This Year’s Top 10 Sweatiest U.S. Cities Revealed

Pam Wright
Published: July 14,2017
There's little doubt about it — sweltering temperatures and stifling humidity have settled into much of the United States, creating the perfect condition to turn our bodies into a sweaty mess.
While summer is a wonderful time to spend time at the beach, take off on long-awaited family vacations and relax with friends during lazy weekend barbecues, trying to keep cool and dry can be a daunting task. Needless to say, some cities are hotter and steamier than others.
A study by Honeywell Fans and Helen of Troy Health & Home, in collaboration with an environmental consulting company, Environmental Health & Engineering (EH&E), determined which U.S. cities are the sweatiest.
"To identify the sweatiest cities across the nation, we looked at data in a number of national records to determine the percentage of homes without central air conditioning, the popularity of public transportation and citywide bike sharing programs, as well as the cities with the 'hottest' professions," said Ted Myatt, lead author of  the study. "Similar to previous reports, information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and the U.S. Census Bureau were used to determine a city's average summer temperatures and population density when identifying the 2017 Sweatiest Cities."
(MORE: New York City's Heat-Related Deaths to Rise by 2080 Because of Climate Change, Study Says)
According to their findings, New York City tops the list as the sweatiest city this summer. While this may come as a surprise to some, considering the city's northern geographic location, the city topped the charts because it ranks first in population density and public transportation usage and ranks in the top five for the percentage of homes without central air conditioning. Finally, the city is home to some of the hottest professions per capita, including air traffic controllers, police officers and road workers.
Below is a list of the top ten sweatiest U.S. cities, according to the study:
1. New York
2. Washington, D.C
3. Chicago
4. Miami
5. Boston
6. Philadelphia
7. Atlanta
8. Tampa
9. Houston
10. New Orleans
With all that sweating going on, it's important to remember to hydrate. The deadliest weather phenomenon is the heat, according to the U.S. Natural Hazard Statistics, which provides statistical information issued by the National Weather Service on fatalities caused by weather-related hazards. According to the report, in a 30-year period from 1986-2015, an average of 130 people lost their lives as a result of heat each year; a greater number than all other weather events.
MORE: Heat Waves Plagues the Southwest, June 2017

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