Home repair statistics by state

• Our survey on plumbing repairs: 3rd
• States with worst tap water: 4th
• States most at risk of flooding: 5th

Plumbing was New Jersey’s most common home repair in 2019, and the state also leads the nation for the likelihood of plumbing repair in 2020. Not only did the state have the third-most plumbing repairs in 2019, according to our survey, but it also has the fifth-highest risk of flooding and ranked fourth for worst tap water — bad tap water, especially hard water, can cause buildups in pipes.

• Our survey on plumbing repairs: 4th
• States with worst tap water: 8th
• States most at risk of flooding: 3rd

A perfect storm of our three metrics puts California at No. 2 in a list of states with residents most likely to need plumbing repairs in 2020. Not only were residents fourth-most likely to make repairs in 2019, they also have the eighth-worst tap water in the nation, and environmental factors have led to them being the state third-most at risk of flooding. All of this combines to make Californians the second-most likely to overhaul or fix their plumbing systems in 2020.

• Our survey on plumbing repairs: 16th
• States with worst tap water: 2nd
• States most at risk of flooding: 1st

Florida was only 16th out of all states when it came to the number of plumbing repairs made in 2019, but we predict residents will need more repairs in 2020. The state ended up ranking third on our survey for predicted 2020 plumbing repairs because of flooding risks and tap water quality — Florida has the second-worst tap water in the nation and is No. 1 when it comes to flooding risks. We don’t envy Florida homeowners trying to maintain their plumbing systems.

• Our survey on plumbing repairs: 2nd
• States most at risk of flooding: 7th

South Carolina’s risk of flooding and high number of plumbing repairs in 2019 contributes to it clocking in at No. 4 on our list for states we anticipate needing the most plumbing repairs in 2020. Plumbing was the most common repair in South Carolina in 2019 — as common as refrigerator, heating and electrical repairs combined.

• Our survey on plumbing repairs: 1st

Top 10 lists we found for states with worst tap water and flooding risks didn’t include Michigan. However, Michigan came at the very top of our survey for plumbing repairs in 2019 — about 36% of major home repairs in Michigan in 2019 were for plumbing systems. For this reason, we’re ranking Michiganians as fifth-most likely to make plumbing repairs in 2020.

• Our survey on plumbing repairs: 5th

Although Nevada is only the 32nd most populous in the nation, the state tied for the seventh-most plumbing repairs in the ConsumerAffairs 2019 home repairs survey. So, even though it didn’t fall into the top 10 for poor tap water or flooding risk, the state landed at the No. 6 spot for likelihood to have plumbing repairs in 2020.

• Our survey on plumbing repairs: 6th

Montana might not have many people — they’re the eighth smallest state in the U.S. by population — but the state tied for 16th in the sheer number of plumbing issues reported in the 2019 ConsumerAffairs home repairs survey. It didn’t crack the top 10 for poor tap water or risk of flooding, but the disproportionate amount of plumbing repairs in 2019 put the state for a tie at No. 7 on our list of states most at risk for plumbing issues in 2020.

• Our survey on plumbing repairs: 13th
• States with worst tap water: 5th
• States most at risk of flooding: 10th

Georgia only ranked 13th on our home repairs survey for plumbing issues, but the state has the fifth-worst tap water in the country and is in the 10th-worst position for likelihood of major flooding. Because of these factors, Georgia cracked our top 10 and made it to No. 7 most likely to need plumbing repairs in 2020.

• Our survey on plumbing repairs: 7th

Mississippians were the seventh-most likely to report fixing a major plumbing issue in the past year on our 2019 ConsumerAffairs home repair survey. In fact, it was the most common repair made in Mississippi. This was the only metric Mississippi hit on our list, but it was enough for the state to squeak into our top 10 for states most likely to need plumbing repairs in 2020.

• Our survey on plumbing repairs: 8th

Maine was the No. 8 state in terms of plumbing repairs made in 2019 — plumbing was the most common home repair in the state in 2019. Other factors like poor tap water and risk of flooding were not significant, but based on 2019 statistics, we put Maine as the state where you’re 10th most likely to have plumbing problems in 2020.

• Our 2019 survey for AC repairs: 1st
• Increase in HVAC technicians as % of population: 4th
• Hottest summers: 3rd

Florida is our No. 1 state for likelihood of AC repairs in 2020. They were No. 1 in our 2019 survey, with respondents reporting a larger number of AC repairs than any other state. Floridians reported more AC repairs than any other type of home repair in 2019. In addition to this, the state is No. 4 in the percentage increase of HVAC technicians, and it has the third-hottest summers.

• Our 2019 survey for AC repairs: 2nd
• Increase in HVAC technicians as % of population: 6th
• Hottest summers: 2nd

Everything’s bigger in Texas, and it seems like everything’s hotter, too. AC repairs were the top home repair reported by Texans on our 2019 ConsumerAffairs home repairs survey. The state has also seen a surge of HVAC technicians in recent years — the sixth-largest in the nation. Texas ranks as having the second-highest summer temperatures in the nation, behind only Louisiana. Put all these factors together, and it means Texas is ranked second for likelihood of AC repairs in 2020.

• Our 2019 survey for AC repairs: 4th
• Increase in HVAC technicians as % of population: 10th
• Hottest summers: 7th

Georgians’ No. 1 reported home repair on our 2019 ConsumerAffairs home repairs survey was AC breakdowns. According to our survey, Georgians were the fourth-most likely in the nation to make an AC repair in 2019. We predict this will increase in 2020 to third-most likely, due partly to its hot summers (the state ranks as the seventh-hottest in the nation) and an increase in the number of HVAC technicians, where Georgia placed 10th in our findings. 2020 will be another scorcher for Georgia.

• Our 2019 survey for AC repairs: 4th
• Hottest summers: 6th

The Natural State landed at No. 4 on our 2019 ConsumerAffairs home repair survey when it came to air conditioning repairs, and that’s exactly where the state lands on our 2020 prediction list. Its summers, which come at sixth-hottest in the nation, play a big factor.

• Our 2019 survey for AC repairs: 17th
• Increase in HVAC technicians as % of population: 1st
• Hottest summers: 10th

Arizona surprised us by only ranking 18th on our 2019 ConsumerAffairs home repairs survey for AC repairs. Refrigerator and electrical repairs were just as common. One metric that stood out for us, though, was the increase in HVAC technicians as a percentage of the population — Arizona ranks first in that metric. Plus, Arizona ranks 10th for the hottest summers and is one of the hottest states year-round. For these reasons, Arizona lands itself in a three-way tie for No. 5 on our list of states most likely to need AC repairs in 2020.

• Our 2019 survey for AC repairs: 16th
• Hottest summers: 1st

Louisiana landed lower than we expected on our survey for the number of AC repairs made in 2019 — Louisianans were only the 16th most likely to have made AC repairs in the past year. But one thing our final ranking took into account? The blazing hot summers in the Sugar State. Louisana ranks first in the nation for highest average summer temperatures. We predict Louisianans will be making a whole lot more AC repairs in 2020.

• Our 2019 survey for AC repairs: 3rd

AC repairs were easily the most common repair made in North Carolina in 2019, according to the 2019 ConsumerAffairs survey. North Carolinians reported making AC repairs twice as often as plumbing repairs, which were the overall most common repair nationwide. Our rankings put North Carolina residents tied at No. 5 most likely to make AC repairs in 2020.

• Our 2019 survey for AC repairs: 6th
• Hottest summers: 9th

South Carolinians had a fair amount of issues with air conditioning in 2019 — more than refrigerator repairs, heating repairs, smoke detector repairs and electrical repairs combined. The state’s residents were the sixth-most likely to report having repaired or replaced their air conditioning, according to our survey. Combine this with the fact they have the ninth-hottest summers in the nation, and we have them listed as No. 8 most likely to fix their AC systems in 2020.

• Our 2019 survey for AC repairs: 5th

Virginia may be the 12th most populous state, but they were tied for seventh when it came to the total number of AC repairs made in 2019. This disproportionate number of AC repairs ranked Virginians as the fifth-most likely in 2019 to need AC repairs in their homes. All of this puts the state’s residents at No. 9 most likely to either fix or replace their AC systems in 2020.

• Our 2019 survey for AC repairs: 8th

Minnesota isn’t known for hot summers, but they came in eighth in our survey for AC repairs in 2019. Around 30% of repairs reported from Minnesota in 2019 were AC repairs, according to our survey. So, even though the state’s summers aren’t hot and it hasn’t seen a particularly large increase in HVAC repair technicians, the state ends up 10th on our ranking for states most likely to need AC repair in 2020.

• 2019 refrigerator repairs: 6th
• Average refrigerator rating from ConsumerAffairs.com: 1.36 (50th)

There are states with higher year-round temperatures and more people per household than Nebraska, but Nebraska ranked sixth on our survey for the number of refrigerator repairs in 2019 and last in customer satisfaction with their refrigerators from ratings at ConsumerAffairs.com. That means Nebraska is tied with Tennessee and Virginia for the states most likely to need refrigerator repairs in 2020.

• 2019 refrigerator repairs: 1st
• Average refrigerator rating from ConsumerAffairs.com: 1.89 (45th)

Tennessee ranked highly on our two most important metrics for 2020 refrigerator breakdowns: past repairs in 2019 and average star rating on ConsumerAffairs.com for refrigerators. Tennessee was at the top of the list for the number of refrigerator repairs made in 2020 — the state had as many or more repairs than several states with larger populations, like Illinois and Pennsylvania. Refrigerator repairs were the most common repair made in Tennessee last year. Tennessee residents’ refrigerators also have poor ratings — just 1.89 stars, which is the sixth-worst in the country.

• 2019 refrigerator repairs: 2nd
• Average refrigerator rating from ConsumerAffairs.com: 1.83 (46th)

Like the other states tying for first, Virginia had a high number of refrigerator repairs in 2019 and poor ratings for refrigerators. It had the second-most repairs in 2019 per capita, and the fifth-lowest refrigerator rating, leading us to believe refrigerator repairs will be common in Virginia in 2020.

• 2019 refrigerator repairs: 16th
• Number of people per household: 3.13 (1st)
• Average refrigerator rating from ConsumerAffairs.com: 1.64 (49th)

Utah was 16th on our 2019 survey for refrigerator repairs. Two other factors that pushed it up into the top 10: the number of people per household and average refrigerator rating from consumers. Utah has the highest number of people per household in the country at 3.13, leading us to believe some of the state’s refrigerators might be a little more crowded than those in other states. The state also has the second-worst average rating for refrigerators. That’s why we think Utah will have the fourth-most fridge repairs in 2020.

• 2019 refrigerator repairs: 21st
• Average temperature: 2nd
• Number of people per household: 3.02 (2nd)
• Average refrigerator rating from ConsumerAffairs.com: 2.00 (40th - tie)

Although Hawaiians only ranked 21st on our 2019 survey of refrigerator repairs, they ended up ranked fifth overall as most likely to fix or replace their fridges in 2020. Why? Three reasons. One, refrigerator review rankings in their state are 40th, meaning Hawaiians are pretty dissatisfied with their refrigerators. In addition, the state is the second-hottest in the United States (after only Florida). Finally, Hawaii has the second-highest number of people per household, meaning fridges are more likely to work harder as they’re stuffed full of food.

• 2019 refrigerator repairs: 13th
• Number of people per household: 2.71 (6th - tie)
• Average refrigerator rating from ConsumerAffairs.com: 1.91 (44th)

New Jersey ranked 13th for the number of refrigerator repairs on our 2019 survey, but several other factors bumped them up to sixth for 2020. One was the number of people per household, in which the state tied for sixth. The second was the average refrigerator ratings from New Jersey residents on ConsumerAffairs.com — just 1.91 stars, or 44th out of 50 states. For this reason, we think citizens of New Jersey are the sixth-most likely to make fridge repairs in 2020.

• 2019 refrigerator repairs: 15th
• Average refrigerator rating from ConsumerAffairs.com: 1.70 (48th)

Although New Mexico doesn’t officially rank as one of the top 10 hottest states, daily highs in cities like Hobbs and Carlsbad reach the mid-90s in the summer months, and this might affect garage freezers and refrigerators. New Mexicans were 15th-most likely to replace or repair their refrigerators in 2019, according to our survey, but they’re seventh-most likely to do so in 2020. A significant factor for this is their ranking of 48th out of 50 states when it comes to refrigerator ratings on ConsumerAffairs.com with an average of 1.70, meaning New Mexico residents are largely unhappy with many of their refrigerator purchases.

• 2019 refrigerator repairs: 10th (tie)
• Average refrigerator rating from ConsumerAffairs.com: 1.96 (42nd)

Coloradans were the 10th-most likely to report having replaced or fixed their fridge in 2019, according to our consumer survey on home repairs. Reviews on ConsumerAffairs.com also highlight Coloradans' dissatisfaction with their fridges. The average star rating is just 1.96, or 42nd in the nation. With such a high number of people self-reporting fridge fixes in 2019 and the unhappiness with their current fridges, we think Coloradans are eighth-most likely to pay for refrigerator repairs in 2020.

• 2019 refrigerator repairs: 10th (tie)
• Average temperature: 5th
• Number of people per household: 2.71 (6th - tie)
• Average refrigerator rating from ConsumerAffairs.com: 2.33 (20th)

Georgians actually rated their refrigerators fairly highly in 2019 — 20th in the nation. But they were 10th most likely to repair or replace their refrigerator in 2019. Plus, the state has the fifth-highest average temperature in the nation, meaning fridges have to work more to maintain their temperature, especially refrigerators located in garages. The state also has the sixth-highest number of people per household, meaning refrigerators are more likely to be packed with food.

• 2019 refrigerator repairs: 38th
• Average temperature: 6th
• Number of people per household: 14th (2.62)
• Average refrigerator rating from ConsumerAffairs.com: 1.82 (47th)

Refrigerator repairs weren’t all that common in Mississippi in 2019 — residents were 28th-most likely to need to fix a fridge. We predict changes in 2020 due to the state’s high temperature and 2019 refrigerator ratings from consumers in the state. Mississippi is the sixth-hottest state, meaning fridges there have to make a special effort to stay cool. The ratings for refrigerators bought by Mississippians are fourth to last at just 1.82 stars. This low satisfaction when it comes to refrigerator purchases is the top factor leading us to believe Mississippi residents are the ninth-most likely in the U.S. to repair or replace their refrigerators in 2020.

• 2019 refrigerator repairs: 4th
• Average refrigerator rating from ConsumerAffairs.com: 2.11 (35th)

Oregonians are fairly displeased with their refrigerators, according to reviews from ConsumerAffairs.com. Fridges were only rated 2.11, or 35th in the nation. But the real kicker is how often Oregon residents reported replacing or fixing refrigerators in 2019 — they fixed their refrigerator more than anything else, even their plumbing systems, putting them as the fourth-most likely state to do so in 2019. Taking all this into account, we put them in a tie for ninth-most likely to fix or replace their refrigerators in 2020.

• 2019 survey results on heating system repairs: 10th
• Coldest states: 1st
• Natural gas consumption per consumer: 1st

This isn’t the most surprising result in our home repairs survey. Alaskans didn’t report many home repairs, but they did report heating issues. Even though Alaskans were only the 10th-most likely to make heating repairs to their homes in 2019, according to our consumer survey, we’re putting them at No. 1 for 2020. Deciding factors included the fact that they are the coldest state in the U.S. and that they rank first in the use of natural gas consumption, meaning their heating systems are under a lot of strain. Stay warm, Alaska!

• 2019 survey results on heating system repairs: 20th
• Coldest states: 3rd
• Home heating oil consumption: 1st

Maine residents only ranked as the 20th-most likely to make a repair to their heating system in 2019. So how did they end up ranked No. 2 on our list of 2020 predictions? Metrics like cold weather and natural gas consumption affected the ranking. Maine is the third-coldest state overall, and it tops the list of home heating oil consumption per consumer. To keep their homes warm, Mainers have to put their heating systems under a large amount of strain. For that reason, they’re tied for No. 2 on our list of states where you’re most likely to need your heating system repaired or replaced in 2020.

• 2019 survey results on heating system repairs: 6th
• Home heating oil consumption: 4th

Connecticut is tied for second on our list of states where you’re most likely to repair or replace your heating system in 2020. They were sixth-most likely to make repairs to their heating system in 2019, according to our survey. They’re also fourth in the nation for home heating oil consumption, meaning Connecticuters are going the extra mile to make sure their homes are warm during the cold season. For these reasons, they’re No. 2 in our final 2020 rankings.

• 2019 survey results on heating system repairs: 7th
• Home heating oil consumption: 5th

Massachusetts residents had different repair trends from other states in 2020 — the most common repairs nationwide were plumbing, AC and refrigerators, but Bay Staters were busy repairing and replacing their heating systems and smoke detectors. Those in Massachusetts were the seventh-most likely to make heating system repairs in 2019. Pair that with the fact the state is fifth in the nation for home heating oil consumption, and it lands at No. 4 on our final ranking for states where you’re most likely to repair or replace your home heating system in 2020.

• 2019 survey results on heating system repairs: 1st

New Yorkers were the most likely to have their heating system fixed or replaced last year, according to our 2019 consumer home repairs survey. Even though heating repairs were the fourth-most common repair made nationwide, it was the most common repair New Yorkers reported making. New York didn’t rank highly in our other metrics, so they drop down to fifth-most likely to make home heating repairs in 2020.

• 2019 survey results on heating system repairs: 2nd

In popular culture, Nevada is thought of primarily as a hot desert, but we know it can get pretty cold there — so cold, in fact, that Nevada residents were the second-most likely to report having repaired or overhauled their heating system in 2019. That alone was enough to land the state at No. 6 on our list of states where you’re most likely to make a heating system fix in 2020, even though it didn’t make an impression with the other metrics measured.

• 2019 survey results on heating system repairs: 12th
• Coldest states: 2nd

North Dakotans came in as 12th-most likely to have dealt with a heating system repair issue in 2019, according to our consumer survey. But with North Dakota coming in as the second-coldest state in the U.S., after only Alaska, we think heating systems in North Dakota will be under a lot of pressure — so much that the state is tied for seventh-most likely to need refrigerator repair or replacement in 2020.

• 2019 survey results on heating system repairs: 3rd

Maryland didn’t rank highly in our nonsurvey metrics, but the state’s residents were the third-most likely to report replacing or repairing their heating system in 2019 — a number that really jumped out to us. Although heating repairs were only the fourth-most common repair made nationwide, they were easily the top repair reported in Maryland. For this reason, they’re tied for seventh-most likely to deal with heating system repairs in 2020.

• 2019 survey results on heating system repairs: 4th

North Carolina was another state that didn’t measure highly in our nonsurvey metrics, but they came in as fourth-most likely to report having fixed or replaced their home heating systems in 2019. North Carolina is the ninth-most populous state in the country, but the state had the fifth-most number of heating repairs reported on our survey. That alone means the state clocks in as the ninth-most likely to make home heating repairs in 2020

• 2019 survey results on heating system repairs: 5th

Arkansans made a lot of home repairs in 2019 — especially heating repairs. Although Arkansas ranks as having the sixth-hottest summers in the nation, it can get cold, too. Lows in Little Rock in January average 30 degrees. Arkansas residents were the fifth-most likely to report repairing their heating systems in 2019. The state didn’t rank highly in other metrics, but it still makes our top 10 list for states where you’re most likely to need to repair or replace your home heating system in 2020.

• 2019 smoke detector repairs: 4th
• Age of homes: 3rd
• Smoke detector laws strictness rating: Very strict

Massachusetts has some of the strictest smoke detector regulations in the nation. Due to having the fourth-most repairs in 2019 and the third-oldest homes in the nation, Massachusetts residents are the most likely to replace their smoke detectors in 2020.

• 2019 smoke detector repairs: 2nd
• Age of homes: 4th
• Smoke detector laws strictness rating: Strict

Pennsylvania rated high in all our metrics. Residents were the second-most likely to report repairing or replacing a smoke detector in 2019. In fact, it was the most common repair made in Pennsylvania, even though smoke detector replacements as a whole across the country were the fifth-most common type of repair. We also discovered that Pennsylvania has the fourth-oldest homes in the country and strict smoke detector regulations, making it very likely smoke detectors will require replacement. We place the state’s residents second-most likely to repair or replace a smoke detector in 2020.

• 2019 smoke detector repairs: 9th
• Age of homes: 1st
• Smoke detector laws strictness rating: Strict

Along with having strict smoke detector regulations, New York has the oldest homes in the nation, making it likely that existing smoke detectors are out of date and need to be replaced. This is backed up by our ConsumerAffairs survey, which put New York residents as ninth-most likely to replace their smoke detectors in 2019. But, due to their strict laws and older homes, we predict New Yorkers will be even more likely to replace their smoke detectors in 2020, so we ranked them third for smoke detector replacement in the coming year.

• 2019 smoke detector repairs: 1st
• Smoke detector laws strictness rating: Strict

California residents were the most likely to replace their smoke detectors in 2019, according to our consumer survey. This, in addition to having strict smoke detector regulations, means Californians are the fourth-most likely to replace their smoke detectors in 2020.

• 2019 smoke detector repairs: 6th
• Smoke detector laws strictness rating: Strict

With strict smoke detector laws and the fact that they were sixth-most likely to replace or repair a smoke detector in 2019, Wisconsinites are the fifth-most likely to repair or replace their smoke detectors in 2020. They replaced smoke detectors as often as they fixed their plumbing. Plumbing was the most reported home repair throughout the country in 2019.

• 2019 smoke detector repairs: 3rd

Missourians were the third-most likely to make smoke detector repairs in 2019, according to our survey of self-reported repairs from consumers. The state didn’t rank highly in our other metrics, but its third-place ranking in our 2019 survey was enough to place them at No. 6 on our list of states most likely to need smoke detector replacements in 2020.

• 2019 smoke detector repairs: 5th

According to our survey, smoke detector repairs were more common for Coloradans in 2019 than plumbing or AC repairs, which were the two most common repairs nationwide. In fact, the state’s residents were the fifth-most likely to report having to deal with smoke detector issues in 2019. Colorado didn’t rank highly in factors like age of homes or smoke detector regulations, but its residents still land at seventh-most likely to repair or replace smoke detectors in 2020.

• 2019 smoke detector repairs: 7th

On our consumer survey of home repairs made in 2019, Texans reported fixing their smoke detectors more than they fixed their heating systems or refrigerators, even though refrigerator and heating repairs were more common across the country. The state doesn’t rank highly in our other metrics, but its high self-reporting of smoke detector repairs and replacements in 2019 means they end up tied for eighth-most likely to make smoke detector repairs in 2020.

• 2019 smoke detector repairs: 12th
• Smoke detector laws strictness rating: Strict

Kentucky didn’t rank in the top 10 on our 2019 survey of who was most likely to repair their smoke detectors, but we did notice that the state has strict smoke detector rules and regulations. This means more smoke detectors are needed in residents’ homes, a key factor in how often they need to be replaced. For that reason, Kentucky is eighth on our list for states where you’re most likely to need to replace a smoke detector in 2020.

• 2019 smoke detector repairs: 8th

Minnesota just barely made our top 10 list for states where residents are most likely to need to replace their smoke detector in 2020, but they do replace smoke detectors often — as often as they fixed their AC systems in 2019, according to our survey, and as often as they fixed their plumbing, refrigerators and heating systems combined. Due to this penchant for replacing smoke detectors, we have the state’s residents tied for 10th-most likely to replace their smoke detectors in 2020.

• 2019 smoke detector repairs: 7th
• Smoke detector laws strictness rating: Strict

Illinois was ranked 17th on our consumer survey of smoke detector repairs in 2019, but other factors bumped them up to a tie for 10th-most likely to replace their smoke detectors in 2020. Rules regarding smoke detectors are strict in Illinois, and the state’s homes rank seventh in the nation in age, which affects its final 2020 ranking.