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10 hottest cities in the U.S.

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By Susan Meyer Info icon
Updated August 1, 2024
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Susan Meyer

Senior Editorial Manager

Susan is a licensed insurance agent and has worked as a writer and editor for over 10 years across a number of industries. She has worked at The Zebr…

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  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
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Ross Martin

Insurance Writer

Ross joined The Zebra as a writer and researcher in 2019. He specializes in writing insurance content to help shoppers make informed decisions.

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  • 5+ years in the Insurance Industry
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  1. Cities 1 - 3
  2. Cities 4 - 6
  3. Cities 7 - 10
  4. Extreme heat and your insurance

Hot weather can be great for pool days and sitting in the shade with a cool lemonade, but it can also be extremely dangerous. Sunburns, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke can all occur if you spend too much time outdoors on extremely hot days. 

Heat related deaths have steadily increased in recent years in the U.S. with 2,297 deaths in 2023.[1] Heat can also have negative impacts on your home and car, needing additional maintenance or fixes to counteract warping, cracking and melting due to excessive heat on roofs, siding, foundation and paint. 

Since 1901, the average surface temperature across the 48 contiguous United States has risen an average of .17 degrees Fahrenheit per decade, and that started speeding up in the 1970s. The warmest years on record have all occurred since 1998.[2]

But what are the hottest cities in the U.S.? Based on highest average temperature, highest average low temperature[3] and average number of days over 100[4], these are the hottest cities in the U.S. 

1. Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix is the hottest city in the U.S. because of its extreme summers. While the average high year-round is 87 when factoring in winter, the average high temperature in summer is over 105. Phoenix owes its highs to the frequent sun it experiences, the climate of the Sonoran desert and the urban heat island effect. Phoenix experienced its record for most 100+ degree days in a single year at 145 days in 2020. The record high for Phoenix was experienced in 1990 and was 122 degrees.

Phoenix by the numbers

Average high: 87

Average low: 64

Average number of 100+ days: 111

2. Honolulu, Hawaii

Although Honolulu doesn’t get as hot as Phoenix by far and it seldom tops 100 degrees, it does say consistently hotter year-round. It has not only one of the highest average high temperatures, but also the highest average low temperature, meaning it never cools off too much even at night. Honolulu has not yet had a recorded 100 degree day, but given the humidity, the heat index has pushed over 100.

Average high: 85

Average low: 72

Average number of 100+ days: 0

3. Las Vegas, Nevada

Back to the western desert, Las Vegas has a similar desert climate to Phoenix. So it does experience more fluctuations in temperature than Honolulu and sees some pretty extreme highs in the summer. Las Vega’s average high temperature in the summer is between 99 and 104 degrees. The Las Vegas record for number of 100 degree days in a single year was 100 which it experienced back in 1947. Its record high temperature occurred much more recently in 2021 and was 117 degrees.

Las Vegas by the numbers

Average high: 81

Average low: 60

Average number of 100+ days: 78

4. Miami, Florida

Miami is more similar to Honolulu in that it again has no days over 100, but it has pretty consistently high highs and high lows throughout the year. Also, while Miamia only has one triple-digit day on record, it does have a humid climate which pushes the heat index up to what feels like 105 sometimes in the summer.

Miami by the numbers

Average high: 84

Average low: 71

Average number of 100+ days: 0

5. Tampa, Florida

Tampa has a very similar climate to Miami, not surprisingly given both are coastal Florida cities. Tampa stays hot in the summer and doesn’t cool off too much at night. Winters are similarly mild, adding to the high average annual high temperature. And again, while the record high temperature for Tampa tops out at 99 degrees, the humidity can still make for some very warm feeling days. In fact, up to 73 days a year may “feel like” they’re over 100 due to the heat index.

Tampa by the numbers

Average high: 83

Average low: 66

Average number of 100+ days: 0

6. Tucson, Arizona

Leaving the humid coast of Florida, our next hottest city finds us back in the deserts of Arizona. Tucson, also in the Sonoran Desert, has a similar climate to Phoenix. It has very hot summer days, with days topping 100 not at all infrequent in the summer months. The all-time record high temperature in Tucson, Arizona is 117 degrees and it was  recorded in the summer of 1990. The record for the most days over 100 degrees in a single year was 108 days back in 2020.

Tucson by the numbers

Average high: 84

Average low: 57

Average number of 100+ days: 68

7. Austin, Texas

Austin also experiences long, hot summers, but not nearly as hot as Arizona. Part of this is due to heat domes which are common in central Texas in the summers. A heat dome is when high pressure systems trap hot air near the Earth’s surface. Climate change has also made the climate of Austin progressively more humid, which makes hot days feel hotter. The record high in Austin was recorded at 112 most recently in 2011, and the record number of 100 degree days was recorded at 90, also in 2011.

Austin by the numbers

Average high: 81

Average low: 59

Average number of 100+ days: 30

8. San Antonio, Texas

Austin’s near neighbor to the south, San Antonio, has many of the same summer heat woes. While the average number of days in a summer that will be over 100 is only 22, San Antonio’s record was 75 days in a single year which happened back in 2022. The record high is only one degree behind Austin at 111 degrees which was recorded in 2000.

San Antonio by the numbers

Average high: 80

Average low: 59

Average number of 100+ days: 22

9. New Orleans, Louisiana

New Orleans has a balmy, subtropical climate thanks to its coastal location. While the highs aren’t as high as some others on this list, the dense, muggy air makes it feel hotter. Hitting 100 degrees for more than a day is rare, but a two-day streak did happen in 2010. The number of “feels like” over 100 is significantly higher. The highest temperature ever recorded in New Orleans was in 2023 at 105 degrees.

New Orleans by the numbers

Average high: 79

Average low: 63

Average number of 100+ days: 1

10. Dallas, Texas

In the summer months, Dallas is affected by hot, dry airflow from Southwestern desert areas as well as hot, humid air from the Gulf of Mexico. This gives it hot summers not infrequently. The record high temperature for Dallas is 113 degrees, recorded back in 1980. More recently, in 2011, Dallas experienced its greatest number of 100+ degree days in a single year: 71.

Average high: 78

Average low: 58

Average number of 100+ days: 20

Wrapping up

Extreme heat can be deadly, and also cause damage to cars, buildings, and homes.

Does your home insurance cover the effects of extreme heat? If it's wear and tear caused by prolonged exposure to heat...probably not. However, if the heat leads to a fire that damages your home, that would likely be covered. 

If you live in a city that experiences extreme heat, unfortunately, global climate change means it's only likely going to get hotter. 

Sources

  1. Heat is the deadliest extreme weather. [Washington Post]

  2. Climate change indicators. [EPA]

  3. Average annual temperatures of large U.S. cities. [Current Results]

  4. Cities with most 100 degree days annually. [Fox News]