Why 5 Million People Live in America’s Hottest City

Went to phoenix, it was less of a question to me as to why it existed, rather why it was built like every other city in America instead of a truly desert adapted one.

As a lifelong Phoenix resident; I concur that “Phoenix is a monument to man’s arrogance.” -Peggy Hill

Arizona resident, easy to tell you why. No hurricanes, earthquakes are a joke, no tornadoes, occasional dust storm and rain, great weather for 8 months a year, and obviously cooking an egg on the sidewalk

I live in the Phoenix area and last summer year during our "heat wave" I went to visit my sister in Houston during their heat wave of 90+ degrees. I have never sweated so quickly and thoroughly through my clothes than when I was there. Just the walk from the front door was taking me down. The humidity was horrible and it quickly impacted my asthma. I will happily take 115+ degree desert southwest days over the humid days in Texas.

"Where the temperature is routinely higher than 100F" Bro, 100F is a NICE day in summer PHX. Should've said above 110F.

It just blows my mind how much of human history is "this place is inhospitable, so we are flocking to it because the easy to live places are too crowded"

The highest temperature ever recorded in Phoenix Arizona is 122 degrees Fahrenheit. This was set in June of 1990. I remember that day very well because our air conditioner broke.

I moved to Phoenix the first day of 2000 from Los Angeles. I could no longer afford to live in my home town. The reasons were simple. 1. I was able to purchase a larger house for the profit I'd made from the LA house. 2. The cost of living was much lower and with a little less income I was able for the first time to begin saving for retirement. Our house was built in the 1950's and has flood irrigation and was built on an old carrot farm. We pay $120 a year to have our 1/3 acre flooded three inches deep once a month in the Fall and Spring and twice a month in the Summer. We have peach, plumb, apple, tangelo, fig, orange trees and grape vines. In Monsoon season we get 5 gallons of water per day for the plants from our AC unit. Most people let that drain into their yard or sewer system. In 2006 we adopted rooftop solar that paid for itself in 5 years. Out total annual cost for electricity is what our neighbors (who don't have solar} pay in a month. Living in Phoenix is all about adapting to the environment and not wasting energy on stupid things.

As a german i sometimes forget that there so huge countries with multiple climate zones while we are united in grey and rainy days

I live in Arizona and still prefer 115 degree dry heat then 95 degrees with 100% humidity

I love these types of videos. Anything that gets people to stop moving here has my full support.

As someone who has only lived in the valley my whole life, I am thoroughly surprised at how often we got rain in the last few weeks. I am less surprised at the heat following the next day despite it all.

Got off a plane in Phoenix at 9PM once, and that's when I learned it was possible for it to be hot when the sun isn't even out

The Urban Heat Island Effect. If you take an already hot desert and build a city on it, it's gonna get even hotter.

I'm a phoenician, and I want to let all of you know about the city's awful design. It's almost designed to capture heat, it's like a dutch oven. In lower income areas there is no vegetation, no trees no shade. Some areas near the suburb of Chandler have massive artificial lakes inside neighborhoods, wasting precious water. It's like a dutch oven. The city itself is massive. Say you live in Scottsdale and work in Gilbert. (both core suburbs of phoenix). You're driving at least 30-45 minutes to get to work, meaning you're spending more time in your hot car. Despite all of these problems, almost 5 million of us are still here.

Working class is getting pushed out 1600+ a month for a studio in a decent area

I'm from San Francisco. Spent 5 weeks in India where it was just over 100 degrees and 100% humidity. So miserable. My friend and I flew back into Phoenix where it was like 112 with no humidity. Ohh how nice the blazing hot dry weather without the humidity was.

20% of comments: Man, I love living in Phoenix 80% of comments: Phoenix is too darn hot

I live in Missouri until aprx 30 yrs old. Only girl so followed mom, to CA, in 1988, she followed baby bro to CA(hated it. ). Exactly 1 yr later me & hubby, kids, decided to move to AZ where he has family. 36 yrs later best decision for kids and career. I tell people I just go from my AC home to AC car, to AC job then reverse. Now retired and traveling back to Midwest for weeks or moths ar a time, but still loving AZ.❤

Born in Phoenix. Lived there for many years. Hot 24/7 for close to half the year now. Often over 110 degrees. Projections are it will get higher. You can go out at 3 am and it's still too hot. On top of that, the housing has gotten stupendously expensive. God help them if the electric grid ever goes out.