What does this garden zone ranking show?

It orders states by Plant hardiness zone. It is a comparison of this one published measure, not an overall ranking of where to live.

Where do these figures come from?

NOAA RCC-ACIS, USDA band definitions supplies this measure. States without a comparable published value are shown as not ranked rather than estimated.

How should I use this ranking?

Use it to narrow a search, then open a state or county profile for the underlying figures, source dates and caveats. A statewide number may not describe every neighbourhood.

Rankings · Gardening

The warmest plant hardiness zones

Plant hardiness zone.

This measure has no better end. The order describes the states, it does not rank them — see the other direction.

Average coldest winter temperature over the past 15 years, expressed as a plant hardiness zone. This is the standard measure of what will survive a winter outdoors. Computed from station observations using the USDA band definitions rather than taken from the USDA map, whose data is not published for reuse — it should agree in most places, but a county spanning a mountain range varies inside itself more than one number can show.

How to read this ranking

Hawaii has the highest published garden zone in this comparison, at Zone 9b. The next states shown are Florida (Zone 9b) and California (Zone 9a).

The table orders 51 states by plant hardiness zone. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.

Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. Average coldest winter temperature over the past 15 years, expressed as a plant hardiness zone. This is the standard measure of what will survive a winter outdoors. Computed from station observations using the USDA band definitions rather than taken from the USDA map, whose data is not published for reuse — it should agree in most places, but a county spanning a mountain range varies inside itself more than one number can show.

1HawaiiZone 9b
2FloridaZone 9b
3CaliforniaZone 9a
4LouisianaZone 8a
5TexasZone 8a
6OregonZone 8a
7ArizonaZone 8a
8GeorgiaZone 8a
9AlabamaZone 8a
10South CarolinaZone 8a
11North CarolinaZone 8a
12MississippiZone 7b
13NevadaZone 7b
14WashingtonZone 7b
15District of ColumbiaZone 7b
16ArkansasZone 7b
17VirginiaZone 7b
18TennesseeZone 7b
19MarylandZone 7a
20DelawareZone 7a
21New JerseyZone 7a
22OklahomaZone 7a
23New MexicoZone 7a
24KentuckyZone 7a
25West VirginiaZone 7a
26PennsylvaniaZone 7a
27New YorkZone 6b
28Rhode IslandZone 6b
29ConnecticutZone 6b
30MissouriZone 6b
31OhioZone 6b
32UtahZone 6b
33IdahoZone 6b
34MassachusettsZone 6b
35KansasZone 6b
36IndianaZone 6b
37MichiganZone 6b
38New HampshireZone 6a
39IllinoisZone 6a
40ColoradoZone 6a
41MaineZone 6a
42AlaskaZone 6a
43VermontZone 6a
44NebraskaZone 5b
45WisconsinZone 5b
46IowaZone 5b
47WyomingZone 5b
48MinnesotaZone 5a
49MontanaZone 5a
50South DakotaZone 5a
51North DakotaZone 5a

Related gardening rankings

Use this in a move shortlist

These guides combine this measure with other clearly named inputs; they are not overall state verdicts.

States to consider for a longer growing season →

Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: It orders states by Plant hardiness zone. It is one measure, not an overall verdict on where to live.
Where do the figures come from?: NOAA RCC-ACIS, USDA band definitions. States without a comparable published figure are listed as not ranked rather than estimated.
How should I use it?: Use it to narrow your search, then open a state or county profile for the source date, caveats and local context.

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Free to use. The chart names its source and links back, so it stays honest wherever it ends up.

<iframe src="https://movermath.com/embed/garden-zone" width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Plant hardiness zone by state"></iframe>

Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, USDA band definitions. · How this is built

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