning humidity: 79%

  • Afternoon humidity: 56%

  • Average humidity: 67.5%

  • Average temperature: 59.5 degrees

27. Raleigh, North Carolina

  • Morning humidity: 83%

  • Afternoon humidity: 53%

  • Average humidity: 68%

  • Average temperature: 61.8 degrees

26. Atlanta

  • Morning humidity: 81%

  • Afternoon humidity: 55%

  • Average humidity: 68%

  • Average temperature: 64.5 degrees

25. Memphis, Tennessee

  • Morning humidity: 80%

  • Afternoon humidity: 56%

  • Average humidity: 68%

  • Average temperature: 63.2 degrees

24. Tulsa, Oklahoma

  • Morning humidity: 81%

  • Afternoon humidity: 56%

  • Average humidity: 68.5%

  • Average temperature: 61.2 degrees

23. San Diego

  • Morning humidity: 74%

  • Afternoon humidity: 63%

  • Average humidity: 68.5%

  • Average temperature: 66 degrees

22. Minneapolis

  • Morning humidity: 79%

  • Afternoon humidity: 59%

  • Average humidity: 69%

  • Average temperature: 46.5 degrees

21. Columbus, Ohio

  • Morning humidity: 80%

  • Afternoon humidity: 58%

  • Average humidity: 69%

  • Average temperature: 54.6 degrees

20. Austin, Texas

  • Morning humidity: 83%

  • Afternoon humidity: 55%

  • Average humidity: 69%

  • Average temperature: 70.4 degrees

19. San Antonio

  • Morning humidity: 83%

  • Afternoon humidity: 55%

  • Average humidity: 69%

  • Average temperature: 70.2 degrees

18. Cleveland

  • Morning humidity: 79%

  • Afternoon humidity: 61%

  • Average humidity: 70%

  • Average temperature: 52.6 degrees

17. Omaha, Nebraska

  • Morning humidity: 81%

  • Afternoon humidity: 59%

  • Average humidity: 70%

  • Average temperature: 51.6 degrees

16. Nashville, Tennessee

  • Morning humidity: 84%

  • Afternoon humidity: 56%

  • Average humidity: 70%

  • Average temperature: 61.7 degrees

15. Chicago

  • Morning humidity: 80%

  • Afternoon humidity: 60%

  • Average humidity: 70%

  • Average temperature: 51 degrees

14. Knoxville, Tennessee

  • Morning humidity: 84%

  • Afternoon humidity: 57%

  • Average humidity: 70.5%

  • Average temperature: 60.3 degrees

13. Portland, Oregon

  • Morning humidity: 82%

  • Afternoon humidity: 59%

  • Average humidity: 70.5%

  • Average temperature: 56.4 degrees

12. Kansas City, Missouri

  • Morning humidity: 81%

  • Afternoon humidity: 60%

  • Average humidity: 70.5%

  • Average temperature: 54.7 degrees

11. Milwaukee

  • Morning humidity: 79%

  • Afternoon humidity: 63%

  • Average humidity: 71%

  • Average temperature: 48.9 degrees

10. Indianapolis

  • Morning humidity: 82%

  • Afternoon humidity: 60%

  • Average humidity: 71%

  • Average temperature: 54.3 degrees

9. Miami

  • Morning humidity: 82%

  • Afternoon humidity: 61%

  • Average humidity: 71.5%

  • Average temperature: 78.3 degrees

8. Orlando, Florida

  • Morning humidity: 88%

  • Afternoon humidity: 55%

  • Average humidity: 71.5%

  • Average temperature: 73.9 degrees

7. Tampa, Florida

  • Morning humidity: 86%

  • Afternoon humidity: 58%

  • Average humidity: 72%

  • Average temperature: 75.6 degrees

6. Jacksonville, Florida

  • Morning humidity: 88%

  • Afternoon humidity: 56%

  • Average humidity: 72%

  • Average temperature: 70 degrees

5. Seattle

  • Morning humidity: 82%

  • Afternoon humidity: 63%

  • Average humidity: 72.5%

  • Average temperature: 54.4 degrees

4. Baton Rouge, Louisiana

  • Morning humidity: 89%

  • Afternoon humidity: 59%

  • Average humidity: 74%

  • Average temperature: 69.6 degrees

3. Houston

  • Morning humidity: 89%

  • Afternoon humidity: 59%

  • Average humidity: 74%

  • Average temperature: 71.5 degrees

2. New Orleans

  • Morning humidity: 87%

  • Afternoon humidity: 62%

  • Average humidity: 74.5%

  • Average temperature: 71.7 degrees

1. San Francisco

  • Morning humidity: 87%

  • Afternoon humidity: 69%

  • Average humidity: 78%

  • Average temperature: N/A

Tips for Living in America's Most Humid Cities

If you live in a city with high humidity:

  • Look for and fix any leaks in your pipes that might be creating water damage in or under your home.

  • Put in ventilation fans, particularly in bathrooms, but generally in any part of the house where humidity is wreaking havoc.

  • Seal air leaks with caulk, or consider replacing windows that leak. A trick to test for air leaks is holding a lit incense stick on a windy day beside any place where air might leak. This includes windows, doors, electrical boxes, outlets, etc.

  • Consider buying a government-approved dehumidifier.

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Methodology: GOBankingRates found the average relative humidity for some of America’s largest cities in order to determine the most humid major U.S. city. GOBankingRates first analyzed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Comparative Climatic Data 2018 on average relative humidity for 250 American cities. This NOAA report gave the annual morning and afternoon relative humidity figures for each city, which were then averaged to give each city an annual average overall relative humidity. GOBankingRates then used Zillow’s size listing data in order to determine America’s top 50 cities (not all top 50 cities had NOAA data, but all cities included in the list land in the top 60 largest cities). These 50 major cities were then ranked from the most humid to the least. Supplemental data for each city’s average 2018 temperature was provided in degrees Fahrenheit. All research used to conduct this ranking was compiled on July 18, 2019.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: America’s Most Humid Cities