More Americans say extreme heat is affecting their lives (axios.com)

Reproduced from AP ; Chart: Axios Visuals Greater shares of Americans now say that extreme heat has affected various parts of day-to-day life compared to just two years ago. Why it matters: The findings , from the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, suggest that people are increasingly aware of extreme heat's impact on their health, budgets, travel plans and more. By the numbers: 90% of Americans now say that extreme heat has had at least a minor impact on their lives broadly, up from 83% two years ago. 80% now say that extreme heat has had at least a minor impact on their power bills, up from 69% in 2024. 68% say it's affecting their outdoor activities, up from 57%. 42% say it's affecting their travel or vacation plans, up from 26%. A youth football coach sweats amid a July 2026 heat wave in Chicago. Photo: Octavio Jones/AFP via Getty Images Zoom in: The shifts were driven in part by people living in the West and Midwest, both of which have recently been hit by dangerous and deadly extreme heat events. There's also a partisan divide, with Democrats more likely than Republicans to say that heat has had a major impact on the parts of life included in the survey. Between the lines: Researchers have found that climate change is making extreme heat events more frequent and more intense. Yet the share of Americans who say that climate change is happening is dropping: 66% said so in this latest survey, down from 73% last year. How it works: The poll of 1,165 adults was conducted July 23-27, 2026, with a margin of error of +-3.7 percentage points.