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    U.S. Cities That Lack Air Conditioning

    U.S. Cities That Lack Air Conditioning

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    Image of a man grabbing the sides of an electric fan just to cool down his body due to the intense heat.

    Photo Credit: Monika Wisniewska / Shutterstock

    By David Heacock

    As summers get hotter and extreme heat events become more common, it is increasingly uncomfortable to live without air conditioning. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the vast majority of American households do 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. Even areas with mild summers in the past, such as those in the Pacific Northwest, have already begun experiencing these changes.

    Extreme weather events, such as heat waves and large storms, are more common today than they were in the past due to climate change. Data from the Environmental Protection Agency shows that the 1960s experienced an average of two heat waves per year. But by the 2010s, the average number of heat waves had tripled to six per year. Heat waves that affect locations with temperate climates can be especially dangerous since households are more likely to lack air conditioning. The Pacific Northwest had two extreme heat waves this summer, causing temperatures to rise to a sweltering 116℉ in Portland, OR and to 108℉ in Seattle.

    Graph of heat waves recently compared in the previous decades.

    Extreme heat events are a threat to public health, with more than 600 people per year killed by extreme heat. Poorer households and minority households are more likely to lack air conditioning, and are especially vulnerable during heat waves. In fact, data from the Census Bureau’s American Housing Survey shows that nearly 12% of households below the poverty threshold lack air conditioning. In comparison, only about 8% of households with incomes greater than 300% of the poverty threshold do not have air conditioning.

    Graph of lower income households that are more likely to lack air conditioning.

    In addition to socioeconomic status and race, geographic location and local climate are also good predictors of household air conditioning status. Households in more temperate climates are less likely to have an air conditioner. The Census Bureau’s 2019 American Housing Survey includes data from 10 states. Of these states, households in California and Colorado are much more likely to not have air conditioning than the much warmer states of Texas and Florida. Nearly 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.

    Graph of highest percentage of households lacking air conditioning.

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    To find the metropolitan areas with the most residents lacking air conditioning, researchers at Filterbuy analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Zillow. The researchers ranked locations according to the percentage of households that lack air conditioning. Researchers also calculated the total number of households that lack air conditioning, the median home price, and the poverty rate.

    The Census Bureau data only includes statistics from select states and metropolitan areas. Of these locations, here are the metros with the greatest share of households that lack air conditioning.

    U.S. Metros With the Most Homes That Lack Air Conditioning

    Skyline of Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ in the middle of the dessert.

    Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

    15. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ

    Image of Cincinnati skyline with modern skyscrapers.

    Photo Credit: doma / Shutterstock

    14.Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN

    Image of busy Chicago subway system cruising through the downtown area.

    Photo Credit: wonderlustpicstravel / Shutterstock

    13. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI

    Image of Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA as seen from on top of the hill.

    Photo Credit: Jon Bilous / Shutterstock

    12. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA

    Image of Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI skyline showing a huge number of residential area and hotels.

    Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

    11. Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI

    Image of Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI skyline with a majority number of area being utilized for residential and office space.

    Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

    10. Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI

    Image of Pittsburgh, PA's residential and business district during winter showing a huge number of the population in need of heating and air conditioning.

    Photo Credit: Jason Sponseller / Shutterstock

    9. Pittsburgh, PA

    Image of New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA metropolis with residential condominiums just beside the bridge.

    Photo Credit: Victor Moussa / Shutterstock

    8. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA

    Image of Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH skyline showing thousands of housing units and condominiums as well as office space highlighting the need for a reliable air conditioning.

    Photo Credit: Travellaggio / Shutterstock

    7. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

    Image of Cleveland-Elyria, OH metropolis highighting the sheer size of the housing units, hotels, and offices that shows how important is AC or air conditioning in the city.

    Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

    6. Cleveland-Elyria, OH

    Image of Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO snowcapped buildings showing the large number of inhabitants in the said city.

    Photo Credit: Nicholas Courtney / Shutterstock

    5. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO

    Image of a busy Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA street just beside the towering residential and commercial establishments making up the downtow area.

    Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock

    4. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

    Image of Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA's towering skyscrapers housing millions of transient and permanent residences requiring air conditionig units.

    Photo Credit: Bob Pool / Shutterstock

    3. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA

    Image of residential buildings and commercial establishment in San francisco - Oakland-Berkley, CA showing the huge number of units that needs air conditioning.

    Photo Credit: f11photo / Shutterstock

    2. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley, CA

    Image of skyway in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA with roads leading towards the metropolitan area highlighting the immense need for HVAC and furnace units.

    Photo Credit: Checubus / Shutterstock

    1. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA

    Detailed Findings & Methodology

    The metros with the most people lacking air conditioning are located in the temperate climates of the Pacific Northwest and California. At nearly 56% of households, the Seattle metro area ranks number one in the share of households without air conditioning. The Pacific Northwest heat waves of this past summer, worsened by lack of air conditioning, resulted in hundreds of deaths.

    Similarly, a majority (52.7%) of households in the San Francisco metro area also lack air conditioning. Both Seattle and San Francisco have median home prices much higher than the national median of $​​298,933 and poverty rates lower than the national rate of 12.3%. However, their moderate climates mean that most older homes were built without air conditioning.

    To find the locations with the most residents lacking air conditioning, researchers at Filterbuy analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Housing Survey and 2019 American Community Survey and Zillow’s Zillow Home Value Index. The researchers ranked locations according to the percentage of households that lack air conditioning. In the event of a tie, the metro with the higher total number of households that lack air conditioning was ranked higher. Researchers also calculated the median home price and the poverty rate.

    The American Housing Survey only includes data from select states and metropolitan areas, and thus the analysis is limited to these select geographic areas.