Mapped: Americans without A/C

Nationally, 6.9% of U.S. households lacked air conditioning as of 2023.

The big picture: Air conditioning is part cultural and part economic.

• Some places — like San Francisco — don't get hot often enough to warrant A/C installations.
• In other places — like Hawaii, where energy rates are often relatively high, or poorer areas — A/C is a costly luxury.