Coal burning is the prevailing way of heating in winter in rural areas of northern China, especially in Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei and their surrounding areas. Regrettably, the direct burning of large amounts of bulk coal is a major contributor to the serious air pollution and frequent heavy pollution days in winter in northern China. It is urgent to find ways for promoting the smooth implementation and sustainable development of clean heating in rural areas, while ensuring affordable heating solutions for rural residents. Conducting research on the WTP of rural residents for clean heating and its influencing factors can provide greater technical support for better promoting clean heating in rural areas. Through field visits and questionnaire surveys in rural areas of Shandong, Hebei, Henan and Shaanxi provinces, data on the willingness of rural residents to pay for clean heating was obtained. A multivariate regression model was then constructed based on the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to measure and analyze the willingness of residents to pay for clean heating and its influencing factors. Findings reveal that the highest willingness to pay (WTP) was in Hebei at 2388 yuan and its lowest was observed in Shandong at 1595 yuan, with Henan and Shaanxi registering 1608 yuan and 1929 yuan, respectively. WTP is significantly negatively correlated with age and financial burden of clean heating costs after retrofit. WTP is significantly positively correlated with total household heating hours per year, total household heating area, total household income in 2023, affordable price increase, satisfaction with the overall clean heating project, satisfaction with gas (electricity) prices, satisfaction with heating equipment, and satisfaction with indoor temperature.