Households＇　carbon　emissions　(HCEs)　plays　an　important　role　in　the　overall　carbon　emission　(CE)　reduction.　This　study　conducts　a　comparative　analysis　of　the　trends　and　characteristics　of　the　rural　and　urban　HCEs　in　China　in　1997-2020,　by　applying　the　environmental　input-output　(EIO)　model.　Then,　a　three-stage　SDA　model　is　applied　to　decompose　the　driving　forces　of　the　rural　and　urban　HCEs　evolution　into　population　effect,　per　capita　HCEs　effect,　expenditure　effect,　CE　intensity　effect,　energy　structure　effect,　and　energy　consumption　intensity　effect.　It　is　obtained　that　the　rural　HCEs　increases　before　2015　and　then　decreases,　but　its　per　capita　HCEs　has　always　shown　an　upward　trend.　The　urban　HCEs　has　been　increasing,　but　its　per　capita　HCEs　starts　to　decrease　after　2015.　Indirect　HCEs　accounts　for　over　80%　of　both　the　rural　and　urban　HCEs,　and　Residence,　Food　and　Tobacco,　Transportation　and　Communication　are　the　three　biggest　contributing　sectors.　To　reveal　the　driving　forces　of　the　rural　and　urban　HCEs　evolution,　this　study　conducts　phase　decomposition　analysis　with　2015　as　a　turning　point.　For　rural　HCEs,　in　1997-2015,　rural　HCEs　increased　due　to　the　dominant　expenditure　effect;　from　2015　to　2020,　the　driving　force　reversed,　leading　to　a　decline　in　rural　HCEs.　For　urban　HCEs,　the　positive　population　and　expenditure　effects　have　always　been　larger　than　the　negative　energy　structure　and　energy　consumption　intensity　effects,　resulting　growth　in　urban　HCEs.　For　urban　per　capita　HCEs,　in　1997-2015,　the　positive　expenditure　effect　is　greater　than　the　negative　CE　intensity　effect,　leading　to　an　increase　in　urban　per　capita　HCEs,　and　a　positive　urban　per　capita　HCEs　effect.　In　2015-2020,　the　driving　force　reversed,　leading　to　a　decline　in　urban　per　capita　HCEs.　Based　on　above　results,　countermeasures　to　promote　rural　and　urban　HCEs　reduction　are　discussed.