US Beaches With the Hottest Temperatures

You may think that all beaches are the same – palm trees, sandy coastlines, water, and sun – but this is perhaps only partially correct. All beaches may have sun and water, but the similarities end there. Even palm trees aren't a commonality – most islands don't have palm trees – and when it comes to sand there are five different types of beaches based on composition – boulder, pebble, rocky, sandy, and shell. It is sandy beaches, however, that hold the most heat. These U.S. beaches with the hottest temperatures are all comprised of sand.

Those who frequent beaches know how fast sand can heat up quickly. This is due to the specific heat capacity. Sand has a lower amount of specific heat so it requires very little energy from the sun to heat up, and since the sand is high-density, it has a higher heat capacity. (Read our list of the average summer temperature every decade since 1895.)

To determine the U.S. beaches with the hottest temperatures, 24/7 Tempo reviewed tract-level data on land surface temperature from the USGS Landsat program and the U.S. Census Bureau's 2022 American Community Survey. Cities were ranked based on the average land surface temperature in July and August among census tracts intersecting the U.S. coastline.

Census tract data were aggregated to the Census place level using spatial boundary definitions from the U.S. Census Bureau. Only cities with at least 1,000 residents and 15% of housing units vacant for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use were included.

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 90.8°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 31.0%
• Total population: 1,718

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 90.9°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 48.1%
• Total population: 1,103

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.0°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 24.9%
• Total population: 1,320

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.1°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 21.0%
• Total population: 5,802

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.2°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 16.4%
• Total population: 10,766

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.2°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 26.4%
• Total population: 14,572

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.4°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 56.2%
• Total population: 1,594

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.4°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 45.1%
• Total population: 18,850

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.4°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 21.2%
• Total population: 4,072

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.5°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 52.9%
• Total population: 9,115

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.5°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 17.7%
• Total population: 10,821

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.6°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 60.0%
• Total population: 1,240

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.7°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 42.9%
• Total population: 10,885

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.7°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 21.4%
• Total population: 1,792

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 91.9°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 19.8%
• Total population: 3,956

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.0°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 50.5%
• Total population: 15,942

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.0°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 24.9%
• Total population: 11,334

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.0°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 52.1%
• Total population: 3,035

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.0°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 29.3%
• Total population: 5,625

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.2°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 17.1%
• Total population: 10,698

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.2°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 54.5%
• Total population: 18,281

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.2°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 41.1%
• Total population: 19,315

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.4°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 20.0%
• Total population: 18,871

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.5°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 22.1%
• Total population: 15,983

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.8°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 23.4%
• Total population: 4,268

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 92.9°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 42.7%
• Total population: 9,205

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 93.1°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 39.4%
• Total population: 2,361

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 93.3°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 24.2%
• Total population: 3,129

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 93.5°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 56.8%
• Total population: 4,733

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 93.5°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 22.0%
• Total population: 82,400

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 93.7°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 40.4%
• Total population: 4,179

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 93.8°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 29.9%
• Total population: 3,689

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 93.9°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 19.1%
• Total population: 36,064

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 93.9°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 44.4%
• Total population: 2,225

Avalon Harbor, Santa Catalina Island, California

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 94.1°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 26.1%
• Total population: 3,441

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 94.2°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 16.4%
• Total population: 86,455

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 94.6°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 41.4%
• Total population: 6,380

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 94.7°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 37.2%
• Total population: 1,712

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 94.9°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 24.6%
• Total population: 41,102

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 95.0°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 43.1%
• Total population: 5,535

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 95.1°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 34.2%
• Total population: 3,072

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 95.1°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 45.6%
• Total population: 6,202

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 95.2°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 36.3%
• Total population: 13,923

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 95.3°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 77.3%
• Total population: 2,386

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 95.3°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 42.7%
• Total population: 4,261

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 95.6°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 46.6%
• Total population: 1,648

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 95.7°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 60.4%
• Total population: 1,182

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 96.4°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 24.9%
• Total population: 9,980

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 96.5°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 15.5%
• Total population: 53,265

• Avg. summer land surface temperature of beach tracts: 98.1°F
• Housing units vacant for seasonal use: 24.0%
• Total population: 25,710