Winter Home Emergency Index · 2026 edition
San Francisco, CA: 78th of 100 for winter heat and burst-pipe searches
San Francisco has 7.4 typical December–February searches for furnace, frozen-pipe and emergency plumber help per 1,000 households, 40% below the median city (12.3). That's less than its normal winter cold predicts (0.68x), 77th of 99 cities on this measure.
Winter in San Francisco
- Search demand typically peaks in January, when it runs 1.96x the city's yearly average.
- 11% of winter searches are for urgent problems: burst or frozen pipes, no heat, emergency furnace repair.
- Emergency plumber searches add up to about 21.6 per 1,000 households a year.
- A normal December–February brings 1,171 heating degree days at San Francisco International Airport.
Homes in San Francisco
- The median home was built in 1945.
- 77% of homes were built before 1980.
- 56% of households heat with gas and 35% with electricity.
- 39% of households own their home.
- 362,650 households in city limits (ACS 2023).
San Francisco ranks 98th in the Summer AC Emergency Index. See San Francisco'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 Francisco" 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 Francisco, CA ranks 78th of 100 for winter heat and burst-pipe searches," October 24, 2026, https://homestatsdata.com/plumbing/frozen-pipe-statistics/san-francisco-ca/