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As summers get hotter and extreme heat events become more common, it becomes more and more uncomfortable to live without air conditioning. According to the US Census Bureau, the vast majority of American households have air conditioning, but about 9% do not. Many of these households are located in cities with historically temperate climates, but climate change is expected to make extreme heat events not only more frequent but also more severe. Areas with mild summers in the past, such as the Pacific Northwest, have also seen these changes.
Extreme weather events such as heat waves and large storms are more common today than they used to be due to climate change. Environmental Protection Agency data shows that there were an average of two heat waves per year in the 1960s. But by the 2010s, the average number of heat waves had tripled to six a year. Heat waves that affect locations with a temperate climate can be particularly dangerous as households tend not to be air-conditioned. The Pacific Northwest had two extreme heat waves this summer, causing temperatures to soar to a scorching 116 ° C in Portland, OR and 108 ° C in Seattle.
Extreme heat events pose a public health threat. More than 600 people die from extreme heat each year. Poorer households and minority households are more likely to have no air conditioning and are particularly vulnerable to heat waves. In fact, data from the Census Bureau’s American Housing Survey shows that nearly 12% of households below the poverty line do not have air conditioning. In comparison, only around 8% of households with an income above 300% of the poverty line have no air conditioning.
In addition to socioeconomic status and race, geographic location and local climate are good predictors of the state of air conditioning in the household. Households in more moderate climates are less likely to have air conditioning. The Census Bureau’s 2019 American Housing Survey includes data from 10 states. Of these states, households in California and Colorado are far more likely to have no air conditioning than in the much warmer states of Texas and Florida. Almost a quarter of California households (23.8%) lack air conditioning, compared to just 1.1% of households in Florida and 1.6% of households in Texas.
To find the metropolitan areas with the most non-air-conditioned residents, Filterbuy researchers analyzed the latest data from the US Census Bureau and von Zillow. The researchers ranked the locations based on the percentage of households without air conditioning. The researchers also calculated the total number of households without air conditioning, the median home price, and the poverty rate.
The Census Bureau data only includes statistics from selected states and metropolitan areas. Of these locations, here are the subways with the largest proportion of households without air conditioning.
US metros with most houses without air conditioning
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15. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ
- Share of households without air conditioning: 2.9%
- Total number of households without air conditioning: 50,500
- Median home price: $ 390,733
- Poverty rate: 12.1%
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14. Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
- Share of households without air conditioning: 3.0%
- Total number of households without air conditioning: 26,000
- Median home price: $ 228,977
- Poverty rate: 11.3%
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13. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI
- Share of households without air conditioning: 3.9%
- Total number of households without air conditioning: 139,800
- Median home price: $ 280,130
- Poverty rate: 10.6%
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12. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA
- Share of households without air conditioning: 4.1%
- Total number of households without air conditioning: 56,100
- Median home price: $ 495,619
- Poverty rate: 12.2%
Photo credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
11. Milwaukee-Waukesha, Wisconsin
- Share of households without air conditioning: 5.7%
- Total number of households without air conditioning: 36,500
- Median home price: $ 247,952
- Poverty rate: 11.8%
Photo credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
10. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI
- Share of households without air conditioning: 6.1%
- Total number of households without air conditioning: 104,300
- Median home price: $ 220,309
- Poverty rate: 12.6%
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9. Pittsburgh, PA
- Share of households without air conditioning: 6.2%
- Total number of households without air conditioning: 65,300
- Median home price: $ 196,897
- Poverty rate: 10.9%
Photo credit: Victor Moussa / Shutterstock
8. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA
- Share of households without air conditioning: 7.9%
- Total number of households without air conditioning: 579,300
- Median home price: $ 552,607
- Poverty rate: 11.6%
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7. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
- Share of households without air conditioning: 8.9%
- Total number of households without air conditioning: 167,800
- Median home price: $ 592,940
- Poverty rate: 8.6%
Photo credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
6. Cleveland-Elyria, Ohio
- Share of households without air conditioning: 9.2%
- Total number of households without air conditioning: 81,600
- Median home price: $ 195,514
- Poverty rate: 13.5%
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5. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
- Share of households without air conditioning: 14.7%
- Total number of households without air conditioning: 168,000
- Median home price: $ 554,544
- Poverty rate: 7.9%
Photo credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
4. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA
- Share of households without air conditioning: 19.1%
- Total number of households without air conditioning: 844,000
- Median home price: $ 831,593
- Poverty rate: 12.4%
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3. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA
- Share of households without air conditioning: 21.4%
- Total number of households without air conditioning: 204,800
- Median home price: 515,049
- Poverty rate: 9.6%
Photo credit: f11photo / Shutterstock
2. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA
- Share of households without air conditioning: 52.7%
- Total number of households without air conditioning: 902,200
- Median home price: $ 1,324,433
- Poverty rate: 8.2%
Photo credit: Checubus / Shutterstock
1. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA
- Share of households without air conditioning: 55.7%
- Total number of households without air conditioning: 851,300
- Median home price: $ 670,473
- Poverty rate: 7.8%
Detailed results & methodology
The metros with the most people without air conditioning are in the temperate climates of the Pacific Northwest and California. With almost 56% of households, the Seattle area ranks first in the proportion of households without air conditioning. The Pacific Northwest heat waves last summer, made worse by the lack of air conditioning, resulted in hundreds of deaths.
Likewise, a majority (52.7%) of households in the greater San Francisco area lack air conditioning. Both Seattle and San Francisco have average home prices that are much higher than the national median of $ 298.933 and a poverty rate that is lower than the national rate of 12.3%. However, due to their temperate climate, most of the older homes were built without air conditioning.
To find the locations with the most non-air-conditioned residents, Filterbuy researchers analyzed the latest data from the US Census Bureau’s 2019 American Housing Survey and the 2019 American Community Survey, as well as Zillow’s Zillow Home Value Index. The researchers ranked the locations based on the percentage of households without air conditioning. If there is a tie, the subway with the higher total number of households without air conditioning will be rated higher. The researchers also calculated the median home price and the poverty rate.
The American Housing Survey only includes data from selected states and metropolitan areas, so the analysis is limited to those selected geographic areas.
