Ranked from NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
Highest Heating Demand in Virginia
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.
Virginia ranked
| # | County | Heating degree days | Winter low | Monthly to own |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Highland County | 6,140 | 18.4°F | $1,597 |
| 2 | Bland County | 5,544 | 21.1°F | $1,330 |
| 3 | Bath County | 5,491 | 21.5°F | $1,641 |
| 4 | Montgomery County | 5,295 | 22.1°F | $2,250 |
| 5 | Shenandoah County | 5,219 | 21.3°F | $2,076 |
| 6 | Tazewell County | 5,219 | 23.8°F | $1,054 |
| 7 | Dickenson County | 5,174 | 21.7°F | $940 |
| 8 | Grayson County | 5,148 | 22.3°F | $1,167 |
| 9 | Alleghany County | 5,144 | 22.5°F | $1,118 |
| 10 | Covington city | 5,144 | 22.5°F | $816 |
| 11 | Giles County | 5,119 | 22.9°F | $1,246 |
| 12 | Wythe County | 5,117 | 23.5°F | $1,424 |
| 13 | Carroll County | 5,111 | 23.3°F | $1,246 |
| 14 | Galax city | 5,111 | 23.3°F | $1,143 |
| 15 | Pulaski County | 5,080 | 23.6°F | $1,518 |
| 16 | Radford city | 5,067 | 22.5°F | $1,732 |
| 17 | Rockingham County | 5,061 | 22.7°F | $2,224 |
| 18 | Harrisonburg city | 5,061 | 22.7°F | $2,216 |
| 19 | Clarke County | 4,947 | 23.5°F | $3,938 |
| 20 | Loudoun County | 4,943 | 24.5°F | $5,263 |
| 21 | Fairfax County | 4,931 | 23.4°F | $5,329 |
| 22 | Fairfax city | 4,931 | 23.4°F | $5,129 |
| 23 | Frederick County | 4,915 | 23.8°F | $2,678 |
| 24 | Winchester city | 4,915 | 23.8°F | $2,549 |
| 25 | Waynesboro city | 4,851 | 23.4°F | $1,899 |
| 26 | Russell County | 4,838 | 22.9°F | $1,070 |
| 27 | Augusta County | 4,834 | 24.7°F | $2,170 |
| 28 | Staunton city | 4,834 | 24.7°F | $1,926 |
| 29 | Page County | 4,825 | 23.0°F | $1,797 |
| 30 | Smyth County | 4,818 | 23.2°F | $1,120 |
| 31 | Rappahannock County | 4,810 | 24.3°F | $3,628 |
| 32 | Wise County | 4,797 | 24.6°F | $1,052 |
| 33 | Norton city | 4,797 | 24.6°F | $961 |
| 34 | Buchanan County | 4,784 | 24.4°F | $869 |
| 35 | Warren County | 4,740 | 24.1°F | $2,430 |
| 36 | Rockbridge County | 4,661 | 23.3°F | $1,900 |
| 37 | Buena Vista city | 4,661 | 23.3°F | $1,355 |
| 38 | Lexington city | 4,661 | 23.3°F | $2,214 |
| 39 | Lee County | 4,620 | 23.2°F | $931 |
| 40 | Washington County | 4,610 | 24.1°F | $1,631 |
| 41 | Fluvanna County | 4,570 | 24.6°F | $2,210 |
| 42 | Lynchburg city | 4,489 | 24.5°F | $1,756 |
| 43 | Pittsylvania County | 4,451 | 24.2°F | $1,307 |
| 44 | Louisa County | 4,448 | 25.4°F | $2,166 |
| 45 | Orange County | 4,425 | 25.3°F | $2,584 |
| 46 | Goochland County | 4,377 | 25.9°F | $3,555 |
| 47 | Powhatan County | 4,377 | 25.9°F | $2,898 |
| 48 | Cumberland County | 4,343 | 22.1°F | $1,778 |
| 49 | Henry County | 4,342 | 23.8°F | $1,071 |
| 50 | Martinsville city | 4,342 | 23.8°F | $905 |
| 51 | Spotsylvania County | 4,300 | 25.1°F | $2,844 |
| 52 | Fredericksburg city | 4,300 | 25.1°F | $3,449 |
| 53 | Amherst County | 4,295 | 25.8°F | $1,598 |
| 54 | Campbell County | 4,295 | 25.8°F | $1,604 |
| 55 | Franklin County | 4,291 | 26.4°F | $1,778 |
| 56 | Appomattox County | 4,279 | 26.8°F | $1,547 |
| 57 | Botetourt County | 4,271 | 26.9°F | $2,122 |
| 58 | Buckingham County | 4,239 | 28.1°F | $1,399 |
| 59 | Charlottesville city | 4,239 | 28.1°F | $3,431 |
| 60 | Patrick County | 4,216 | 25.2°F | $1,260 |
| 61 | Prince Edward County | 4,159 | 25.7°F | $1,625 |
| 62 | Scott County | 4,150 | 26.3°F | $1,103 |
| 63 | Bristol city | 4,150 | 26.3°F | $1,440 |
| 64 | Nelson County | 4,131 | 25.5°F | $2,192 |
| 65 | Albemarle County | 4,109 | 27.7°F | $3,562 |
| 66 | Lunenburg County | 4,087 | 26.1°F | $1,236 |
| 67 | Charlotte County | 4,069 | 26.9°F | $1,235 |
| 68 | Bedford County | 4,062 | 27.8°F | $2,130 |
| 69 | Nottoway County | 4,014 | 26.5°F | $1,466 |
| 70 | Culpeper County | 4,002 | 28.3°F | $2,905 |
| 71 | Fauquier County | 4,002 | 28.3°F | $4,087 |
| 72 | King George County | 4,002 | 28.3°F | $2,975 |
| 73 | Prince William County | 4,002 | 28.3°F | $3,871 |
| 74 | Stafford County | 4,002 | 28.3°F | $3,468 |
| 75 | Manassas city | 4,002 | 28.3°F | $3,436 |
| 76 | Manassas Park city | 4,002 | 28.3°F | $3,056 |
| 77 | Hanover County | 3,995 | 27.2°F | $2,850 |
| 78 | Accomack County | 3,957 | 29.5°F | $1,569 |
| 79 | Caroline County | 3,957 | 27.9°F | $2,198 |
| 80 | Gloucester County | 3,944 | 29.4°F | $2,248 |
| 81 | Mathews County | 3,944 | 29.4°F | $2,611 |
| 82 | Middlesex County | 3,944 | 29.4°F | $2,314 |
| 83 | Prince George County | 3,930 | 26.7°F | $2,146 |
| 84 | Essex County | 3,880 | 28.5°F | $1,826 |
| 85 | Richmond County | 3,880 | 28.5°F | $1,723 |
| 86 | Westmoreland County | 3,880 | 28.5°F | $1,940 |
| 87 | Craig County | 3,869 | 28.7°F | $1,680 |
| 88 | Floyd County | 3,869 | 28.7°F | $1,726 |
| 89 | Roanoke County | 3,869 | 28.7°F | $2,159 |
| 90 | Roanoke city | 3,869 | 28.7°F | $1,560 |
| 91 | Salem city | 3,869 | 28.7°F | $2,006 |
| 92 | Lancaster County | 3,867 | 30.1°F | $2,349 |
| 93 | Northumberland County | 3,867 | 30.1°F | $2,520 |
| 94 | Dinwiddie County | 3,850 | 26.8°F | $1,952 |
| 95 | Amelia County | 3,848 | 27.7°F | $1,874 |
| 96 | Halifax County | 3,813 | 26.5°F | $1,266 |
| 97 | Danville city | 3,808 | 28.1°F | $1,018 |
| 98 | Arlington County | 3,769 | 30.1°F | $6,447 |
| 99 | Alexandria city | 3,769 | 30.1°F | $5,294 |
| 100 | Falls Church city | 3,769 | 30.1°F | $7,535 |
| 101 | Greene County | 3,767 | 29.5°F | $2,440 |
| 102 | Madison County | 3,767 | 29.5°F | $2,540 |
| 103 | Colonial Heights city | 3,759 | 28.3°F | $1,913 |
| 104 | Petersburg city | 3,759 | 28.3°F | $1,383 |
| 105 | Charles City County | 3,736 | 28.8°F | $1,800 |
| 106 | Chesterfield County | 3,736 | 28.8°F | $2,630 |
| 107 | Henrico County | 3,736 | 28.8°F | $2,591 |
| 108 | New Kent County | 3,736 | 28.8°F | $2,844 |
| 109 | Richmond city | 3,736 | 28.8°F | $2,591 |
| 110 | Northampton County | 3,706 | 32.1°F | $2,181 |
| 111 | King and Queen County | 3,610 | 29.4°F | $1,900 |
| 112 | King William County | 3,610 | 29.4°F | $2,168 |
| 113 | Isle of Wight County | 3,557 | 29.5°F | $2,590 |
| 114 | Southampton County | 3,557 | 29.5°F | $1,704 |
| 115 | Surry County | 3,557 | 29.5°F | $1,881 |
| 116 | Sussex County | 3,557 | 29.5°F | $1,475 |
| 117 | York County | 3,536 | 30.6°F | $3,111 |
| 118 | Franklin city | 3,536 | 29.4°F | $1,847 |
| 119 | Newport News city | 3,536 | 30.6°F | $2,019 |
| 120 | Brunswick County | 3,517 | 28.7°F | $1,161 |
| 121 | Greensville County | 3,517 | 28.7°F | $1,349 |
| 122 | Emporia city | 3,517 | 28.7°F | $1,173 |
| 123 | Mecklenburg County | 3,504 | 28.7°F | $1,405 |
| 124 | James City County | 3,491 | 30.6°F | $3,172 |
| 125 | Williamsburg city | 3,491 | 30.6°F | $2,961 |
| 126 | Suffolk city | 3,465 | 31.1°F | $2,620 |
| 127 | Hampton city | 3,461 | 32.1°F | $1,940 |
| 128 | Poquoson city | 3,461 | 32.1°F | $3,139 |
| 129 | Virginia Beach city | 3,423 | 31.6°F | $2,844 |
| 130 | Hopewell city | 3,261 | 31.2°F | $1,442 |
| 131 | Norfolk city | 3,106 | 34.0°F | $2,222 |
| 132 | Portsmouth city | 3,106 | 34.0°F | $1,926 |
| 133 | Chesapeake city | 2,810 | 33.6°F | $2,799 |
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 Heating Demand across all 3,133 US counties · Every county in Virginia