As Seasons Shift, These Americans Prefer Social Plans in the Heat

by CivicScience | Apr 28, 2026 | General, Healthcare & Lifestyle, Human Interest

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

As temperatures fluctuate throughout spring, now is the time when outdoor plans become more feasible. But not everyone enjoys spending time outside in the same weather. Recent CivicScience data show that while 59% of Americans enjoy outdoor social plans when the temperature is between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, a solid 30% prefer days between 60 and 70 degrees (among those with an opinion). In the minority are the 7% who prefer it between 85 and 95 degrees, and those who prefer it cold, between 45 and 55 degrees, for their outdoor social plans.

While Gen Z prefers both the hottest and coldest temperatures for outdoor social plans, Baby Boomers prefer the 70-80 degree range. Millennials believe that the 60-70 degree range is best.

Additional data show that middle-income earners outpace all other wage earners in their preference for the hottest temps by at least 4 percentage points, while low-income earners lead in their preference for the 60-70 degree range by at least 6 percentage points.

Of course, this demographic data is just the beginning of what differentiates those who prefer the hottest temperatures for social plans from those who prefer the coldest. Here’s what the data show:

Inflation Concerns: Those who prefer relaxing with friends outdoors when the temperature is between 85 and 95 degrees are nearly twice as likely to be concerned about inflation as those who prefer relaxing outside with friends when it’s 45 to 55 degrees (57% vs 29%).

Local Foodies: While 32% of those who prefer the hottest temperatures for their social plans say they buy local food ‘every chance,’ just 15% of those who prefer the coldest temperatures say the same.

Staying In Touch: Those who enjoy the hottest temperatures for relaxing outside with friends are 20 percentage points more likely to communicate with friends and family via text than those who prefer the coldest temps (43% vs 23%).

Meditation Apps: While 31% of those who enjoy relaxing outside with friends in the hottest temperatures report using mindfulness and meditation apps for self-care, just 15% of those who enjoy social plans in the coldest temperatures say the same.

Social Network Impact: Those who enjoy relaxing with friends outside when it’s 85-95 degrees are the most likely to say that their friends and contacts on social media influence the products they buy ‘a lot,’ outpacing all others by at least 16 percentage points.

Where do you stand? Take this poll now and see how you compare with other Americans who share your preference:

Clearly, the preference for sweating it out with your friends isn’t just a quirk, but a deeply impactful choice that has ripple effects across all areas of a consumer’s spending and their life.

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This article’s data comes solely from CivicScience’s database, which contains nearly 700,000 poll questions and 5 billion consumer insights.

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