Project Information: Interactive carbon footprint map from the CoolClimate Calculator. Find out how you compare to local averages and create a personalized climate action plan for you or your community. See info on recent Jones and Kammen paper and FAQ below.

Average Annual Household Carbon Footprint by Zip Code

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Average Household Carbon Footprint - Eastern United States









Transportation Carbon Footprint - New York Metropolitan Area







Data are from the following paper:

Christopher M. Jones and Daniel M. Kammen, Spatial Distribution of U.S. Household Carbon Footprints Reveals Suburbanization Undermines Greenhouse Gas Benefits of Urban Population Density. Environ. Sci. Technol., 2013, dx.doi.org/10.1021/es4034364

For a free copy of the paper first create an ACS account and then click here to download the paper.

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Abstract:

Which municipalities and locations within the United States contribute the most to household greenhouse gas emissions, and what is the effect of population density and suburbanization on emissions? Using national household surveys, we developed econometric models of demand for energy, transportation, food, goods, and services that were used to derive average household carbon footprints (HCF) for U.S. zip codes, cities, counties, and metropolitan areas. We find consistently lower HCF in urban core cities (40 tCO2e) and higher carbon footprints in outlying suburbs (50 tCO2e), with a range from 25 to >80 tCO2e in the 50 largest metropolitan areas. Population density exhibits a weak but positive correlation with HCF until a density threshold is met, after which range, mean, and standard deviation of HCF decline. While population density contributes to relatively low HCF in the central cities of large metropolitan areas, the more extensive suburbanization in these regions contributes to an overall net increase in HCF compared to smaller metropolitan areas. Suburbs alone account for 50% of total U.S. HCF. Differences in the size, composition, and location of household carbon footprints suggest the need for tailoring of greenhouse gas mitigation efforts to different populations.





Sponsoring organizations:

Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory

California Air Resources Board

National Science Foundation







Using the Map Data

These maps are available for free for non-profit use, if cited properly. Required minimum citation includes the source name, map name, year published, and links back to project page (or displays url). Example: "Source: UC Berkeley CoolClimate Network, Average Annual Household Carbon Footprint (2013)." If you are interested in obtaining a spreadsheet with detailed model results, please review and complete the CoolClimate Data Request Form. Once projects are completed please fill out the CoolClimate Completed Projects Form.