Who keeps their cool?
AC use varies around the country depending on climate, economics
UTILITIES
Air conditioning kept millions of Americans safe and comfortable over the July 4 weekend as a heat dome brought dangerous conditions, but not everyone had access to the cooling power of AC.
An estimated 93% of the 127 million households in the United States had air conditioning in 2023, a figure that has gone up by about 16 percentage points since the start of the century, according to new experimental data from the U.S. Census Bureau and an earlier survey from the Energy Information Administration.
The 10 counties with the lowest percentage of households with AC in the continental United States were all in coastal areas in California and Oregon, or in the higher elevations of Colorado. For example, San Francisco County was the lowest at 35%.
Meanwhile, a 17-household county, Kenedy in Texas, is an odd standout: the only one with 100% AC use.
Heat exposure can be deadly for people without access to cooling, particularly when prolonged and when night temperatures stay high.
"This has the potential to be lethal to over a thousand people when you take into consideration all the impacts across the country from this heat wave. Many of the deaths will not be reported as heat-related deaths," AccuWeather Founder and Executive Chair Dr. Joel Myers said in a note about the U.S. heat wave that gripped much of the country over the holiday weekend.
Historical data about the parts of the nation that use the most air conditioning shows a strong geographical trend. Data from the Energy Information Administration reveals that, with a few exceptions, air conditioning use increases as you head south in the United States.
How else do Americans stay cool?
As climate change worsens and AC consumption accounts for over 10% of U.S. household electricity, according to air conditioner manufacturer Carrier, alternative cooling measures have begun to rise in popularity.
Passive cooling, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, refers to ways to lower the indoor temperature that don't necessarily require mechanical technology, like AC. Such strategies include building green roofs and courtyards to help with shading and air circulation, and using dense materials such as concrete or brick that can stabilize indoor temperatures in heat.
Why do some areas have more AC than others?
Unsurprisingly, southern states use a lot more AC than homes in the north. Beyond some areas just being warmer, population, geography and infrastructure also make a difference in air conditioning use and adoption. Here are a few factors at play:
Economics and demographics: Households without AC are more likely to be renters than owners, according to the Energy Information Administration. Minority-led households are also less likely to have AC, according to a separate analysis from KFF, a health policy research nonprofit. Take Apache County in Arizona: Roughly half of it is inside Navajo Nation and has a median income of $40,300. Only about 68% of households there have air conditioning. Other low-income counties in New Mexico, a state with many of the country's fastest-warming cities, show similarly low AC use.
Population: Some neighboring states have widely varying AC use patterns, which can reflect where people live in the state. Arizona's population is concentrated in Phoenix and Tucson, which often reach triple-digit temperatures, while New Mexico's biggest city is Albuquerque, which is in a comparatively mild high-desert climate.
Infrastructure: Central AC is a newer feature of residential construction, having gained popularity in the mid-20th century. In the Northeast and Midwest, pre-World War II homes make up a large amount of housing. Most units in New York City, for example, have window AC units instead of central AC, likely contributing to the state's overall low AC consumption.
