25 US Cities With Looming Water Crises

By Evan Comen  •  October 21, 2025
https://climate-crisis-247-bucket.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/20215121/Annual-water-withdrawals-as-share-of-renewable-water-supply-150x150.png

In most U.S. counties, water supply outweighs demand. With a bulk of the population living in sustainable water basins – where the supply of renewable water is greater than its withdrawal – the United States ranks 71st out of 181 countries in baseline water stress.

In some municipalities, however, net consumption of water is far greater than renewable
freshwater available at the sub-basin level. In water-scare cities like Lubbock, Texas and Chandler, Arizona – where year-round water consumption outweighs renewable water supply by sevenfold –residential and industrial consumers depend on non-renewable and imported water sources, relying on river diversions from hundreds of miles away or groundwater pumps that can draw down aquifers and result in overdrafting. A closer look at the data reveals the cities where water demand outpaces supply the most.

To determine the U.S. cities with looming water crises, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed data on water demand and supply from the World Resources Institute. Cities are ranked based on average baseline water stress – the ratio of net water consumption to available renewable freshwater available to a sub-basin, which includes surface flow, interflow, and groundwater recharge. Data was aggregated from the sub-basin level to cities using QGIS. Supplemental data on drought conditions are from the U.S. Drought Monitor. Only cities with at least 100,000 residents were considered, with only the highest-ranking city in each county included.

25. Boise City, ID

Photo by Brett Wharton on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 162.7% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 100.0%
  • Value of all homes: $28.4 billion
  • Total population: 234,192
 

24. Concord, NC

Photo by Zac Gudakov on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 172.1% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 64.2%
  • Value of all homes: $7.8 billion
  • Total population: 105,335
 

23. Amarillo, TX

Photo by Steve Wrzeszczynski on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 212.1% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 0.0%
  • Value of all homes: $9.8 billion
  • Total population: 200,360
 

22. Highlands Ranch, CO

Photo by Lynn Hayne on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 224.3% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 100.0%
  • Value of all homes: $20.1 billion
  • Total population: 101,514
 

21. Boulder, CO

Photo by Logan Gutierrez on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 224.3% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 0.0%
  • Value of all homes: $23.4 billion
  • Total population: 106,598
 

20. Greeley, CO

Photo by James Collington on Pexels

  • Annual water withdrawals: 224.3% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 0.8%
  • Value of all homes: $8.3 billion
  • Total population: 107,949
 

19. Thornton, CO

Photo by Acton Crawford on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 224.3% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 0.0%
  • Value of all homes: $16.6 billion
  • Total population: 141,799

18. Lakewood, CO

Photo by Gennady Zakharin on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 224.3% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 99.3%
  • Value of all homes: $21.0 billion
  • Total population: 156,149
 

17. Fort Collins, CO

Photo by Acton Crawford on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 224.3% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 100.0%
  • Value of all homes: $19.6 billion
  • Total population: 168,758
 

16. Aurora, CO

Photo by Acton Crawford on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 224.3% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 28.4%
  • Value of all homes: $39.8 billion
  • Total population: 387,349
 

15. Denver, CO

Photo by Acton Crawford on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 224.3% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 35.3%
  • Value of all homes: $104.5 billion
  • Total population: 710,800
 

14. Clovis, CA

Photo by Dust on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 280.5% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 100.0%
  • Value of all homes: $12.2 billion
  • Total population: 120,607
 

13. Brownsville, TX

Photo by Juvenal Rivera III on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 299.1% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 0.0%
  • Value of all homes: $4.7 billion
  • Total population: 186,999
 

12. San Diego, CA

Photo by Juni Nguyen on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 339.5% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 88.8%
  • Value of all homes: $236.0 billion
  • Total population: 1.4 million
 

11. Oxnard, CA

Photo by Zach Theo on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 349.8% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 68.9%
  • Value of all homes: $16.8 billion
  • Total population: 202,279
 

10. Bakersfield, CA

Photo by Fabio Sasso on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 364.1% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 100.0%
  • Value of all homes: $26.3 billion
  • Total population: 404,321
 

9. Pomona, CA

Photo by Glenn Hansen on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 440.8% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 100.0%
  • Value of all homes: $11.6 billion
  • Total population: 149,831
 

8. Edinburg, TX

Photo by Iesha Reyes on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 458.0% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 0.0%
  • Value of all homes: $3.2 billion
  • Total population: 100,964
 

7. Visalia, CA

Photo by Tom Fournier on Pexels

  • Annual water withdrawals: 497.9% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 100.0%
  • Value of all homes: $9.3 billion
  • Total population: 141,466
 

6. San Bernardino, CA

Photo by Gabriel Tovar on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 530.7% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 100.0%
  • Value of all homes: $11.2 billion
  • Total population: 221,041

5. Santa Ana, CA

Photo by Scott Kessler on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 530.7% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 100.0%
  • Value of all homes: $22.5 billion
  • Total population: 311,379
 

4. Riverside, CA

Photo by Moaaz Baig on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 530.7% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 100.0%
  • Value of all homes: $26.9 billion
  • Total population: 316,076
 

3. Lubbock, TX

Photo by Pete Alexopoulos on Unsplash

  • Annual water withdrawals: 671.1% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 0.0%
  • Value of all homes: $12.0 billion
  • Total population: 258,190
 

2. San Tan Valley, AZ

Photo by Chuck Shields on Pexels

  • Annual water withdrawals: 684.3% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 100.0%
  • Value of all homes: $9.4 billion
  • Total population: 101,207
 

1. Chandler, AZ

Photo by Anthony Simuel on Pexels

  • Annual water withdrawals: 684.3% of renewable supply
  • Land area that is abnormally dry: 100.0%
  • Value of all homes: $31.8 billion
  • Total population: 275,618
 

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