Most of us take air conditioning for granted in the summer. New Census Bureau data shows 9 in 10 Tennessee households have it, but when those units stop working, it can quickly turn into an emergency.
Tennessee County Air Conditioning Data
Key findings from the 2023 ACS:
- Johnson County had Tennessee’s lowest air conditioning rate at 82.5%.
- Wilson County had one of the state’s highest rates, with 99.4% of occupied homes reporting AC access.
- Davidson County had more than 7,200 occupied homes without air conditioning.
- Shelby County had the largest raw total of homes without AC at 3,254.
| County | Total Occupied Units | With AC | AC % | Without AC | No AC % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson County | 32,069 | 31,460 | 98.1% | 609 | 1.9% |
| Bedford County | 18,953 | 18,631 | 98.3% | 322 | 1.7% |
| Benton County | 6,928 | 6,713 | 96.9% | 215 | 3.1% |
| Bledsoe County | 4,812 | 4,610 | 95.8% | 202 | 4.2% |
| Blount County | 54,449 | 53,687 | 98.6% | 762 | 1.4% |
| Bradley County | 41,909 | 41,282 | 98.5% | 627 | 1.5% |
| Campbell County | 16,709 | 16,224 | 97.1% | 485 | 2.9% |
| Cannon County | 5,686 | 5,556 | 97.7% | 130 | 2.3% |
| Carroll County | 11,258 | 11,088 | 98.5% | 170 | 1.5% |
| Carter County | 24,188 | 22,322 | 92.3% | 1,866 | 7.7% |
| Cheatham County | 15,908 | 15,606 | 98.1% | 302 | 1.9% |
| Chester County | 6,333 | 6,289 | 99.3% | 44 | 0.7% |
| Claiborne County | 13,456 | 13,092 | 97.3% | 364 | 2.7% |
| Clay County | 3,201 | 3,101 | 96.9% | 100 | 3.1% |
| Cocke County | 15,123 | 14,518 | 96.0% | 605 | 4.0% |
| Coffee County | 22,794 | 22,544 | 98.9% | 250 | 1.1% |
| Cumberland County | 27,447 | 26,873 | 97.9% | 574 | 2.1% |
| Davidson County | 314,578 | 307,341 | 97.7% | 7,237 | 2.3% |
| Fentress County | 7,706 | 7,182 | 93.2% | 524 | 6.8% |
| Greene County | 28,093 | 26,942 | 95.9% | 1,151 | 4.1% |
| Grundy County | 5,106 | 4,764 | 93.3% | 342 | 6.7% |
| Hamilton County | 151,316 | 149,650 | 98.9% | 1,666 | 1.1% |
| Hancock County | 2,773 | 2,585 | 93.2% | 188 | 6.8% |
| Johnson County | 7,172 | 5,917 | 82.5% | 1,255 | 17.5% |
| Knox County | 197,298 | 194,928 | 98.8% | 2,370 | 1.2% |
| Montgomery County | 84,321 | 83,645 | 99.2% | 676 | 0.8% |
| Rutherford County | 125,861 | 124,981 | 99.3% | 880 | 0.7% |
| Shelby County | 360,590 | 357,336 | 99.1% | 3,254 | 0.9% |
| Sumner County | 76,706 | 76,090 | 99.2% | 616 | 0.8% |
| Unicoi County | 7,803 | 7,217 | 92.5% | 586 | 7.5% |
| Washington County | 56,234 | 54,321 | 96.6% | 1,913 | 3.4% |
| Williamson County | 90,716 | 90,082 | 99.3% | 634 | 0.7% |
| Wilson County | 56,609 | 56,267 | 99.4% | 342 | 0.6% |
Source:
Tennesseans struggling to stay cool this summer have options — from free air conditioning units in Davidson County to utility assistance programs, home repair help, and community resources across the state.
Nashville
In Nashville, Metro Action Commission’s Summer Cooling Program provides free fans and air conditioning units to income-eligible Davidson County residents, including elderly residents, families with children under 6 years old, and disabled residents with medical conditions affected by extreme heat. The program runs May 1 through August 31.
Marvin Cox, with Metro Action Commission, said the agency has already given out about 70 units this summer — nearly half of the 140 units distributed during all of last summer.
“If it gets too hot, it weighs on you physically, so that’s the main thing you want to make sure of that we’re not getting in extreme temperatures, and it’s reactive, and we’ve got to move as quickly as possible. So we strongly encourage people. We have a stock available. If you’re eligible, we want to be of service to you [now],” Marvin Cox said…