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Thermoregulatory behavior is a basic motivated behavior for body temperature homeostasis. Despite its fundamental importance, a forebrain region or defined neural population required for this process has yet to be established. Here, we show that Vgat -expressing neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LH Vgat neurons) are required for diverse thermoregulatory behaviors. The population activity of LH Vgat neurons is increased during thermoregulatory behavior and bidirectionally encodes thermal punishment and reward (P&R). Although this population also regulates feeding and caloric reward, inhibition of parabrachial inputs selectively impaired thermoregulatory behaviors and encoding of thermal stimulus by LH Vgat neurons. Furthermore, two-photon calcium imaging revealed a subpopulation of LH Vgat neurons bidirectionally encoding thermal P&R, which is engaged during thermoregulatory behavior, but is largely distinct from caloric reward-encoding LH Vgat neurons. Our data establish LH Vgat neurons as a required neural substrate for behavioral thermoregulation and point to the key role of the thermal P&R-encoding LH Vgat subpopulation in thermoregulatory behavior. [Display omitted] • LH Vgat neurons are required for diverse thermoregulatory behaviors • They encode thermoregulatory behavior, as well as thermal punishment and reward • Thermoregulatory behavior and encoding of thermal reward require parabrachial inputs • Distinct LH Vgat subpopulations encode thermal and caloric rewards Jung et al. show that Vgat -expressing neurons in the lateral hypothalamus are generally required for diverse thermoregulatory behaviors. A subpopulation of these neurons encodes motivational properties of thermal stimuli as well as the behavior itself and is largely separate from caloric reward-encoding subpopulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]