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Asthma
Climate
Housing
Outdoor Air

Climate and Health

As the climate changes, we track New York City’s risk for extreme heat, storms and flooding, and episodes of elevated ozone. These have important public health impacts: already, heat kills more people than all other natural disasters.

Choose a neighborhood from the map to get a report.

Secondhand smoke at home

Adults reporting secondhand smoke at home. Secondhand smoke, especially indoors, is bad for health - particularly for the health of children.

Homes near structures rated good or excellent

Building quality predicts the number of housing problems in a residence that place residents at increased risk of acute or chronic health problems.

Neighborhood poverty

The percent of households with incomes below the federal poverty level. Households without sufficient resources are often deprived of access to items such as health care and good quality housing that are needed to maintain good health.

Obesity (adults)

People who are obese are at increased risk for heart disease and diabetes. Neighborhood factors such as walkability and the types of food retail outlets available can impact residents' risk of being overweight or obese.

Heat stress: yearly hospitalizations

Heat stress hospitalizations weather are part of the public health burden due to hot weather.

Daytime summer surface temperature

Surface temperatures vary based on vegetative cover (which promotes cooling), as well as by materials that retain heat (like paved roads, sidewalks, and buildings). Hotter neighborhoods tend to have more heat-exacerbated deaths associated with extreme heat events.

Vegetative cover

Vegetative cover is the land covered by trees, grass, or other plants instead of a hard surface like roads, sidewalks, or buildings. Vegetative cover tends to reduce temperatures in the immediate area and may increase air quality.

Serious psychological distress

Mental health conditions like series psychological distress can be worsened by extreme weather such as heat waves and coastal storms.

Independent living difficulty (adults)

People with disabilities or access or functional needs may need additional support during extreme weather. For example, they may need extra planning for safe travel out of evacuation zones during a hurricane, or back-up electricity to support medical equipment during power outages. Information provided here about adults with independent living difficulties can help emergency management professionals better prepare our residents for emergencies.

Older adults living alone (65+)

Older adults are more vulnerable to extreme weather. Those living alone may have more difficulty getting resources they need in an emergency, and are at higher risk of weather-related illnesses like heat stroke and hypothermia.

Older adults with air conditioners (age 65+)

Older adults (over 65) are more vulnerable to hot weather and heat stress. Air conditioning reduces the risk of heat stroke and other heat-related illness.

Asthma emergency department visits (age 5 to 17)

Severe asthma attacks can result in a visit to the ED. Things like smoke, air pollution, dust mites, cockroaches, mold, pollen and pet dander can trigger asthma.