Almost all of new single-family homes started in 2024 used either an air/ground source heat pump or a forced air system for the primary heating equipment (97%), according to the Census’s Survey of Construction. Additionally, 20% percent of homes also used a secondary type of heating equipment.  Heating Systems The type of heating system installed varies significantly by Census Division. Figure 3 displays the share of new homes with an air or ground heat pump in 2024. In warmer regions of the country, these systems are more common with 82% in the South Atlantic and 77% in the East South Central. In colder regions, very few homes have air or ground heat pumps: only 7% of new homes started in both East North Central and West North Central. Forced air systems without heat pumps burn fuel to produce heat, while heat pumps transfer heat by moving air. In colder climates, heat pumps can become less efficient due to limited ambient heat available and rely more heavily on backup heating during winter. In general, the share of new homes using an air or ground source heat pump as the primary means of providing heat has increased, going from 23% in 2000 to 47% in 2024. Meanwhile, the share relying on a forced air system has slipped, going from 71% to 50% in the same time frame. Primary Fuel for Heating The SOC also provides data on the primary fuel used to heat new single-family homes. Approximately 54% of new homes started in 2024 use electricity as the primary heating fuel, compared to 41% powered by natural gas, 3% using bottle or liquified petroleum gas (propane), and 0.1% using oil. Heating fuel sources closely align with the types of heating systems used, with air and ground-source heat pumps running on electricity and most forced air systems without heat pumps using natural gas or propane. Similar to the type of heating system, the primary heating fuel source varies significantly by region of the country. For example, in the Middle Atlantic only 13% of new homes use electricity as the primary heating source. In contrast, 83 percent and 74 percent of new homes started in the South Atlantic and the East South Central used it. Additionally, while most regions fall under 10% in their usage of propane, New England had a 33% share and East North Central had 15%. Air Conditioning In 2024, 98% of new single-family homes started had a central AC system, virtually unchanged from 2023. This percentage has risen steadily since 2000 when only 85.5% of homes had  central AC. Though the share of new single-family homes started with central AC differs across the country’s nine Census divisions, the highest share is concentrated in the South region: 100% of homes started in the South Atlantic, East South Central, and West South Central divisions had central AC installed. Other regions also have shares close to 100%, ranging from 93% in East North Central to 99% in West North Central. New England has the lowest share at 85%. Discover more from Eye On Housing Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.