Heat Risk Perception Gap
Data, Graphs, and Maps
Grades9, 10, 11, 12, APEarth and Space Sciences, Geography, Mathematics, Health
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
What it is
- This interactive map shows the gap between assessed extreme-heat health risk and how worried residents are about heat across counties in the contiguous United States.
- Students can also see a scatter plot of heat risk vs. heat worry that sorts counties into four categories, including danger zones where health risk is high but public worry is low, and lets students explore any county and see where concern and vulnerability align or diverge.
Teaching tips
Classroom Implementation:
- As a class or in smaller groups, discuss whether it is more dangerous to have higher risk or a higher gap in risk-worry.
- Search for local counties and interpret assessed risk, estimated worry, and gap category, then write an evidence-based claim about local heat preparedness.
- Prompt students to propose targeted outreach for danger-zone counties, connecting data interpretation to real-world risk communication and public health planning.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
- Statistics:
- Use the tool to discuss how survey data is turned into county-level estimates and the difference between what experts assess and what the public perceives.
- Conduct the survey again within the school community and compare how your school's perceptions differ from your county's.
- A downloadable dataset is available behind a short registration form, supporting extension projects that analyze the underlying numbers.
Related Resources:
- Use this resource about heat waves to introduce students to impacts of climate change on extreme heat.
- Dive deeper into heat vulnerability with this interactive data resource that shows key index indicators.
From the scientist review
This resource presents the gap between heat risk and perception by US county in several interactive maps. These figures are based on a 2025 paper published in Nature Communications, a top-tier peer-reviewed journal. A helpful FAQ and methodology are also included. This resource is strongly grounded in sound climate science and is recommended for teaching.
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Hosted on climatecommunication.yale.edu
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