We’ve all experienced summer heatwaves. Those days when the thermometer slowly climbs above 90 degrees and eventually drops back to the 80s and we can enjoy the days once more. But lately, it seems like the temperature keeps climbing and we’re experiencing more heatwaves. 2024 has seen some of the hottest months on record. According to NOAA, July was the warmest on record for the globe. Cities experiencing hotter summers are feeling the effects.
Heat increases the risk of serious complications in people with chronic health conditions like high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes. Deaths related to heat exposure reached the highest levels ever during the heatwaves in 2006 per the EPA. EPA statistics for 2018 to 2020 are not ready yet, but an analysis of CDC reports found that more than 3,000 people died from the impact of excessive heat.
To determine the cities experiencing hotter summers, 24/7 Tempo reviewed historical temperature data from the National Centers for Environmental Information of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Metropolitan statistical areas were ranked based on the difference in average maximum temperature during June, July, and August of 2019 through 2023 from the average maximum temperature during June, July, and August of 1901 through 2000.
Data was aggregated from the county to the metropolitan level using boundary definitions from the U.S. Census Bureau. Data on population is from the Census Bureau’s 2022 American Community Survey and are five-year estimates. (Also read The Average Summer Temperature Every Decade Since 1895.)
Here is the list of the cities experiencing hotter summers:
50. St. George, UT
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 90.6°F (+2.7°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 87.9°F
- Total population: 183,297
49. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 77.8°F (+2.7°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 75.0°F
- Total population: 4,692,242
48. Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 84.1°F (+2.8°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 81.3°F
- Total population: 274,339
47. Fort Collins-Loveland, CO
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 77.0°F (+2.8°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 74.2°F
- Total population: 359,363
46. Reno, NV
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 85.9°F (+2.8°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 83.1°F
- Total population: 490,769
45. Carson City, NV
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 84.6°F (+2.8°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 81.8°F
- Total population: 58,249
44. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 99.8°F (+2.8°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 97.0°F
- Total population: 4,610,050
43. Coeur d’Alene, ID
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 78.9°F (+2.8°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 76.1°F
- Total population: 173,396
42. Twin Falls, ID
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 85.6°F (+2.9°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 82.7°F
- Total population: 115,066
41. Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 93.8°F (+2.9°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 90.9°F
- Total population: 125,504
40. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 89.9°F (+2.9°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 87.0°F
- Total population: 3,289,701
39. Odessa, TX
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 96.9°F (+2.9°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 94.0°F
- Total population: 162,300
38. Idaho Falls, ID
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 81.0°F (+2.9°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 78.1°F
- Total population: 158,478
37. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 81.7°F (+2.9°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 78.8°F
- Total population: 445,213
36. Longview-Kelso, WA
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 75.4°F (+2.9°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 72.5°F
- Total population: 110,621
35. Providence-Warwick, RI-MA
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 80.7°F (+3.0°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 77.7°F
- Total population: 1,670,949
34. Amarillo, TX
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 93.0°F (+3.0°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 90.1°F
- Total population: 269,278
33. Salisbury, MD
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 87.1°F (+3.0°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 84.2°F
- Total population: 421,982
32. Logan, UT-ID
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 80.0°F (+3.0°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 77.1°F
- Total population: 148,804
31. El Paso, TX
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 96.0°F (+3.0°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 93.0°F
- Total population: 867,161
30. Trenton-Princeton, NJ
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 85.8°F (+3.0°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 82.8°F
- Total population: 383,732
29. Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 78.3°F (+3.0°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 75.3°F
- Total population: 268,571
28. Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 81.3°F (+3.0°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 78.3°F
- Total population: 585,485
27. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 76.7°F (+3.0°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 73.7°F
- Total population: 2,505,312
26. Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 86.4°F (+3.1°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 83.4°F
- Total population: 677,964
25. Santa Fe, NM
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 85.0°F (+3.1°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 81.9°F
- Total population: 154,481
24. Yuba City, CA
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 94.6°F (+3.1°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 91.5°F
- Total population: 180,806
23. Albuquerque, NM
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 88.6°F (+3.2°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 85.5°F
- Total population: 915,968
22. Chico, CA
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 92.5°F (+3.2°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 89.3°F
- Total population: 213,605
21. Colorado Springs, CO
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 79.3°F (+3.2°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 76.2°F
- Total population: 755,081
20. Flagstaff, AZ
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 89.3°F (+3.2°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 86.1°F
- Total population: 144,705
19. Salt Lake City-Murray, UT
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 87.2°F (+3.2°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 84.0°F
- Total population: 1,254,675
18. Lewiston, ID-WA
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 83.5°F (+3.2°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 80.3°F
- Total population: 64,570
17. Tucson, AZ
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 100.7°F (+3.3°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 97.4°F
- Total population: 1,042,393
16. Las Cruces, NM
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 95.4°F (+3.3°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 92.1°F
- Total population: 219,870
15. Albany, OR
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 77.2°F (+3.4°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 73.8°F
- Total population: 128,598
14. Farmington, NM
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 90.0°F (+3.4°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 86.6°F
- Total population: 121,798
13. Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 94.1°F (+3.5°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 90.6°F
- Total population: 237,830
12. Ogden, UT
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 82.1°F (+3.6°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 78.6°F
- Total population: 696,650
11. Cheyenne, WY
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 83.3°F (+3.6°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 79.7°F
- Total population: 100,316
10. Stockton-Lodi, CA
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 93.6°F (+3.6°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 90.0°F
- Total population: 779,445
9. Medford, OR
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 82.2°F (+3.6°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 78.6°F
- Total population: 222,604
8. Eugene-Springfield, OR
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 77.2°F (+3.7°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 73.5°F
- Total population: 382,218
7. Yuma, AZ
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 106.6°F (+3.8°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 102.8°F
- Total population: 204,374
6. Salem, OR
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 78.8°F (+4.0°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 74.8°F
- Total population: 433,415
5. Bend, OR
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 80.7°F (+4.0°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 76.6°F
- Total population: 199,352
4. Grand Junction, CO
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 84.2°F (+4.0°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 80.2°F
- Total population: 156,131
3. Redding, CA
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 89.9°F (+4.1°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 85.8°F
- Total population: 181,852
2. Corvallis, OR
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 81.2°F (+4.5°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 76.7°F
- Total population: 95,615
1. Grants Pass, OR
- Avg. max temp., summer 2019-2023: 81.5°F (+4.7°F warmer than normal)
- Avg. max temp., summer 1901-2000: 76.8°F
- Total population: 87,994