Where can homeowners easily update their windows to more energy-efficient or storm-resistant models?
With home improvement season underway, Window Gnome ranked 2024’s Best Cities for Window Upgrades.
We compared the 500 biggest U.S. cities based on 3 categories. We looked at the median age of homes, number of window companies, and access to window installers and repairers. We also considered regional incentives, such as rebates, grants, and PACE financing programs.
Explore our ranking below. To learn how we ranked the cities, see our methodology.
Contents
- Rankings
- Top 5 Close Up
- The Upshot
- Behind the Ranking
- Final Thoughts: Why Should You Upgrade Your Windows?
Rankings
See how each city fared in our ranking:
Top 5 Close Up
Check out the slideshow below for highlights on each of our top 5 cities.
Median Age of Homes: 83 | Rank: 1
Number of Window Companies: 128 | Rank: 24
Window Installers and Repairers per 10,000 Households: 10 | Rank: 34
Local and State Incentive Score: 51 | Rank: 15
Photo Credit: Brittney Butler / Unsplash / Unsplash License
Median Age of Homes: 70 | Rank: 35
Number of Window Companies: 213 | Rank: 6
Window Installers and Repairers per 10,000 Households: 9.7 | Rank: 39
Local and State Incentive Score: 46 | Rank: 18
Photo Credit: BpA9543 / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Median Age of Homes: 71 | Rank: 27 (tie)
Number of Window Companies: 136 | Rank: 21
Window Installers and Repairers per 10,000 Households: 10.5 | Rank: 26
Local and State Incentive Score: 46 | Rank: 18 (tie)
Photo Credit: Chad Davis / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
Median Age of Homes: 71 | Rank: 27 (tie)
Number of Window Companies: 120 | Rank: 30
Window Installers and Repairers per 10,000 Households: 15.2 | Rank: 7
Local and State Incentive Score: 36 | Rank: 137
Photo Credit: Michael Bowman / Unsplash / Unsplash License
Median Age of Homes: 68 | Rank: 47
Number of Window Companies: 237 | Rank: 4
Window Installers and Repairers per 10,000 Households: 1.5 | Rank: 485
Local and State Incentive Score: 47 | Rank: 17
Photo Credit: Chait Goli / Pexels / Pexels License
The Upshot
Cold Midwestern cities like St. Louis (No. 1) and the Twin Cities — Minneapolis (No. 2) and St. Paul, Minnesota (No. 3) — scored at the top of our ranking with older homes and great access to window companies and installers.
Connecticut boasts the best local incentives for homeowners looking for a window upgrade. Residents of the Land of Steady Habits can utilize 2 rebate programs, 2 local PACE financing programs, or 8 other loans available to afford residential window updates.
Budding cities out West — like Henderson, Nevada (No. 495), and Goodyear, Arizona (No. 498) — finished at the bottom, near Edinburg, Texas, in last place. Energy efficiency is a primary feature of most new builds. Homes in these 3 cities are 20 years old or younger, so most homeowners don’t require a window upgrade.
Behind the Ranking
First, we determined the factors (metrics) that are most relevant to rank the Best Cities for Window Upgrades. We then assigned a weight to each factor based on its importance and grouped those factors into 3 categories: Demand, Access, and Incentives. The categories, factors, and their weights are listed in the table below.
For each of the 500 biggest U.S. cities, we then gathered data on each factor from the sources listed below the table.
Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each city to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A city’s Overall Score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories. The highest Overall Score ranked “Best” (No. 1) and the lowest “Worst” (No. 500). Note: The “Worst” among individual factors may not be No. 500 due to ties.
Sources: DSIRE, The Real Yellow Pages, and U.S. Census Bureau
Final Thoughts: Why Should You Upgrade Your Windows?
Temperature fluctuations through inefficient windows account for up to 30% of residential HVAC energy use.
As states look to decarbonize buildings, recently adopted energy codes will lead to more window and HVAC upgrades in federal housing.
Experts say the U.S. spends about $120 billion on window glass installations each year, but going window shopping has never been harder, with so many options to choose from.
Window replacements and upgrades can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars. However, there are many benefits to getting new windows — many of which are worth the upfront investment.
- Energy efficiency. An innovative type of smart glass (aka dynamic glass) regulates how much light and heat can enter the home, reducing heating and cooling costs by 20%. This type of glass is included in the Investment Tax Credit, meaning homeowners can get a credit to cover up to 30% of the costs of dynamic glass upgrades.
- Storm resistance. Impact-resistant windows, hurricane windows, or storm windows can keep you safe and comfortable throughout harsh weather conditions, just in time for National Hurricane Preparedness Week starting May 5.
- Safety. Windows are also one of the home’s largest hazards, and old windows are even more likely to break. Over 3,300 children are injured from falling out of windows every year. Parents might consider adding safety features like window guards, locks, and stops.
- Noise reduction. Soundproof windows help city dwellers get peaceful slumber.
- Airflow. If you live in a mild climate, switch to a style like jalousie windows for optimal fresh air circulation.
- Functionality. These days, homeowners can invest in automated smart windows that can crack themselves open when the weather is nice and close when it starts to rain.
- Design. Make your home stand out with interesting options like bay windows, round windows, and transom windows. (Or arched windows if you live in St. Louis.)
While you can DIY your window replacement, it can be easier to rely on the pros to get the job done right.
Hire a local Window Gnome pro to handle all your window installations, repairs, and cleaning needs.
Window Gnome is part of the Home Gnome family of home services sites.
Media Resources
Quotes from Window Gnome Editor-in-Chief Jeff Herman:
- Houston claims the most window companies, 259, followed by Denver (No. 15) and New York (No. 6).
- Billings, Montana (No. 40), Doral, Florida (No. 198), and Rapid City, South Dakota (No. 75), have the best access to window installers and repairers, with over 17 per 10,000 households.
- Cities in 16 states — such as Arizona, Florida, and Virginia — tie with the fewest local incentives for window upgrades.
- New housing is surging in 2 of the sunniest states, Texas and Florida. New windows are much more energy efficient compared with older models, so upgrades are unlikely for homeowners in these two states — unless it’s for replacement storm windows.
- 153 cities have a median home age over 50 years old. Older homes are more likely to have less insulated single-pane windows needing replacement
- Small Texas cities — Pharr (No. 499), Brownsville (No. 484), and Edinburg (No. 500) — scored among big cities such as New York (No. 6) and Los Angeles (No. 79) with the fewest window installers and repairers per 10,000 households.
Main Photo Credit: somchai20162516 / Adobe Stock / License
