About 6.6% of Salt Lake County households lacked air conditioning in 2023, according to newly released Census data.
Why it matters: That's 30,000 households with no A/C and we're expecting triple-digit heat this summer.
Zoom out: Rural Piute County — home to fewer than 600 households in 2023 — recorded Utah's highest rate of homes without air conditioning, at nearly 46%.
Washington County had the lowest share, at about 1%.
What's next: Climate change stands to upend air conditioning norms.
As heat waves get more common and more intense, more people may install A/C to stay cool and healthy — especially in places that aren't as used to extreme heat. (The 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave killed over 900 people, in part because so many homes there lack air conditioning.)