Renters (13.6%) were more likely than homeowners (8.0%) to experience hot conditions in their homes.

The likelihood of being uncomfortably hot differs by housing structure type.

The rate of households in apartment buildings (12.6%) and in manufactured/mobile homes (11.6%) that reported being uncomfortably hot did not differ significantly, but both were higher than those in single-family homes (8.8%).

The CDC recommends people stay in air-conditioned, indoor locations on days of extreme heat.

That may have been difficult for those living in the 9.2 million or 6.9% of all occupied housing units across the country that did not have any form of air conditioning in 2023. In fact, households in 1.6 million (17.1%) of these units surveyed said they were uncomfortably hot for 24 hours or more.

Even air conditioning wasn’t always enough — 11.6 million (9.4%) respondents in the 124 million occupied housing units with some form of air conditioning reported being uncomfortably hot. The major culprit: a breakdown of the main cooling equipment, according to respondents in 4.9 million (42.1%) of these housing units. 

Nearly 3 million households reported one main cooling equipment breakdown that lasted for six hours or more; 1.8 million reported multiple extended breakdowns, including half a million that suffered eight or more.  

Among other reasons why housing units were uncomfortably hot:

• Inadequate cooling capacity was most reported (2.6 million households).
• Utility interruptions or power outages were second most reported (1.3 million).
• Cost of cooling (0.7 million) and inadequate insulation (0.7 million) were frequently reported, with no significant difference between the two estimates.
• Leaking windows, doors, and walls were also commonly reported (0.4 million).

In a word — yes. How a home is built and where it’s located can keep it cool even without a cooling device. Shade can reduce the amount of sunlight directly transmitted to home exteriors, reducing surface temperatures.

Still, nearly a third (32.7%) of respondents said that without a device, their homes did not stay cool very well or not well at all.

Around 54 million or 40.5% of households said the exterior of their housing unit was not shaded by trees or other buildings. About 44 million or 33.0% of households described the amount of shade (from trees or other buildings within a half block of their home) as minimal or not shady at all.

AHS is the most comprehensive U.S. housing survey, providing information on the physical condition of homes and neighborhoods, the costs of financing and maintaining homes and the characteristics of people who live in these homes. It is sponsored by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and conducted by the Census Bureau.

All comparative statements have undergone statistical testing and, unless otherwise noted, all comparisons are statistically significant at the 10% significance level.

The AHS page provides definitions and more information on confidentiality protection, methodology, and sampling and nonsampling error.