Less precipitation.
Which metros have drier climates? Among these 58 metros, Riverside-San Bernardino, CA ranks first at 4.7 in (2001–2020).
Metros are Census metropolitan statistical areas, not city limits. ACS 2024 one-year figures are annual survey estimates with margins of error, not live salaries, asking rents or monthly job reports.
Which metros have drier climates?
Ranked by annual precipitation, 2001–2020. Rank 1 is the lowest value.
NASA POWER annual precipitation at a metro reference point, including the water equivalent of snow. This is not a count of rainy days. Source: NASA POWER / MERRA-2 climatology at the Census metro internal point.
| # | Metro area | Household income | Period | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riverside-San BernardinoCA | $91,013 | 4.7 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 2 | Las VegasNV | $80,028 | 5.8 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 3 | PhoenixAZ | $90,133 | 8.7 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 4 | Salt Lake CityUT | $100,548 | 10.7 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 5 | TucsonAZ | $72,067 | 11.2 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 6 | San DiegoCA | $109,132 | 12.6 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 7 | Los AngelesCA | $96,405 | 13.1 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 8 | DenverCO | $108,046 | 17.3 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 9 | San JoseCA | $164,801 | 17.6 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 10 | FresnoCA | $74,983 | 20.8 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 11 | San FranciscoCA | $135,590 | 23.1 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 12 | SacramentoCA | $98,775 | 27.7 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 13 | HonoluluHI | $105,205 | 30.4 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 14 | San AntonioTX | $78,112 | 30.7 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 15 | OmahaNE-IA | $84,524 | 30.9 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 16 | Minneapolis-St. PaulMN-WI | $97,928 | 33.1 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 17 | AustinTX | $99,897 | 33.1 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 18 | DetroitMI | $76,403 | 33.4 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 19 | Oklahoma CityOK | $72,930 | 34.6 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 20 | Dallas-Fort WorthTX | $92,733 | 36.3 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 21 | MilwaukeeWI | $77,919 | 37.2 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 22 | BuffaloNY | $72,300 | 37.3 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 23 | RochesterNY | $76,453 | 37.3 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 24 | Grand RapidsMI | $81,541 | 38.1 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 25 | ChicagoIL-IN-WI | $90,770 | 38.7 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 26 | ColumbusOH | $82,938 | 38.8 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 27 | PittsburghPA | $77,214 | 39.0 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 28 | TulsaOK | $69,658 | 39.2 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 29 | ClevelandOH | $72,532 | 39.6 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 30 | Kansas CityMO-KS | $83,785 | 40.9 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 31 | St. LouisMO-IL | $81,679 | 42.9 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 32 | CincinnatiOH-KY-IN | $81,489 | 43.9 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 33 | WashingtonDC-VA-MD-WV | $126,244 | 44.0 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 34 | IndianapolisIN | $80,239 | 44.9 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 35 | CharlotteNC-SC | $85,938 | 45.1 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 36 | ProvidenceRI-MA | $82,870 | 45.7 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 37 | HartfordCT | $94,419 | 45.8 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 38 | BaltimoreMD | $98,666 | 46.0 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 39 | RichmondVA | $83,460 | 46.5 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 40 | RaleighNC | $102,144 | 46.7 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 41 | BostonMA-NH | $117,825 | 47.5 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 42 | Virginia Beach-NorfolkVA-NC | $82,402 | 47.5 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 43 | PhiladelphiaPA-NJ-DE-MD | $90,850 | 48.3 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 44 | HoustonTX | $81,417 | 49.1 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 45 | MiamiFL | $80,625 | 49.5 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 46 | AtlantaGA | $92,344 | 49.6 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 47 | GreenvilleSC | $75,881 | 49.7 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 48 | OrlandoFL | $81,044 | 51.2 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 49 | LouisvilleKY-IN | $74,305 | 51.4 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 50 | JacksonvilleFL | $82,053 | 51.4 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 51 | New YorkNY-NJ-PA | $99,852 | 51.6 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 52 | NashvilleTN | $88,800 | 53.2 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 53 | MemphisTN-MS-AR | $68,124 | 53.4 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 54 | BirminghamAL | $74,954 | 53.9 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 55 | Tampa-St. PetersburgFL | $78,275 | 56.7 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 56 | New OrleansLA | $62,373 | 57.9 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 57 | PortlandOR-WA | $98,994 | 58.4 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
| 58 | SeattleWA | $112,388 | 68.4 in | 2001–2020 | ↗ |
How to read these rankings
Which city is best for me?
Start with the decision you are making. Compare income and employment for work, rent for an ongoing housing bill, and monthly climate for the seasons you prefer. Use the comparison workspace to see what you gain and give up.
Does a high income mean life is cheaper?
No. Household income is not an individual job offer, and rent is only one expense. A personal budget also needs taxes, transport, childcare, healthcare and other costs. We do not label our housing measures a complete cost-of-living score.
Is this the city or its surrounding metro?
These are metro-level comparisons. Your neighborhood can have very different rent, schools, transport and commute times. Metro averages are a starting point for deciding where to look more closely.
Where are safety, schools and things to do?
Those need additional, comparable local sources. They are not included in these rankings yet. We show the specific measures we have rather than filling the gaps with a general “quality of life” score.