Heating degree days (HDD) are a weather index based on outdoor temperatures relative to 65°F. EIA describes degree days as indicators of space-heating energy requirements. They do not directly measure the amount of fuel or electricity households use, or the heating equipment inside homes. The state figures below are population-weighted weather values for 2024; the regional series gives annual population-weighted values for 2023 and 2024. Those scopes matter when reading comparisons: these are climate indicators, not household surveys. EIA State Energy Data System, Table N1 · EIA Monthly Energy Review, Table 1.11 · EIA energy-indicator notes
Contents
- Residential heating degree days statistics: coldest northern states
- Residential heating degree days statistics: Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
- Residential heating degree days statistics: Midwest and Great Lakes
- Residential heating degree days statistics: Mountain and Pacific states
- Residential heating degree days statistics: Southern states and lower-HDD climates
- residential heating degree days: Annual population-weighted heating degree days by census division
- Sources
Residential heating degree days statistics: coldest northern states
In EIA’s 2024 state ranking, Alaska had the highest population-weighted HDD value: 11,164. North Dakota followed at 8,187, Montana at 8,016, and Wyoming at 7,573. Minnesota, at 7,215, also appears among the leading states, just below Wyoming. These are state-level rankings of weather HDD, not a ranking of residential energy consumption or heating bills. EIA Table N1
| State | 2024 population-weighted HDD | EIA HDD rank |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 11,164 | 1 |
| North Dakota | 8,187 | 2 |
| Montana | 8,016 | 3 |
| Wyoming | 7,573 | 4 |
| Minnesota | 7,215 | 5 |
The sequence shows how the 2024 state values are ordered at the cold end of this particular measure. A state’s population weighting means the figure reflects the distribution of residents across climate divisions within that state; it is not a simple average of every location, nor a reading from one city. This weighting makes the index useful for broad comparisons of population exposure to heating-season conditions, while leaving local climates and individual homes unrepresented. EIA Table N1 · EIA energy-indicator notes
Residential heating degree days statistics: Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
The selected Northeast and Mid-Atlantic values range from Vermont’s 7,035 population-weighted HDD in 2024 to New York’s 5,255. Maine recorded 6,846, and New Hampshire recorded 6,582. EIA’s state ranking places Vermont at rank 6, Maine at rank 7, New Hampshire at rank 9, and New York at rank 19. The rank numbers refer to the national state HDD ranking, not a ranking limited to the Northeast. EIA Table N1
| State | 2024 population-weighted HDD | EIA HDD rank |
|---|---|---|
| Vermont | 7,035 | 6 |
| Maine | 6,846 | 7 |
| New Hampshire | 6,582 | 9 |
| New York | 5,255 | 19 |
These four figures illustrate why a regional label does not imply a single HDD value. The state data represent weighted conditions across each state’s population, and the values differ among the states listed. They should not be treated as readings for every town or as estimates of what a particular household needed to heat its home. The index is tied to outdoor temperature and the 65°F reference point; actual home energy use is not measured in this table. EIA Table N1 · EIA energy-indicator notes
Residential heating degree days statistics: Midwest and Great Lakes
Minnesota’s 7,215 population-weighted HDD in 2024 is the largest value among the selected Midwest and Great Lakes states. Wisconsin recorded 6,293, Iowa 5,748, and Michigan 5,560. Their national EIA HDD ranks were 5, 13, 14, and 15, respectively. The figures show distinct state-level readings within this group while preserving the original ranking and 2024 period. EIA Table N1
| State | 2024 population-weighted HDD | EIA HDD rank |
|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 7,215 | 5 |
| Wisconsin | 6,293 | 13 |
| Iowa | 5,748 | 14 |
| Michigan | 5,560 | 15 |
The state rankings and the census-division series answer related but different questions. Table N1 ranks state values, whereas EIA’s Monthly Energy Review reports annual totals for larger census divisions. A division figure combines a broader geography and should not be substituted for a state value. Neither series provides a direct count of heating days, a household’s thermostat settings, or energy consumed by residential customers. EIA Table N1 · EIA Monthly Energy Review, Table 1.11
Residential heating degree days statistics: Mountain and Pacific states
Among the selected Mountain and Pacific states, Utah registered 6,549 population-weighted HDD in 2024, closely followed by Colorado at 6,547. Idaho recorded 6,463. Washington’s value was 5,353. Their national state HDD ranks were 10, 11, 12, and 18. Utah and Colorado’s values are close in the reported data, but the table supplies no basis for interpreting that proximity as a difference in household heating demand. EIA Table N1
| State | 2024 population-weighted HDD | EIA HDD rank |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | 6,549 | 10 |
| Colorado | 6,547 | 11 |
| Idaho | 6,463 | 12 |
| Washington | 5,353 | 18 |
These measurements are state aggregates. They do not describe every elevation, coastal area, or settlement within a state. The weighting method accounts for population distribution among climate divisions, so a less-populated part of a state does not contribute in the same way as a more-populated one. HDD remains an indicator calculated from outdoor temperatures, rather than a direct observation of the energy used to heat homes. EIA Table N1 · EIA energy-indicator notes
Residential heating degree days statistics: Southern states and lower-HDD climates
The selected lower-HDD state values in 2024 include Texas at 1,404, Louisiana at 1,308, Florida at 552, and Hawaii at 0 population-weighted HDD. EIA’s national state ranking assigns them ranks 48 through 51, in that order. These are reported values, including Hawaii’s zero; they are not missing observations. EIA Table N1
| State | 2024 population-weighted HDD | EIA HDD rank |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 1,404 | 48 |
| Louisiana | 1,308 | 49 |
| Florida | 552 | 50 |
| Hawaii | 0 | 51 |
The spread among these values is part of the reported state cross-section. It does not establish how much heating any resident used, since household consumption also depends on factors the HDD table does not measure. Nor should the state values be read as uniform conditions across each state. EIA presents these as population-weighted weather HDD, an index relative to 65°F used to indicate space-heating requirements. EIA Table N1 · EIA energy-indicator notes
residential heating degree days: Annual population-weighted heating degree days by census division
EIA’s Monthly Energy Review provides annual population-weighted HDD totals for the United States and its census divisions. The U.S. total was 3,802 in 2023 and 3,691 in 2024. Across the divisions, West North Central had the highest listed value in each year, while West South Central had the lowest. The table retains each reported value and unit as published; the year-to-year observations are comparisons of annual index totals, not household-level readings. EIA Monthly Energy Review, Table 1.11
| Census division or area | 2023 population-weighted HDD | 2024 population-weighted HDD |
|---|---|---|
| New England | 5,558 | 5,678 |
| Middle Atlantic | 4,952 | 5,020 |
| East North Central | 5,422 | 5,189 |
| West North Central | 5,924 | 5,573 |
| South Atlantic | 2,142 | 2,234 |
| East South Central | 2,818 | 2,878 |
| West South Central | 1,718 | 1,636 |
| Mountain | 5,114 | 4,677 |
| Pacific | 3,608 | 3,334 |
| United States | 3,802 | 3,691 |
The division figures show different annual patterns across the displayed observations. New England, Middle Atlantic, South Atlantic, and East South Central have higher reported totals in 2024 than in 2023. East North Central, West North Central, West South Central, Mountain, and Pacific have lower reported totals in 2024. The U.S. total is also lower in 2024 than in 2023. These descriptions compare only the two annual values shown; they do not identify causes or establish a longer-term trend. EIA Monthly Energy Review, Table 1.11
EIA’s table notes specify national coverage of 50 states and the District of Columbia and describe the figures as population-weighted HDD averages. The state indicator methodology uses population within climate divisions for its weighting; the national calculations use the census divisions or regions described by EIA. Because state and division geographies and aggregation differ, their values are best read within their own series. HDD offers a consistent weather-related indicator, but by itself it cannot quantify residential heating consumption, fuel choice, equipment efficiency, or a household’s bill. EIA Monthly Energy Review, Table 1.11 · EIA energy-indicator notes