As the U.S. endures record-breaking heat year after year, millions of Americans still live in homes without air conditioning. Public health researchers increasingly describe AC access as one of the most effective defenses against extreme heat, especially for older adults, low-income households, and people living in poorly insulated or aging homes. Until recently, scientists lacked reliable, granular data on which Americans actually own AC.
A new national dataset created by researchers at the University of Kansas and Florida State University offers the most comprehensive picture yet of AC prevalence across the continental U.S.. The findings show stark geographic and socioeconomic disparities, with some of the hottest metropolitan areas – where temperatures routinely reach 90°F – lacking widespread AC coverage. A closer look at the data reveals the warmest cities lacking air conditioning.
To determine the warmest cities lacking air conditioning, Climate Crisis 247 analyzed data on average, year-round temperature from the U.S. Geological Survey and data on AC prevalence from the University of Kansas. Cities with average year-round temperatures above 60°F were ranked based on the disparity between average year-round temperature and AC prevalence. Data were aggregated from the tract level to the metropolitan statistical area leve…