The 10 Coldest Cities in the U.S.

Key takeaways

• Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Grand Forks are the coldest cities in the U.S., where annual average temperatures sit below 40°F.
• America’s coldest cities are primarily located in Alaska, the Upper Midwest, and the Rocky Mountains, where Arctic air and winter weather is common.
• Winters are heating up rapidly, but cold temperatures still affect everything from energy bills to house prices.

Cold weather can be a cozy change of pace from hot summers, and is often welcomed when it returns every year. People especially look forward to peaceful, snowy winters in northern states, where winter wonderlands are the norm. 

However, cold weather is becoming rarer. The past 11 years have all been the 11 hottest on record, and winter is the fastest-warming season, generally accelerating the further north you go. If you’re a house hunter looking to buy or a seller looking to relocate, these are important factors to consider. Warmer air increases the risk of flooding, storms, and other extreme weather that can impact a home.

So, on the heels of a record-warm summer, where can you still find cold temperatures? And what are the coldest cities in the country? Redfin compiled a list of the coldest cities in the U.S. to help guide your decision. See which cities top the list, why they’re so cold, and what to consider before making a move.

The coldest cities in the U.S.

Fairbanks is by far the coldest city in the U.S., with an average annual temperature nearly 10°F lower than second place Anchorage. Grand Forks in northern North Dakota is the coldest city in the Lower 48. International Falls, MN is technically colder, but it’s too small to make our list. 

It’s unsurprising that Alaska is home to three of the ten coldest cities, given its far-northern latitude. Alaska is the coldest state in the country by a wide margin, although it’s also the fastest-warming state. 

If we were to measure instead by average winter temperature, Fargo, ND (12.8°F), St. Cloud, MN (15.2°F) Willmar, MN (15.3°F) and Watertown, SD (15.4°F) would make the top ten. Coastal cities like Anchorage and Juneau would drop out because of the warming influence that large bodies of water have.

Why are these cities so cold?

The coldest cities in the U.S. are all located in the northern third of the country, far from the equator and its year-round warmth. These regions get so cold because they tend to be near frigid bodies of water, at a higher elevation, or in close proximity to the Polar Vortex – areas of extremely cold air that swirl around the North and South Poles. 

Fairbanks recently experienced its coldest winter on record – an astonishing -13.6°F – beating out the legendary 1965 – 1966 winter for the number one spot. Temperatures didn’t rise above freezing from Halloween through April Fools Day, and 66 days never climbed above 0°F. Snow was also abundant, making the winter one for the history books.

Elsewhere in Alaska, Anchorage tends to be cooler in the summer but milder in the winter, because it’s located on the coast and surrounded by the Chugach Mountains, which provide a cool maritime climate for a lot of the year. Juneau – one of the snowiest cities in the country – sees a similar, albeit warmer and wetter, pattern. 

Laramie and Butte are unique: They’re colder largely because of their location in and around the Rocky Mountains, rather than their susceptibility to frequent cold Canadian air. The surrounding mountains act as a barrier from the brunt of many cold fronts and heat waves, providing a moderating influence similar to a city on the coast – albeit with much drier air. Butte, for example, has an average winter temperature of 20°F, but sees 197 days with low temperatures below freezing. 

What is the coldest place in the U.S.?

The outright coldest inhabited place in the U.S. is Utqiagvik (formerly Point Barrow) on the northern tip of Alaska. The average annual temperature is just 12.7°F, and in the winter, temperatures average -11°F (-24°C). The lowest temperature on record for Utqiagvik is -56°F.

Utqiagvik experiences polar nights for over 60 days during the winter, meaning the sun never rises. Surprisingly, over 4,000 people live in the town year-round, and evidence suggests that the Iñupiat peoples have called the area home for at least 1,500 years (likely far longer). If you want to move here, you’ll find it fairly difficult, though, as the only way to reach the town is by plane or boat.

Why the climate matters when choosing where to live

Aside from affecting what a city looks and feels like, the climate can play a major role in deciding where people settle down. Everything from how you spend your free time, to seasonal housing demand, to what kind of home you rent or buy can be shaped by the local climate.

Peak buying and selling seasons are more pronounced in more northern cities. For example, winters are especially slow for home buyers and sellers, as cold temperatures tend to keep buyers and sellers subdued. But once spring and summer come around, activity often returns quickly.

Many colder cities – largely clustered in the upper Midwest – have also faced decades of population and economic decline, helping keep home prices relatively low. Now, some are gaining popularity as Americans search for homes they can afford amid a historically expensive housing market.

Additionally, cold weather can affect how homes are built and maintained. Homes in colder climates tend to have more insulation, energy-efficient windows and heating systems, and features designed to withstand snow, ice, and freezing temperatures. Buyers may need to budget more for winter heating and maintenance, though. 

If you’re considering a move, you can use Redfin to understand a home’s climate risks. Simply click on any property to see its heat, flood, fire, wind, and air quality risks, as well as average monthly temperatures, average precipitation, and typical daily sunshine. Redfin partners with the Weather Company, Shadowmap, and First Street (now owned by MSCI) to display this data for nearly every property in the U.S.

>> Read: Where Should I Live? 10 Questions to Help You Decide

How are temperatures changing?

Temperatures around the world are rising rapidly, especially in the far north and south. This warming is intensifying climate change and already causing dramatic socioeconomic impacts, such as strained water supplies, food insecurity, and more.

As temperatures rise, research shows that the coldest cities in the U.S. will get warmer. Record low temperatures will become less common, while record high temperatures will become more normal. This is already happening, too; seven out of ten cities on this list had a lower average temperature just 10 years ago (comparing 30-year normals from 1981-2010 to 1991-2020). 

The coldest winter temperatures today are 7°F warmer than they were in 1970, according to recent findings. So, when cold weather hits, it’s typically a shadow of the cold that previous generations grew up with. We are unlikely to see the classic, bitterly cold winters that were commonplace in the 20th century again.

Methodology

To determine the “coldest” cities, we ranked U.S. cities with populations over 20,000 based on their average annual temperature. This way, we can determine the coldest cities year-round, filtering out places that see both hot summers and cold winters. We also included each city’s average winter temperature, though it didn’t factor into the rankings.

An average annual temperature combines a city’s average daily high and low temperatures from January-December. An average winter temperature combines a city’s average daily high and low temperatures from December-February. 

Data comes from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) and its parent administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Average annual temperatures are a twelve-month average based on data from 1991-2020. Average winter temperatures are a three-month average based on data from December-February 1991-2020.

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