Public Schools Exposed to Urban Heat

Climate Central assessed the exposure of public schools and their students to urban heat islands within 65 major U.S. cities. These maps show neighborhoods where the built environment adds up to 7.9°F (yellow areas) and at least 8°F (red areas) more heat. Points show public K-12 schools within these areas. This builds upon a 2024 analysis.

Current public school characteristics were obtained from the National Center of Education Statistics' (NCES) Open Data website and represent the 2022-23 school year. Details about this analysis, including the full methodology, localized broadcast-ready graphics, and a data download, can be found on Climate Central's website, Public Schools in Urban Heat Islands.