Ranked from NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
Highest Heating Demand in America
Heating degree days measure how far and how long the outside temperature sits below 65°F across a year, which is the closest single number to how much heat a house has to make. 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.
Top 100
| # | County | State | Heating degree days | Winter low | Monthly to own |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Slope Borough | AK | 18,759 | -23.0°F | $1,822 |
| 2 | Northwest Arctic Borough | AK | 14,907 | -8.4°F | $1,298 |
| 3 | Southeast Fairbanks Census Area | AK | 14,679 | -22.1°F | $2,083 |
| 4 | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | AK | 14,408 | -17.4°F | $863 |
| 5 | Fairbanks North Star Borough | AK | 13,878 | -17.6°F | $2,351 |
| 6 | Nome Census Area | AK | 13,485 | -2.0°F | $1,788 |
| 7 | Copper River Census Area | AK | 13,377 | -11.7°F | $1,840 |
| 8 | Kusilvak Census Area | AK | 12,228 | 1.2°F | $719 |
| 9 | Teton County | WY | 11,149 | 0.6°F | $9,611 |
| 10 | Lake County | CO | 11,061 | 4.6°F | $2,904 |
| 11 | San Juan County | CO | 11,035 | -5.9°F | $2,912 |
| 12 | Boulder County | CO | 10,824 | 11.5°F | $5,114 |
| 13 | Gilpin County | CO | 10,824 | 11.5°F | $3,593 |
| 14 | Jackson County | CO | 10,822 | 1.9°F | $1,841 |
| 15 | Anchorage Municipality | AK | 10,764 | 6.4°F | $3,061 |
| 16 | Park County | CO | 10,756 | -4.3°F | $3,484 |
| 17 | Summit County | CO | 10,736 | 1.5°F | $5,899 |
| 18 | Kenai Peninsula Borough | AK | 10,693 | 7.4°F | $2,315 |
| 19 | Matanuska-Susitna Borough | AK | 10,592 | 5.4°F | $2,583 |
| 20 | Towner County | ND | 10,496 | -3.4°F | $1,106 |
| 21 | Lincoln County | WY | 10,404 | -3.3°F | $2,499 |
| 22 | Bristol Bay Borough | AK | 10,385 | 9.8°F | $2,133 |
| 23 | Dillingham Census Area | AK | 10,385 | 9.8°F | $1,529 |
| 24 | Kodiak Island Borough | AK | 10,385 | 9.8°F | $2,991 |
| 25 | Cavalier County | ND | 10,360 | -5.0°F | $1,140 |
| 26 | Hinsdale County | CO | 10,202 | -4.0°F | $3,125 |
| 27 | Koochiching County | MN | 10,140 | -4.9°F | $1,237 |
| 28 | Marshall County | MN | 10,106 | -5.5°F | $1,311 |
| 29 | Pennington County | MN | 10,106 | -5.5°F | $1,632 |
| 30 | Roseau County | MN | 10,106 | -5.5°F | $1,499 |
| 31 | Larimer County | CO | 10,054 | 10.0°F | $3,843 |
| 32 | Pembina County | ND | 10,022 | -4.3°F | $1,073 |
| 33 | Sublette County | WY | 10,018 | 1.9°F | $2,599 |
| 34 | Rolette County | ND | 10,015 | -5.1°F | $895 |
| 35 | Burke County | ND | 10,000 | -2.0°F | $1,223 |
| 36 | Renville County | ND | 9,939 | -1.7°F | $1,377 |
| 37 | Gunnison County | CO | 9,935 | -6.4°F | $4,182 |
| 38 | Steele County | ND | 9,921 | -6.0°F | $1,096 |
| 39 | Nelson County | ND | 9,920 | -4.2°F | $1,038 |
| 40 | Lake of the Woods County | MN | 9,881 | -4.3°F | $1,739 |
| 41 | Itasca County | MN | 9,879 | -4.7°F | $1,747 |
| 42 | Mineral County | CO | 9,830 | -1.5°F | $2,973 |
| 43 | Mountrail County | ND | 9,810 | -0.6°F | $1,770 |
| 44 | Pierce County | ND | 9,801 | -3.9°F | $1,276 |
| 45 | Clearwater County | MN | 9,778 | -5.2°F | $1,470 |
| 46 | Kittson County | MN | 9,769 | -4.1°F | $1,183 |
| 47 | Grand County | CO | 9,756 | 0.1°F | $3,607 |
| 48 | St. Louis County | MN | 9,718 | -1.5°F | $1,748 |
| 49 | Shoshone County | ID | 9,714 | 18.0°F | $1,721 |
| 50 | Iron County | MI | 9,658 | 0.0°F | $996 |
| 51 | Beltrami County | MN | 9,639 | -2.7°F | $1,845 |
| 52 | Lake County | MN | 9,634 | 1.0°F | $1,804 |
| 53 | Griggs County | ND | 9,619 | -3.1°F | $1,149 |
| 54 | Benson County | ND | 9,598 | -1.5°F | $815 |
| 55 | Beaverhead County | MT | 9,590 | 6.5°F | $2,190 |
| 56 | Sheridan County | MT | 9,573 | -1.8°F | $1,043 |
| 57 | Grand Forks County | ND | 9,533 | -3.1°F | $2,048 |
| 58 | Walsh County | ND | 9,533 | -3.1°F | $1,151 |
| 59 | Polk County | MN | 9,524 | -2.9°F | $1,763 |
| 60 | Red Lake County | MN | 9,524 | -2.9°F | $1,356 |
| 61 | Powell County | MT | 9,521 | 8.1°F | $2,013 |
| 62 | Baraga County | MI | 9,518 | 6.7°F | $1,163 |
| 63 | Houghton County | MI | 9,518 | 6.7°F | $1,277 |
| 64 | Vilas County | WI | 9,481 | 0.5°F | $2,112 |
| 65 | Norman County | MN | 9,471 | -3.9°F | $1,200 |
| 66 | Mahnomen County | MN | 9,470 | -2.5°F | $1,279 |
| 67 | Franklin County | ME | 9,466 | -0.3°F | $1,547 |
| 68 | Eddy County | ND | 9,428 | -1.8°F | $1,054 |
| 69 | Ramsey County | ND | 9,428 | -1.8°F | $1,663 |
| 70 | Gogebic County | MI | 9,422 | 2.3°F | $987 |
| 71 | Bottineau County | ND | 9,401 | -1.9°F | $1,577 |
| 72 | Carlton County | MN | 9,396 | 1.7°F | $1,951 |
| 73 | Rich County | UT | 9,378 | 4.1°F | $2,081 |
| 74 | Todd County | MN | 9,333 | -0.9°F | $1,593 |
| 75 | Forest County | WI | 9,331 | 4.0°F | $1,450 |
| 76 | Divide County | ND | 9,318 | 0.0°F | $1,435 |
| 77 | Kidder County | ND | 9,315 | 0.1°F | $1,196 |
| 78 | Logan County | ND | 9,315 | 0.1°F | $957 |
| 79 | Cook County | MN | 9,310 | 6.8°F | $2,328 |
| 80 | Becker County | MN | 9,305 | -2.8°F | $2,118 |
| 81 | Cass County | MN | 9,305 | -2.8°F | $2,051 |
| 82 | Hubbard County | MN | 9,305 | -2.8°F | $2,057 |
| 83 | Wadena County | MN | 9,305 | -2.8°F | $1,466 |
| 84 | Essex County | NY | 9,302 | 2.3°F | $1,776 |
| 85 | Franklin County | NY | 9,302 | 2.3°F | $1,262 |
| 86 | Daniels County | MT | 9,292 | -0.7°F | $1,482 |
| 87 | Barnes County | ND | 9,284 | -2.3°F | $1,469 |
| 88 | Glacier County | MT | 9,283 | 14.5°F | $1,299 |
| 89 | Foster County | ND | 9,262 | -1.5°F | $1,455 |
| 90 | Keweenaw County | MI | 9,218 | 6.8°F | $1,540 |
| 91 | Marquette County | MI | 9,218 | 6.8°F | $1,701 |
| 92 | Roosevelt County | MT | 9,210 | -0.1°F | $1,102 |
| 93 | Iron County | WI | 9,205 | 3.2°F | $1,337 |
| 94 | Otter Tail County | MN | 9,147 | -2.0°F | $2,024 |
| 95 | Aitkin County | MN | 9,141 | 0.1°F | $1,858 |
| 96 | Chugach Census Area | AK | 9,136 | 19.0°F | $2,618 |
| 97 | Silver Bow County | MT | 9,129 | 7.2°F | $1,849 |
| 98 | Cass County | ND | 9,115 | -1.4°F | $2,373 |
| 99 | Wells County | ND | 9,098 | 1.2°F | $1,001 |
| 100 | Yakutat City and Borough | AK | 9,095 | 20.4°F | $1,543 |
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.
Highest Heating Demand by state
The same ranking within a single state.
Alabama67Alaska26Arizona15Arkansas75California58Colorado64Florida67Georgia159Idaho44Illinois102Indiana92Iowa99Kansas105Kentucky120Louisiana64Maine16Maryland24Massachusetts14Michigan83Minnesota87Mississippi82Missouri115Montana56Nebraska93Nevada16New Jersey21New Mexico33New York62North Carolina100North Dakota53Ohio88Oklahoma77Oregon36Pennsylvania67South Carolina46South Dakota65Tennessee95Texas250Utah29Vermont14Virginia133Washington39West Virginia55Wisconsin72Wyoming23