NPR

Across The Southwest, Poor And Latino Neighborhoods Get Hotter Than Wealthier, Whiter Neighborhoods

A recent study shows that in cities like Albuquerque, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Fresno, the temperature is on average 4 degrees warmer during average summer days and during heatwaves.
Sunset over Tucson, Arizona. (Wild Horizons/Universal Images Group/Getty Images)

A recent study shows that poor and Latino neighborhoods in Southwestern U.S. are hotter than wealthier, whiter neighborhoods in the same cities.

In cities like Albuquerque, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Fresno, the temperature is on average 4 degrees warmer during average summer days and during heatwaves, according to research by the University of California, Davis and American University in Beirut. It’s a dangerous formula as the climate gets even hotter.

Take Coachella Valley, the study’s lead author. Shade provided by vegetation and more easily cooled LEED buildings keep wealthier areas cooler.

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