Florida is officially the nation’s sweat lodge.
A new study from WaterBoy crowned West Palm Beach the sweatiest city in America, beating out fellow perspiration powerhouse Miami and leaving much of the country drenched in envy — or maybe just relief.
Researchers analyzed 30 years of NOAA climate data from 80 U.S. cities and created a “Hydration Demand Score” based on heat, humidity, dew point, and other factors that determine how quickly your shirt sticks to your back.
The results? West Palm Beach wasn’t just No. 1 — it practically lapped the field.
West Palm posted a whopping Hydration Demand Score of 58.9, followed by Miami at 51.0 and Fort Myers at 46.4. The national average was just 17.5.
In other words, if you’re exercising in West Palm, you’re basically participating in an involuntary sauna session.
The study found that a moderate workout during peak summer months in West Palm requires about 24.2 ounces of fluid replacement per hour — nearly a bottle and a half of water just to break even.
Meanwhile, the least sweaty cities were Colorado Springs, Denver, and Spokane, where residents apparently have the luxury of exercising without feeling like they’ve been wrapped in a wet beach towel.
West Palm also spends an astonishing 4,737 hours per year — more than half the calendar — under National Weather Service heat-caution conditions with a heat index of 80 degrees or higher.
Florida didn’t merely dominate the rankings.
It staged a hostile takeover.
Seven of the study’s top 10 sweatiest cities were located in the Sunshine State, with only Honolulu, New Orleans, and Houston managing to crash the party.
For Floridians, the findings confirm what we already knew: summer isn’t a season — it’s a full-body hydration challenge.
