A new study examining environmental conditions and skincare-related search habits ranked Orlando as the worst city in the country for skin stress, while Miami came in second and Tampa landed in the national top 10.
Florida may be known for sunshine, beaches, and year-round warm weather, but a new study suggests that some of the state’s largest cities may also have some of the highest levels of what researchers are calling “skin stress.”
According to a new analysis from Water Filter Guru, Orlando ranked as the worst city in America for skin stress among 98 U.S. cities studied. Miami followed closely behind at No. 2, while Tampa ranked eighth overall.
In total, Florida accounted for three of the 10 worst-ranked cities in the study, more than any other state.
However, the findings do not mean Orlando residents have the worst skin in America. The study’s Skin Stress Index measures a combination of environmental factors and online search behavior related to skin concerns, rather than diagnosed skin conditions or the overall health of residents’ skin.
Orlando Takes the No. 1 Spot
Orlando received a Skin Stress Score of 77.83, the highest score among the 98 cities included in the analysis.
The city ranked first nationally for searches related to skin irritation, water-related skin concerns, and skin treatments. It also ranked second for breakout-related searches.
According to the study, Orlando recorded population-adjusted rates of 20,737 irritation-related searches, 9,105 water-related searches, and 83,018 treatment-related searches per 100,000 residents.
Those search patterns played a significant role in Orlando’s overall ranking, as search-related data accounted for 60% of the Skin Stress Index.
Miami, meanwhile, ranked as the second-worst city in the country with a score of 75.52. The South Florida city placed within the national top three across all four search categories included in the study, including irritation, breakouts, water-related concerns, and treatments.
Tampa Also Lands in the Top 10
Tampa ranked eighth overall with a Skin Stress Score of 52.65.
The city’s highest rankings came from searches related to skin treatments and water-related concerns, where Tampa placed sixth and ninth nationally, respectively. It also ranked 15th for irritation-related searches and 18th for breakout-related searches.
The results stand in contrast to nearby St. Petersburg, which ranked 48th overall despite having the same air-quality ranking as Tampa.
St. Petersburg had one of the country’s lowest rates of breakout-related searches, ranking 90th out of 98 cities. Its treatment-related search ranking was considerably higher at No. 21.
The comparison highlights how heavily search behavior influenced the overall rankings.
Other Florida Cities Fare Better
Not every Florida city landed near the bottom of the study.
Jacksonville ranked 64th overall, followed by Port St. Lucie at No. 78 and Cape Coral at No. 80. Among the seven Florida cities included, Cape Coral received the lowest Skin Stress Score at 24.11.
Cape Coral ranked particularly low for irritation-related and water-related searches, placing 96th and 94th, respectively. However, the city had a relatively high solar exposure ranking compared with other Florida cities, placing 30th nationally.
Port St. Lucie also performed relatively well in the study, recording the fourth-lowest rate of irritation-related searches among the cities analyzed.
One of the biggest differences appeared between Orlando and Cape Coral. According to the study, Orlando’s irritation-related search rate was approximately 5.4 times higher than Cape Coral’s, with Orlando recording 20,737 searches per 100,000 residents compared with Cape Coral’s 3,862.
What the Study Actually Measured
The Water Filter Guru study created its Skin Stress Index using several environmental and behavioral indicators.
Environmental factors, including EPA air-quality data and National Cancer Institute solar-exposure data used as a proxy for UV exposure, accounted for 40% of each city’s score.
The remaining 60% came from Google search activity, adjusted per 100,000 residents, for topics related to breakouts, irritation, water, and skin treatments.
Because of that methodology, the results should not be interpreted as a diagnosis of which cities have the healthiest or unhealthiest skin. Instead, the rankings reflect a combination of environmental conditions and the level of online interest in skin-related concerns.
Alongside the city rankings, Water Filter Guru surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults about their skincare habits, spending, and confidence.
The survey found that 77% of respondents said they feel less confident when their skin is not at its best. Additionally, 73% said skin concerns negatively affected at least one area of their lives during the past year.
Among those respondents, 31% said skin concerns affected their mood or mental health, while 30% said the concerns affected their willingness to be on camera.
Respondents reported spending an average of $325 per year or roughly $27 per month trying to improve their skin.
The survey also found that online sources play a major role in where people seek skincare advice. Thirty-two percent of respondents said they turn to Reddit or other online forums, compared with 29% who said they seek advice from dermatologists. Among Gen Z respondents, 32% cited TikTok as a source of skincare advice, while 31% named dermatologists.
The 10 Worst-Ranked Cities for Skin Stress
According to the study, the 10 worst-ranked cities for skin stress were:
- Orlando, Florida
- Miami, Florida
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Scottsdale, Arizona
- St. Louis, Missouri
- Tampa, Florida
- Riverside, California
- Denver, Colorado
At the other end of the rankings, Lincoln, Nebraska, ranked as the city with the lowest Skin Stress Score, followed by Toledo, Ohio, and Fort Wayne, Indiana.
For Orlando residents, the No. 1 ranking may be surprising—or perhaps it simply reflects how often Central Floridians are searching for answers to concerns about irritation, breakouts, water, and skincare treatments.
Either way, the study offers an interesting look at how environmental factors and consumer behavior can intersect. Just don’t mistake Orlando’s ranking for a medical diagnosis: the Skin Stress Index measures online search activity and selected environmental indicators, not the actual prevalence of skin conditions among residents.
The full study and methodology are available from Water Filter Guru.
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