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Home Heating and Air Conditioning Statistics

88% of U.S. households use air conditioning, and two-thirds use central AC or a central heat pump, per EIA's 2020 survey. Space heating is the biggest energy use in U.S. homes at 42%, while air conditioning is 9%.

Air conditioning

  • 88%

    of U.S. households use air conditioning. [1]

    Data year: 2020

  • 2 in 3

    U.S. households use central AC or a central heat pump as their main air conditioning. [1]

    Data year: 2020

Home energy use

  • 42%

    of energy used in U.S. homes goes to space heating, the largest single use. [2]

    Data year: 2020

  • 9%

    of energy used in U.S. homes goes to air conditioning. [2]

    Data year: 2020

Heating fuel

  • 61%

    of U.S. households used natural gas for at least one purpose, such as heating, water heating or cooking. [3]

    Data year: 2020

  • 70%

    of Midwest households heat their homes mainly with natural gas, against 35% in the South. [3]

    Data year: 2020

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Questions

What percentage of US homes have air conditioning?

88% of U.S. households use air conditioning, according to EIA's 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey.

How much home energy goes to heating?

Space heating is 42% of residential energy use, the largest of any end use, per EIA.

How many homes use central air or a heat pump?

Two-thirds of U.S. households use central AC or a central heat pump as their main cooling equipment.

Sources

  1. Today in Energy: air conditioning in U.S. homes (2020 RECS), U.S. Energy Information Administration
  2. 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey press release, U.S. Energy Information Administration
  3. The majority of U.S. households used natural gas in 2020, U.S. Energy Information Administration

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We only collect figures. Each one is taken from the source it links to, which was last checked on October 23, 2026.