Heatwave Highlights Regional Air Conditioning Disparities in the U.S.

The eastern United States braced for an intense heatwave over the July Fourth weekend, with Census Bureau estimates underscoring significant regional differences in air-conditioning access. Millions experienced much higher than normal temperatures due to a widespread heat dome, leading to extreme heat warnings in several states. Forecasters cautioned of potentially hazardous conditions continuing through the holiday weekend.

Alaska and Hawaii Lead in Limited AC Access

Unsurprisingly, Alaska recorded the highest percentage of homes without any air-conditioning, at 93 percent. Data revealed that almost half of Hawaii’s households also lacked access. The Northwest and Northeast states followed with comparatively low air conditioning usage. Over a quarter of homes in Vermont and Montana were without air conditioning, while in Washington it was over a third.

In contrast, air conditioning is nearly ubiquitous in the Southeast, with states like Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana having less than one percent of households without air conditioning.

The Census Bureau uses a unique method to produce these estimates, employing cross-survey modeling where data from the American Housing Survey trains a machine learning model. This model applies to the American Community Survey (ACS) to predict responses to the air-conditioning question.

Prevalence of Air Conditioning in the U.S.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported in 2022 that almost 90 percent of U.S. households used air conditioning in 2020. Two-thirds utilized central AC or a central heat pump as their main AC equipment.

The Midwest and South Census regions recorded the highest air conditioning usage, with 92 and 93 percent of households, respectively. The West Census Region had the lowest at 73 percent, which included the Pacific Coast’s marine climate area, where only 49 percent used air conditioning.

Central systems were the primary cooling equipment in most of the country, while half of the Northeast relied mainly on individual units, such as window and wall units, mini-splits, and portable air conditioners.

Ongoing Heatwave in Eastern USA

A heat dome has covered much of the eastern U.S. during a peak holiday weekend, resulting in record-high temperatures. By Saturday morning, extreme heat warnings from the National Weather Service were active across parts of New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky.

An email from AccuWeather on Saturday noted that millions were facing scorching conditions, with temperatures 10 to 20 degrees higher than average. AccuWeather meteorologist Dan Pydynowski advised, “For the historic celebration, dangerous and potentially historic heat is expected in the nation’s capital. People planning to spend hours outdoors should drink plenty of water, seek shade or air conditioning when possible, and recognize the signs of heat-related illnesses. Additionally, have a safe place to take refuge from any emerging storms.”