I've lived all around the US, and don't think I've ever lived anywhere with central air. Well, that's not quite true: in New Mexico I had a roof mounted swamp cooler, but that's evaporative cooling and not a heat pump. Elsewhere I've occasionally had and used a portable compressor unit, but rarely. I hadn't realized air conditioning was so overwhelmingly prevalent. Based on people I know and associate with, I would have guessed less than half that rate.
I didn't quite grasp there was anything other than central air until recently in life (approaching 40). It's been the same everywhere I've traveled and lived across the US. I recall my grandmother's house having a gas floor furnace, which came in handy once during a blizzard.
I was surprised when a colleague from Minnesota who moved to the south mentioned never having air conditioning. I'd expect that in many parts of Europe. And I've sweated it out while living there, but it's extremely rare in my experience in the United States.
I've always had central air, along with a gas fireplace for emergency heat which, thankfully, I've never had to use.
I've lived all around the US, and don't think I've ever lived anywhere with central air. Well, that's not quite true: in New Mexico I had a roof mounted swamp cooler, but that's evaporative cooling and not a heat pump. Elsewhere I've occasionally had and used a portable compressor unit, but rarely. I hadn't realized air conditioning was so overwhelmingly prevalent. Based on people I know and associate with, I would have guessed less than half that rate.