Most natural gas tank water heaters sold in the USA are built here, at plants in Tennessee, Michigan, Alabama and South Carolina. Most of these brands also make propane versions of the same heaters.
A gas water heater is mostly its steel tank; its gas valve and controls are often imported. Each listing names what is known to come from elsewhere.
Best made in USA natural gas water heaters, ranked
Ranked by Made in USA level, highest first; ties are in alphabetical order. The level measures how much is made in the USA, not product quality. How the levels work
A. O. Smith makes residential and commercial water heaters, including ProLine and Signature gas and electric tank heaters, commercial tank heaters, heat pump and tankless models, and boilers; it also owns the American, State and Lochinvar brands. Founded in Milwaukee in 1874, it runs its water heater business from Ashland City, Tennessee, home of what it calls the world's largest water heater factory.
A. O. Smith's About page says its water heater business is "headquartered in Ashland City, Tennessee, home of the world's largest water heater factory," and its facilities list names US plants in Ashland City and Johnson City, Tennessee, McBee, South Carolina, El Paso, Texas, Charlotte, North Carolina and Milwaukee, plus plants in Juarez, Mexico, Nanjing, China and elsewhere. It makes no made-in-USA claim on its product pages.
Its corporate location list says Ashland City makes residential gas and electric water heaters and McBee makes commercial gas and electric water heaters, while its Juarez, Mexico plant also makes residential gas and electric water heaters, plus its heat pump and tankless models. Product pages don't say which plant built a given model; gas valves, controls and compressors are likely imported.
Production history: A. O. Smith has built water heaters in the USA for decades, at Ashland City (its largest plant), Johnson City and McBee, and makes steel cut sheets, enamel coatings and components at other Tennessee and Kentucky plants. Since 2024 its new Juarez plant makes tankless and heat pump models and some residential tanks.
Our rough estimate: imported or likely imported parts (gas valves, controls, elements) are about 15–30% of a US-built heater's value.
Level 4 for its residential gas tank water heaters: A. O. Smith builds its residential gas tank water heaters at its US plants, but its Juarez, Mexico plant makes some of the same residential models and its heat pump and tankless heaters, and product pages don't say which plant built a given model.
American Water Heaters makes residential and light commercial gas and electric tank water heaters sold through plumbing wholesalers, along with heat pump and tankless models. Part of A. O. Smith, it has its manufacturing, research and corporate offices in Johnson City, Tennessee.
American Water Heaters' About page: it "is a leading manufacturer of high-quality water heater products with manufacturing, research and development and corporate offices located in Johnson City, TN." A. O. Smith's plant list says Johnson City makes residential and light commercial gas and electric water heaters.
A 2000 profile described more than 500,000 square feet in Johnson City for tank fabrication, painting and assembly, and 2025–2026 job postings cover machine operators and engineers there. Its heat pump models are probably made at its parent's Juarez, Mexico plant, and its gas valves and controls are likely imported.
Production history: American Water Heaters has built tank water heaters in Johnson City for decades and is now an A. O. Smith brand; production there continued in 2026.
Our rough estimate: imported or likely imported parts (gas valves, controls, elements) are about 15–30% of a heater's value.
Level 4 for its residential gas tank water heaters: American Water Heaters builds its residential gas tank water heaters in Johnson City, Tennessee; its gas valves and controls are likely imported.
Bradford White makes residential and commercial gas and electric tank water heaters, AeroTherm heat pump water heaters, boilers and storage tanks, sold only through plumbing professionals. The employee-owned company is based in Ambler, Pennsylvania, and builds its water heaters in Middleville, Michigan.
Bradford White's site says: "Bradford White is an American company with its manufacturing facilities located in the United States of America. Products made by Bradford White are manufactured in the United States using the finest raw materials and components from around the world."
Its Middleville, Michigan factory bends steel into tanks and jackets, enamel-lines and foams them, and assembles heat pump water heaters, mounting their compressors there (CleanTechnica factory tour, 2024); the Alliance for American Manufacturing (2025) counts about 1,600 workers there. Its own wording says some components come from abroad; which ones (gas valves, controls, compressors) isn't stated.
Production history: Bradford White has built water heaters in Middleville for decades, bought GE's GeoSpring heat pump production in 2017 and moved it to Middleville, and in 2024–2025 bought Bock, Keltech and others; it remains employee-owned and was expanding in 2025.
Our rough estimate: imported or likely imported parts (gas valves, controls, heat pump compressors) are about 10–25% of a heater's value.
Level 4 for its residential gas water heaters: Bradford White builds its water heaters in Middleville, Michigan and says some components come from around the world.
GE Appliances makes RealMAX gas water heaters in natural gas and propane models, along with electric and GeoSpring heat pump water heaters and a full line of kitchen and laundry appliances. Owned by China's Haier since 2016 and based in Louisville, Kentucky, it builds its gas water heaters in Camden, South Carolina.
GE Appliances lists 33 RealMAX natural gas and propane models under "Gas Water Heaters Produced In America." It says "Today, the GE Appliances Camden plant produces gas water heaters," and at the plant's 2022 opening said it would make them "starting from coils of steel," with its own metal fabrication, welding and enameling.
Its electric and hybrid heat pump water heaters were made in China as of August 2025; GE plans to move them to Camden, with the first phase by early 2026. Gas valves and controls are likely imported.
Production history: GE Appliances, owned by Haier since 2016, opened its $70 million Camden water heater plant in 2022 and announced in 2025 that it would double the plant's output.
Our rough estimate: imported or likely imported parts (gas valve, controls) are about 10–25% of a heater's value.
Level 4 for its RealMAX gas tank water heaters: GE Appliances builds its RealMAX gas water heaters in Camden, South Carolina from coil steel; its electric and heat pump models were made in China.
Rheem makes residential and commercial gas and electric tank water heaters, ProTerra heat pump water heaters, tankless water heaters and heating and cooling equipment, sold under the Rheem, Ruud and Richmond names. Owned by Japan's Paloma, it is based in Atlanta and builds tank water heaters in Montgomery, Alabama.
Rheem says its Montgomery, Alabama water heater plant at Gunter Park opened in 1972 and was expanded in 1988 "to begin manufacturing commercial water heating systems." Its product pages make no made-in-USA claim, but Zoro lists "United States" as the country of origin for many Rheem residential gas, residential electric and commercial models.
Some models are made in Mexico: Zoro lists the PROPE50 electric and the PROG50 power direct vent gas heaters as made in Mexico, and a third party says its hybrid heat pump lines are manufactured in Mexico. Gas valves, controls and elements are likely imported.
Production history: Rheem has made water heaters in Montgomery since 1972 and still posts assembly and production jobs there; Paloma has owned it since 1988. In 2025 it closed the Waterbury, Connecticut plant of its Eemax tankless brand.
Our rough estimate: imported or likely imported parts (gas valves, controls, elements) are about 10–25% of a Montgomery-built heater's value.
Level 4 for its Professional Classic gas tank water heaters: Rheem builds most of its tank water heaters in Montgomery, Alabama, but some models are made in Mexico.
Tanks are made here; some parts are not. The steel tanks are formed, welded and lined in US plants, but gas valves, controls and heat pump compressors are often imported.
Check the model, not the brand. A. O. Smith makes some residential models in Juarez, Mexico, and Rheem lists some models as made in Mexico; the rating covers each brand's US-built heaters.
New American plants. GE Appliances opened its Camden, South Carolina gas water heater plant in 2022, making tanks from coils of steel.
Each listing's research notes show what was checked and when, including our rough estimate of how much of the value is imported. Ratings are rechecked as companies answer.
Gas water heater makers by state
Alabama: Rheem (Montgomery plant)
Michigan: Bradford White (Middleville plant)
South Carolina: GE Appliances (Camden plant)
Tennessee: A. O. Smith (Ashland City), American Water Heaters (Johnson City)
Change log
What's changed since our last review on February 7, 2017?
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A company may be based in the USA while making some products elsewhere. Check the manufacturer's own site for where a specific product is made.
