Cheapest electricity by state

North Dakota had the cheapest residential electricity over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026), at 12.35¢ per kWh, followed by Nebraska (12.74¢ per kWh) and Idaho (12.77¢ per kWh). Hawaii was the most expensive at 44.27¢ per kWh, ahead of California (32.34¢ per kWh¹).

Residential ¢/kWh, 12 months by state

Source: EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state; Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, states. Darker states are higher; DC is the dot. Residential revenue divided by kilowatt-hours sold over the 12 months 2025-09 to 2026-08 (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary). Average revenue per kWh, all charges included; not a tariff. Period: September 2025 to August 2026.

Full table ↓

The ranking, and why it uses 12 months

Residential average price, last 12 months: all 50 states and DC

1	North Dakota	12.35¢	13.31¢	11.82¢	+6.6%
2	Nebraska	12.74¢	13.54¢	12.05¢	+7.2%
3	Idaho	12.77¢	13.37¢	11.83¢	+9.8%
4	Louisiana	13.02¢	12.87¢	12.52¢	+5.3%
5	Utah	13.26¢	13.31¢	13.02¢	+3.5%
6	Nevada	13.45¢	12.72¢	13.26¢	−0.7%
7	Arkansas	13.57¢	14.37¢	12.87¢	+7.2%
8	Tennessee	13.61¢	13.42¢	13.22¢	+3.7%
9	Oklahoma	13.81¢	14.82¢	13.21¢	+6.3%
=10	Kentucky	13.94¢	13.80¢	13.13¢	+6.8%
=10	Montana	13.94¢	15.57¢	12.99¢	+9.5%
12	Missouri	13.97¢	16.02¢	13.30¢	+6.1%
13	Wyoming	14.01¢	14.43¢	13.37¢	+7.5%
=14	Iowa	14.20¢	17.06¢	13.62¢	+4.9%
=14	Washington	14.20¢	14.63¢	13.17¢	+11.9%
16	South Dakota	14.28¢	15.15¢	13.32¢	+8.2%
17	North Carolina	14.79¢	14.95¢	14.00¢	+5.5%
18	Mississippi	14.85¢	14.43¢	14.03¢	+7.8%
19	Kansas	15.13¢	15.47¢	14.44¢	+5.9%
20	Georgia	15.17¢	15.90¢	14.74¢	+4.4%
21	New Mexico	15.31¢	16.51¢	14.85¢	+5.0%
22	Arizona	15.39¢	15.05¢	15.26¢	+1.7%
23	Florida	15.41¢	14.99¢	15.21¢	+4.4%
=24	Oregon	15.53¢	15.92¢	15.46¢	+2.2%
=24	West Virginia	15.53¢	16.31¢	15.39¢	+0.9%
26	South Carolina	15.77¢	15.76¢	15.12¢	+5.5%
27	Texas	15.98¢	15.91¢	15.40¢	+4.8%
28	Minnesota	16.28¢	17.20¢	15.83¢	+4.2%
29	Alabama	16.44¢	16.33¢	16.09¢	+3.9%
30	Colorado	16.61¢	17.17¢	15.69¢	+7.9%
31	Virginia	16.64¢	17.64¢	15.28¢	+11.5%
32	Indiana	16.90¢	17.02¢	15.96¢	+8.8%
33	Delaware	17.98¢	18.70¢	17.15¢	+6.1%
34	Ohio	18.41¢	19.38¢	16.90¢	+11.7%
35	Wisconsin	18.79¢	19.41¢	18.08¢	+6.1%
36	Illinois	18.91¢	19.32¢	17.67¢	+10.6%
37	Pennsylvania	20.86¢	21.77¢	19.29¢	+12.3%
38	Maryland	21.18¢	21.40¢	19.53¢	+12.7%
39	Michigan	21.28¢	22.99¢	20.03¢	+8.0%
40	New Jersey	23.74¢	24.61¢	22.48¢	+10.2%
41	Vermont	23.90¢	23.84¢	22.79¢	+6.0%
42	District of Columbia	24.48¢	25.98¢	21.92¢	+19.8%
43	Alaska	26.94¢	29.41¢	26.11¢	+5.0%
44	New Hampshire	26.95¢	27.64¢	24.53¢	+13.8%
45	Connecticut	27.42¢	24.51¢	29.31¢	−9.0%
46	New York	28.60¢	28.65¢	26.39¢	+11.2%
47	Rhode Island	29.44¢	28.18¢	29.48¢	+1.2%
48	Maine	29.60¢	32.11¢	27.69¢	+9.7%
49	Massachusetts	30.39¢	30.48¢	30.41¢	+0.8%
50	California	32.34¢	29.75¢	31.35¢	+3.7%
51	Hawaii	44.27¢	47.18¢	40.40¢	+8.8%
	United States	18.04¢	18.16¢	17.23¢	+6.5%

Source: EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state; EIA, Historical state data, annual sales, revenue and customers. Rank 1 is the lowest value. Residential revenue divided by kilowatt-hours sold over the 12 months 2025-09 to 2026-08 (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary). Average revenue per kWh, all charges included; not a tariff. Period: September 2025 to August 2026.

The table ranks the 50 states and DC by the average residential price over the 12 months from September 2025 to August 2026: total residential revenue divided by kilowatt-hours sold, from EIA's monthly survey. It is the fairest single number because every season is counted once. Next to it are the latest month (August 2026¹), the 2025 annual average from EIA's final census, and the change from the previous 12 months.

A single month mostly measures the season. In August 2026, Nevada's residential price (12.72¢ per kWh) ranked the lowest among the states. Over the full 12 months it ranked 6th lowest (13.45¢ per kWh¹), and in 2025 it ranked 12th lowest³. Our analysis of why rankings disagree shows how far the order moves from month to month.

The cheapest states

The ten lowest-priced states over the last 12 months were North Dakota, Nebraska, Idaho, Louisiana, Utah, Nevada, Arkansas, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Montana, all between 12.35¢ per kWh and 13.94¢ per kWh. They share some traits visible in EIA's data. Most generate more electricity than their own customers buy, and all lean on low-cost sources: coal and wind in North Dakota, hydropower in Idaho, natural gas in Louisiana. Nebraska¹ is served entirely by public power and cooperative utilities, with no investor-owned utility. None of the ten has residential retail choice.

The 15 states with the lowest residential price, last 12 months

North Dakota12.35¢

Nebraska12.74¢

Idaho12.77¢

Louisiana13.02¢

Utah13.26¢

Nevada13.45¢

Arkansas13.57¢

Tennessee13.61¢

Oklahoma13.81¢

Kentucky13.94¢

Montana13.94¢

Missouri13.97¢

Wyoming14.01¢

Iowa14.20¢

Washington14.20¢

United States18.04¢

Source: EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state. Residential revenue divided by kilowatt-hours sold over the 12 months 2025-09 to 2026-08 (EIA-861M; months since January 2026 preliminary). Average revenue per kWh, all charges included; not a tariff. Period: September 2025 to August 2026.

Show the numbers

State	Residential ¢/kWh, 12 months
North Dakota	12.35¢
Nebraska	12.74¢
Idaho	12.77¢
Louisiana	13.02¢
Utah	13.26¢
Nevada	13.45¢
Arkansas	13.57¢
Tennessee	13.61¢
Oklahoma	13.81¢
Kentucky	13.94¢
Montana	13.94¢
Missouri	13.97¢
Wyoming	14.01¢
Iowa	14.20¢
Washington	14.20¢
United States	18.04¢

The most expensive states

Hawaii stands apart at 44.27¢ per kWh: it generates most of its electricity from petroleum, nearly all of it imported (74.9%⁴ of generation in 2025), on islands that cannot share power with a larger grid. California (32.34¢ per kWh) follows, then a cluster of Northeastern states led by Massachusetts (30.39¢ per kWh), Maine (29.60¢ per kWh) and Rhode Island (29.44¢ per kWh). In 15 of the 50 states and DC the 12-month average was 20 cents or more; 18 of them were above the US average of 18.04¢ per kWh¹. Why Hawaii and California pay the most looks at the top two in detail.

The 15 states with the highest residential price, last 12 months

Hawaii44.27¢

California32.34¢

Massachusetts30.39¢

Maine29.60¢

Rhode Island29.44¢

New York28.60¢

Connecticut27.42¢

New Hampshire26.95¢

Alaska26.94¢

District of Columbia24.48¢

Vermont23.90¢

New Jersey23.74¢

Michigan21.28¢

Maryland21.18¢

Pennsylvania20.86¢

United States18.04¢

Show the numbers

State	Residential ¢/kWh, 12 months
Hawaii	44.27¢
California	32.34¢
Massachusetts	30.39¢
Maine	29.60¢
Rhode Island	29.44¢
New York	28.60¢
Connecticut	27.42¢
New Hampshire	26.95¢
Alaska	26.94¢
District of Columbia	24.48¢
Vermont	23.90¢
New Jersey	23.74¢
Michigan	21.28¢
Maryland	21.18¢
Pennsylvania	20.86¢
United States	18.04¢

The middle of the table

Over the last 12 months the median state paid 15.77¢ per kWh, below the US average of 18.04¢ per kWh¹: the national average is pulled up by large, expensive states such as California and New York, where many customers live. A state slightly above the median, then, can still be below the US average.

What this ranking does not tell you

Your utility's price. Prices differ inside states, sometimes by several cents. Each state page lists its utilities, and the utility ranking compares the largest nationally.
Your bill. A cheap state can have high bills when homes use a lot of electricity; the average bill ranking shows them.
A tariff. These are averages of everything customers paid, including fixed charges, divided by kWh. Taxes collected for state and local governments are mostly excluded.
Business prices. Commercial and industrial customers pay less per kWh; see commercial rates by state.

Questions and answers

Which state has the cheapest electricity?

North Dakota, at 12.35¢ per kWh for homes over the last 12 months (September 2025 to August 2026). It also had the lowest annual average in 2025 (11.82¢ per kWh³). In the single month of August 2026, Nevada¹ was lowest.

Which state has the most expensive electricity?

Hawaii, at 44.27¢ per kWh over the last 12 months, more than twice the US average of 18.04¢ per kWh. Among the contiguous states, California was highest at 32.34¢ per kWh¹.

Does the cheapest electricity mean the lowest bill?

No. Bills depend on how much electricity homes use. Several low-price Southern states have above-average bills because air conditioning and electric heating raise use; see the average electric bill ranking.

Other rankings

Sources

EIA, Electric Power Monthly / EIA-861M sales and revenue by state; table sales_revenue.xlsx (EPM Table 5.6.A); January 2001 to 2026-08; months since January 2026 preliminary; released October 23, 2026. www.eia.gov
Census Bureau, Cartographic boundary file, states; table cb_2025_us_state_20m; 2025. www.census.gov
EIA, Historical state data, annual sales, revenue and customers; table HS861 2010-.xlsx; 2010-2025, final; released October 7, 2026. www.eia.gov
EIA, Net generation by state by type of producer by energy source; table annual_generation_state.xlsx; 1990-2025; released September 14, 2026. www.eia.gov

How every figure is built: methodology. Found an error? Write to [email protected]; corrections are listed on the updates page.