Table 1.
Demographic, climatologic and epidemiologic characteristics of the study cities.
| Detroit, MI | New York, NY | Philadelphia, PA | Phoenix, AZ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population, 2010 a | 713,777 | 8,175,136 | 1,526,006 | 1,447,552 |
| Population Density, 2010 (persons per square km) a | 13,324 | 69,962 | 29,473 | 7,246 |
| Percent Non-Hispanic White, 2010 a | 7.8% | 33.3% | 36.9% | 46.5% |
| Percent Below Poverty Level, 2008–2012 a | 38.1% | 19.9% | 26.2% | 21.8% |
| July daily high HI b (°C), 1980–2010 | 28 | 29 | 31 | 40 |
| January daily low HI b (°C), 1980–2010 | −5 | −1 | −1 | 8 |
| Number of heat deaths c, 1999–2010 | 14 | 125 | 41 | 300 |
| Web link to heat related city information | [20] | [21] | Office of Emergency Management, City of Philadelphia [22]. | City of Phoenix, Human Services [23]. |
| Number of Interviewees | 22 | 17 | 9 | 25 |
a U.S. Census Bureau [24]; b HI: heat index, or composite measure of ambient temperature and humidity [25]; c International Classification of Diseases Revision 10 code X30: Exposure to excessive natural heat [26], this likely underestimates the number of deaths attributable to heat, as other causes of death, such as those coded as cardiovascular or respiratory, are often associated with high ambient temperatures [27].