Jul 21, 2026 - News
Mapped: Households with no A/C
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1.3% of Harris County households lacked air conditioning in 2023, according to newly released Census Bureau data.
Why it matters: Without air conditioning, Texas summers are practically unendurable.
- Meanwhile, running A/C units is a huge suck on the electrical grid at the height of summer.
By the numbers: 22,485 Harris County households — out of about 1.7 million in the county — had no A/C.
- The figure is 0.3% in Montgomery County and 0.4% in Fort Bend County.
- Not surprisingly, in much of Alaska more than 95% of homes have no air conditioning.
💠Our thought bubble: The development of air conditioning is as crucial to the trajectory of Texas over the last century as barbed wire once was.
How to help: Rebuilding Together Houston gives qualifying homeowners free window A/C units. Other organizations and government agencies also offer help.