Poll: Extreme Heat Disrupts Travel, Sleep for Americans; 2025 Among 3 Hottest

For climate advocates and policymakers, the latest AP-NORC poll is a stark reminder that the public is increasingly feeling the heat—literally. With 2025 ranking as one of the planet's warmest years and heat-related deaths outpacing all other weather-related fatalities, the survey reveals a growing personal toll that could shift political winds on climate resilience and adaptation funding.

The latest poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, released on August 6, 2026, delivers a sobering reality check: extreme heat is no longer a distant weather headline but a pervasive force reshaping the fabric of American daily life. Compared to July 2024, a significantly larger share of U.S. adults now report that scorching temperatures have directly affected their travel plans, vacation routines, electricity bills, sleep quality, family outdoor activities, and more. The poll, which underscores a growing personal connection to climate-driven heat, arrives as scientists confirm that Earth’s average temperature in 2025 remains locked among the three hottest years ever recorded—alongside 2024 and 2023—amplifying the urgency of adaptation and mitigation efforts.

“

Early warning systems and community outreach programs for heat waves have already shown cost-effectiveness, saving an estimated $4 in avoided medical costs for every $1 invested, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

The data reveals stark regional divides: the West and Midwest saw the largest increases in residents reporting major or minor heat impacts. This is consistent with the brutal heat domes that have baked swaths of the country in recent summers, from Phoenix’s record-breaking 31-day streak above 110°F in 2023 to the stifling humidity that overwhelmed the Midwest in 2025. For the West, the crisis is dual: deadly heat and wildfire risk, which already strained infrastructure and healthcare systems. In the Midwest, historically less accustomed to extreme heat, the rapid uptick in perceived impact signals a dangerous gap in preparedness—air conditioning penetration is lower, and cooling centers are fewer.

The partisan gap is equally telling. Democrats are far more likely than Republicans to say extreme heat has had a “major” impact across all categories. This mirrors broader polling on climate change attitudes, but the specific focus on heat’s tangible disruptions—rather than abstract climate science—could be a key lever. When a voter in Ohio can’t afford a $300 spike in their summer electricity bill, or a grandparent in Tucson cancels family gatherings because it’s too hot to host, the abstract becomes personal. This shift may eventually erode political polarization on climate, especially as utilities, insurers, and local governments grapple with mounting costs.

The economic toll is mounting. Americans are altering travel plans, a blow to the hospitality and tourism sectors that rely on summer peaks. National parks in the Southwest saw a 15% drop in summer visitation in 2025 compared to pre-pandemic levels, according to preliminary National Park Service estimates—a trend the poll now reflects in public sentiment. Electricity bills, already strained by inflation, are rising further as households run air conditioners longer and at higher settings. The Energy Information Administration has projected that average residential cooling expenditures in 2026 could increase 8% over 2025, a figure mirrored by the poll’s finding that more families are feeling the pinch.

Sleep disruption, often overlooked, has cascading effects on productivity, mental health, and child development. Studies have linked poor sleep to increased emergency room visits and reduced workplace performance. The poll suggests that for many, the bedroom is no longer a refuge from the heat, especially in older homes lacking central air conditioning. This silent health crisis is exacerbating inequalities: low-income households and communities of color disproportionately live in urban heat islands with less tree cover and older building stock.

The human cost is most visible in mortality. Heat is already the deadliest weather-related phenomenon in the U.S., killing more people annually than hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, and cold combined. In 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded over 2,300 heat-related deaths, a number that likely undercounts the true toll. The new poll adds a layer of lived experience to these grim statistics, showing that the threat is not hypothetical to a growing cohort of Americans.