Where you live can matter more for your electric bill than anything you do at home. Using the EIA’s July 2026 residential prices, here are the most and least expensive states, and the ones where prices jumped the most in a year.
The short version
- Most expensive: Hawaii (48¢ per kWh), California (33.61¢), Maine (32.41¢).
- Cheapest: Louisiana (12.72¢), Nevada (12.77¢), Utah (13.12¢).
- Prices rose in 45 of 51 states and D.C. from July 2025 to July 2026. The U.S. average went from 17.45¢ to 18.31¢.
- Biggest jumps: Hawaii +22%, New Hampshire +16.7%, Maine +15.8%, New York +14%.
The 10 most expensive states
| State | July 2026 | July 2025 | Change | Avg. monthly bill (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 48.00¢ | 39.36¢ | +22.0% | $212 |
| California | 33.61¢ | 32.66¢ | +2.9% | $161 |
| Maine | 32.41¢ | 27.98¢ | +15.8% | $134 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49¢ | 30.07¢ | +1.4% | $167 |
| New York | 29.90¢ | 26.22¢ | +14.0% | $140 |
| Alaska | 28.83¢ | 27.30¢ | +5.6% | $144 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29¢ | 26.18¢ | +8.1% | $162 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60¢ | 22.79¢ | +16.7% | $145 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21¢ | 23.04¢ | +9.4% | $113 |
| New Jersey | 25.19¢ | 25.32¢ | −0.5% | $128 |
The 10 cheapest states
| State | July 2026 | July 2025 | Change | Avg. monthly bill (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72¢ | 13.12¢ | −3.0% | $141 |
| Nevada | 12.77¢ | 12.39¢ | +3.1% | $139 |
| Utah | 13.12¢ | 13.45¢ | −2.5% | $95 |
| North Dakota | 13.41¢ | 13.31¢ | +0.8% | $118 |
| Tennessee | 13.71¢ | 13.21¢ | +3.8% | $143 |
| Idaho | 13.73¢ | 12.28¢ | +11.8% | $109 |
| Nebraska | 13.78¢ | 12.84¢ | +7.3% | $110 |
| Kentucky | 13.81¢ | 13.13¢ | +5.2% | $134 |
| Arkansas | 14.33¢ | 13.26¢ | +8.1% | $129 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35¢ | 13.52¢ | +6.1% | $132 |
All 50 states and D.C. are on our electricity cost by state page, which updates when the EIA releases new figures.
A cheap rate doesn’t always mean a cheap bill
Compare Louisiana and Maine. Louisiana has the lowest price per kWh in the country, yet its average 2024 bill ($141) was higher than Maine’s ($134), where the price is two and a half times as high. The reason is usage: Louisiana homes used about 1,202 kWh a month, much of it for air conditioning, while Maine homes used far less.
So if you’re comparing places to live, look at both the price and what a typical home there actually uses. Our guide to average electric bills by state lists both.
Why some states cost so much more
The EIA lists the main factors that set electricity prices: the fuels used to generate power, the cost of building and maintaining power plants, transmission and distribution lines, weather, and state regulations. Hawaii depends heavily on imported fuel. New England and New York have high costs for both power supply and delivery. States with large amounts of low-cost generation, such as hydropower in the Northwest or natural gas in the South, tend to be cheaper.
Where prices rose fastest
- Hawaii: 39.36¢ → 48.00¢ (+22.0%)
- New Hampshire: 22.79¢ → 26.60¢ (+16.7%)
- Maine: 27.98¢ → 32.41¢ (+15.8%)
- New York: 26.22¢ → 29.90¢ (+14.0%)
- Maryland: 18.83¢ → 21.41¢ (+13.7%)
Only six places got cheaper over the year. The biggest drop was in Connecticut, from 27.60¢ to 24.16¢ (−12.5%).
Example
Priya is moving from Boston to Nashville and wants to estimate her new bill. Her apartment used about 600 kWh a month. At Massachusetts’s 30.49¢, that’s about $183. At Tennessee’s 13.71¢, the same 600 kWh would be about $82, though a hotter Tennessee summer will likely mean more air conditioning.
To price any appliance at your state’s rate, use our utility cost calculator.
States in the middle
Most states sit between 14¢ and 20¢ per kWh. A few examples from July 2026: Texas 15.88¢, Florida 15.03¢, Georgia 16.27¢, Ohio 19.45¢ and Illinois 19.22¢. The U.S. average was 18.31¢.
What the gap means in dollars
| Monthly use | Louisiana (12.72¢) | U.S. average (18.31¢) | Hawaii (48¢) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 kWh | $63.60 | $91.55 | $240.00 |
| 900 kWh | $114.48 | $164.79 | $432.00 |
| 1,200 kWh | $152.64 | $219.72 | $576.00 |
Can you choose a cheaper supplier?
In some states, including Texas and parts of the Northeast and Midwest, households can choose their electricity supplier, while the local utility still delivers the power. In most of the country, one utility serves each area and its rates are set by state regulators. If you have a choice, compare the total price per kWh including delivery, not just a promotional supply rate.
