On July 12, Miles City experienced a record heat wave hitting 115ºF as reported by the National Weather Service. Fortunately, this extreme heat struck an area with the highest residential air conditioning rates in Montana, according to 2023 data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
In 2023, 95.5% of homes in Custer County, where Miles City is located, were equipped with air conditioning, making it the leader among Montana’s 56 counties. Across the state, only 73% of homes had air conditioning, ranking Montana fifth-lowest nationwide.
The data, sourced from the Census Bureau’s Local Air Conditioning Estimate (LACE), highlights significant disparities across Montana. Air conditioning is notably more prevalent in eastern regions. In Custer County, 227 out of 5,044 households were without AC. Dawson County followed with 94% AC in homes, and Yellowstone County with 93.9%.
Western counties like Deer Lodge reported lower AC rates, with only 44.6% of homes equipped, leaving over 2,500 homes in a vulnerable state during heat waves. Other counties such as Powell and Granite also reported less than 50% AC availability. The Census Bureau estimates 97.9% of homes in North Dakota and 95.4% in South Dakota have AC, illustrating Montana’s trailing position within the region.
The Local Air Conditioning Estimate data were derived by merging insights from the American Housing Survey with the American Community Survey. This model provides estimates of air conditioning availability across homes and apartments, including central and individual-room systems. Since this data is new, historical trend analysis is not yet possible. The Census Bureau emphasizes this data aids in identifying areas at risk during heatwaves due to lack of cooling options.
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