Winter Home Emergency Index · 2026 edition
San Diego, CA: 88th of 100 for winter heat and burst-pipe searches
San Diego has 5.9 typical December–February searches for furnace, frozen-pipe and emergency plumber help per 1,000 households, 52% below the median city (12.3). That's less than its normal winter cold predicts (0.67x), 78th of 99 cities on this measure.
Winter in San Diego
- Search demand typically peaks in December, when it runs 1.48x the city's yearly average.
- 10% of winter searches are for urgent problems: burst or frozen pipes, no heat, emergency furnace repair.
- Emergency plumber searches add up to about 17.0 per 1,000 households a year.
- A normal December–February brings 761 heating degree days at San Diego Montgomery Field.
Homes in San Diego
- The median home was built in 1978.
- 54% of homes were built before 1980.
- 52% of households heat with gas and 38% with electricity.
- 48% of households own their home.
- 522,146 households in city limits (ACS 2023).
San Diego ranks 74th in the Summer AC Emergency Index. See San Diego's summer page.
About these numbers
Search demand from Google Ads, Oct 2022 to Sep 2026, for 30 heating and plumbing terms. Each month uses the median of that calendar month across four years. "San Diego" is the location as Google Ads defines it; households are city limits. This measures searches, not breakdowns or claims. Full methodology.
Cite: Home Stats Data, "San Diego, CA ranks 88th of 100 for winter heat and burst-pipe searches," October 24, 2026, https://homestatsdata.com/plumbing/frozen-pipe-statistics/san-diego-ca/