2024 was the most popular yr in human historical past. Warmth waves affected each nook of the nation, and July clocked in as the most popular month ever recorded. In reality, from 2023 by way of 2024, there have been 14 consecutive months of record-breaking temperatures. This isn’t a brand new pattern, both: The ten warmest years on file have all occurred over the last decade.
That’s to not say that scorching climate isn’t fulfilling. Warmth generally is a welcomed change from the gloomy chilly and rain of the winter. However as scorching temps develop into more and more harmful, it’s vital to pay attention to the place the warmth is most intense.
As we head into one other probably record-breaking summer season, Redfin has compiled a listing of the most popular cities within the U.S. to assist. Whether or not you’re heat-averse and in search of locations to keep away from, or a sun-chaser trying to find your subsequent dwelling, learn on to see which cities prime the listing – and the right way to keep protected in a warming world.
How we measure the most popular cities
To find out the “hottest” cities, we ranked U.S. cities with populations over 100,000 primarily based on their common summer season temperature. This fashion, we account for cities with hotter summers and cooler winters, reasonably than favoring tropical locations which are heat year-round. We additionally included every metropolis’s common annual temperature, although it didn’t issue into the rankings.
A mean summer season temperature combines a metropolis’s common every day excessive and low temperatures from June-August. A mean annual temperature combines a metropolis’s common every day excessive and low temperatures from January-December.
What are the most popular cities within the U.S.?
1. Phoenix, Arizona
Common summer season temperature: 93.7°F
Common annual temperature: 75.4°F
Document highest temperature: 122°F (1990)
Phoenix is the most popular metropolis within the U.S. The town will get so scorching due to its location within the quickly warming Sonoran Desert, year-round sunshine, and the city warmth island impact. And it’s solely getting hotter.
2024 was the most popular yr within the metropolis’s historical past. Phoenix skilled an unprecedented 113 consecutive days with temperatures reaching at the least 100°F, shattering the earlier file of 76 days set in 1993. This excessive warmth stretched into October and produced 70 days with temperatures above 110°F – greater than triple the town’s common of 21 days.
A brand new actuality is forcing the town to adapt to insufferable summer season warmth. Current efforts embrace increasing using cool pavement – a pavement coating that displays daylight – and enhancing Phoenix’s City Tree and Shade Program. The town goals to cowl 25% of the town with shade by 2030, utilizing bushes to naturally cool the surroundings.
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2. Yuma, Arizona
Common summer season temperature: 92.8°F
Common annual temperature: 75.9°F
Document highest temperature: 124°F (1995)
Formally the sunniest metropolis on this planet, Yuma, AZ, is the second-hottest metropolis within the U.S. Positioned within the coronary heart of the Sonoran Desert, the Previous Western city sees barely larger daytime highs than Phoenix however cooler in a single day lows (about 2°F), which is why its every day common temperature is decrease.
As a result of it’s solely 90 miles from the Gulf of California, Yuma additionally experiences extra humidity than most desert cities, which may intensify warmth stress and make temperatures really feel even hotter.
Regardless of the summer season extremes, Yuma stays a winter haven. Its heat, sunny winters entice round 90,000 part-time residents (snowbirds) every year. The area is thought for its irrigated agriculture, particularly lettuce and different cool-season crops which are laborious to develop elsewhere throughout winter months.
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3. Las Vegas, Nevada
Common summer season temperature: 90.8°F
Common annual temperature: 70.1°F
Document highest temperature: 120°F (2024)
An leisure oasis in the course of the Mojave Desert, Las Vegas is the third-hottest metropolis within the nation. Temperatures in Las Vegas are barely cooler than Phoenix and Yuma, primarily as a result of it’s farther north. Nevertheless, it has been warming quickly, particularly at evening. An extra month of 100°F temperatures are anticipated yearly by 2050.
Residents skilled this warmth first hand in 2024 throughout a record-breaking summer season. In July, Sin Metropolis noticed seven straight days with highs above 115°F and three days topping 118°F, each data. A temperature of 120°F was recorded throughout this heatwave, which broke the all-time file by an astonishing 3°F.
The town’s fast development has added to the danger. Las Vegas’ metro’s inhabitants has practically doubled since 2000, partially as a result of it was a prime migration vacation spot for folks trying to find heat, sunny climate.
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4. McAllen, Texas
Common summer season temperature: 88.5°F
Common annual temperature: 77.4°F
Document highest temperature: 111°F (2023)
McCallen is a melting pot of tradition within the coronary heart of the Rio Grande Valley, boasting the most popular summers in Texas. McCallen feels the warmth due to its southern latitude, proximity to the Chihuahuan Desert, and warming affect from the soupy Gulf of Mexico. This makes humidity a significant difficulty, compounding the results of already excessive warmth.
Like most cities in 2024, warmth was on full show in McCallen. It started in spring, with 115°F warmth indices (what the temperature truly seems like) in early Might. By July, they soared to a harmful 124°F (100°F with 81% humidity), and remained very excessive in August. A number of long-lasting warmth domes had been guilty.
Texas as a complete has warmed exceptionally shortly, turning into the most popular state within the nation. Throughout the state, triple-digit warmth has develop into the norm, with common temperatures now 6–12°F above regular.In reality, prior to now ten years, there have been 1,000 extra days of record-breaking warmth than in a typical decade. 2025 appears to be persevering with the pattern.
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5. Laredo, Texas
Common summer season temperature: 88.0°F
Common annual temperature: 74.6°F
Document highest temperature: 115°F (1908)
Located alongside the banks of the Rio Grande, Laredo is the fifth-hottest metropolis within the U.S. It experiences related temperatures to its southern counterpart, McCallen, however with much less humidity and barely cooler summers. Laredo’s location on the recent, dry plains farther from the coast leaves loads of room for warmth waves to take maintain, although, so extraordinarily scorching temperatures are extra widespread.
Like most of Texas, Laredo noticed a record-breaking summer season in 2023, with July posting the most popular month within the metropolis’s historical past. 2024 introduced little aid, as triple-digit warmth returned for weeks at a time. Laredo already sees probably the most 100°F days in Texas – a mean of 78 and file of 146 – and extended warmth waves have gotten extra frequent, pushing the town to confront the rising dangers.
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6. Brownsville, Texas
Common summer season temperature: 86.4°F
Common annual temperature: 76.2°F
Document highest temperature: 106°F (1984/2023)
Brownsville is the sixth-hottest metropolis within the nation. Positioned on the Gulf Coast simply north of Mexico and only some hundred miles from the Chihuahuan Desert, Brownsville advantages from each heat winters and scorching summers. Whereas milder than inland cities like Laredo or McAllen, Brownsville nonetheless faces severe warmth dangers.
Brownsville noticed a record-hot yr in 2023, with an particularly scorching summer season. This heat continued in 2024, with warmth waves gripping the Rio Grande Valley within the spring and thru the summer season. The whole Gulf Coast baked for weeks, partially as a result of the Gulf of Mexico skilled record-high temperatures.
The world’s oceans take in ~90% of the warmth from human-caused emissions. In order the Gulf continues to heat, cities like Brownsville are more and more susceptible to lengthy, harmful warmth occasions.
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7. Tucson, Arizona
Common summer season temperature: 86.4°F
Common annual temperature: 69.7°F
Document highest temperature: 117°F (1990)
Tucson, often known as the Previous Pueblo for its 10,000-year lengthy native historical past, is the seventh-hottest metropolis within the nation. The town is located within the Sonoran Desert and will get very popular, nevertheless it’s truly about 5 levels cooler than Phoenix and sees practically 4 extra inches of rain. It’s because the town sits about 1,500 toes larger in elevation and is nestled amongst 5 small mountain ranges.
In July 2024, Tucson logged two record-breaking days in a row – 111°F and 112°F – serving to that summer season to develop into the most popular on file. Irregular heat continued into the autumn and winter, made worse by humidity.
Summer time monsoons are widespread, however they don’t at all times convey aid – and flash flooding can comply with intense warmth. Fall and spring provide spectacular climate, however Tucson’s summers have gotten longer, hotter, and extra harmful.
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8. San Antonio, Texas
Common summer season temperature: 85.4°F
Common annual temperature: 71.1°F
Document highest temperature: 111°F (2000)
San Antonio is so scorching due to its flat panorama, proximity to the nice and cozy and humid Gulf Coast, and warmth waves from Mexico. The city warmth island impact can be a significant component for practically 90% of the inhabitants, in some instances elevating temperatures by a further 9°F.
San Antonio’s warmth was on show in 2024 – the most popular yr within the metropolis’s historical past. Blistering temperatures started in earnest in Might, when the town noticed every week of 95°F+ days. Then, in June, the warmth index reached 117°F for an all-time excessive. To shut out the summer season, a record-breaking heatwave in August pushed temperatures previous 100°F for every week.
Frequent excessive warmth will probably develop into the norm within the close to future; 100 diploma days are actually three-times extra widespread in San Antonio than they had been 30 years in the past.
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9. School Station, Texas
Common summer season temperature: 84.5°F
Common annual temperature: 69.4°F
Document highest temperature: 112°F (2000)
School Station, situated between Austin, Waco, and Houston, has a reasonably related local weather to all three cities. It’s much less humid than Houston, a bit hotter than Austin, and hotter than Waco. Warmth from the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico correct present a lot of the heat, made worse by frequent southerly (from the south) winds. The flat panorama means warmth has no bother flowing in.
As with most different Texas cities, School Station endured a scorching 2024. Heat peaked in August, when warmth indexes of 110°F led to almost monthlong warmth warnings and advisories.
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10. Dallas, Texas
Common summer season temperature: 84.5°F
Common annual temperature: 68.0°F
Document highest temperature: 113°F (1980)
Adjoining to Fort Price, Dallas is thought for its soccer, cowboy tradition, and scorching summers. The warmth comes from southerly winds from Mexico and the Gulf, resulting in moist, muggy air that Texas is notorious for.
After a record-breaking summer season in 2023, Dallas noticed extra of the identical in 2024. The town reached 107°F in August and broke the 100°F barrier 23 instances. Excessive temperatures lingered into the autumn, persevering with a pattern of longer, hotter summers throughout North Texas.
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What’s the hottest place within the U.S.?
Loss of life Valley Nationwide Park is the most popular place within the U.S. The desert basin has a mean summer season temperature of 101.3°F and a mean summer season excessive of 114.8°F. In 2024, it recorded its hottest summer season on file, averaging 104.5°F – greater than 3°F above regular.
Not solely is Loss of life Valley the most popular place within the nation, nevertheless it’s additionally seen the most popular temperatures ever recorded on Earth. The park hit 134.0°F in 1913, which is acknowledged as the most popular temperature in historical past (though this has been disputed). It’s additionally seen the world’s second-hottest temperature of 130°F in 2020 and 2021 (unverified), and a number of other related highs not too long ago.
The desert will get so scorching as a result of it sits ~280 toes under sea degree and has among the highest barometric strain on this planet. The close by mountains additionally entice warmth, performing as a furnace.
How are temperatures altering?
21 of the previous 22 months have surpassed 1.5°C (2.7°F), the edge above which scientists say will set off irreversible local weather impacts. Whereas it gained’t be official till that degree is sustained over 20 years, we may already be residing within the new regular.
This file warmth has fueled extra intense, long-lasting warmth waves – the deadliest type of excessive climate – together with stronger and extra frequent hurricanes, floods, and droughts. Analysis exhibits that with out main cuts to greenhouse gasoline emissions, rising temperatures will probably make some places uninhabitable to people inside the subsequent 50-80 years.
Tropical and coastal areas face the best danger of insufferable warmth on account of their excessive humidity, which may result in extraordinarily excessive warmth indices. That is why Southeastern U.S. cities have the best warmth dangers within the nation, with the Southwest shut behind. In reality, 100% of properties in each metropolis on this listing have a significant or larger warmth danger.
How you can put together for excessive warmth
As record-breaking temperatures develop into extra widespread, it’s important to take warmth severely – particularly within the nation’s hottest cities. Listed here are a couple of tips about the right way to keep protected when the mercury rises:
Hydrate continually: Don’t wait till you’re thirsty. Drink water usually all through the day, particularly should you’re outdoors.
Hold your property cool: Use followers, blackout curtains, and AC if accessible. Even a couple of levels of enchancment could make an enormous distinction throughout a warmth wave.
Keep away from peak warmth: Keep indoors or within the shade between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when temperatures are often the best. Native authorities might present extra detailed suggestions. In the event you don’t have a method to settle down indoors, discover a native cooling middle or public area with air-con.
Know the indicators of warmth sickness: Dizziness, confusion, and fast heartbeat can sign warmth exhaustion or stroke. In the event you see anybody battling these signs, search assist instantly.
Methodology
This listing incorporates common annual temperature information for cities with over 100,000 residents.
Knowledge comes from the Nationwide Facilities for Environmental Data (NCEI) and its mother or father administration, the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Common summer season temperatures are a three-month common primarily based on information from June-August 1991-2020. Common annual temperatures are a twelve-month common primarily based on information from 1991-2020.
