Northern California Siding and Window Statistics

California homes paid an average of 31.35 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity in 2025, 82% more than the US average of 17.23 cents, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

By Heritage Exteriors · Updated 12 November 2026

Figures for homeowners, journalists and anyone planning siding or window work in Sacramento, the foothills and the rest of Northern California. Each statement names its source; most come from our own studies, where you will find the method, the full tables and a CSV.

Key numbers

64.6%of El Dorado County buildings are directly exposed to wildfireUSDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities.

43.8%of homes in Sacramento, Placer and El Dorado counties were built before 1980Census ACS 2020–2024.

0.27maximum U-factor for replacement windows in 10 of California’s 16 climate zones, including every zone in the Sacramento region, since 2026California Energy Commission, 2025 Energy Code (prescriptive).

31.35¢per kilowatt-hour, California’s average home electricity price in 2025, 82% above the USU.S. Energy Information Administration.

Wildfire exposure
Housing age
Window energy rules (2025 California Energy Code)
Electricity prices

Wildfire exposure

64.6% of El Dorado County’s 100,466 buildings are directly exposed to wildfire, the highest share of the three Sacramento-area counties. Source: USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (data file dated 15 April 2026); see our wildfire exposure study.
36.1% of Placer County’s 176,004 buildings are directly exposed to wildfire. Source: USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (data file dated 15 April 2026); see our wildfire exposure study.
10.2% of Sacramento County’s 515,783 buildings are directly exposed to wildfire, but its 52,356 directly exposed buildings are not far short of El Dorado County’s 64,951. Source: USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (data file dated 15 April 2026); see our wildfire exposure study.
Homes in El Dorado County face greater average wildfire risk than homes in 99% of US counties; Placer 98%, Sacramento 77%. Source: USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (data file dated 15 April 2026); see our wildfire exposure study.
45.6% of the 792,253 buildings in Sacramento, Placer and El Dorado counties are directly or indirectly exposed to wildfire (361,537 buildings). Source: USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (data file dated 15 April 2026); see our wildfire exposure study.
Statewide, 17.7% of California’s 12,687,368 buildings are directly exposed to wildfire. Source: USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (data file dated 15 April 2026); see our wildfire exposure study.
In six of the 32 Sacramento-area communities we serve, most buildings are directly exposed; Meadow Vista is highest at 99.2%. Source: USDA Forest Service, Wildfire Risk to Communities (data file dated 15 April 2026); see our wildfire exposure study.

Housing age

43.8% of the 872,304 homes in Sacramento, Placer and El Dorado counties were built before 1980, and 74.0% before 2000. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024, tables B25034 and B25035; see our housing-age study.
48.4% of Sacramento County’s homes were built before 1980; the median year built is 1981. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024, tables B25034 and B25035; see our housing-age study.
Placer County has the newest housing of California’s 58 counties: median year built 1994, with 28.1% built before 1980. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024, tables B25034 and B25035; see our housing-age study.
44.7% of El Dorado County’s homes were built before 1980; median year built 1983. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024, tables B25034 and B25035; see our housing-age study.
Across California, 56.0% of homes were built before 1980 (median 1976); across the US, 49.7% (median 1980). Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024, tables B25034 and B25035; see our housing-age study.

Window energy rules (2025 California Energy Code)

Replacement windows in California climate zones 1–5, 11–14 and 16 have a prescriptive maximum U-factor of 0.27, down from 0.30; zones 6–10 and 15 stay at 0.30. Source: California Energy Commission, 2025 Single-Family Residential Compliance Manual (CEC-400-2025-005).
The 2025 Energy Code applies to buildings whose permit applications are applied for on or after January 1, 2026. Source: California Energy Commission, 2025 Building Energy Efficiency Standards.
The prescriptive maximum solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) for replacement windows is 0.23 in climate zones 2, 4 and 6–15; zones 1, 3, 5 and 16 have none. Source: California Energy Commission, 2025 Single-Family Residential Compliance Manual (CEC-400-2025-005).
Up to 75 square feet of replacement windows may instead meet a U-factor of 0.40 and, in zones 2, 4 and 6–15, an SHGC of 0.35. Source: California Energy Commission, 2025 Single-Family Residential Compliance Manual (CEC-400-2025-005).
Every ZIP code area that touches Sacramento, Placer or El Dorado County is in climate zone 11, 12 or 16, all with the 0.27 U-factor limit. Source: California Energy Commission, Building Climate Zones by ZIP Code; Census 2020 ZCTA–county file; see our housing-age study.
California’s building energy code was first put into effect in 1978. Source: California Energy Commission, 2025 Single-Family Residential Compliance Manual (CEC-400-2025-005).

These are the prescriptive limits; projects can also comply through the performance method, and your building department decides what a permit needs. Our Title 24 window guide explains the paperwork.

Electricity prices

California homes paid an average of 31.35 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity in 2025, 82% more than the US average of 17.23 cents. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Annual, Table 2.10.
In 2024 the California residential average was 31.97 cents per kilowatt-hour (US 16.48 cents). Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Annual, Table 2.10.
From January to August 2026 the California residential average was 32.58 cents per kilowatt-hour, up 4.7% on the same months of 2025 (31.11 cents); the US average was 18.19 cents. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.B.

These are statewide averages across all utilities; Sacramento Municipal Utility District and PG&E customers pay different rates. The more a kilowatt-hour costs, the more each one saved by better windows or insulation is worth, but actual savings depend on the house, the windows replaced and the heating and cooling system.

How these figures were produced

Every statement on this page is generated by a script from the source data, not typed by hand. Figures from our studies are carried over from each study’s own output, and each study was checked against a second route to its source before publishing. For this page we also read the Energy Information Administration’s price tables again from its web pages (the build uses its spreadsheet downloads) and re-read every quoted Energy Code rule in the Energy Commission’s PDF and web page. All 30 checks passed.

Cite this study

Suggested citation:

Heritage Exteriors. (2026). Northern California Siding and Window Statistics. https://hexteriors.com/research/northern-california-siding-window-statistics/ Data: USDA Forest Service; U.S. Census Bureau; California Energy Commission; U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The table behind this study is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: please credit Heritage Exteriors and link to this page.

Download the data (CSV)

Every statement with its source, period and link.

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