Here Are the Sunniest Cities and States in America

Does your doctor constantly tell you you're vitamin D deficient? Have you wished that your town had more sunny days than gloomy, cloudy days? Maybe it's time to move. Or at least compare where you live to other cities around the United States and dream.

We compiled a list so you can see where your town ranks among the sunniest cities in America.

There's no big surprise about the sunniest cities in America's top ten. These are all cities in the Western or Southern United States, well known as destinations for soaking up the sun.

Average percent of sunshine possible: 85

Arizona is a popular place to retire because of its warm, dry air and sunny days, so it's not shocking that Phoenix and Tucson top the list. Phoenix is the fifth-largest city in the nation, so if you want a big city with lots of warmth, this may be the spot for you.

Average percent of sunshine possible: 84

Sin City's sunshine percentage was just one off from the top spot. One thing's for sure, if you move here, you'll never run out of things to do. It's not just gambling and shows: Las Vegas has 130 public parks and recreational facilities.

Average percent of sunshine possible: 83

At the very western edge of Texas is El Paso. If you love the outdoors, this may be the place for you. El Paso features more than a hundred miles of hiking trails, mountain climbing, biking, national parks, horseback riding, and more.

Average percent of sunshine possible: 81

Another Nevada city makes the list at number four. Looking for skiing and sun? This might be your new home. Reno is situated in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, home to the highest concentration of ski facilities in the world. 

Average percent of sunshine possible: 78

Pueblo is one of the more surprising cities on the list. It's one that's far from any U.S. coast, but still pleasantly sunny. Other than being the sunniest city in Colorado, it's also the home of the Colorado State Fair.

Average percent of sunshine possible: 77

It's kind of fitting that the capital of the Golden State is the sunniest city in California. Sacramento is also known as America's Farm-to-Fork Capital because of its plethora of farm-to-table restaurants and farmers' markets.

The sunniest city in the Sunshine State turns out to be Key West, Florida's southernmost part. This island paradise offers everything from city strolls and shopping to snorkeling and dolphin encounters.

Average percent of sunshine possible: 76

Arizona makes another appearance on the list with Flagstaff. This town features a unique mix of deserts, mountains, and pine forests, creating breathtaking views. 

Flagstaff is joined in a tie for seventh place with Fresno and Albuquerque, New Mexico's sunniest city. Fresno is the gateway to three national parks: Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia. And Albuquerque is rich in history — a true melting pot of settlers from Spain, Mexico, and the U.S.

Average percent of sunshine possible: 74

When most people think of Texas, they think of a place that looks a lot like the area around Midland-Odessa. It's dusty, dry, and very, very sunny. The city itself is lush with trees and scenery you would expect from a city.

Average percent of sunshine possible: 73

The town best known for alien encounters and Area 51, Roswell, makes the list. Alongside it, Ely, Nevada, ties for ninth. Ely is a rare gem in The Silver State, giving residents and visitors plenty of sunshine in all four seasons.

Average percent of sunshine possible: 72

Probably the most surprising city in this four-way tie for tenth is Allentown. It's a northeastern town found in Pennsylvania. That's not really a state you think of when "sunny locations" comes to mind.

The three other cities that place tenth offer more typical images of sunny days. Los Angeles glitters with stars day and night, while Amarillo and Lubbock prove that everything (including sunshine) is truly bigger in Texas.  

Didn't see your city, or potential future city in the top ten? Here's a full list of the sunniest cities in the U.S and U.S. territories.

There’s a reason why so many people migrate to Arizona and don’t fly back for the winter. Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff are all in the top 10 sunniest cities in the US, with Phoenix and Tucson tied for the top spot.

While you’re visiting Arizona, you can check out the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley for some awesome desert vibes, or you can take a dip and hike around Havasu Falls. And you’ll be picking up some major vitamin D along the way — don’t forget your sunscreen!

On average, the West region of the US is sunnier than both the Midwest and the East Coast. More than half of the top 15 sunniest cities are on the Pacific side of things.

But, overall, Texas came out on top with five cities in the top 15. Here are the top 5 sunniest states:

1. Texas
2. California
3. Arizona
4. Nevada
5. Florida

A city that may surprise you is the Hawaiian town of Hilo (it ranks 151 out of 155 sunniest cities).

The area receives massive amounts of rainfall, which mostly falls between midnight and sunrise. The clouds evaporate during the day, but that doesn’t happen immediately, and you’ll still get stretches of long rainfalls that put it on the less sunny side of the spectrum as a whole.

You can definitely catch the sun out there, but if your timing falls within a rainy spell, just hit the west side of the island, Kona, for some rays.

Only one Hawaiian city shows up in the top 25: Kahului, HI, on the island of Maui. Kahului is tied for the thirteenth spot with Little Rock, Arkansas and Concordia, Kansas. 

To find the sunniest cities, we sourced the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Comparative Climatic Data report. Each city was ranked based on the annual average percent of possible sunshine.

NOAA defines the sunniest cities by the total time that sunshine reaches the observing station, which is expressed as the percentage of the maximum amount possible from sunrise to sunset in clear sky conditions.