Who heats with electricity where it is cold in Maryland?
22 of 24 Maryland counties average at least 4,000 heating degree days in a normal year, and 43% of their 2,307,387 occupied homes heat mainly with electricity. That is 42.6% of all 2,339,510 Maryland homes. Rank 6 of 35 by count, 5 by share. Montgomery County holds the most: 160,798 electric-heated homes at 4,628 heating degree days.
Where Maryland sits among the states
Darker is a larger share. Maryland is outlined.
Maryland: cold counties and electric heat
| Montgomery County | 387,881 | 41.5 | 160,798 | 4,628 | -7% | 16.1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prince George's County | 344,586 | 40.1 | 138,248 | 4,297 | -7% | 13.9 |
| Baltimore County | 330,151 | 36.5 | 120,582 | 4,762 | -7% | 12.1 |
| Anne Arundel County | 223,602 | 49.5 | 110,622 | 4,213 | -7% | 11.1 |
| Baltimore city | 250,608 | 31.0 | 77,580 | 4,311 | -8% | 7.8 |
| Howard County | 120,066 | 49.1 | 58,941 | 4,735 | -7% | 5.9 |
| Frederick County | 101,807 | 50.2 | 51,156 | 4,938 | -6% | 5.1 |
| Harford County | 100,271 | 42.0 | 42,130 | 4,742 | -5% | 4.2 |
| Charles County | 60,199 | 55.6 | 33,484 | 4,094 | -8% | 3.4 |
| Carroll County | 63,487 | 50.0 | 31,729 | 5,095 | -7% | 3.2 |
| Washington County | 59,411 | 51.7 | 30,717 | 5,026 | -5% | 3.1 |
| St. Mary's County | 41,743 | 59.2 | 24,729 | 4,053 | -7% | 2.5 |
| Calvert County | 33,485 | 72.4 | 24,243 | 4,164 | -8% | 2.4 |
| Wicomico County | 40,034 | 59.8 | 23,942 | 4,062 | -8% | 2.4 |
| Cecil County | 40,172 | 37.3 | 15,003 | 4,684 | -5% | 1.5 |
| Queen Anne's County | 19,637 | 64.7 | 12,704 | 4,349 | -5% | 1.3 |
| Talbot County | 16,211 | 60.1 | 9,747 | 4,155 | -6% | 1.0 |
| Allegany County | 27,436 | 28.8 | 7,896 | 5,320 | -5% | 0.8 |
| Dorchester County | 13,324 | 53.4 | 7,114 | 4,080 | -8% | 0.7 |
| Caroline County | 12,181 | 58.4 | 7,109 | 4,300 | -6% | 0.7 |
Largest 20 of 22 cold counties, ranked by electric-heated homes. The 2 smaller cold counties are in the CSV. All counties, CSV.
Where the electric-heated homes are
The 3 largest counties, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Baltimore County, hold 42% of the 996,863 electric-heated homes in Maryland cold counties. The highest electric-heat share among cold counties with 5,000+ homes is Calvert County at 72%. In the 2 milder Maryland counties the share is 62%, against 43% in the cold ones. The coldest, Garrett County, averages 6,408 heating degree days; Maryland as a whole averages 4,529 when weighted by homes.
Maryland: the 10 coldest counties
Garrett County is coldest at 6,408 heating degree days with 26% electric heat. The 10 coldest hold 522,169 electric-heated homes.
| County | Homes | Electric, % | Normal HDD | Recent HDD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett County | 12,565 | 25.6 | 6,408 | 5,975 |
| Allegany County | 27,436 | 28.8 | 5,320 | 5,063 |
| Carroll County | 63,487 | 50.0 | 5,095 | 4,749 |
| Washington County | 59,411 | 51.7 | 5,026 | 4,767 |
| Frederick County | 101,807 | 50.2 | 4,938 | 4,629 |
| Baltimore County | 330,151 | 36.5 | 4,762 | 4,439 |
| Harford County | 100,271 | 42.0 | 4,742 | 4,485 |
| Howard County | 120,066 | 49.1 | 4,735 | 4,390 |
| Cecil County | 40,172 | 37.3 | 4,684 | 4,439 |
| Montgomery County | 387,881 | 41.5 | 4,628 | 4,287 |
Maryland: where electric heat is most common
Among counties with 2,000+ homes, Calvert County is highest at 72% and Charles County is 10th at 56%.
| County | Homes | Electric, % | Normal HDD | Recent HDD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calvert County | 33,485 | 72.4 | 4,164 | 3,845 |
| Queen Anne's County | 19,637 | 64.7 | 4,349 | 4,111 |
| Worcester County | 23,827 | 62.7 | 3,986 | 3,653 |
| Somerset County | 8,296 | 61.1 | 3,931 | 3,603 |
| Kent County | 8,530 | 60.6 | 4,410 | 4,214 |
| Talbot County | 16,211 | 60.1 | 4,155 | 3,902 |
| Wicomico County | 40,034 | 59.8 | 4,062 | 3,741 |
| St. Mary's County | 41,743 | 59.2 | 4,053 | 3,767 |
| Caroline County | 12,181 | 58.4 | 4,300 | 4,032 |
| Charles County | 60,199 | 55.6 | 4,094 | 3,747 |
Winter disconnections and price in Maryland
Maryland utilities logged 0.18 disconnections per 100 residential accounts a month in December to February 2024 and 0.21 in June to August.
At the 2025 average residential price of 19.48 cents a kWh, 1,000 kWh costs 195 dollars in Maryland.
Maryland in the ranking
New York is 4th with 1,104,384 homes (14.4% of its homes). Virginia is 5th with 1,069,495 homes (32.2% of its homes). Missouri is 7th with 919,771 homes (37.0% of its homes). Illinois is 8th with 910,214 homes (18.2% of its homes).
Maryland beside 3 neighbors
| Neighbor | Electric homes | Share, % | Avg HDD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 1,297,991 | 24.8% | 5,554 |
| Virginia | 1,069,495 | 32.2% | 4,084 |
| West Virginia | 328,483 | 45.5% | 5,043 |
Look up your Maryland county
- Pick your Maryland county.
More
Sources
Questions
How many Maryland homes heat with electricity in cold counties?
996,863 homes, 42.6% of 2,339,510 occupied Maryland homes, in 22 counties averaging 4,000+ heating degree days.
Which Maryland county has the most electric-heated homes among its cold counties?
Montgomery County, with 160,798 of its 387,881 homes (42%) at 4,628 normal heating degree days.
Which Maryland county is the coldest, and how many of its homes heat with electricity?
Garrett County, at 6,408 normal heating degree days: 3,217 of 12,565 homes (26%).
How far did the last decade run from the Maryland normal?
Maryland cold counties averaged 6.6% below their 1991-2020 heating degree days over 2016-2025.