15 Cities With the Most Asthma Cases in America

Advertising Disclosure: When you buy something by clicking links on our site, we may earn a small commission, but it never affects the products or services we recommend.

Older woman breathing deeply
fizkes / Shutterstock.com

This story originally appeared on Filterbuy.

In less than one year, more than 13 million Americans have been diagnosed with COVID-19. As winter months arrive and case numbers continue to surge, over 250,000 people have died. While there is still much to learn about the disease, we do know that it can affect the nose, throat, and lungs.

In fact, according to the American Lung Association, the lungs are the first organs impacted, as the virus can cause a cough and difficulty breathing. As such, various pre-existing respiratory conditions may increase the risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19, including pulmonary fibrosis and asthma.

According to the CDC, almost 10 percent of American adults have asthma, a respiratory condition marked by spasms in the bronchi of the lungs, often causing difficulty in breathing. Prior to the pandemic, the percentage of adults with asthma in the U.S. had been rising steadily for years, peaking at 9.7 percent in 2019.

The coronavirus has not been the only major cause for concern for those with asthma in 2020. Residents of Western states such as California and Oregon, as well as many in Colorado, have dealt with record-breaking fires for much of the year while fire season continues to rage on. Smoke from wildfires can make breathing more difficult for those with asthma. For the same reason, smoking cigarettes is discouraged for those with asthma, yet — somewhat surprisingly — a higher rate of American adults afflicted with asthma smoke than those who do not have asthma. Tobacco smoke, including secondhand smoke, is especially unhealthy for people with asthma, as asthma attacks are triggered when airways become irritated.

To determine the cities with the most asthma cases, researchers at Filterbuy analyzed the most recent data from the CDC’s 500 Cities survey. Cities were ranked according to the percentage of adults who reported having asthma. The report also includes the percentage of adults who reported being smokers, who are in poor physical health, and who are obese, in addition to the poverty rate of each location.

To improve relevance, only cities with at least 100,000 residents were included in the analysis. Researchers used the most recent health data from the CDC’s 500 Cities survey to calculate which cities have the most adults with asthma in the United States. National and state-level health data came from the CDC’s 2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. The percentages of adults with asthma, who smoke, who are in poor physical health, and who are obese, were determined based on responses to questions in the BRFSS survey. Poverty rates for each location came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey.

Here are the cities with the highest percentage of adults with asthma.

Sacramento, CA

Sacramento, California
Ed Gavryush / Shutterstock.com
  • Percentage of adults with asthma: 10.3%
  • Percentage of adults who smoke: 15.0%
  • Percentage of adults in poor physical health: 12.6%
  • Obesity rate: 30.2%
  • Poverty rate: 13.9%

Nashville, TN

Nashville Public Library, Bellevue Branch
Nashville Public Library / Money Talks News
  • Percentage of adults with asthma: 10.3%
  • Percentage of adults who smoke: 20.0%
  • Percentage of adults in poor physical health: 12.5%
  • Obesity rate: 31.1%
  • Poverty rate: 12.6%

Tulsa, OK

Tulsa, Oklahoma
4kclips / Shutterstock.com
  • Percentage of adults with asthma: 10.5%
  • Percentage of adults who smoke: 20.6%
  • Percentage of adults in poor physical health: 14.2%
  • Obesity rate: 36.1%
  • Poverty rate: 18.6%

Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma City
Henryk Sadura / Shutterstock.com
  • Percentage of adults with asthma: 10.5%
  • Percentage of adults who smoke: 20.0%
  • Percentage of adults in poor physical health: 14.4%
  • Obesity rate: 34.2%
  • Poverty rate: 15.8%

Phoenix, AZ

Phoenix, Arizona
Anton Foltin / Shutterstock.com
  • Percentage of adults with asthma: 10.6%
  • Percentage of adults who smoke: 18.3%
  • Percentage of adults in poor physical health: 13.3%
  • Obesity rate: 31.1%
  • Poverty rate: 15.6%

Mesa, AZ

Mesa, Arizona
Tim Roberts Photography / Shutterstock.com
  • Percentage of adults with asthma: 10.6%
  • Percentage of adults who smoke: 17.3%
  • Percentage of adults in poor physical health: 12.9%
  • Obesity rate: 29.2%
  • Poverty rate: 11.6%

Louisville, KY

Louisville
Henryk Sadura / Shutterstock.com
  • Percentage of adults with asthma: 10.8%
  • Percentage of adults who smoke: 23.2%
  • Percentage of adults in poor physical health: 15.5%
  • Obesity rate: 34.5%
  • Poverty rate: 15.4%

Boston, MA

Boston, Massachusetts
f11photo / Shutterstock.com
  • Percentage of adults with asthma: 11.1%
  • Percentage of adults who smoke: 16.4%
  • Percentage of adults in poor physical health: 10.8%
  • Obesity rate: 24.6%
  • Poverty rate: 17.1%

Memphis, TN

Memphis, Tennessee
f11photo / Shutterstock.com
  • Percentage of adults with asthma: 11.2%
  • Percentage of adults who smoke: 24.7%
  • Percentage of adults in poor physical health: 15.9%
  • Obesity rate: 38.4%
  • Poverty rate: 21.7%

Indianapolis, IN

Indianapolis
f11photo / Shutterstock.com
  • Percentage of adults with asthma: 11.3%
  • Percentage of adults who smoke: 22.1%
  • Percentage of adults in poor physical health: 13.7%
  • Obesity rate: 35.4%
  • Poverty rate: 15.8%

Baltimore, MD

Baltimore, Maryland
ESB Professional / Shutterstock.com
  • Percentage of adults with asthma: 11.3%
  • Percentage of adults who smoke: 21.8%
  • Percentage of adults in poor physical health: 13.0%
  • Obesity rate: 38.7%
  • Poverty rate: 20.2%

Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Rudy Balasko / Shutterstock.com
  • Percentage of adults with asthma: 11.4%
  • Percentage of adults who smoke: 22.4%
  • Percentage of adults in poor physical health: 13.7%
  • Obesity rate: 35.0%
  • Poverty rate: 22.4%

Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia cityscape
Tupungato / Shutterstock.com
  • Percentage of adults with asthma: 11.5%
  • Percentage of adults who smoke: 23.8%
  • Percentage of adults in poor physical health: 14.9%
  • Obesity rate: 33.0%
  • Poverty rate: 23.3%

Cleveland, OH

Cleveland, Ohio
Rudy Balasko / Shutterstock.com
  • Percentage of adults with asthma: 11.8%
  • Percentage of adults who smoke: 28.4%
  • Percentage of adults in poor physical health: 18.7%
  • Obesity rate: 41.0%
  • Poverty rate: 30.8%

Detroit, MI

Detroit
rlassman / Shutterstock.com
  • Percentage of adults with asthma: 14.3%
  • Percentage of adults who smoke: 28.9%
  • Percentage of adults in poor physical health: 19.4%
  • Obesity rate: 44.5%
  • Poverty rate: 30.6%

Get smarter with your money!

Want the best money-news and tips to help you make more and spend less? Then sign up for the free Money Talks Newsletter to receive daily updates of personal finance news and advice, delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for our free newsletter today.