Number of 

Buildings 

(thousand)

Total

Floorspace

(million 

square feet)

Mean 

Square Feet

per Building 

(thousand)

Median

Square Feet

per Building 

(thousand)

All Buildings .................................... 4,859 71,658 14.7 5.0

Building Floorspace

(Square Feet)

1,001 to 5,000 ................................... 2,586 6,922 2.7 2.4

5,001 to 10,000 ................................. 948 7,033 7.4 7.2

10,001 to 25,000 ............................... 810 12,659 15.6 15.0

25,001 to 50,000 ............................... 261 9,382 36.0 35.0

50,001 to 100,000 ............................. 147 10,291 70.2 67.0

100,001 to 200,000 ........................... 74 10,217 138.6 130.0

200,001 to 500,000 ........................... 26 7,494 287.6 260.0

Over 500,000 .................................... 8 7,660 937.6 700.0

Principal Building Activity

Education .......................................... 386 9,874 25.6 7.0

Food Sales ....................................... 226 1,255 5.6 2.8

Food Service ..................................... 297 1,654 5.6 3.5

Health Care ....................................... 129 3,163 24.6 6.0

 Inpatient .......................................... 8 1,905 241.4 106.0

 Outpatient ....................................... 121 1,258 10.4 6.0

Lodging ............................................. 142 5,096 35.8 12.5

Mercantile ......................................... 657 11,192 17.0 6.9

 Retail (Other Than Mall) .................. 443 4,317 9.7 4.8

 Enclosed and Strip Malls ................ 213 6,875 32.2 12.3

Office ................................................ 824 12,208 14.8 4.0

Public Assembly ............................... 277 3,939 14.2 6.7

Public Order and Safety .................... 71 1,090 15.5 5.0

Religious Worship ............................. 370 3,754 10.1 6.0

Service .............................................. 622 4,050 6.5 2.8

Warehouse and Storage ................... 597 10,078 16.9 5.2

Other ................................................ 79 1,738 21.9 4.6

Vacant .............................................. 182 2,567 14.1 3.7

Year Constructed

Before 1920 ...................................... 333 3,784 11.4 4.9

1920 to 1945 ..................................... 536 6,985 13.0 4.0

1946 to 1959 ..................................... 573 7,262 12.7 4.0

1960 to 1969 ..................................... 600 8,641 14.4 5.0

1970 to 1979 ..................................... 784 12,275 15.6 5.8

1980 to 1989 ..................................... 768 12,468 16.2 4.2

1990 to 1999 ..................................... 917 13,981 15.2 5.0

2000 to 2003 ..................................... 347 6,262 18.1 5.6

Census Region and Division

Northeast .......................................... 761 13,995 18.4 5.2

 New England .................................. 252 3,452 13.7 4.6

 Middle Atlantic ................................ 509 10,543 20.7 5.9

Midwest ............................................ 1,305 18,103 13.9 4.3

 East North Central .......................... 728 12,424 17.1 5.0

 West North Central ......................... 577 5,680 9.8 4.0

South ................................................ 1,873 26,739 14.3 5.0

 South Atlantic ................................. 926 13,999 15.1 5.0

 East South Central .......................... 360 3,719 10.3 3.6

 West South Central ......................... 587 9,022 15.4 5.0

West ................................................. 920 12,820 13.9 4.8

 Mountain ......................................... 316 4,207 13.3 5.0

 Pacific ............................................. 603 8,613 14.3 4.5

Table A1. Summary Table for All Buildings (Including Malls), 2003

Energy Information Administration

2003 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey: Building Characteristics Tables

Released: Dec 2006

Next CBECS will be conducted in 2007
Number of 

Buildings 

(thousand)

Total

Floorspace

(million 

square feet)

Mean 

Square Feet

per Building 

(thousand)

Median

Square Feet

per Building 

(thousand)

All Buildings .................................... 4,859 71,658 14.7 5.0

Table A1. Summary Table for All Buildings (Including Malls), 2003

Climate Zone: 30-Year Average

Under 2,000 CDD and --

 More than 7,000 HDD ..................... 882 11,529 13.1 4.8

 5,500-7,000 HDD ............................ 1,229 18,808 15.3 5.0

 4,000-5,499 HDD ............................ 701 12,503 17.8 4.8

 Fewer than 4,000 HDD ................... 1,336 17,630 13.2 4.5

2,000 CDD or More and --

 Fewer than 4,000 HDD ................... 711 11,189 15.7 5.0

Number of Establishments

One ................................................... 3,754 45,144 12.0 4.3

2 to 5 ................................................ 762 12,565 16.5 6.2

6 to 10 .............................................. 117 3,358 28.6 17.0

11 to 20 ............................................. 47 3,369 71.8 44.0

More than 20 ..................................... 22 5,060 227.3 75.0

Currently Unoccupied ....................... 157 2,161 13.8 2.8

See "Guide to the Tables" or "Glossary" for further explanations of the terms used in this table. Both can be 

accessed from the CBECS web site http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cbecs.

Note: Due to rounding, data may not sum to totals. 

Source: Energy Information Administration, Office of Energy Markets and End Use, Form EIA-871A of the 

2003 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey.

Energy Information Administration

2003 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey: Building Characteristics Tables

CONTINUED