Release date: April 2015

Revised date: May 2016

Walk-in 

units

Open 

cases or 

cabinets

Closed 

cases or 

cabinets

Large cold

storage

areas

Commercial

ice

makers

Residentialtype or

compact

units

Vending

machines

All buildings 87,093 73,645 28,361 13,712 25,988 4,171 32,734 62,381 43,936

Building floorspace (square feet)

1,001 to 5,000 8,041 5,448 1,039 294 1,034 Q 851 4,571 531

5,001 to 10,000 8,900 6,565 1,103 428 1,175 Q 1,248 5,741 1,252

10,001 to 25,000 14,105 11,012 1,837 774 2,086 Q 2,424 9,307 3,940

25,001 to 50,000 11,917 9,901 2,247 826 2,486 Q 3,017 8,558 5,558

50,001 to 100,000 13,918 12,334 5,193 2,077 4,305 718 6,276 10,393 8,174

100,001 to 200,000 12,415 11,371 5,729 2,799 4,901 825 6,236 9,530 9,288

200,001 to 500,000 10,724 10,080 6,233 3,594 5,716 1,139 7,022 8,371 8,881

Over 500,000 7,074 6,935 4,981 2,921 4,286 804 5,660 5,910 6,311

Principal building activity

Education 12,239 11,319 7,060 2,072 5,176 Q 6,152 8,956 7,666

Food sales 1,252 1,248 1,026 848 1,014 285 688 505 670

Food service 1,819 1,819 1,524 373 1,135 Q 1,338 929 207

Health care 4,155 4,060 2,332 1,508 2,082 319 2,891 3,678 3,232

 Inpatient 2,374 2,374 2,216 1,430 1,753 311 2,293 2,059 2,297

 Outpatient 1,781 1,686 Q Q 329 Q 598 1,619 936

Lodging 5,826 5,713 3,126 898 2,535 Q 4,303 4,554 4,286

Mercantile 11,330 10,328 6,088 4,785 6,465 1,200 5,554 8,831 7,074

Retail (other than mall) 5,439 4,447 1,466 1,249 1,756 Q 1,141 3,180 2,399

Enclosed and strip malls 5,890 5,881 4,622 3,536 4,709 918 4,414 5,651 4,675

Office 15,952 13,979 3,419 1,878 3,394 Q 5,458 12,888 8,853

Public assembly 5,559 4,956 1,545 816 1,495 Q 2,189 4,309 2,714

Public order and safety 1,440 1,384 Q Q Q Q 521 1,203 944

Religious worship 4,557 4,243 Q Q 775 Q 1,064 3,789 449

Service 4,630 3,626 Q N Q N Q 3,145 1,710

Warehouse and storage 13,077 8,584 848 Q 842 883 1,695 7,545 4,998

Other 2,002 1,716 369 Q 398 Q 301 1,513 936

Vacant 3,256 670 Q Q Q N Q 536 Q

Year constructed

Before 1920 3,983 3,015 667 337 757 Q 741 2,569 1,169

1920 to 1945 6,025 4,839 1,591 743 1,691 Q 1,595 4,003 2,114

1946 to 1959 7,381 6,269 2,104 689 1,743 Q 2,350 5,336 3,648

1960 to 1969 10,362 8,963 3,574 1,432 2,926 387 3,650 7,745 5,235

1970 to 1979 10,846 9,062 4,015 1,832 3,643 497 4,044 7,772 5,659

1980 to 1989 15,230 12,812 5,184 2,390 4,445 829 6,287 10,950 8,021

1990 to 1999 13,803 11,609 4,937 2,590 4,303 688 5,983 9,498 7,222

2000 to 2003 7,215 6,446 2,184 1,021 2,251 418 3,015 5,535 4,228

2004 to 2007 6,524 5,635 2,390 1,535 2,102 520 2,628 4,597 3,530

2008 to 2012 5,723 4,995 1,715 1,144 2,127 Q 2,441 4,376 3,109

Table B46. Refrigeration equipment, floorspace, 2012

Total floorspace (million square feet)

Buildings

with any

refrigeration

equipment

Type of refrigeration equipment (more than one may apply)

All

buildings
Walk-in 

units

Open 

cases or 

cabinets

Closed 

cases or 

cabinets

Large cold

storage

areas

Commercial

ice

makers

Residentialtype or

compact

units

Vending

machines

All buildings 87,093 73,645 28,361 13,712 25,988 4,171 32,734 62,381 43,936

Table B46. Refrigeration equipment, floorspace, 2012

Total floorspace (million square feet)

Buildings

with any

refrigeration

equipment

Type of refrigeration equipment (more than one may apply)

All

buildings

Census region and division

Northeast 15,534 13,612 5,870 2,771 5,523 569 5,573 11,436 8,448

New England 4,302 3,568 1,424 539 1,444 Q 1,240 3,081 1,902

Middle Atlantic 11,232 10,044 4,445 2,232 4,080 430 4,333 8,354 6,546

Midwest 18,919 16,570 6,331 2,779 6,300 972 6,598 14,257 9,673

East North Central 12,742 11,374 4,481 1,959 4,475 695 4,666 9,850 6,685

West North Central 6,178 5,196 1,850 821 1,825 Q 1,932 4,407 2,988

South 34,279 28,755 10,777 5,224 9,239 1,700 14,516 24,189 17,627

South Atlantic 17,981 15,268 6,399 3,134 4,938 1,049 7,957 13,129 9,706

East South Central 4,904 4,498 1,199 698 1,531 Q 2,457 3,747 2,702

West South Central 11,394 8,989 3,179 1,392 2,770 316 4,102 7,312 5,219

West 18,360 14,709 5,384 2,938 4,926 930 6,048 12,499 8,188

Mountain 4,981 4,179 1,898 790 1,584 Q 2,093 3,323 2,529

Pacific 13,379 10,530 3,486 2,148 3,342 676 3,955 9,176 5,659

Climate region1

Very cold/Cold 31,898 27,633 10,742 4,568 10,468 1,531 11,045 23,817 16,400

Mixed-humid 27,873 24,268 10,079 4,815 8,565 1,297 12,168 20,411 15,132

Mixed-dry/Hot-dry 12,037 9,429 2,842 1,913 2,881 554 3,441 8,210 5,131

Hot-humid 12,831 10,299 3,922 1,918 3,423 701 5,199 8,180 6,115

Marine 2,454 2,015 775 498 651 Q 881 1,762 1,157

Number of floors

One 39,809 31,001 10,649 5,883 10,051 1,931 11,581 25,926 15,933

Two 20,206 17,915 6,100 2,339 5,301 942 6,986 15,363 9,519

Three 8,140 7,152 2,393 741 2,494 Q 2,980 6,139 4,288

Four to nine 13,535 12,368 5,897 2,881 5,105 751 7,380 10,708 9,715

Ten or more 5,404 5,209 3,322 1,868 3,037 348 3,807 4,245 4,481

Number of workers (main shift)

Fewer than 5 17,751 10,252 1,110 293 1,764 Q 1,648 8,745 2,055

5 to 9 8,973 7,466 1,132 490 1,420 Q 1,553 6,349 2,088

10 to 19 9,623 8,231 1,695 470 1,750 Q 2,466 7,070 3,252

20 to 49 14,514 13,005 4,819 2,034 3,843 641 5,227 11,172 7,595

50 to 99 13,476 12,696 6,582 3,018 5,217 988 6,404 10,606 9,583

100 to 249 10,941 10,456 5,592 3,109 5,183 1,059 6,584 8,529 8,983

250 or more 11,815 11,539 7,432 4,298 6,811 994 8,852 9,909 10,379

Weekly operating hours

Fewer than 40 8,220 4,464 763 Q 889 Q 923 4,054 804

40 to 48 15,828 13,062 3,048 1,032 2,413 Q 3,721 11,544 6,037

49 to 60 20,529 17,409 4,492 1,553 4,178 409 5,866 15,168 9,750

61 to 84 15,867 14,497 6,754 4,099 6,408 1,128 7,027 12,583 9,416

85 to 167 9,395 8,480 4,133 2,352 4,352 835 4,424 6,464 5,755

Open continuously 17,253 15,732 9,171 4,541 7,748 1,409 10,772 12,566 12,173
Walk-in 

units

Open 

cases or 

cabinets

Closed 

cases or 

cabinets

Large cold

storage

areas

Commercial

ice

makers

Residentialtype or

compact

units

Vending

machines

All buildings 87,093 73,645 28,361 13,712 25,988 4,171 32,734 62,381 43,936

Table B46. Refrigeration equipment, floorspace, 2012

Total floorspace (million square feet)

Buildings

with any

refrigeration

equipment

Type of refrigeration equipment (more than one may apply)

All

buildings

Campus or complex activity

Not part of a campus or complex 52,275 45,311 16,375 7,615 14,789 2,706 18,912 38,547 24,972

Primary or secondary school 4,616 3,759 2,684 692 1,922 Q 2,060 2,912 2,736

College or university 4,068 3,703 704 381 815 Q 1,446 3,013 3,106

Office complex 3,456 2,919 768 487 637 Q 1,198 2,708 1,834

Retail complex 5,159 4,684 2,894 2,320 2,961 584 2,682 4,178 3,216

Storage complex 3,212 861 Q N Q Q Q 706 406

Religious campus or complex 1,932 1,726 Q Q 591 Q 460 1,279 Q

Health care complex 3,362 3,277 2,434 1,348 2,066 279 2,804 2,833 2,791

Lodging or resort complex 1,295 1,220 744 Q 591 Q 908 843 814

Transportation complex 554 450 198 Q Q Q 283 432 296

Government complex 2,107 1,902 576 Q 806 Q 817 1,633 1,409

Other 5,057 3,832 727 Q 622 Q 1,114 3,297 2,096

Energy sources 

(more than one may apply)

Electricity 84,869 73,645 28,361 13,712 25,988 4,171 32,734 62,381 43,936

Natural gas 58,725 53,580 24,043 11,668 21,325 3,530 26,676 45,249 34,019

Fuel oil 20,200 19,094 10,470 5,108 9,160 1,575 12,029 16,450 14,989

District heat 5,964 5,598 2,638 1,312 2,478 212 3,537 4,667 4,874

District chilled water 4,608 4,309 1,786 904 1,776 Q 2,553 3,699 3,647

Propane 7,706 7,073 3,156 1,250 2,927 569 3,598 6,004 4,254

Other 3,826 3,626 1,592 728 1,319 Q 1,663 3,016 2,528

Energy end uses 

(more than one may apply)

Buildings with space heating 80,078 71,446 27,734 13,458 25,488 3,991 32,098 60,495 43,101

Buildings with cooling 79,294 71,250 27,981 13,574 25,611 4,063 32,480 60,330 43,356

Buildings with water heating 79,015 71,439 28,290 13,673 25,856 4,139 32,576 60,306 43,096

Buildings with cooking 38,546 38,499 25,906 12,439 21,359 3,280 25,727 31,264 24,686

Buildings with manufacturing 5,078 4,517 1,009 372 1,087 Q 1,125 4,047 2,522

Buildings with electricity

generation 25,642 24,873 14,439 7,171 12,346 2,173 16,752 21,557 20,385

Refrigeration equipment

(more than one may apply)

Any refrigeration 73,645 73,645 28,361 13,712 25,988 4,171 32,734 62,381 43,936

Walk-in units 28,361 28,361 28,361 11,940 18,593 3,175 22,620 21,549 21,314

Cases or cabinets 28,719 28,719 20,388 13,712 25,988 3,084 21,298 21,701 21,232

Large cold storage areas 4,171 4,171 3,175 2,354 2,801 4,171 2,960 3,185 3,153

Commercial ice makers 32,734 32,734 22,620 11,305 19,689 2,960 32,734 27,085 25,508

Residential-type or compact units 62,381 62,381 21,549 10,918 19,696 3,185 27,085 62,381 37,171

Vending machines 43,936 43,936 21,314 11,425 19,337 3,153 25,508 37,171 43,936

No refrigeration 13,448 N N N N N N N N
Walk-in 

units

Open 

cases or 

cabinets

Closed 

cases or 

cabinets

Large cold

storage

areas

Commercial

ice

makers

Residentialtype or

compact

units

Vending

machines

All buildings 87,093 73,645 28,361 13,712 25,988 4,171 32,734 62,381 43,936

Table B46. Refrigeration equipment, floorspace, 2012

Total floorspace (million square feet)

Buildings

with any

refrigeration

equipment

Type of refrigeration equipment (more than one may apply)

All

buildings

Food preparation or serving areas 

in non-food service buildings

(more than one may apply)

Snack bar or concession stand 9,884 9,866 8,063 4,699 6,772 1,328 8,194 8,482 8,153

Fast food or small restaurant 9,787 9,787 8,456 5,648 7,783 1,364 8,187 7,913 7,954

Cafeteria or large restaurant 15,222 15,219 13,687 6,211 10,137 1,180 12,404 12,434 12,235

Commercial kitchen/

food preparation area 16,150 16,142 13,735 6,147 11,039 2,183 12,848 12,754 12,279

Small kitchen area 14,054 14,035 6,719 3,356 5,864 1,219 7,518 12,806 7,716

 1These climate regions were created by the Building America program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 

Energy (EERE). 

 Q = Data withheld either because the Relative Standard Error (RSE) was greater than 50 percent or fewer than 20 buildings were sampled.

 N = No cases in reporting sample.

 Notes: ● Because of rounding, data may not sum to totals. ● See Guide to the 2012 CBECS Detailed Tables or CBECS Terminology for definition of terms used in 

these tables and/or comparison of differences with prior CBECS tables. Both references can be accessed from 

http://www.eia.gov/consumption/commercial/data/2012/

 Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Consumption and Efficiency Statistics, Form EIA-871A of the 2012 Commercial Buildings Energy 

Consumption Survey.