Residential gas use varies sharply by geography, end use, and measurement method. The figures below cover U.S. occupied primary housing units and sector consumption in 2020, alongside EU residential energy-balance data for 2024.
Key Residential Gas Use Statistics
The most broadly useful findings are:
- 61% of U.S. households used natural gas for at least one energy end use in 2020, based on occupied primary housing units.
- The Midwest and West each had a 74% estimated household share using natural gas for any end use in 2020, according to the U.S. regional survey estimate.
- 43% of Southern U.S. households used natural gas for any end use in 2020, the lowest reported U.S. Census-region share.
- 70% of Midwest households used natural gas for space heating in 2020.
- 64% of West households used natural gas for water heating in 2020.
- 91% of U.S. households that used natural gas were in urban areas in 2020, using the survey’s urban classification.
- 4,217.4 billion cubic feet of site natural gas was consumed by U.S. primary occupied homes in 2020.
- Space heating accounted for 2,870.9 billion cubic feet, or 68%, of U.S. residential site natural gas consumption in 2020.
- Water heating accounted for 1,075.8 billion cubic feet, or 26%, of U.S. residential site natural gas consumption in 2020.
- California homes consumed 390.2 billion cubic feet of site natural gas in 2020, the state total reported here.
- Michigan space heating represented 80% of its residential site natural gas consumption in 2020.
- California water heating represented 49% of its residential site natural gas consumption in 2020.
- U.S. residential natural gas consumption reached 824,885 million cubic feet in January 2020.
- U.S. residential natural gas consumption was 108,827 million cubic feet in August 2020.
- Households represented 26.0% of EU final energy consumption in 2024.
- Natural gas accounted for 29.4% of EU household final energy consumption in 2024.
- The Netherlands obtained 61.0% of residential final energy from natural gas in 2024.
- Space and water heating together represented 77.1% of EU household final energy consumption in 2024.
Contents
- National household adoption and end uses
- U.S. state residential gas consumption
- Space heating and water heating data
- Monthly residential gas use trends
- EU household gas and energy shares
- Access, urbanization, and geographic differences
National Residential Gas Use Statistics: Household Adoption and End Uses
The U.S. Energy Information Administration’s 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey estimated that 61% of U.S. households used natural gas for at least one energy end use. The estimate applies to occupied primary housing units, rather than every structure or every type of housing.
The same survey reported important regional differences:
| U.S. Census region | Households using natural gas for any end use, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Midwest | 74% |
| West | 74% |
| South | 43% |
These are survey estimates, and the regional differences are not presented as causal effects. The South’s 43% share was the lowest regional figure reported, while the Midwest and West each reached 74%. EIA, “The majority of U.S. households used natural gas in 2020”
End-use adoption also differed. In 2020, natural gas was used for space heating by 70% of Midwest households and 60% of West households.
For water heating, the corresponding shares were 60% in the Midwest and 64% in the West.
Cooking use was reported by 50% of West households and 49% of Northeast households in 2020. These figures describe household use of natural gas for a particular end use, not the amount of gas consumed by each household. EIA, “The majority of U.S. households used natural gas in 2020”
Residential Natural Gas Consumption Statistics by U.S. State
EIA estimated 4,217.4 billion cubic feet of site natural gas consumption by U.S. primary occupied homes in 2020. The RECS state table excludes vacant, seasonal, second, military, and group-quarter housing.
The largest state totals among the supplied observations were:
| State | Residential site natural gas consumption, 2020 |
|---|---|
| California | 390.2 billion cubic feet |
| New York | 313.4 billion cubic feet |
| Michigan | 264.9 billion cubic feet |
| New Jersey | 227.0 billion cubic feet |
| Pennsylvania | 203.3 billion cubic feet |
| Texas | 197.6 billion cubic feet |
| Wisconsin | 125.3 billion cubic feet |
| Minnesota | 123.7 billion cubic feet |
| Missouri | 108.5 billion cubic feet |
| Massachusetts | 102.5 billion cubic feet |
These are state-level survey estimates for 2020, not a ranking of all states and not a direct measure of average household consumption. The state table’s scope is primary occupied housing, and EIA notes that some state differences may not be statistically significant. EIA, “CE4.1.NG.ST Annual household site natural gas end-use consumption in the United States by state—totals and percentages, 2020”
Residential Gas Use Statistics for Space Heating and Water Heating
Space heating dominated U.S. residential site gas use in 2020. It accounted for 2,870.9 billion cubic feet, or 68%, while water heating accounted for 1,075.8 billion cubic feet, or 26%.
| End use | U.S. site natural gas consumption, 2020 | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Space heating | 2,870.9 billion cubic feet | 68% |
| Water heating | 1,075.8 billion cubic feet | 26% |
| Other reported end uses | 270.7 billion cubic feet | 6% |
Space heating includes main and secondary heating. “Other” is a residual category for end uses not shown in the table, and percentages may not sum exactly because of rounding. EIA, “CE4.1.NG.ST Annual household site natural gas end-use consumption in the United States by state—totals and percentages, 2020”
The balance between heating services varied by state. California used 148.8 billion cubic feet for space heating, or 38% of its residential site total, and 190.2 billion cubic feet for water heating, or 49%.
Michigan’s space-heating figure was 213.0 billion cubic feet, or 80% of its total.
Texas used 106.4 billion cubic feet for space heating, or 54%, and 68.6 billion cubic feet for water heating, or 35%. Wisconsin recorded 101.2 billion cubic feet for space heating, or 81% of its residential site total.
Other state-specific shares show the same geographic variation. Water heating represented 40% of Arizona’s residential site gas use, at 16.1 billion cubic feet; space heating represented 48% in Nevada, at 21.5 billion cubic feet; North Dakota’s space-heating share was 81%, at 10.0 billion cubic feet; and West Virginia’s was 82%, at 17.4 billion cubic feet. EIA, “CE4.1.NG.ST Annual household site natural gas end-use consumption in the United States by state—totals and percentages, 2020”
Monthly Residential Natural Gas Consumption Trends in 2020
EIA’s monthly series shows a pronounced seasonal pattern in U.S. residential-sector natural gas consumption. The series is measured in million cubic feet and represents sector totals, not average use per household.
| Month in 2020 | Residential consumption |
|---|---|
| January | 824,885 million cubic feet |
| February | 737,150 million cubic feet |
| March | 526,842 million cubic feet |
| April | 378,068 million cubic feet |
| May | 236,591 million cubic feet |
| June | 136,127 million cubic feet |
| July | 118,141 million cubic feet |
| August | 108,827 million cubic feet |
| September | 126,533 million cubic feet |
| October | 241,796 million cubic feet |
| November | 439,857 million cubic feet |
| December | 799,640 million cubic feet |
Consumption fell from 824,885 million cubic feet in January to 108,827 million cubic feet in August, then rose to 799,640 million cubic feet in December. The pattern is consistent with the importance of space heating in annual residential gas use, but the supplied series itself is a sector total and does not measure household-level behavior. EIA, “U.S. Natural Gas Residential Consumption (Million Cubic Feet)”
EU Residential Gas Use Statistics and Household Energy Shares
Eurostat’s 2024 figures use residential-sector energy-balance measures, which are not the same as U.S.-style household adoption survey estimates. Households represented 26.0% of EU final energy consumption, and natural gas accounted for 29.4% of EU household final energy.
| Geography | Natural gas share of residential final energy, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 61.0% |
| Italy | 49.2% |
| Hungary | 46.3% |
| Luxembourg | 46.0% |
| European Union | 29.4% |
The Netherlands obtained 61.0% of residential final energy from natural gas in 2024. Italy’s share was 49.2%, Hungary’s was 46.3%, and Luxembourg’s was 46.0%.
These values describe energy-balance shares, not the percentage of households owning or using a gas appliance. Eurostat, “Energy consumption in households”
Heating remained the largest household energy service in the EU. Home heating represented 61.5% of EU household final energy consumption in 2024, while space and water heating together represented 77.1% across all fuels.
Renewables supplied 32.3% of EU household space-heating consumption in 2024. That is a space-heating fuel-mix measure, not a natural-gas consumption share. Eurostat, “Energy consumption in households”
Residential Gas Access, Urbanization, and Geographic Differences
The 2020 U.S. household survey estimated that 91% of households using natural gas were located in urban areas. This classification is not a gas-network coverage rate, and the figure should not be interpreted as proof that 91% of all urban homes had gas access.
EIA also reported that 12% of U.S. households had access to natural gas but did not use it for any end use in 2020. The measure is self-reported access and use within RECS, rather than a separate infrastructure inventory. EIA, “The majority of U.S. households used natural gas in 2020”
State adoption estimates illustrate the range of household participation:
| State | Households using natural gas for at least one end use, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Utah | 90% |
| Florida | 16% |
| Hawaii | 16% |
Utah’s estimated household-use share was 90%, compared with 16% in Florida and 16% in Hawaii. These are RECS state estimates; they describe reported use for at least one end use and do not quantify consumption volume or explain why state shares differ.
Across regions, the Midwest’s estimated 74% share contrasted with 43% in the South. EIA presents that comparison as reported survey data, not as a modeled causal effect, and the RECS estimates cover 18,496 responding households. EIA, “The majority of U.S. households used natural gas in 2020”