Release date: September 2021

Revised date: December 2022

All

buildings

Space

heating Cooling

Water

heating Cooking

Manufacturing

Electricity 

generation Lighting

All buildings 5,918 4,901 4,631 4,595 1,738 322 706 5,503

Building floorspace (square feet)

1,001 to 5,000 2,833 2,229 2,033 1,984 695 139 189 2,577

5,001 to 10,000 1,359 1,093 1,032 1,053 390 56 156 1,238

10,001 to 25,000 981 869 853 848 307 65 152 948

25,001 to 50,000 386 366 363 363 159 35 80 382

50,001 to 100,000 218 208 211 209 103 17 66 217

100,001 to 200,000 93 90 90 90 55 6 37 92

200,001 to 500,000 40 39 38 39 24 3 20 40

Over 500,000 9 9 9 9 6 1 6 9

Principal building activity

Education 437 413 413 378 176 3 62 437

Food sales 163 139 157 157 101 Q 17 163

Food service 286 265 274 286 280 Q Q 286

Health care 137 136 136 136 23 Q 30 137

Inpatient 9 8 9 9 7 Q 9 9

Outpatient 129 127 128 127 16 Q 21 129

Lodging 207 199 205 205 150 Q 53 207

Mercantile 517 486 479 452 149 21 44 513

Retail (other than mall) 350 322 313 285 46 Q 15 346

Enclosed and strip malls 167 164 167 167 103 Q 29 167

Office 970 925 939 902 198 24 139 970

Public assembly 488 444 412 449 197 Q 68 488

Public order and safety 81 77 76 79 55 Q 37 81

Religious worship 439 426 421 409 275 Q 19 439

Service 867 686 512 590 49 100 106 853

Warehouse and storage 1,004 549 473 425 60 113 70 707

Other 113 78 73 78 16 14 34 103

Vacant 208 78 58 48 Q Q Q 118

Year constructed

Before 1920 329 306 253 288 125 Q 27 320

1920 to 1945 379 329 309 291 129 Q 40 362

1946 to 1959 517 462 416 430 157 38 29 478

1960 to 1969 685 598 552 573 211 23 65 663

1970 to 1979 831 661 650 635 209 58 115 784

1980 to 1989 794 668 653 632 225 34 83 752

1990 to 1999 921 724 686 634 240 47 130 824

2000 to 2009 924 729 715 699 284 53 136 839

2010 to 2018 537 425 396 412 158 38 81 481

Table B21. Energy end uses, number of buildings, 2018

Energy used for (more than one may apply)

Number of buildings (thousand)
All

buildings

Space

heating Cooling

Water

heating Cooking

Manufacturing

Electricity 

generation Lighting

All buildings 5,918 4,901 4,631 4,595 1,738 322 706 5,503

Table B21. Energy end uses, number of buildings, 2018

Energy used for (more than one may apply)

Number of buildings (thousand)

Census region and division

Northeast 793 710 585 655 242 34 140 758

New England 275 249 187 225 101 Q 63 274

Middle Atlantic 518 461 398 430 141 23 77 484

Midwest 1,719 1,417 1,209 1,284 499 106 195 1,591

East North Central 1,110 921 807 862 337 70 118 1,029

West North Central 609 497 403 422 162 36 77 562

South 2,143 1,755 1,865 1,690 615 101 236 1,981

South Atlantic 1,034 857 913 839 305 44 114 971

East South Central 347 291 295 271 97 16 36 303

West South Central 762 607 657 580 213 41 86 708

West 1,264 1,019 972 966 382 81 135 1,174

Mountain 484 391 379 354 128 38 55 430

Pacific 780 628 593 612 255 43 81 744

Climate zonea

Cold or very cold 539 456 321 405 128 31 59 499

Cool 1,727 1,442 1,211 1,325 545 106 242 1,603

Mixed mild 1,216 1,080 998 1,021 369 51 144 1,141

Warm 1,606 1,373 1,360 1,250 452 79 169 1,474

Hot or very hot 831 551 740 594 244 54 92 787

Number of workers (main shift)

Fewer than 5 3,270 2,439 2,114 2,099 727 145 246 2,859

5 to 9 1,116 1,016 1,029 1,023 355 60 124 1,113

10 to 19 713 654 676 673 289 60 102 713

20 to 49 492 476 486 485 213 36 107 492

50 to 99 201 192 199 190 87 10 65 201

100 to 249 90 89 89 89 48 8 39 90

250 or more 37 36 36 36 19 1 24 37

Weekly operating hours

Fewer than 40 1,370 1,030 882 876 353 52 67 1,186

40 to 48 1,483 1,311 1,257 1,183 291 117 188 1,464

49 to 60 1,250 1,123 1,051 1,093 334 80 139 1,231

61 to 84 645 548 540 549 238 35 80 618

85 to 167 465 370 385 379 208 26 72 406

Open continuously 705 519 517 514 312 12 161 600
All

buildings

Space

heating Cooling

Water

heating Cooking

Manufacturing

Electricity 

generation Lighting

All buildings 5,918 4,901 4,631 4,595 1,738 322 706 5,503

Table B21. Energy end uses, number of buildings, 2018

Energy used for (more than one may apply)

Number of buildings (thousand)

Ownership and occupancy

Nongovernment owned 4,982 4,103 3,861 3,850 1,457 300 510 4,588

Owner occupied 3,249 2,747 2,548 2,564 1,043 189 381 3,052

Leased to tenant or tenants 1,581 1,304 1,280 1,252 411 110 129 1,464

Unoccupied 152 52 33 Q Q N Q 72

Government owned 937 798 769 744 281 22 196 916

Federal 70 69 57 60 14 Q 7 70

State 256 206 206 205 76 1 51 246

Local 610 524 506 480 191 19 137 600

Energy sources

(more than one may apply)

Electricity 5,613 4,901 4,631 4,590 1,738 322 704 5,503

Natural gas 2,974 2,933 2,728 2,786 1,168 187 462 2,952

Fuel oil 583 561 455 501 199 52 343 583

District heat 86 85 74 84 19 1 20 86

District chilled water 55 49 55 51 10 Q 14 55

Propane 676 621 526 564 285 48 98 665

Solar 99 84 95 88 52 Q 94 97

Wood, coal, and other 180 178 122 129 34 Q 68 180

Energy end uses

(more than one may apply)

Buildings with space heating 4,901 4,901 4,390 4,367 1,653 286 671 4,869

Buildings with cooling 4,631 4,390 4,631 4,190 1,671 267 638 4,617

Buildings with water heating 4,595 4,367 4,190 4,595 1,727 256 626 4,567

Buildings with cooking 1,738 1,653 1,671 1,727 1,738 89 307 1,735

Buildings with manufacturing 322 286 267 256 89 322 37 322

Buildings with electricity

generation 706 671 638 626 307 37 706 701

Buildings with lighting 5,503 4,869 4,617 4,567 1,735 322 701 5,503

Food preparation or serving areas 

in non-food service buildings

(more than one may apply)

Snack bar, concession stand, or coffee 

shop 144 134 139 144 144 7 41 144

Fast food or small restaurant 160 156 157 160 160 Q 40 160

Cafeteria or large restaurant 129 126 123 129 127 2 43 129

Commercial kitchen or

food preparation area 284 276 274 284 283 13 85 284

Small kitchen area 1,018 975 984 1,007 1,014 49 168 1,015
All

buildings

Space

heating Cooling

Water

heating Cooking

Manufacturing

Electricity 

generation Lighting

All buildings 5,918 4,901 4,631 4,595 1,738 322 706 5,503

Table B21. Energy end uses, number of buildings, 2018

Energy used for (more than one may apply)

Number of buildings (thousand)

Separate computer areas

(more than one may apply)

Server closet 1,237 1,195 1,213 1,203 435 77 263 1,237

Data center or server farm 116 112 116 106 44 Q 55 116

Computer-based training room 228 214 227 216 111 8 69 228

Student or public computer center 236 230 225 230 117 3 59 236

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-871A of the 2018 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey 

Notes: Because of rounding, data may not sum to totals. The Guide to the 2018 CBECS Tables and CBECS Terminology contain definitions of terms used in these 

tables and comparisons between previous CBECS tables. You can access both references from http://www.eia.gov/consumption/commercial/data/2018/. 

Data are sample survey estimates with relative standard errors published in a tab on the Excel worksheet for this table.

a

Climate zones are based on ASHRAE Standard 169-2021; see https://www.eia.gov/consumption/commercial/maps.php#defined.

Q = Data withheld either because the relative standard error was greater than 50% or the reporting sample had fewer than 20 buildings.

N = No buildings in reporting sample.
RSE

Release date: September 2021

Revised date: December 2022

All

buildings

Space

heating Cooling

Water

heating Cooking

Manufacturing

Electricity 

generation Lighting

All buildings 3.9 4.1 3.9 3.9 5.0 11.3 7.4 3.9

Building floorspace (square feet)

1,001 to 5,000 4.9 5.6 5.6 5.8 8.1 21.5 13.5 5.2

5,001 to 10,000 5.9 6.6 5.9 6.3 8.7 26.0 22.0 5.8

10,001 to 25,000 5.6 5.8 5.6 5.5 8.2 18.9 12.4 5.6

25,001 to 50,000 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.7 8.1 22.9 12.5 5.5

50,001 to 100,000 5.3 5.3 5.1 5.3 6.5 15.4 7.0 5.3

100,001 to 200,000 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 6.8 15.0 7.5 5.6

200,001 to 500,000 5.0 5.1 4.8 5.0 5.0 14.8 6.0 5.0

Over 500,000 7.8 7.9 7.8 7.8 7.7 28.4 9.2 7.8

Principal building activity

Education 7.8 8.2 8.2 8.1 10.6 29.0 22.8 7.8

Food sales 14.3 15.1 14.5 14.6 17.6 45.1 36.8 14.3

Food service 7.7 7.8 7.9 7.7 7.8 32.2 30.8 7.7

Health care 9.8 9.9 9.8 9.8 18.9 46.3 17.9 9.8

Inpatient 19.4 19.7 19.4 19.4 15.8 56.7 19.4 19.4

Outpatient 10.3 10.3 10.3 10.3 26.3 46.7 23.2 10.3

Lodging 9.4 9.6 9.4 9.3 12.8 38.9 16.6 9.4

Mercantile 7.3 7.4 6.9 7.5 9.9 29.9 16.9 7.3

Retail (other than mall) 10.1 10.5 9.6 11.1 16.4 33.5 27.0 10.0

Enclosed and strip malls 7.6 7.7 7.6 7.6 11.7 53.2 19.6 7.6

Office 7.2 7.1 6.9 6.8 12.7 40.5 13.4 7.2

Public assembly 9.1 9.8 9.5 8.8 10.6 68.0 18.3 9.1

Public order and safety 20.2 20.5 21.1 20.4 24.8 50.4 22.4 20.2

Religious worship 9.5 9.8 9.8 9.5 11.6 49.2 33.1 9.5

Service 7.4 8.7 8.6 7.8 25.0 19.3 23.6 7.3

Warehouse and storage 7.4 7.3 8.6 8.6 22.4 16.7 21.0 6.8

Other 17.1 22.6 22.9 22.2 42.2 43.6 38.7 18.5

Vacant 17.2 24.4 21.0 28.8 55.7 64.2 31.5 21.8

Year constructed

Before 1920 12.8 13.0 13.7 12.7 15.7 31.4 36.4 13.0

1920 to 1945 10.7 11.8 12.5 11.8 16.0 51.5 24.8 10.8

1946 to 1959 8.1 8.3 8.1 8.8 12.9 36.5 18.5 8.3

1960 to 1969 6.4 6.1 6.4 6.6 11.7 31.9 18.3 6.3

1970 to 1979 7.4 7.5 6.8 7.6 11.7 24.1 24.0 7.2

1980 to 1989 7.0 7.3 7.3 7.1 10.9 29.5 16.1 6.7

1990 to 1999 7.5 7.4 6.9 8.1 12.2 30.6 17.1 6.9

2000 to 2009 8.0 9.2 8.7 8.6 10.5 24.5 13.5 8.5

2010 to 2018 11.0 11.8 12.2 12.4 14.8 34.6 17.9 11.2

Relative standard errors (RSEs) for Table B21. Energy end uses, number of buildings, 2018

RSEs for number of buildings

Energy used for (more than one may apply)
RSE

All

buildings

Space

heating Cooling

Water

heating Cooking

Manufacturing

Electricity 

generation Lighting

All buildings 3.9 4.1 3.9 3.9 5.0 11.3 7.4 3.9

Relative standard errors (RSEs) for Table B21. Energy end uses, number of buildings, 2018

RSEs for number of buildings

Energy used for (more than one may apply)

Census region and division

Northeast 9.9 9.6 9.3 9.6 10.5 25.9 16.5 9.8

New England 17.8 17.7 14.0 17.4 16.0 38.5 26.0 17.7

Middle Atlantic 12.0 11.6 12.0 11.3 13.6 33.5 20.6 11.8

Midwest 10.9 11.3 11.2 10.6 11.3 18.2 21.3 11.0

East North Central 13.1 12.1 13.5 12.1 14.9 21.0 15.3 12.6

West North Central 21.0 24.3 21.4 22.1 17.1 35.9 48.6 22.6

South 7.7 8.1 7.5 7.6 9.0 20.9 9.8 7.7

South Atlantic 11.0 13.0 11.0 12.0 14.4 28.4 12.8 10.9

East South Central 18.0 18.0 16.8 15.7 14.2 40.5 24.7 15.9

West South Central 14.7 12.8 13.7 12.6 15.5 38.8 19.2 14.7

West 8.1 7.5 7.3 7.7 10.7 27.5 11.9 7.8

Mountain 15.9 14.3 14.2 14.3 15.2 37.7 23.8 15.8

Pacific 9.0 8.5 8.1 9.3 14.3 40.0 11.9 8.5

Climate zonea

Cold or very cold 18.8 20.5 18.2 18.7 18.1 34.8 19.1 20.6

Cool 11.8 11.6 11.9 11.3 11.1 18.3 18.9 11.5

Mixed mild 15.1 15.1 14.9 15.0 17.4 26.4 19.6 15.3

Warm 11.4 11.6 11.4 11.6 12.4 25.7 14.6 11.2

Hot or very hot 18.8 19.5 16.4 17.6 16.5 35.3 20.2 17.2

Number of workers (main shift)

Fewer than 5 5.5 6.3 6.0 6.0 7.3 21.2 16.5 5.8

5 to 9 6.1 6.0 6.2 6.7 9.4 22.9 16.5 6.1

10 to 19 6.5 6.3 6.3 6.1 8.5 18.7 16.1 6.5

20 to 49 6.3 6.4 6.4 6.4 8.9 19.9 10.9 6.3

50 to 99 6.7 6.7 6.7 6.8 6.9 25.0 10.1 6.7

100 to 249 7.1 7.1 7.2 7.2 7.8 17.6 9.1 7.1

250 or more 7.2 7.3 7.2 7.4 7.3 22.3 8.4 7.2

Weekly operating hours

Fewer than 40 6.1 7.2 7.7 7.3 11.5 27.9 22.3 6.6

40 to 48 6.2 6.1 5.8 6.1 10.4 18.9 16.8 6.2

49 to 60 5.2 5.2 5.2 5.1 7.7 20.6 12.5 5.4

61 to 84 7.6 7.8 7.5 7.2 10.5 25.4 18.2 7.4

85 to 167 8.6 7.6 7.5 7.5 9.4 31.9 15.4 7.4

Open continuously 8.1 7.3 6.8 7.2 9.1 36.5 13.0 7.4
RSE

All

buildings

Space

heating Cooling

Water

heating Cooking

Manufacturing

Electricity 

generation Lighting

All buildings 3.9 4.1 3.9 3.9 5.0 11.3 7.4 3.9

Relative standard errors (RSEs) for Table B21. Energy end uses, number of buildings, 2018

RSEs for number of buildings

Energy used for (more than one may apply)

Ownership and occupancy

Nongovernment owned 3.8 3.8 3.5 3.7 5.2 11.2 8.3 3.6

Owner occupied 4.3 4.5 4.3 4.2 5.6 11.2 9.4 4.2

Leased to tenant or tenants 5.5 5.2 4.8 5.3 8.0 16.9 11.4 5.1

Unoccupied 20.3 31.9 31.7 33.7 108.4 0.0 58.6 26.8

Government owned 9.5 10.2 9.9 9.3 10.1 43.1 12.3 9.6

Federal 26.0 26.1 27.7 26.6 49.4 87.4 30.9 26.0

State 12.9 13.8 13.9 14.2 16.3 40.1 22.1 13.0

Local 10.1 11.0 10.6 10.0 11.6 48.5 14.2 10.2

Energy sources

(more than one may apply)

Electricity 3.9 4.1 3.9 3.9 5.0 11.3 7.3 3.9

Natural gas 4.8 4.9 4.5 4.8 5.2 13.6 7.8 4.8

Fuel oil 9.7 10.1 8.6 8.3 11.4 29.4 12.5 9.7

District heat 14.7 15.1 15.7 14.6 20.1 27.5 16.0 14.7

District chilled water 20.1 21.9 20.1 20.9 24.0 29.8 20.0 20.1

Propane 10.0 10.6 10.2 9.7 12.2 22.4 16.4 10.2

Solar 15.5 16.7 15.9 16.7 21.5 39.3 15.4 15.9

Wood, coal, and other 17.3 17.4 16.4 16.5 29.7 50.8 21.6 17.3

Energy end uses

(more than one may apply)

Buildings with space heating 4.1 4.1 4.0 4.1 5.0 11.9 7.6 4.0

Buildings with cooling 3.9 4.0 3.9 3.9 4.8 11.7 6.8 3.8

Buildings with water heating 3.9 4.1 3.9 3.9 5.0 10.6 6.4 3.9

Buildings with cooking 5.0 5.0 4.8 5.0 5.0 17.7 8.9 5.0

Buildings with manufacturing 11.3 11.9 11.7 10.6 17.7 11.3 33.2 11.3

Buildings with electricity

generation 7.4 7.6 6.8 6.4 8.9 33.2 7.4 7.3

Buildings with lighting 3.9 4.0 3.8 3.9 5.0 11.3 7.3 3.9

Food preparation or serving areas 

in non-food service buildings

(more than one may apply)

Snack bar, concession stand, or coffee 

shop 11.0 11.1 11.1 11.0 11.0 44.9 14.5 11.0

Fast food or small restaurant 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.4 9.4 57.3 18.8 9.4

Cafeteria or large restaurant 7.7 7.8 7.9 7.8 7.9 29.4 11.5 7.7

Commercial kitchen or

food preparation area 8.5 8.8 8.7 8.5 8.5 30.9 11.4 8.5

Small kitchen area 6.5 6.8 6.4 6.6 6.5 25.4 12.7 6.5
RSE

All

buildings

Space

heating Cooling

Water

heating Cooking

Manufacturing

Electricity 

generation Lighting

All buildings 3.9 4.1 3.9 3.9 5.0 11.3 7.4 3.9

Relative standard errors (RSEs) for Table B21. Energy end uses, number of buildings, 2018

RSEs for number of buildings

Energy used for (more than one may apply)

Separate computer areas

(more than one may apply)

Server closet 5.3 5.4 5.2 5.2 5.9 18.6 7.3 5.3

Data center or server farm 13.1 13.3 13.1 12.7 16.9 59.9 19.8 13.1

Computer-based training room 8.4 8.1 8.4 7.7 9.5 28.1 13.4 8.4

Student or public computer center 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.2 30.2 13.0 8.0

Data source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-871A of the 2018 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey 

Note: RSE is a measure of the reliability or precision of a survey statistic. Variability occurs in survey statistics because the different samples that could be drawn 

would each produce different values for the survey statistics. Estimation of Standard Errors and What is a Relative Standard Error (RSE)? contain more information 

on how RSEs are estimated and used. Both references can be accessed from https://www.eia.gov/consumption/commercial/survey-background-technicalinformation.php.

a

Climate zones are based on ASHRAE Standard 169-2021; see https://www.eia.gov/consumption/commercial/maps.php#defined.