Window Air Conditioner Prices Were About $136 Apart
Window air conditioner prices for 8,000–14,999 BTU units averaged $321.43 across 12 tracked city areas from August 17 to August 23. Smaller, under-8,000 BTU units averaged $185.32 over the same week.
That left a capacity premium of about $136, up from about $102 during August 10–16. The gap widened because the larger tier rose $30.74 while the smaller tier edged $3.66 lower.
For someone comparing window AC prices by BTU, the result is more useful than one category-wide average: the capacity tier changed both the price level and the week’s direction.
Both periods use seven daily readings for the same two capacity definitions and 12 city areas.
Window air conditioner prices moved in two directions
The 8,000–14,999 BTU tier rose from $290.69 during August 10–16 to $321.43 during August 17–23. That was a $30.74, or 10.6%, increase.
Window units under 8,000 BTU moved the other way, from $188.98 to $185.32. Subtracting the displayed weekly averages puts the earlier capacity premium at about $102 and the later one at about $136—a widening of about $34.
The six-format Air Conditioner Prices by City basket rose $60.03 between the same complete weeks. The larger window tier supplied about 51% of that increase, while the smaller tier offset $3.66 of it.
The capacity split held across nearly every city
Every city-area average for the 8,000–14,999 BTU tier moved higher. The increases ranged from 6.0% in Ridgewood/Glendale New York to 16.3% in Westside Jacksonville.
The smaller tier fell in 11 of the 12 city areas. Its declines ranged from 0.3% in Clayton and Mid-City Los Angeles to 5.7% in Rainier Valley Seattle. Westside Jacksonville was the exception, with a 3.1% increase.
The city pattern reinforced the capacity split rather than leaving it dependent on one unusually expensive market. A premium near $136 would keep the tiers well separated; a move back toward $102 would return the gap to its earlier-August level.
Follow the two live histories for larger window AC prices and smaller window AC prices, or compare all six formats in the live air conditioner price index.