Heat-Related Deaths in the U.S. in 2024: Which Ages Were Hit Hardest

Extreme heat kills. In 2024, 2,391 heat-related deaths were reported in the United States, according to CDC’s National Vital Statistics System.

Deaths by age

How those deaths were spread across age groups followed a clear pattern:

• The share of heat-related deaths rose with age through the 65–74 age group.
• Adults aged 65–74 accounted for the largest share — 21.1% of all heat-related deaths.
• The share then fell in each older group, through those aged 85 and older.

The figures come from U.S. death records for 2024. The full breakdown by age group is in a supplementary table published with the data, and CDC’s Heat & Health Tracker offers more on heat and health.

Sources

Based on "QuickStats: Percentage Distribution of Heat-Related Deaths, by Age Group — United States, 2024," MMWR Vol. 75, No. 34, CDC, from National Vital Statistics System mortality data; a work of the United States government in the public domain.