Hi, Atlanta!

It may surprise no one to learn that Atlanta has been deemed an “allergy capital” for 2026. Yellow pollen coats cars and windowsills, and allergies are the talk of the town. 

Atlanta ranked 34th in the United States this year. The designation comes from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, which each year ranks the 100 largest cities by their pollen counts, over-the-counter allergy medication sales, and the number of board-certified allergists and immunologists to determine which are the toughest to live in for allergy sufferers. 

Since March 1, Atlanta has had 13 days with extremely high pollen counts and 24 days with high counts, according to pollen count data from Atlanta Allergy and Asthma. It’s the only National Allergy Bureau-certified pollen count center in Georgia. 

Climate change has driven warmer temperatures earlier in the year, causing trees to flower and produce pollen earlier and earlier. Hurricanes and heavy rains increase the amount of moisture in the environment. The report labels climate change a “public health emergency” and calls on policymakers to “act now” to reduce the air pollution that drives global warming. 

Climate change “has led to every year for the last few decades pollen counts rising,” said allergist Dr. Neeta Ogden, a spokesperson for the foundation. “You can predict that it will continue to be severe.”

And while allergies can be merely irritating for some, they can have serious repercussions for others, causing people to miss school or work, get poor sleep, and avoid outdoor exercise. Those who lack central air conditioning may have to choose between keeping windows closed to keep pollen and high heat. Humidity can exacerbate allergies and asthma as well, Ogden said. 

A 2023 study from Emory University looked at how different kinds of tree pollen were related to emergency room visits in Atlanta over a 26-year period. For certain types of pollen, Black patients were twice as likely to go to the emergency room for allergic asthma than their white counterparts. 

The authors suggested several possible explanations, including lower rates of access to air conditioning and filtration and greater exposure to pollen via reliance on public transportation or occupational exposures, and greater exposure to air pollution that can exacerbate allergies and asthma. Black patients in Atlanta also have higher rates of underdiagnosis and treatment for allergies and asthma, the authors pointed out. 

Click here for some tips to help you reduce the impact of allergies. 

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