Electricity rates by state, ranked

The average residential electricity price in every US state and DC, most to least expensive, with how it's moved recently. The US average is 18.4¢/kWh — but the spread is huge: Hawaii pays 41.1¢, Idaho just 12.3¢. Pick your state for the trend and what the rate means for your bills.

#StateRatevs US avgRecent trend
1 Hawaii 41.1¢ +123% ↑ 10%
2 California 33¢ +79% ↑ 18%
3 Massachusetts 30.5¢ +66% flat
4 Connecticut 29.1¢ +58% ↑ 3%
5 Rhode Island 29¢ +58% ↑ 5%
6 Maine 28.7¢ +56% ↓ 3%
7 New York 27.5¢ +49% ↑ 44%
8 Alaska 26.6¢ +45% ↑ 10%
9 New Hampshire 25.9¢ +41% ↓ 11%
10 Vermont 23.5¢ +28% ↑ 17%
11 New Jersey 23.1¢ +26% ↑ 37%
12 District of Columbia 22.3¢ +21% ↑ 31%
13 Maryland 20.6¢ +12% ↑ 37%
14 Michigan 20.5¢ +11% ↑ 14%
15 Pennsylvania 20.2¢ +10% ↑ 16%
16 Wisconsin 18.5¢ +1% ↑ 10%
17 Illinois 18.2¢ -1% ↑ 15%
18 Ohio 17.8¢ -3% ↑ 25%
19 Delaware 17.6¢ -4% ↑ 13%
20 Indiana 16.8¢ -9% ↑ 18%
21 Alabama 16.4¢ -11% ↑ 20%
22 Colorado 16.3¢ -11% ↑ 15%
23 Minnesota 16.1¢ -12% ↑ 7%
24 Virginia 16¢ -13% ↑ 14%
25 Texas 15.8¢ -14% ↑ 16%
26 West Virginia 15.6¢ -15% ↑ 10%
27 Arizona 15.5¢ -16% ↑ 8%
28 Oregon 15.5¢ -16% ↑ 21%
29 South Carolina 15.5¢ -16% ↑ 22%
30 Florida 15.4¢ -16% ↑ 2%
31 New Mexico 15.2¢ -17% ↑ 17%
32 Kansas 15¢ -18% ↑ 14%
33 Georgia 14.9¢ -19% ↑ 10%
34 Mississippi 14.7¢ -20% ↑ 21%
35 North Carolina 14.5¢ -21% ↑ 26%
36 Wyoming 14.1¢ -23% ↑ 23%
37 Iowa 14¢ -24% ↓ 3%
38 South Dakota 14¢ -24% ↑ 10%
39 Kentucky 13.8¢ -25% ↑ 18%
40 Missouri 13.8¢ -25% ↑ 14%
41 Washington 13.8¢ -25% ↑ 29%
42 Montana 13.7¢ -26% ↑ 9%
43 Oklahoma 13.5¢ -27% ↑ 14%
44 Tennessee 13.5¢ -27% ↑ 22%
45 Nevada 13.4¢ -27% ↓ 18%
46 Utah 13.3¢ -28% ↑ 23%
47 Arkansas 13.2¢ -28% ↑ 15%
48 Louisiana 13¢ -29% ↑ 23%
49 Nebraska 12.8¢ -30% ↑ 13%
50 North Dakota 12.4¢ -33% ↑ 5%
51 Idaho 12.3¢ -33% ↑ 18%

Residential average price (¢/kWh), U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly. "Recent trend" is the change across the months in each state's chart. See methodology.

Why your rate is the number that matters

Your electricity price drives almost every home-energy decision. The more you pay per kilowatt-hour, the faster rooftop solar pays off, the cheaper an EV looks next to petrol, and the sooner a heat pump beats gas. It also decides how much your air conditioner really costs to run. Whatever your state, the cheapest kilowatt-hour is the one you don't buy — our guide to cutting your electricity bill ranks every fix by the dollars it saves.