Ranked from NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
Highest Cooling Demand in Virginia
Cooling degree days are the mirror of heating degree days: how far and how long the temperature sits above 65°F. In the counties at the top of this list, cooling is the largest single line on the summer electricity bill. Figures are NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals from the weather station nearest each county seat, so they describe a thirty-year average rather than any single year.
Where does yours land?
Every county in America is somewhere on this scale, including the one you live in.
Virginia ranked
| # | County | Cooling degree days | Summer high | Monthly to own |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chesapeake city | 2,130 | 92.5°F | $2,799 |
| 2 | Mecklenburg County | 1,825 | 91.7°F | $1,405 |
| 3 | Norfolk city | 1,823 | 88.7°F | $2,222 |
| 4 | Portsmouth city | 1,823 | 88.7°F | $1,926 |
| 5 | Hopewell city | 1,741 | 89.6°F | $1,442 |
| 6 | Arlington County | 1,738 | 89.6°F | $6,447 |
| 7 | Alexandria city | 1,738 | 89.6°F | $5,294 |
| 8 | Falls Church city | 1,738 | 89.6°F | $7,535 |
| 9 | Brunswick County | 1,632 | 89.8°F | $1,161 |
| 10 | Greensville County | 1,632 | 89.8°F | $1,349 |
| 11 | Emporia city | 1,632 | 89.8°F | $1,173 |
| 12 | Hampton city | 1,593 | 87.3°F | $1,940 |
| 13 | Poquoson city | 1,593 | 87.3°F | $3,139 |
| 14 | Isle of Wight County | 1,592 | 89.7°F | $2,590 |
| 15 | Southampton County | 1,592 | 89.7°F | $1,704 |
| 16 | Surry County | 1,592 | 89.7°F | $1,881 |
| 17 | Sussex County | 1,592 | 89.7°F | $1,475 |
| 18 | James City County | 1,585 | 88.5°F | $3,172 |
| 19 | Williamsburg city | 1,585 | 88.5°F | $2,961 |
| 20 | King and Queen County | 1,563 | 88.4°F | $1,900 |
| 21 | King William County | 1,563 | 88.4°F | $2,168 |
| 22 | York County | 1,562 | 88.2°F | $3,111 |
| 23 | Newport News city | 1,562 | 88.2°F | $2,019 |
| 24 | Charles City County | 1,561 | 89.5°F | $1,800 |
| 25 | Chesterfield County | 1,561 | 89.5°F | $2,630 |
| 26 | Henrico County | 1,561 | 89.5°F | $2,591 |
| 27 | New Kent County | 1,561 | 89.5°F | $2,844 |
| 28 | Richmond city | 1,561 | 89.5°F | $2,591 |
| 29 | Virginia Beach city | 1,546 | 87.4°F | $2,844 |
| 30 | Franklin city | 1,537 | 88.9°F | $1,847 |
| 31 | Colonial Heights city | 1,525 | 89.3°F | $1,913 |
| 32 | Petersburg city | 1,525 | 89.3°F | $1,383 |
| 33 | Culpeper County | 1,512 | 88.0°F | $2,905 |
| 34 | Fauquier County | 1,512 | 88.0°F | $4,087 |
| 35 | King George County | 1,512 | 88.0°F | $2,975 |
| 36 | Prince William County | 1,512 | 88.0°F | $3,871 |
| 37 | Stafford County | 1,512 | 88.0°F | $3,468 |
| 38 | Manassas city | 1,512 | 88.0°F | $3,436 |
| 39 | Manassas Park city | 1,512 | 88.0°F | $3,056 |
| 40 | Greene County | 1,497 | 89.7°F | $2,440 |
| 41 | Madison County | 1,497 | 89.7°F | $2,540 |
| 42 | Lancaster County | 1,477 | 87.2°F | $2,349 |
| 43 | Northumberland County | 1,477 | 87.2°F | $2,520 |
| 44 | Dinwiddie County | 1,468 | 89.6°F | $1,952 |
| 45 | Halifax County | 1,468 | 90.0°F | $1,266 |
| 46 | Amelia County | 1,466 | 89.2°F | $1,874 |
| 47 | Suffolk city | 1,462 | 86.8°F | $2,620 |
| 48 | Prince George County | 1,430 | 89.2°F | $2,146 |
| 49 | Caroline County | 1,420 | 88.7°F | $2,198 |
| 50 | Essex County | 1,416 | 88.4°F | $1,826 |
| 51 | Richmond County | 1,416 | 88.4°F | $1,723 |
| 52 | Westmoreland County | 1,416 | 88.4°F | $1,940 |
| 53 | Danville city | 1,382 | 88.8°F | $1,018 |
| 54 | Northampton County | 1,374 | 85.3°F | $2,181 |
| 55 | Craig County | 1,368 | 88.1°F | $1,680 |
| 56 | Floyd County | 1,368 | 88.1°F | $1,726 |
| 57 | Roanoke County | 1,368 | 88.1°F | $2,159 |
| 58 | Roanoke city | 1,368 | 88.1°F | $1,560 |
| 59 | Salem city | 1,368 | 88.1°F | $2,006 |
| 60 | Accomack County | 1,358 | 86.1°F | $1,569 |
| 61 | Nottoway County | 1,354 | 87.7°F | $1,466 |
| 62 | Albemarle County | 1,341 | 87.4°F | $3,562 |
| 63 | Prince Edward County | 1,341 | 88.5°F | $1,625 |
| 64 | Spotsylvania County | 1,336 | 88.5°F | $2,844 |
| 65 | Fredericksburg city | 1,336 | 88.5°F | $3,449 |
| 66 | Lunenburg County | 1,326 | 88.4°F | $1,236 |
| 67 | Hanover County | 1,302 | 86.7°F | $2,850 |
| 68 | Charlotte County | 1,288 | 87.3°F | $1,235 |
| 69 | Cumberland County | 1,288 | 91.7°F | $1,778 |
| 70 | Gloucester County | 1,287 | 84.8°F | $2,248 |
| 71 | Mathews County | 1,287 | 84.8°F | $2,611 |
| 72 | Middlesex County | 1,287 | 84.8°F | $2,314 |
| 73 | Botetourt County | 1,223 | 86.5°F | $2,122 |
| 74 | Orange County | 1,198 | 86.5°F | $2,584 |
| 75 | Nelson County | 1,174 | 87.3°F | $2,192 |
| 76 | Appomattox County | 1,165 | 86.1°F | $1,547 |
| 77 | Bedford County | 1,162 | 86.4°F | $2,130 |
| 78 | Goochland County | 1,160 | 86.8°F | $3,555 |
| 79 | Powhatan County | 1,160 | 86.8°F | $2,898 |
| 80 | Louisa County | 1,119 | 86.7°F | $2,166 |
| 81 | Amherst County | 1,115 | 86.9°F | $1,598 |
| 82 | Campbell County | 1,115 | 86.9°F | $1,604 |
| 83 | Buckingham County | 1,110 | 83.9°F | $1,399 |
| 84 | Charlottesville city | 1,110 | 83.9°F | $3,431 |
| 85 | Scott County | 1,105 | 86.4°F | $1,103 |
| 86 | Bristol city | 1,105 | 86.4°F | $1,440 |
| 87 | Henry County | 1,085 | 88.0°F | $1,071 |
| 88 | Martinsville city | 1,085 | 88.0°F | $905 |
| 89 | Fluvanna County | 1,066 | 86.2°F | $2,210 |
| 90 | Franklin County | 1,066 | 86.6°F | $1,778 |
| 91 | Frederick County | 1,050 | 85.9°F | $2,678 |
| 92 | Loudoun County | 1,050 | 86.4°F | $5,263 |
| 93 | Winchester city | 1,050 | 85.9°F | $2,549 |
| 94 | Pittsylvania County | 1,043 | 86.3°F | $1,307 |
| 95 | Rockbridge County | 1,020 | 86.6°F | $1,900 |
| 96 | Buena Vista city | 1,020 | 86.6°F | $1,355 |
| 97 | Lexington city | 1,020 | 86.6°F | $2,214 |
| 98 | Clarke County | 1,013 | 86.9°F | $3,938 |
| 99 | Warren County | 1,013 | 86.7°F | $2,430 |
| 100 | Patrick County | 997 | 86.1°F | $1,260 |
| 101 | Lynchburg city | 966 | 85.3°F | $1,756 |
| 102 | Fairfax County | 964 | 83.8°F | $5,329 |
| 103 | Fairfax city | 964 | 83.8°F | $5,129 |
| 104 | Rockingham County | 947 | 86.0°F | $2,224 |
| 105 | Harrisonburg city | 947 | 86.0°F | $2,216 |
| 106 | Lee County | 938 | 85.3°F | $931 |
| 107 | Waynesboro city | 904 | 85.7°F | $1,899 |
| 108 | Rappahannock County | 894 | 85.2°F | $3,628 |
| 109 | Augusta County | 892 | 84.1°F | $2,170 |
| 110 | Staunton city | 892 | 84.1°F | $1,926 |
| 111 | Washington County | 870 | 84.7°F | $1,631 |
| 112 | Page County | 857 | 85.4°F | $1,797 |
| 113 | Shenandoah County | 807 | 85.4°F | $2,076 |
| 114 | Smyth County | 796 | 84.4°F | $1,120 |
| 115 | Buchanan County | 788 | 82.6°F | $869 |
| 116 | Russell County | 740 | 84.0°F | $1,070 |
| 117 | Alleghany County | 704 | 84.0°F | $1,118 |
| 118 | Covington city | 704 | 84.0°F | $816 |
| 119 | Radford city | 702 | 83.6°F | $1,732 |
| 120 | Pulaski County | 663 | 82.8°F | $1,518 |
| 121 | Grayson County | 651 | 83.6°F | $1,167 |
| 122 | Wythe County | 639 | 82.8°F | $1,424 |
| 123 | Giles County | 632 | 82.8°F | $1,246 |
| 124 | Montgomery County | 619 | 82.3°F | $2,250 |
| 125 | Dickenson County | 592 | 81.8°F | $940 |
| 126 | Wise County | 587 | 80.6°F | $1,052 |
| 127 | Norton city | 587 | 80.6°F | $961 |
| 128 | Carroll County | 581 | 82.2°F | $1,246 |
| 129 | Galax city | 581 | 82.2°F | $1,143 |
| 130 | Bath County | 576 | 82.1°F | $1,641 |
| 131 | Tazewell County | 536 | 78.9°F | $1,054 |
| 132 | Bland County | 448 | 81.8°F | $1,330 |
| 133 | Highland County | 310 | 79.5°F | $1,597 |
Every figure is modelled on the county's own median home with 20% down at 7.03%. Property tax and electricity are county and state specific; homeowners insurance uses the NAIC average premium for that state, which ranges from 0.16% of home value in Hawaii to 1.16% in Oklahoma. Maintenance and water are national estimates. Full methodology.
Nationwide
Highest Cooling Demand across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in Virginia