Urban Heat Hot Spots in 65 Cities

Climate Central's analysis of 65 major U.S. cities reveals that approximately 76% of the 6.2 million K-12 public school students in these areas attend school in 'extreme urban heat zones,' where the built environment adds at least 8°F of additional heat. The average student in these cities attends school in a neighborhood that is 8.3°F hotter due to the built environment, with the highest average additional heat found in New York City (9.6°F). The report highlights that children are particularly vulnerable to heat-related health risks, which can impair academic achievement and development, while noting that 41% of public school districts need to update or replace HVAC systems in at least half of their schools.

• Approximately 76% of the nearly 6.2 million K-12 public school students in the 65 largest U.S. cities attend school in extreme urban heat zones, defined as neighborhoods where the built environment adds at least 8°F of additional heat.
• The average K-12 public school student across the analyzed cities attends school in a neighborhood that is 8.3°F hotter due to the built environment. This average varies by city, ranging from 7.3°F in Phoenix, Ariz. to 9.6°F in New York City.
• In nearly 25% of the analyzed cities, at least 90% of students attend public school in extreme urban heat zones. Louisville, Ky. has the highest proportion at 98%.
• The ten largest U.S. cities by population also have the highest absolute number of students attending school in extreme urban heat zones, with each city having at least 100,000 such students. New York City has the highest number at 819,719 students.
• U.S. public schools face significant infrastructure deficits for cooling, with an estimated 41% of districts needing to replace or update HVAC systems in at least half of their schools.
• The urban heat island (UHI) index is primarily influenced by three factors: albedo (the fraction of sunlight reflected by surfaces), green space (which cools via evapotranspiration), and population density (heat from human activities and air conditioning).
• Urban heat burdens are disproportionately felt in lower-income and non-white communities, often linked to historically redlined areas which experience hotter summers than non-redlined areas in 150 major U.S. cities.

APA

Climate Central (2025). Urban Heat Hot Spots in 65 Cities. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/schools-and-urban-heat-2025

Chicago

Climate Central. Urban Heat Hot Spots in 65 Cities. 2025. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/schools-and-urban-heat-2025.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Urban Heat Hot Spots in 65 Cities |date=25 June 2025 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/schools-and-urban-heat-2025 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2025urban, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Urban Heat Hot Spots in 65 Cities}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2025}, month = jun, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/schools-and-urban-heat-2025}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }