Refrigerators are nearly universal in U.S. homes, but ownership often extends to second units and separate freezers. The statistics below distinguish household survey estimates, engineering-model estimates, DOE briefing figures, and global cold-chain assessment scenarios.
Key Refrigerator Statistics
The most useful refrigerator statistics span household adoption, configurations, age, operating costs, and cold-chain infrastructure:
- In 2024, 132.11 million U.S. primary-residence housing units used a refrigerator.
- In 2024, 86.64 million U.S. primary-residence housing units had one refrigerator.
- In 2024, 45.47 million U.S. primary-residence housing units used two or more refrigerators.
- In 2024, 57.37 million U.S. housing units reported a 17.6-to-22.5-cubic-foot refrigerator as their most-used unit.
- In 2024, 64.07 million U.S. housing units reported a 22.6-to-29.5-cubic-foot refrigerator as their most-used unit.
- In 2024, 38.46 million U.S. housing units reported a two-door top-freezer refrigerator as their most-used unit.
- In 2024, 36.19 million U.S. housing units reported a two-door bottom-freezer refrigerator as their most-used unit.
- In 2024, 43.36 million U.S. housing units reported a refrigerator 5 to 9 years old as their most-used unit.
- In 2024, 6.29 million U.S. housing units reported a refrigerator at least 20 years old as their most-used unit.
- In 2024, 20.02 million U.S. housing units located a second refrigerator in the garage.
- In 2024, 48.64 million U.S. housing units used a separate freezer.
- In 2020, nearly 99% of U.S. homes had a refrigerator.
- In 2020, 34% of U.S. homes had two or more refrigerators.
- In 2020, the most-used refrigerator cost about $87 per year to operate on average in U.S. homes.
- In the 2015 RECS estimates, refrigerators accounted for 7% of electricity used in U.S. homes.
- A DOE briefing states that the United States had more than 120 million refrigerators.
- U.S. refrigerator shipments totaled 12.44 million units in 2019, according to a DOE briefing.
- The UNEP 2022 assessment identifies about 4 million refrigerated trucks in the current global cold chain.
- The UNEP assessment reports 526 million tonnes of food, about 12% of the global total, lost or wasted due to insufficient refrigeration.
Contents
- Key Refrigerator Statistics
- U.S. Household Refrigerator Ownership and Adoption
- U.S. Refrigerator Sizes and Door Configurations
- Refrigerator Age, Secondary Units and Separate Freezers
- Refrigerator Energy Use, Emissions and Operating Costs
- Commercial Cold Chains, Refrigerated Storage and Food Outcomes
U.S. Household Refrigerator Ownership and Adoption
EIA’s 2024 Residential Energy Consumption Survey estimates refrigerator use in primary-residence housing units, rather than counting individual appliances. The survey recorded 132.11 million units using a refrigerator, including 86.64 million with one refrigerator and 45.47 million using two or more.
| 2024 U.S. refrigerator use | Housing units (millions) |
|---|---|
| Used a refrigerator | 132.11 |
| Had one refrigerator | 86.64 |
| Used two or more refrigerators | 45.47 |
| Did not use a refrigerator | 0.43 |
Source: Table HC3.2 Appliances in U.S. homes, by owner or renter status, 2024. These are EIA RECS estimates for U.S. primary-residence housing units.
U.S. Refrigerator Sizes and Door Configurations
The 2024 survey shows the most-used refrigerator concentrated in medium and large size categories. Door layouts were also distributed across top-freezer, bottom-freezer, and side-by-side designs.
| Most-used refrigerator characteristic, 2024 | Housing units (millions) |
|---|---|
| Under 17.6 cubic feet | 6.09 |
| 17.6 to 22.5 cubic feet | 57.37 |
| 22.6 to 29.5 cubic feet | 64.07 |
| Over 29.5 cubic feet | 3.00 |
| Half-size or compact | 1.57 |
| Most-used door configuration, 2024 | Housing units (millions) |
|---|---|
| One-door | 12.12 |
| Two-door, top-freezer | 38.46 |
| Two-door, bottom-freezer | 36.19 |
| Two-door, side-by-side | 37.23 |
Source for both tables: Table HC3.2 Appliances in U.S. homes, by owner or renter status, 2024. Categories describe the most-used refrigerator reported by U.S. housing units and should not be read as appliance-unit sales.
Refrigerator Age, Secondary Units and Separate Freezers
Refrigerator age data show a broad installed base, from units less than two years old to units at least 20 years old. Secondary storage is also common: 20.02 million housing units placed a second refrigerator in the garage, while 48.64 million used a separate freezer.
| Age of most-used refrigerator, 2024 | Housing units (millions) |
|---|---|
| Less than 2 years | 19.60 |
| 2 to 4 years | 33.88 |
| 5 to 9 years | 43.36 |
| 10 to 14 years | 21.12 |
| At least 20 years | 6.29 |
Other 2024 EIA RECS observations include 53.48 million housing units with through-the-door ice service and 23.63 million reporting an upright as their most-used separate-freezer type. The source estimates 20.02 million housing units with a second refrigerator in the garage and 48.64 million using a separate freezer.
Source: Table HC3.2 Appliances in U.S. homes, by owner or renter status, 2024.
Refrigerator Energy Use, Emissions and Operating Costs
EIA’s 2020 summary estimated that nearly 99% of U.S. homes had a refrigerator and 34% had two or more. Average annual operating costs were about $87 for the most-used refrigerator, $66 for a second refrigerator, and $74 for a separate freezer.
| 2020 U.S. measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Homes with a refrigerator | Nearly 99% |
| Homes with two or more refrigerators | 34% |
| Midwest homes with a second refrigerator | 38% |
| Midwest homes with a separate freezer | 44% |
| Most-used refrigerator operating cost | About $87 per year |
| Second refrigerator operating cost | About $66 per year |
| Separate freezer operating cost | About $74 per year |
Sources: Electricity use in homes. The costs are 2020 estimates, not purchase prices.
The 2015 RECS engineering-model estimates attributed 7% of U.S. residential electricity to refrigerators. Within nationwide refrigeration energy, the most-used refrigerator accounted for 77% and second refrigerators accounted for 18%; EIA notes a method change compared with earlier RECS estimates.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration – Independent Statistics and Analysis.
A DOE briefing states that the United States had more than 120 million refrigerators, that 2019 shipments reached 12.44 million units, and that a representative household refrigerator consumed 1.5 to 2.0 kWh per day. The briefing estimates U.S. refrigerator energy consumption at 836 TBtu and associated annual emissions at 36.1 million tons of CO2.
Source: High-Efficiency Refrigerator with Cold Energy Storage Enabling Demand Flexibility. The briefing combines a 2023 presentation context with a 2019 shipment fact and does not separately specify every underlying stock or energy year.
Commercial Cold Chains, Refrigerated Storage and Food Outcomes
The UNEP 2022 refrigeration assessment places household appliances within a much larger global cold-chain system. Its current global cold-chain context includes about 4 million refrigerated trucks, 1.2 million refrigerated containers, and 447,000 supermarkets.
| Global cold-chain measure | Assessment estimate |
|---|---|
| Refrigerated trucks | About 4 million |
| Refrigerated containers | About 1.2 million |
| Supermarkets | About 447,000 |
| Refrigeration equipment share of supermarket power | About 45% |
| Refrigerants’ share of current cold-chain emissions | About 22% |
The assessment reports that an energy-efficient cold chain could reduce current cold-chain CO2 emissions by 47% and avoid 55% of food losses attributed to the current cold chain. FAO data cited in the assessment report 526 million tonnes of food, about 12% of the global total, lost or wasted because of insufficient refrigeration.
Source for the table and food-outcome estimates: 2022 TOC Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps Assessment Report. These are assessment estimates or scenarios; the FAO underlying measurement year is not identified in the supplied evidence.