Asthma Health Outcomes
Asthma Capitals: Health Data That Impact Ranking
- Asthma prevalence (rates) (how many people have asthma)
- Asthma-related emergency department (ED) visits
- Asthma-related mortality (death) rates
These outcomes are not weighted equally in calculating the rankings.
Estimated Asthma Rates (Prevalence)
Nearly 28 million people living in the United States have asthma.1,2 This equals about 8 out of 100 people. Nationally, the prevalence of “current asthma” increased from 20.3 million people in 2001. The CDC determines the prevalence of asthma using a national survey. People who answer “yes” to the questions “Have you EVER been told by a doctor or other health professional that you had asthma?” and “Do you still have asthma?” have current asthma.
Asthma prevalence rates differ significantly by socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, age and sex.
Income
- Asthma is more common in adults living below the federal poverty level than adults with higher incomes.1
- About 12 out of 100 adults living below the federal poverty level ($15,060 in 2024) have asthma, compared to about 8 out of 100 adults who made $30,120 or more in 2024.1
Race
- Black people in the U.S. are more likely to have asthma compared to White people.1
- About 10 out of 100 (or about 3 million) Black adults in the U.S. have asthma, compared to 9 out of 100 (or about 18 million) White adults.1
- About 11 out of 100 (or about 1 million) Black children in the U.S. have asthma, compared to 6 out of 100 (or about 3 million) White children.2
Ethnicity
- Data on asthma prevalence in Hispanic subgroups are limited; however, previous research suggests Puerto Ricans have the highest rate of asthma prevalence compared to any other racial or ethnic group in the United States.3
Age
- While there are more adults with asthma than children, asthma is a top chronic disease in U.S. children.4
- Only tooth decay (cavities) is more common in kids than asthma.5
Sex
- In adults, asthma is more common in females than males. Around 11% (11 out of 100) of female adults have asthma, compared to 6% (6 out of 100) of male adults.1
- Childhood asthma rates are close between sexes, with rates being a little higher in male children than female children. Around 7% (7 out of 100) of male children have asthma, compared to 6% (6 out of 100) of female children.2
The cities with the highest estimated asthma prevalence† are:
| 2026 Asthma Prevalence | Metropolitan Area | 2026 Asthma Capital Ranking Overall |
| 1 | Rochester, NY | 3 |
| 2 | Detroit, MI | 2 |
| 3 | Albany, NY | 15 |
| 4 | Hartford, CT | 8 |
| 5 | Syracuse, NY | 7 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | 4 |
| 7 | Cleveland, OH | 5 |
| 8 | Fresno, CA | 12 |
| 9 | Allentown, PA | 1 |
| 10 | Charleston, SC | 9 |
†For each city included in the 2026 Asthma Capitals, AAFA obtained an estimated asthma prevalence for its respective MSA. For this report, asthma prevalence is estimated using claims data for individuals who sought asthma care at any point in the 2025 calendar year. While this is not an exact measure of prevalence, it helps provide data that can be compared from city to city. Other prevalence estimates, such as those from the CDC, use self-reported data through surveys. Download image of Figure 1 table
Emergency Department (ED) Visits
Asthma can trigger severe symptoms that require a visit to the ED. Increased ED visits are a sign of poor asthma control. Nationally, asthma accounts for nearly 1 million emergency department visits each year.6
Most asthma-related ED visits can be prevented. Effective asthma management – including reducing exposure to asthma triggers, having access to and taking prescribed asthma medicine, and following an Asthma Action Plan – may help reduce ED visits and hospitalizations.
Asthma-related ED visits are nearly 6 times higher for Black patients than for White patients. Children are more likely than adults to have asthma-related ED visits, with children ages 0 to 4 having the highest rates of asthma-related ED visits.6 Asthma-related ED visits for school age children start to rise every year in September.
The cities with the highest asthma-related ED visits† are:
| 2026 Asthma Emergency Department Visits | Metropolitan Area | 2026 Asthma Capital Ranking Overall |
| 1 | Allentown, PA | 1 |
| 2 | Virginia Beach, VA | 13 |
| 3 | Lakeland, FL | 6 |
| 4 | Chattanooga, TN | 29 |
| 5 | Oklahoma City, OK | 40 |
| 6 | Columbia, SC | 11 |
| 7 | Raleigh, NC | 59 |
| 8 | Columbus, OH | 37 |
| 9 | Stockton, CA | 31 |
| 10 | Greensboro, NC | 53 |
†For each city included in the 2026 Asthma Capitals, AAFA obtained the total number of ED visits where an asthma ICD-10 code was included in a diagnosis field, for the respective census-designated metropolitan statistical area, or MSA, for calendar year 2025. Analysis included estimating the ED rate per 10,000 asthma patients. Download image of Figure 2 table
Asthma-Related Deaths (Mortality)
On average, between 9 to 11 people in the U.S. die from asthma each day. Nationally, there were 3,279 deaths attributed to asthma in 2024.7 There hasn’t been meaningful improvement in these numbers in the last decade. In 2020, deaths due to asthma rose for the first time in 20 years but have since returned to pre-pandemic level.8
Some populations are at higher risk of dying from asthma than others. The causes of higher asthma death rates are complex but must be addressed to save lives. The top 10 cities for asthma-related deaths must take action to prevent more tragedies.
The cities with the highest asthma-related deaths† are:
| 2026 Asthma-Related Deaths Ranking | Metropolitan Area | 2026 Asthma Capital Ranking Overall |
| 1 | Baltimore, MD | 16 |
| 2 | St. Louis, MO | 28 |
| 3 | Jackson, MS | 36 |
| 4 | Syracuse, NY | 7 |
| 5 | Richmond, VA | 27 |
| 6 | New York, NY | 26 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | 4 |
| 8 | Milwaukee, WI | 19 |
| 9 | Chattanooga, TN | 29 |
| 10 | Memphis, TN | 61 |
†For each city included in the 2026 Asthma Capitals, AAFA obtained the estimated asthma-related crude death rate per 100,000 people for its respective county from 2020-2024 (most recent available data). Download image of Figure 3 table
Asthma-related deaths are preventable. To reduce asthma deaths, people need:
- Wealth and income above the Federal Poverty Level
- Affordable asthma medicines
- Regular vaccinations to protect against respiratory infections
- Good air quality indoors (at home, school, work) and outdoors
- Insurance coverage for health care and additional asthma support tools such as asthma self-management education, home assessments and remediation, and tobacco cessation
- Immediate access to the treatments prescribed by their clinicians without insurance delays such as step therapy or prior authorization
- Nearby hospitals and emergency or urgent care services that recognize and treat asthma emergencies
- Health care teams that prioritize reducing asthma mortality disparities among patients
If someone’s life is in danger, seek emergency care immediately. An Asthma Action Plan can help identify when asthma is a medical emergency. Visit aafa.org/actionplan to download a sample plan.
About the Report
AAFA publishes the Asthma Capitals® report to raise awareness about the nationwide impacts of asthma. The report analyzes asthma data across the United States and ranks cities by the most critical of health outcomes – asthma prevalence, emergency department visits due to asthma attacks, and asthma-related mortality. The outcomes are not weighted equally. The report also examines asthma risk factors that influence the outcomes.
AAFA only evaluates the top 100 populated places (based on metropolitan statistical areas or MSAs) in the contiguous (“lower 48”) states for this report. MSAs are cities and their surrounding areas (like suburbs and nearby rural areas). The report does not reflect:
- Cities and areas not in the top 100 list by population size
- Completely rural areas that are not located within a metropolitan statistical area
- Anchorage, Alaska, Honolulu, Hawaii, or San Juan, Puerto Rico, Navajo Nation Reservation, or Cherokee Nation Reservation due to lack of matching data with other cities, counties, state
Acknowledgements
The 2026 Asthma Capitals report is an independent research project of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and made possible by support from Amgen, AstraZeneca, Chiesi, and Sanofi and Regeneron. AAFA also thanks Komodo Health and Pollen Sense, LLC for additional support for data used in this report. The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the AAFA authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of the sponsors or other individuals, organizations, or companies.
Recommended Citation
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, (2026). 2026 Asthma Capitals®. Retrieved from asthmacapitals.org.
Media Inquiries
For media and related inquiries, contact gro.afaa@aidem.
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References
2. National Center for Health Statistics. 2024 NHIS Child Summary Health Statistics. Data accessed August 18, 2026. Available from https://data.cdc.gov/d/wxz7-ekz9
3. El Burai Félix, S., Bailey, C. M., & Zahran, H. S. (2015). Asthma prevalence among Hispanic adults in Puerto Rico and Hispanic adults of Puerto Rican descent in the United States – results from two national surveys. The Journal of Asthma, 52(1), 3–9. https://doi.org/10.3109/02770903.2014.950427
4. Ferrante, G., & La Grutta, S. (2018). The Burden of Pediatric Asthma. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2018.00186
5. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. (2019). Dental caries (tooth decay) in children ages 2 to 11 years. National Institutes of Health. https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/research/data-statistics/dental-caries/children
6. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2023). Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (2020). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/healthcare-use/2020/table_a.html
7. National Center for Health Statistics. National Vital Statistics System: Mortality (2018-2024). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10-expanded.html
8. CDC National Asthma Control Program (NACP). (2023). Asthma Surveillance in the United States, 2001–2021. National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/asthma-prevalence-us-2023-508.pdf
