Cities with Large Carbon Footprints are Hot Spots for Energy Saving Home Tech
San Jose has one of the largest carbon footprints, but the greatest percentage of homes with energy-efficient technology. Buffalo, N.Y. has the smallest carbon footprint of the 100 largest U.S. cities.
- California cities have the most energy-efficient homes but not the lowest carbon footprint.
- San Jose, Calif. has the greatest percentage of home listings with energy-efficiency technology, at 24 percent, but the fifth largest carbon footprint.
- East Coast cities top the list of places with the smallest carbon footprint. Buffalo, N.Y. has the smallest carbon footprint, but only 3 percent of listings feature energy-efficient terms.
- Millennials are more interested in making upgrades to enhance their home's energy-efficiency than other generations.
SEATTLE, Nov. 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Cities with some of the largest carbon footprints are also hot spots for energy-efficient home technology, according to a new Zillow® analysis[i].
California cities top the list for energy-efficient homes -- but not for low carbon footprints. Of the 100 largest cities in the country, San Jose has the greatest percentage of home listing descriptions featuring energy-efficient terms -- such as "solar panel" and "wind power"[ii] -- but the fifth largest carbon footprint[iii]. Buffalo, N.Y. has the smallest carbon footprint but only 3 percent of home listings feature energy-efficient terms.
The analysis highlights how energy-efficient home technology -- popular with millennials and West Coast homeowners -- is catching on as a trend in some of the places that need it most.
"Climate change is top-of-mind in California, and whether homeowners are reacting to environmental ethics or high energy costs, they are most likely to market energy-efficient technology when selling their homes," said Zillow Chief Economist Dr. Svenja Gudell. "Between density and drought, Californians have a lot of reasons to find ways to make their homes more efficient – for the sake of the environment and their pocketbooks, too."
In San Jose, Calif., 24 percent of listings feature energy-efficient terms and 14 percent in Sacramento, Calif. East Coast cities have the smallest carbon footprints, with Buffalo, New York City and Miami at the bottom of the list.
| Cities with Greatest Percentage of Home Listings with Energy-Efficient Terms |
||||
| City |
Percent of Listings |
Average Carbon |
Median List Price of |
Median List Price of |
| San Jose, Calif. |
24.1% |
53.4 |
$ 848,500 |
$ 750,000 |
| Sacramento, Calif. |
14.2% |
39.6 |
$ 289,900 |
$ 279,900 |
| Fresno, Calif. |
14.2% |
40.9 |
$ 250,000 |
$ 225,000 |
| Chula Vista, Calif. |
12.6% |
43.2 |
$ 539,900 |
$ 489,900 |
| Riverside, Calif. |
12.3% |
45.6 |
$ 429,800 |
$ 401,213 |
| Cities with the Smallest Carbon Footprint |
||||
| City |
Percent of Listings |
Average Carbon |
Median List Price of |
Median List Price of |
| Buffalo, N.Y. |
2.5% |
33.5 |
$ 164,000 |
$ 64,900 |
| New York, N.Y. |
2.7% |
35.7 |
$ 1,380,000 |
$ 750,000 |
| Miami, Flor. |
0.8% |
35.9 |
$ 644,000 |
$ 459,000 |
| Newark, N.J. |
0.6% |
36.7 |
$ 274,500 |
$ 190,000 |
| Washington, DC |
3.1% |
37.4 |
$ 745,000 |
$ 549,900 |
Energy-efficient homes are sought after by homebuyers and are usually priced at a premium. The median list price of homes with energy-efficient technology is 62 percent higher than homes without, and according to the Zillow Group Report on Consumer Housing Trends, the energy-efficiency of newly built homes is the main driver in attracting buyers to new construction. The same survey found that millennials are more interested than other generations in making upgrades to enhance their home's energy-efficiency.
Homeowners and buyers interested in learning about a home's solar energy potential can find its Sun Number rating on Zillow. Sun Number scores are available on over 40 million homes on Zillow and give an instant rating of how solar-friendly a home is based on factors such as climate, sun exposure and foliage coverage from nearby trees.
| 35 Largest U.S. |
Percent of |
Average |
Median List Price of |
Median List Price of Homes |
| United States |
3.8% |
48.1 |
$ 299,900 |
$ 185,000 |
| New York |
3.0% |
35.7 |
$ 1,380,000 |
$ 750,000 |
| Los Angeles |
8.0% |
38.4 |
$ 749,900 |
$ 775,000 |
| Chicago |
1.7% |
44.1 |
$ 445,000 |
$ 247,250 |
| Houston |
4.8% |
45.4 |
$ 389,900 |
$ 329,000 |
| Philadelphia |
2.4% |
38.2 |
$ 330,000 |
$ 150,000 |
| Phoenix |
7.6% |
46.5 |
$ 299,900 |
$ 274,900 |
| Las Vegas |
0.9% |
43.8 |
$ 320,370 |
$ 248,000 |
| San Antonio |
6.8% |
46.5 |
$ 262,990 |
$ 239,900 |
| San Diego |
11.3% |
41.8 |
$ 675,000 |
$ 678,000 |
| Dallas |
4.5% |
43.6 |
$ 439,000 |
$ 429,000 |
| San Jose, Calif. |
24.0% |
53.4 |
$ 848,500 |
$ 750,000 |
| Jacksonville, Miss. |
3.2% |
42.9 |
$ 286,250 |
$ 172,000 |
| San Francisco |
7.0% |
37.4 |
$ 1,399,000 |
$ 1,363,474 |
| Indianapolis |
2.5% |
47.6 |
$ 131,450 |
$ 125,000 |
| Austin, Texas |
8.3% |
47.6 |
$ 432,250 |
$ 419,900 |
| Fort Worth, Texas |
4.0% |
45.9 |
$ 269,248 |
$ 259,900 |
| Detroit |
1.4% |
46.3 |
$ 99,900 |
$ 28,500 |
| Columbus, Ohio |
2.4% |
44.7 |
$ 164,900 |
$ 139,900 |
| Memphis, Tenn. |
1.2% |
46.6 |
$ 169,900 |
$ 78,477 |
| Charlotte, N.C. |
2.8% |
47.1 |
$ 345,000 |
$ 289,999 |
| El Paso, Texas |
5.1% |
47.6 |
$ 191,950 |
$ 159,000 |
| Boston |
4.3% |
37.5 |
$ 579,000 |
$ 719,000 |
| Seattle |
7.5% |
39.5 |
$ 749,000 |
$ 649,950 |
| Baltimore |
1.7% |
39.6 |
$ 220,000 |
$ 129,000 |
| Denver |
6.6% |
44.1 |
$ 503,999 |
$ 492,250 |
| Washington, D.C. |
4.3% |
37.4 |
$ 745,000 |
$ 549,900 |
| Nashville, Tenn. |
2.0% |
45.7 |
$ 355,000 |
$ 339,000 |
| Milwaukee |
2.3% |
43.2 |
$ 143,450 |
$ 115,000 |
| Tucson, Ariz. |
9.2% |
42.8 |
$ 204,990 |
$ 175,000 |
| Portland, Ore. |
4.5% |
41.7 |
$ 545,950 |
$ 439,900 |
| Oklahoma City |
6.1% |
48.1 |
$ 233,000 |
$ 183,975 |
| Omaha, Neb. |
1.5% |
53.7 |
$ 348,225 |
$ 170,000 |
| Albuquerque, N.M. |
7.7% |
45.5 |
$ 246,900 |
$ 207,000 |
| Fresno, Calif. |
14.3% |
40.9 |
$ 250,000 |
$ 225,000 |
| Sacramento, Calif. |
13.6% |
39.6 |
$ 289,900 |
$ 279,900 |
Zillow
Zillow® is the leading real estate and rental marketplace dedicated to empowering consumers with data, inspiration and knowledge around the place they call home, and connecting them with the best local professionals who can help. In addition, Zillow operates an industry-leading economics and analytics bureau led by Zillow's Chief Economist Dr. Svenja Gudell. Dr. Gudell and her team of economists and data analysts produce extensive housing data and research covering more than 450 markets at Zillow Real Estate Research. Zillow also sponsors the quarterly Zillow Home Price Expectations Survey, which asks more than 100 leading economists, real estate experts and investment and market strategists to predict the path of the Zillow Home Value Index over the next five years. Zillow also sponsors the bi-annual Zillow Housing Confidence Index (ZHCI) which measures consumer confidence in local housing markets, both currently and over time. Launched in 2006, Zillow is owned and operated by Zillow Group (NASDAQ:Z and ZG), and headquartered in Seattle.
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[i] Zillow analyzed listing descriptions among homes on the market in the 100 largest U.S. cities looking for energy-efficient terms such as "solar panel" and "wind power".
[ii] Zillow analyzed 79 energy-efficient terms. For the full list of terms, email [email protected].
[iii] Carbon footprint data provided by CoolClimate Network, based at the University of California, Berkeley.
[iv] Carbon footprint numbers are the average footprint per household and is measured in metric tons of CO2 equivalent, which is how much carbon dioxide a typical household is responsible for releasing each year.
SOURCE Zillow
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