What does this fuel oil heat ranking show?

It orders states by Homes heated by fuel oil. It is a comparison of this one published measure, not an overall ranking of where to live.

Where do these figures come from?

Census ACS 5-year, table B25040 supplies this measure. States without a comparable published value are shown as not ranked rather than estimated.

How should I use this ranking?

Use it to narrow a search, then open a state or county profile for the underlying figures, source dates and caveats. A statewide number may not describe every neighbourhood.

Rankings · Utilities

Highest fuel oil heat by state

Homes heated by fuel oil.

This measure has no better end. The order describes the states, it does not rank them — see the other direction.

Share heating with fuel oil or kerosene, concentrated heavily in New England — more than half of Maine’s homes. Like propane it is bought by the tankful at market prices, so a cold winter lands as a large one-off bill rather than a spread-out utility charge.

How to read this ranking

Maine has the highest published fuel oil heat in this comparison, at 55.3%. The next states shown are New Hampshire (39.5%) and Vermont (38.5%).

The table orders 51 states by homes heated by fuel oil. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.

Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. Share heating with fuel oil or kerosene, concentrated heavily in New England — more than half of Maine’s homes. Like propane it is bought by the tankful at market prices, so a cold winter lands as a large one-off bill rather than a spread-out utility charge.

1Maine55.3%
2New Hampshire39.5%
3Vermont38.5%
4Connecticut36.3%
5Alaska27.6%
6Rhode Island26.6%
7Massachusetts22.4%
8New York16.1%
9Pennsylvania14.0%
10Delaware8.8%
11Maryland6.6%
12New Jersey6.4%
13Virginia3.2%
14West Virginia2.1%
15North Carolina2.0%
16North Dakota1.9%
17Ohio1.7%
18Wisconsin1.4%
19Minnesota1.3%
20South Dakota1.3%
21Washington1.3%
22Idaho1.2%
23Oregon1.2%
24District of Columbia0.9%
25Michigan0.8%
26Kentucky0.7%
27Montana0.6%
28Indiana0.5%
29South Carolina0.5%
30Nevada0.4%
31Iowa0.3%
32Nebraska0.3%
33Tennessee0.3%
34California0.2%
35Georgia0.2%
36Kansas0.2%
37Missouri0.2%
38Oklahoma0.2%
39Alabama0.1%
40Arkansas0.1%
41Arizona0.1%
42Colorado0.1%
43Florida0.1%
44Hawaii0.1%
45Illinois0.1%
46Louisiana0.1%
47Mississippi0.1%
48New Mexico0.1%
49Texas0.1%
50Utah0.1%
51Wyoming0.1%

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Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: It orders states by Homes heated by fuel oil. It is one measure, not an overall verdict on where to live.
Where do the figures come from?: Census ACS 5-year, table B25040. States without a comparable published figure are listed as not ranked rather than estimated.
How should I use it?: Use it to narrow your search, then open a state or county profile for the source date, caveats and local context.

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<iframe src="https://movermath.com/embed/fuel-oil-heat" width="100%" height="420" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="Homes heated by fuel oil by state"></iframe>

Source: Census ACS 5-year, table B25040. · How this is built

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