Do you suffer from migraines? Colorado might not be for you. According to a recent report from MigrAid, the country’s two ‘most challenging cities for migraine sufferers’ are located in the Centennial State.

In order to rank the country’s 100 largest U.S. metro areas in terms of migraine pains, MigrAid complied 12 months worth of data with the window ending in March 2026. This data fell into four categories related to the topic – migraine-trigger season length, trigger diversity, severe weather, and ‘baseline stability’ – or in other words, general atmospheric conditions impacted by various factors, including elevation.

It’s also important to note that the data analysis wasn’t meant to measure migraine prevalence, but rather how a spot’s climate and geography can produce conditions that may trigger migraines.

Topping the ranking was Denver with an overall composite score of 73.78 – significantly higher than any other spot on the list. With a year-round peak season and a low baseline pressure of 840 hPa, this high elevation city and its wild weather swings can be problematic when it comes to triggering migraines.

Ranking second on the list with a score of 62.98 was Colorado Springs. Peak ‘migraine season’ was described as a bit shorter in the Springs compared to Denver – March through May and November through January – but still problematic. Weather was a key factor in this spot’s high ranking, with MigrAid citing a weather funnel between Palmer Divide and Rampart Range being notable in pressure swings. Baseline pressure in Colorado Springs was even lower than that of Denver at 830 hPa.

To put it in perspective how high the scores for these Colorado cities were, Des Moines, Iowa ranked 10th-worst with a score of 37.95 – roughly half that of Denver. Meanwhile, the best place for avoiding weather-related migraine triggers was determined to be San Diego, with a score of 6.25.

Overall, the Mountain West region proved to be the most problematic, with an average risk score of 34.63. MigrAid attributed this high level of migraine risk to elevation and how the baseline atmospheric pressure in this region is about 10 to 20 percent lower than sea level. Elevation was also a factor in larger weather-driven pressure swings, which can trigger or amplify migraines for some. The Pacific Coast ended up being the region with the lowest risk, at an average risk score of 21.08.

Find the full report here.

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