Report · Politics
Most Americans stay inside more on uncomfortably hot days
Reading
When a summer day turns uncomfortably hot, most Americans (59%) say they are more likely to stay inside their homes, and nearly half are less likely to spend time outdoors in nature (48%) or to exercise outside (46%), a May 2026 Verasight survey finds.
Smaller shares say they are more likely to exercise inside (27%), less likely to socialize in person (22%), or more likely to use social media to connect with others (17%). Another 15% say none of these describes how their behavior changes.
Topline
Selected responses
Most Americans stay inside more on uncomfortably hot days.
Select any of the following statements which describe how your behavior changes on an uncomfortably hot summer day, relative to a more comfortable summer day
- I'm more likely to stay inside my home in general 58.5%
- I'm less likely to spend time outdoors in nature 47.9%
- I'm less likely to exercise outside 45.7%
- I'm more likely to exercise inside 26.7%
- I'm less likely to socialize in person 22.0%
- I'm more likely to use social media to connect with others 16.6%
- None of the above 15.4%
politics
View sourceMethodology
Full methodology- Mode
- Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Field dates
- 2026-05-11 → 2026-05-11
- Base (unweighted)
- 1,000
- Margin of error
- +/- 3.3%
- Module
- politics
Source
Citation
Verasight SPSP Omnibus Survey #2026-045, fielded May 11-11, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.