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      Best heat pumps for Chicago, IL

      Chicago sees about 41 nights a year at or below 20°F. A cold-climate certified model keeps the house warm without leaning on backup heat.

      A typical heat pump costs about $1,746 a year to heat a house here and $322 to cool it. A 95% gas furnace would cost $941 for the same heat.

      Cheapest to run in Chicago

      Ranked by yearly electricity cost in this climate, so the balance of heating and cooling efficiency is the one that matters here. Cold-climate certified models only.

      Running cost calculator for Chicago

      Pre-filled with Chicago's climate and Illinois prices. Pick a model, tell it what you heat with today, and add your quote.

      Heat pump $1,346/yrCosts more by $237/yrSee details ↓
      1. Where you live
      Adjust heating and cooling hours

      Filled in from your city's climate. Change them if you run the system much more or less than usual.

      2. The heat pump pick a model or type its ratings
      3. What it replaces
      4. Price replace the example with your quote
      Heat pump, per year
      $1,346
      Current system, per year
      $1,110
      Costs more per year
      $237
      Payback
      No payback
      Net after 10 years
      -$11,367

      Cooling $182Heating $1,164Electricity used: 7,093 kWhSaved vs. a minimum-efficiency heat pump: $305

      Estimates use the unit's rated SEER2 and HSPF2, full-load hours derived from NOAA 1991-2020 degree days, average residential electricity prices from the U.S. EIA (12 months to July 2026) and fuel prices from EIA (2025 for natural gas, week of 2026-10-05 for propane and heating oil). Very cold days that need backup heat are not modelled. Federal minimum for comparison: 14.3 SEER2 / 7.5 HSPF2.

      More for Chicago

      Top 5 12,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $428/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      MDV MOX430-12HFN1-MZ60W27.514.5$428
      Goodman MSH123G26MCAA27.514.5$428
      Fujitsu AOUH12KTAP131.513.7$440
      Fujitsu AOUG12LZAS129.412.9$468
      Fujitsu AOUH12KZAH130.512.7$472

      All 12,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 24,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $855/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      SLIMAIR SHC24VH2AG27.514.5$855
      MDV MOD30-24HFN10-M1X22.313.5$939
      Arcoaire D5CSHAH24AAK21.213.5$948
      Comfort-Aire A-VHP24SA-121.013.5$950
      Mainline ML24HP230NEXH-O22.313.3$951

      All 24,000 BTU mini-splits

      Top 5 3-ton central heat pumpsfrom $1,472/yr
      ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
      TOSHIBA CARRIER MCY-MUB0368HS2P-UL29.712.2$1,472
      LG KUSXA361A23.510.5$1,729
      Trane 5TWV0X36A121.010.5$1,757
      Lennox SL22KLV-036-230A20.510.5$1,763
      LG KUSXB361A22.010.3$1,774

      All 3-ton central heat pumps

      Heat pump vs. gas, propane and oilgas is cheaper to run

      Yearly cost to heat a typical house (36,000 BTU/h of heat, 2,300 full-load hours) at Illinois prices.

      • Natural gas furnace, 95% AFUE$941/yr
      • Natural gas furnace, 80% AFUE$1,118/yr
      • Propane furnace, 95% AFUE$1,743/yr
      • Heat pump (typical, 9.0 HSPF2)$1,746/yr
      • Heating oil, 85% AFUE$4,202/yr
      • Electric baseboard or furnace$4,606/yr

      Electricity and natural gas: Illinois residential averages from the U.S. EIA; propane and heating oil: latest EIA weekly prices.

      Month by monthpeak $366 in January

      Heating and cooling degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals) and what a typical 3-ton heat pump costs in each month at 19.0¢/kWh.

      MonthHeating DDCooling DDCost
      January1,2070$366
      February9880$300
      March7882$240
      April4399$136
      May17871$75
      June24222$71
      July1353$102
      August3299$87
      September59136$57
      October33220$106
      November6890$209
      December1,0450$317
      What size heat pump for a Chicago home?5 ton for 2,000 sq ft
      • 1,000 sq ft house2.5 ton · heating load 27,000 BTU/h
      • 1,500 sq ft house3.5 ton · heating load 40,500 BTU/h
      • 2,000 sq ft house5 ton · heating load 54,000 BTU/h
      • 2,500 sq ft house5+ ton · heating load 67,500 BTU/h

      Average insulation, 8 ft ceilings. Size calculator for your own home

      Questions4
      Do heat pumps work in Chicago winters?
      Chicago sees about 41 nights a year at or below 20°F. A cold-climate certified model keeps the house warm without leaning on backup heat. The average winter low is 22°F, and the heating season adds up to 5,753 heating degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals).
      How much does it cost to run a heat pump in Chicago?
      A typical 3-ton central heat pump (17.0 SEER2, 9.0 HSPF2) uses about $1,746 of electricity a year for heating and $322 for cooling in Chicago, at the Illinois average of 19.0¢/kWh. The most efficient models cost less - see the rankings above.
      Is a heat pump cheaper than a gas furnace in Chicago?
      Not on heating alone at today's prices: about $1,746 a year with a typical heat pump versus $941 with a 95% gas furnace (Illinois averages: 19.0¢/kWh, $1.08/therm). A high-HSPF2 model narrows the gap, and a heat pump also replaces the air conditioner. Against propane, oil or electric heat it is usually far cheaper.
      What size heat pump do I need for a 2,000 sq ft house in Chicago?
      With average insulation, roughly a 5-ton system: the estimated cooling load is 30,600 BTU/h and the heating load 54,000 BTU/h. Use the size calculator for your own house, and ask installers for a Manual J calculation.

      Nearby cities

      Climate: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, station CHICAGO MIDWAY AP (8 km away).