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Reviewed · Climate: NOAA hourly records, 2015-2024 · How we calculate

Propane Tank Size Calculator: What Size Tank Do I Need?

Enter your ZIP code, your house and what runs on propane. You get the gallons a year and in the coldest month, the tank size that covers that month on one delivery, and how many deliveries a year to expect.

Inputs

Climate for Kansas City, MO, zone 4A

sq ft
% AFUE
people

1 to 5; use 5 for 5 or more.

gal

Range or dryer, if you know their use.

gal

A gas fireplace or heater; counted December to February.

Your propane tank

Updates as you type
325gallon tank

for 798 gallons a year, 144 in January

Propane use by month
MonthGallons
January144
February115
March93
April55
May33
June20
July20
August20
September26
October52
November90
December129
Show the math
Heating: 568 gal a year; hot water: 230 galUsable per delivery: tank × (80% − 25%) = 55% of the tank325 gal × 55% = 179 gal ≥ 144 in January; about 4.5 deliveries a year

Climate data: NOAA / DOE, zone 4A, design temps 92°F / 9°F, Kansas City, MO.

Estimate only: check the product’s installation instructions and your local code.

The short answer

An average 1,800 sq ft house in Minnesota with a propane furnace and water heater for four uses about 1,237 gallons of propane a year and 211 in January, so it needs a 500 gallon tank to get through January on one delivery. The same house in Georgia uses about 527 gallons a year and needs a 250 gallon tank; hot water and cooking alone fit a 120 gallon tank.

The same house in every state

An 1,800 sq ft house with average insulation, a 95% propane furnace and a propane water heater for four, in each state's climate and its largest city's water temperature.

Propane tank size for the same house in each state. Select a column heading to sort.
Alabama Huntsville3A51992250
Alaska Anchorage71,435195500
Arizona Phoenix2B37367250
Arkansas Little Rock3A590107250
California Los Angeles3B52177250
Colorado Denver5B1,057155325
Connecticut Bridgeport5A908151325
Delaware Wilmington4A741128250
District of Columbia Washington4A739129250
Florida Jacksonville2A24338120
Georgia Atlanta3A52793250
Hawaii Honolulu1A15113120
Idaho Boise5B1,024153325
Illinois Chicago5A937165325
Indiana Indianapolis4A879154325
Iowa Des Moines5A1,030182500
Kansas Wichita4A778139325
Kentucky Louisville4A724128250
Louisiana New Orleans2A36267250
Maine Portland6A1,145184500
Maryland Baltimore4A747130250
Massachusetts Boston5A944155325
Michigan Detroit5A1,014168325
Minnesota Minneapolis6A1,237211500
Mississippi Jackson3A46585250
Missouri Kansas City4A798144325
Montana Billings6B1,235171325
Nebraska Omaha5A957165325
Nevada Las Vegas3B57198250
New Hampshire Manchester5A1,098178325
New Jersey Newark4A819139325
New Mexico Albuquerque4B731120250
New York New York4A914153325
North Carolina Charlotte3A590103250
North Dakota Fargo6A1,326219500
Ohio Columbus4A886151325
Oklahoma Oklahoma City3A614113250
Oregon Portland4C834114250
Pennsylvania Philadelphia4A876148325
Rhode Island Providence5A909148325
South Carolina Charleston3A48788250
South Dakota Sioux Falls6A1,130186500
Tennessee Nashville3A639114250
Texas Houston2A38171250
Utah Salt Lake City5B1,029155325
Vermont Burlington6A1,179189500
Virginia Virginia Beach3A697121250
Washington Seattle4C881120250
West Virginia Charleston4A808137250
Wisconsin Milwaukee5A1,111187500
Wyoming Cheyenne5B1,201171325

How it works

The formula

heating (gal a month) = floor area × heat-loss factor × the month's degree days ÷ AFUE ÷ 91,452
hot water (gal a day) = gallons a day × 8.34 × (120 − cold water °F) ÷ 0.6 ÷ 91,452
tank = smallest of 120, 250, 325, 500, 1000 gal with tank × 55% ≥ the coldest month

Assumptions

  • Heating: 8, 5.5 or 3.5 BTU per square foot per degree day for poor, average or good insulation, the calibration our sister site WattSums uses for heating bills; NOAA population-weighted degree days for your state by month, 1991-2020. Propane carries 91,452 BTU a gallon (EIA).
  • Hot water: 44, 56, 68 and 72 gallons a day for 2 to 5 people, from a Florida Solar Energy Center study of 74 homes, and about 30 for one person. Heated from your county's cold-water temperature to 120°F, the U.S. Department of Energy's recommended setting, by a tank water heater with a uniform energy factor of 0.6.
  • Tank: filled to 80% of its water capacity, refilled at about 25%, so each delivery gives about 55% of the tank. We size so one delivery lasts the coldest month.
  • Households larger than five use more hot water than our five-person figure. Winter-only uses are spread evenly over December to February.
  • In very cold weather a small tank can't turn liquid into gas fast enough for a big furnace; suppliers size for that too, so check with yours. Where a tank may sit depends on its size category and whether it's above or below ground (NFPA 58 and local rules); your supplier places it.

Worked example: 1,800 sq ft in Minnesota

Average insulation, 95% propane furnace, propane water heater for four

  1. Heating: 972 gal a year, most of it November to March
  2. Hot water: 68 gal a day from about 50°F to 120°F = 264 gal a year
  3. January: 211 gal. A 500 gallon tank gives 275 gal per delivery, so it covers January; about 4.5 deliveries a year

Too big or too small

  • Too small: runouts in a cold snap. Deliveries slow down in storms, and a run-out can mean a leak check before the gas comes back on.
  • Too small: weak gas flow on very cold days for a big furnace, as the tank can't vaporize propane fast enough.
  • Too big: more cost and room. Bigger tanks cost more to buy or lease, and the largest sizes fall into a category that must sit farther from the house and lot line.
  • Lease or own? A leased tank can only be filled by its owner; an owned tank lets you shop around for price.

Questions people ask

What size propane tank do I need?

It depends on what runs on propane and how cold your winters are. Heating an average 1,800 sq ft house plus hot water for four takes about 1,237 gallons a year in Minnesota, with about 211 gallons in January, so a 500 gallon tank. In Georgia the same house uses about 527 gallons a year: a 250 gallon tank. Hot water and cooking alone fit a 120 gallon tank.

How long does a 500 gallon propane tank last?

A 500 gallon tank holds about 400 gallons when full (80%), and you'd reorder at about 25%, so each delivery gives about 275 gallons. For the Minnesota house above that's about 1.3 months in January and 4.5 deliveries a year.

Why is a propane tank only filled to 80%?

Liquid propane expands as it warms, so tanks are filled to about 80% of their water capacity to leave room. A 500 gallon tank holds about 400 gallons of propane, a 1,000 gallon tank about 800.

Is a bigger propane tank better?

A bigger tank means fewer deliveries, the chance to buy more when prices are low, and a bigger reserve in a storm. It costs more to buy or lease and needs more room; how far it must sit from the house and property line depends on its size category and whether it's above or below ground, under the national propane code (NFPA 58) and local rules. The smallest tank that gets you through the coldest month on one delivery is a sensible minimum.

How much propane does a house use a year?

Mostly for heating, so it varies hugely with climate: from about 320 gallons in Georgia to 972 in Minnesota for the example house. A propane water heater for four adds about 264 gallons a year in Minnesota's cold water.