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HVAC data for Plant City, FL

Updated September 2026 · part of the Tampa Bay outer ring data set

Plant City is a city in Hillsborough County, FL, with an estimated 40,887 residents. The Census Bureau counts 15,482 housing units here, and the median home was built in 1989. Compared with the other 13 Tampa Bay outer ring places, Plant City stands out on cooling degree days: 3,848 against a ring median of 3,593, the 2nd highest of the 14.

White multi-gabled house with a gray roof behind palms and shrubs
Stock photo, not our work and not a photo of Plant City. Photo by Trent Staats via Pexels.

Key numbers

Population
40,88715,482 housing units
Median home built
198951.2% before 1990
Heated with electricity
94.9%of occupied homes
Cooling degree days
3,848a year, base 65°F

Sources: ACS 5-Year B01003: Total Population, 2020-2024; ACS 5-Year B25035: Median Year Structure Built, 2020-2024; ACS 5-Year B25040: House Heating Fuel, 2020-2024; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Annual/Seasonal (ANN-HTDD-NORMAL, ANN-CLDD-NORMAL), 1991-2020.

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1989

Median year a home in Plant City was built

Source: ACS 5-Year B25035: Median Year Structure Built, 2020-2024.

Plant City at a glance

Population
40,887margin of error ±46ACS 5-Year B01003: Total Population, 2020-2024; retrieved 2026-09-29
Housing units
15,482ACS 5-Year B25034: Year Structure Built, 2020-2024; retrieved 2026-09-29
Median year home built
1989±2 yearsACS 5-Year B25035: Median Year Structure Built, 2020-2024; retrieved 2026-09-29
Homes built before 1990
51.2%7,927 unitsACS 5-Year B25034: Year Structure Built, 2020-2024; retrieved 2026-09-29
Homes built 2010 or later
13%2,018 unitsACS 5-Year B25034: Year Structure Built, 2020-2024; retrieved 2026-09-29
Median home value (owner-occupied)
$291,800±$15,800ACS 5-Year B25077: Median Value (Dollars), 2020-2024; retrieved 2026-09-29
Owner-occupied homes
66.4%9,700 of 14,612 occupied unitsACS 5-Year B25003: Tenure, 2020-2024; retrieved 2026-09-29
Heated with electricity
94.9%13,862 homesACS 5-Year B25040: House Heating Fuel, 2020-2024; retrieved 2026-09-29
Heated with utility gas
2.4%352 homesACS 5-Year B25040: House Heating Fuel, 2020-2024; retrieved 2026-09-29
Heated with propane or other bottled gas
0.8%110 homesACS 5-Year B25040: House Heating Fuel, 2020-2024; retrieved 2026-09-29
Heated with oil, coal, wood, solar, other or none
2%ACS 5-Year B25040: House Heating Fuel, 2020-2024; retrieved 2026-09-29
Cooling degree days per year (base 65°F)
3,848PLANT CITY, FL US, 2.1 km awayNOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Annual/Seasonal (ANN-HTDD-NORMAL, ANN-CLDD-NORMAL), 1991-2020; retrieved 2026-09-29
Heating degree days per year (base 65°F)
436PLANT CITY, FL US, 2.1 km awayNOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Annual/Seasonal (ANN-HTDD-NORMAL, ANN-CLDD-NORMAL), 1991-2020; retrieved 2026-09-29
IECC climate zone
2AHillsborough County; Hot-HumidIECC and Building America climate zones by U.S. county, IECC 2012/2015-era county assignments (gist last updated 2026-03); retrieved 2026-09-29

Housing, heating and climate figures for Plant City, FL. Updated September 2026. Download the Tampa Bay outer ring city table (CSV)

How old the homes are

51.2% of Plant City's homes were built before 1990, so most heating and cooling equipment here sits in an older housing stock.

The most common build decade is 1990 to 1999, with 2,861 homes (18.5% of the total).

Cozy yellow house on a quiet street in St. Augustine, Florida, United States
Stock photo, not our work and not a photo of Plant City. Photo by Dominik Gryzbon via Pexels.
Year structure built, Plant City housing units
  1. 2020 or later 236 homes
    1.5%
    2020 or later: 1.5% (236 homes)
  2. 2010 to 2019 1,782 homes
    11.5%
    2010 to 2019: 11.5% (1,782 homes)
  3. 2000 to 2009 2,677 homes
    17.3%
    2000 to 2009: 17.3% (2,677 homes)
  4. 1990 to 1999 2,861 homes
    18.5%
    1990 to 1999: 18.5% (2,861 homes)
  5. 1980 to 1989 2,815 homes
    18.2%
    1980 to 1989: 18.2% (2,815 homes)
  6. 1970 to 1979 2,076 homes
    13.4%
    1970 to 1979: 13.4% (2,076 homes)
  7. 1960 to 1969 713 homes
    4.6%
    1960 to 1969: 4.6% (713 homes)
  8. 1950 to 1959 1,179 homes
    7.6%
    1950 to 1959: 7.6% (1,179 homes)
  9. 1940 to 1949 626 homes
    4%
    1940 to 1949: 4% (626 homes)
  10. 1939 or earlier 517 homes
    3.3%
    1939 or earlier: 3.3% (517 homes)

Share of housing units, by decade built

Source: ACS 5-Year B25034: Year Structure Built, 2020-2024.

Show year built as a table
Year structure built, Plant City housing units
BuiltUnitsShare
2020 or later2361.5%
2010 to 20191,78211.5%
2000 to 20092,67717.3%
1990 to 19992,86118.5%
1980 to 19892,81518.2%
1970 to 19792,07613.4%
1960 to 19697134.6%
1950 to 19591,1797.6%
1940 to 19496264%
1939 or earlier5173.3%

How long the equipment lasts: ENERGY STAR says to consider replacing a heat pump or air conditioner once it is more than 10 years old. InterNACHI's Florida chart lists a central air conditioner at 5 to 12 years and calls its figures guidelines, not guarantees. In Plant City, 13,464 homes (87%) were built before 2010, so an original system still running is at least 17 years old, past both benchmarks.

Another 1,782 (11.5%) were built from 2010 to 2019, where an original system is 7 to 16 years old and crosses the 10-year line partway through that decade. The 236 homes built since 2020 (1.5%) are under 7 years old. The Census does not record replacements, so these are ages of original equipment, not a count of failing systems.

Sources: ENERGY STAR: When is it time to replace?; InterNACHI Estimated Life Expectancy Chart for Florida Homes; retrieved 2026-09-30. Home counts are the build-year bins above.

What heats the homes

Stock photo, not our work. Photo by Robert So via Pexels.

Main heating fuel, occupied homes in Plant City
Main heating fuel, occupied homes in Plant City: Electricity 94.9%, Utility gas 2.4%, Propane or other bottled gas 0.8%, Oil, coal, wood, solar, other or none 2%

Source: ACS 5-Year B25040: House Heating Fuel, 2020-2024. Electricity includes heat pumps and electric resistance heat; the Census does not separate them.

Electricity is the most common heating fuel in Plant City at 94.9% of occupied homes, followed by utility gas at 2.4%. Bottled gas heats 0.8% and other fuels 2%.

66.4% of occupied homes in Plant City are owner-occupied and 33.6% are rented.

Climate

The nearest NOAA normals station is PLANT CITY, FL US, 2.1 km from the city center. Its 1991 to 2020 normals are 3,848 cooling degree days and 436 heating degree days a year.

Cooling degree days outnumber heating degree days 8.8 to 1. Across the 14 places in the Tampa Bay outer ring data set, cooling degree days run from 3,149 (Land O' Lakes) to 3,928 (Lutz).

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Annual/Seasonal (ANN-HTDD-NORMAL, ANN-CLDD-NORMAL), 1991-2020. Degree days belong to the station, not to the city.

Plant City compared with the Tampa Bay outer ring

Cooling degree days: Plant City against the other 13 places
  1. Lutz
    3,928
    Lutz: 3,928
  2. Brandon
    3,848
    Brandon: 3,848
  3. Plant City
    3,848
    Plant City: 3,848
  4. Lakeland
    3,723
    Lakeland: 3,723
  5. Clearwater
    3,701
    Clearwater: 3,701
  6. Largo
    3,701
    Largo: 3,701
  7. Pinellas Park
    3,701
    Pinellas Park: 3,701
  8. New Port Richey
    3,486
    New Port Richey: 3,486
  9. Spring Hill
    3,478
    Spring Hill: 3,478
  10. Apollo Beach
    3,477
    Apollo Beach: 3,477
  11. Riverview
    3,477
    Riverview: 3,477
  12. Land O' Lakes
    3,149
    Land O' Lakes: 3,149
  13. Wesley Chapel
    3,149
    Wesley Chapel: 3,149
  14. Zephyrhills
    3,149
    Zephyrhills: 3,149

Cooling degree days. This is the measure on which Plant City sits closest to either end of the Tampa Bay outer ring. Reference line: ring median, 3,593.

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Annual/Seasonal (ANN-HTDD-NORMAL, ANN-CLDD-NORMAL), 1991-2020.

Show every comparison as a table
Plant City against the median of the 14 places in the Tampa Bay outer ring data set
MeasurePlant CityRing medianRank
Median year built198919909 of 14 (newest first)
Share built 2010 or later13%13%7 of 14 (highest first)
Median home value$291,800$315,4008 of 14 (highest first)
Homes heated with electricity94.9%92.4%3 of 14 (highest first)
Cooling degree days3,8483,5932 of 14 (highest first)

Licensed HVAC contractors in Plant City

Stock photo, not our work. Photo by Jan van der Wolf via Pexels.

By license type: 60 CAC, 11 CMC.

Years since the license was first issued, Plant City HVAC licenses
  1. Under 5 years 20 licenses, 19 active
    28%
    Under 5 years: 28% (20 licenses, 19 active)
  2. 5 to 9 years 11 licenses, 10 active
    15%
    5 to 9 years: 15% (11 licenses, 10 active)
  3. 10 to 19 years 18 licenses, 14 active
    25%
    10 to 19 years: 25% (18 licenses, 14 active)
  4. 20 to 29 years 15 licenses, 15 active
    21%
    20 to 29 years: 21% (15 licenses, 15 active)
  5. 30 years or more 7 licenses, 6 active
    10%
    30 years or more: 10% (7 licenses, 6 active)

Number of licenses, by years since first issued

Source: FL DBPR construction licensee extract (CONSTRUCTIONLICENSE_1.csv); retrieved 2026-10-05. Counts licenses, not companies: one business can hold several. Status and license-type codes are DBPR's own (definitions); active means Current and Active. See the A-to-Z list of licensed HVAC businesses in Plant City.

Show license years as a table
Years since the license was first issued, Plant City HVAC licenses
Licensed forLicensesShareActive
Under 5 years2028%19
5 to 9 years1115%10
10 to 19 years1825%14
20 to 29 years1521%15
30 years or more710%6

Electric utility and HVAC rebates in Plant City

Tampa Electric serves Plant City. 2 residential HVAC rebate programs are listed below.

Why we list it: Tampa Electric's service area is Hillsborough County (2,000 square miles of Hillsborough and parts of Pasco, Pinellas and Polk). Source, checked 2026-09-30.

Tampa Electric HVAC rebate programs, checked 2026-09-30
ProgramAmountEquipmentSource
Heating & Cooling Program: high-efficiency tier$550 for SEER 17.0 / SEER2 16.2Ducted heat pump; straight-cool with new natural-gas furnace (propane does not qualify); geothermal (15.0 EER). Ductless mini splits not eligible.Tampa Electric; retrieved 2026-09-30
Heating & Cooling Program: standard tier$40 for SEER 16.0 / SEER2 15.2Ducted heat pump; straight-cool with new natural-gas furnace (propane does not qualify); geothermal (14.0 EER). Ductless mini splits not eligible.Tampa Electric; retrieved 2026-09-30

Utility service is mapped city by city; a city can have other providers than the ones shown. Confirm eligibility on the utility's page before buying.

Frequently asked questions

Stock photo, not our work. Photo by Pixabay via Pexels.

What IECC climate zone is Plant City, FL in?

Plant City is in IECC climate zone 2A (Hillsborough County, Hot-Humid). Source: DOE/PNNL county climate zones.

How old are the homes in Plant City?

The median home in Plant City was built in 1989. 51.2% of homes were built before 1990 and 13% in 2010 or later. Source: ACS 5-year 2020-2024, tables B25034 and B25035.

What do most Plant City homes use for heating?

Electricity heats 94.9% of occupied homes in Plant City; utility gas heats 2.4%. Source: ACS 5-year 2020-2024, table B25040.

How many cooling degree days does Plant City get?

About 3,848 a year (base 65°F), measured at PLANT CITY, FL US, 2.1 km away. Source: NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals.

What is the median home value in Plant City?

$291,800 for owner-occupied homes (margin of error ±$15,800). Source: ACS 5-year 2020-2024, table B25077.

What share of Plant City homes are owner-occupied?

66.4% of the 14,612 occupied housing units. Source: ACS 5-year 2020-2024, table B25003.

Who supplies electricity in Plant City, and what HVAC rebates are there?

Tampa Electric serves Plant City. Tampa Electric lists 2 residential HVAC rebate programs, paying $40 to $550 depending on the program. Terms change, so confirm on the program page before you buy equipment.

Sources: Tampa Electric HVAC rebate page; Service area basis: Tampa Electric's service area is Hillsborough County (2,000 square miles of Hillsborough and parts of Pasco, Pinellas and Polk)..

How many licensed HVAC businesses are in Plant City?

61 businesses hold an active Florida air conditioning or mechanical contractor license with a Plant City business address in the state's license file (checked 2026-10-05). One business can hold several licenses. The list is A to Z, with no ratings or rankings.

Sources: Licensed HVAC contractors in Plant City, A to Z; FL DBPR construction licensee extract (CONSTRUCTIONLICENSE_1.csv).

How do I check an HVAC contractor's license in Plant City?

Search the business name or license number on the Florida DBPR license lookup. Confirm the status is current and active, that the license is an air conditioning (CAC or RA) or mechanical (CMC or RM) license, and read the expiration date.

Certified licenses (CAC, CMC) are valid statewide; registered licenses (RA, RM) are valid only in the local areas where they are registered (F.S. 489.105). Ask for the license number in writing before work starts.

Sources: Florida DBPR license lookup; DBPR license status and class codes.

What does a new AC system cost in Florida?

Homeowners reporting Florida jobs gave a median of $12,000 for a full system replacement, AC or heat pump. The middle half of reports fall between $9,400 and $15,600.

That is 55 reports, a small sample, and price moves with tonnage, ductwork and brand. Source: HVACPro analysis of 55 homeowner-reported quotes and invoices in public Reddit posts, 2025-01-01 to 2026-09-29.

Do I need a permit to replace my AC in Plant City?

Yes. The Florida Building Code (section 105.1) requires a permit to replace a mechanical system, and a central air conditioner is one. In Plant City, the City of Plant City building department handles it.

Its FAQ says a permit is required to "erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert or replace any ... mechanical or plumbing system" regulated by the Florida Building Code. A licensed contractor can apply for the permit for you; if a homeowner applies instead, Florida law requires the owner to sign the application personally (F.S. 489.103(7)). Call the department for the current fee and steps.

Checked 2026-09-30.

Sources: Florida Building Code, Building, section 105.1 (2023, 8th edition); Plant City help center FAQ; Florida Statutes 489.103.