Hawaii households pay about 41 cents per kWh, while North Dakota households pay about 11 cents. The US average residential price is roughly 17 cents per kWh (EIA), and the gap between the cheapest and priciest states is more than three to one. This guide ranks all 50 states plus DC, shows typical monthly use and bills, and explains why prices differ so much.
Quick answer
The national average is about 17 cents per kWh. Hawaii, California and New England are the most expensive. North Dakota, Idaho, Washington and Utah are the cheapest. A low rate does not always mean a low bill, because hot Southern states use far more power.
- US average residential rate: about 17 cents/kWh in 2025, up from about 16.5 cents in 2024 (EIA).
- Highest: Hawaii (about 41 cents), then California, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut at 30+ cents.
- Lowest: North Dakota, Idaho, Nebraska, Washington and Utah, at roughly 11 to 12 cents.
- The average household uses about 860 to 900 kWh a month, for a bill near $140 to $150.
- Your bill depends on rate times use. Check both.
- What Are the Average Electric Rates by State?
- Which States Have the Highest Electricity Rates?
- Why Are Some States So Cheap?
- Is a Low Rate the Same as a Low Monthly Bill?
- Rates by Region
- How Have Electricity Rates Changed Since 2020?
- How Are Electricity Rates Set?
- What Do These Rates Mean for Your Costs?
- How Do I Find My Own Rate?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Average Electric Rates by State?
The table ranks every state and DC from highest to lowest residential rate. Figures are rounded estimates of 2025 average residential prices, based on the pattern of the EIA’s published state data. Monthly use is a typical household figure, and the bill is rate times use. Rates change every month, so confirm the latest numbers in the EIA Electric Power Monthly (Table 5.6.A) before you make a big decision.
| Rank | State | Rate (cents/kWh) | Avg. monthly use (kWh) | Est. monthly bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | 41.0 | 500 | $205 |
| 2 | California | 32.0 | 550 | $176 |
| 3 | Rhode Island | 31.0 | 590 | $183 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 30.5 | 600 | $183 |
| 5 | Connecticut | 30.0 | 700 | $210 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 27.0 | 640 | $173 |
| 7 | Maine | 25.5 | 600 | $153 |
| 8 | New York | 25.0 | 600 | $150 |
| 9 | Alaska | 24.5 | 600 | $147 |
| 10 | Vermont | 24.0 | 580 | $139 |
| 11 | New Jersey | 22.0 | 680 | $150 |
| 12 | Maryland | 20.5 | 900 | $185 |
| 13 | Michigan | 20.2 | 650 | $131 |
| 14 | District of Columbia | 19.9 | 600 | $119 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | 19.2 | 800 | $154 |
| 16 | Delaware | 18.6 | 850 | $158 |
| 17 | Illinois | 17.8 | 700 | $125 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 17.4 | 650 | $113 |
| 19 | Ohio | 17.1 | 850 | $145 |
| 20 | Indiana | 16.6 | 900 | $149 |
| 21 | Colorado | 16.1 | 650 | $105 |
| 22 | Florida | 15.7 | 1,080 | $170 |
| 23 | Minnesota | 15.6 | 750 | $117 |
| 24 | Alabama | 15.5 | 1,100 | $171 |
| 25 | Virginia | 15.4 | 1,000 | $154 |
| 26 | West Virginia | 15.3 | 1,000 | $153 |
| 27 | Arizona | 15.2 | 1,000 | $152 |
| 28 | Texas | 15.1 | 1,100 | $166 |
| 29 | South Carolina | 15.0 | 1,100 | $165 |
| 30 | Nevada | 14.9 | 900 | $134 |
| 31 | New Mexico | 14.8 | 650 | $96 |
| 32 | Georgia | 14.7 | 1,000 | $147 |
| 33 | North Carolina | 14.6 | 1,000 | $146 |
| 34 | Mississippi | 14.4 | 1,100 | $158 |
| 35 | Kentucky | 14.2 | 1,050 | $149 |
| 36 | Oregon | 14.0 | 900 | $126 |
| 37 | Iowa | 13.9 | 850 | $118 |
| 38 | Kansas | 13.8 | 900 | $124 |
| 39 | Wyoming | 13.6 | 800 | $109 |
| 40 | Arkansas | 13.5 | 1,050 | $142 |
| 41 | Tennessee | 13.2 | 1,150 | $152 |
| 42 | Montana | 13.0 | 850 | $111 |
| 43 | South Dakota | 12.9 | 950 | $123 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | 12.8 | 1,000 | $128 |
| 45 | Missouri | 12.7 | 1,000 | $127 |
| 46 | Louisiana | 12.5 | 1,150 | $144 |
| 47 | Utah | 12.1 | 750 | $91 |
| 48 | Washington | 12.0 | 950 | $114 |
| 49 | Nebraska | 11.9 | 950 | $113 |
| 50 | Idaho | 11.6 | 1,000 | $116 |
| 51 | North Dakota | 11.1 | 1,000 | $111 |
Source basis: rounded estimates modeled on US Energy Information Administration residential averages for 2025. Usage is a typical per-household figure rounded to the nearest 50 kWh, and bills are rate times use. Check the EIA’s latest monthly release for exact current figures.
Which States Have the Highest Electricity Rates, and Why?
Hawaii is first by a wide margin, followed by California, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. New Hampshire, Maine and New York also sit in the high 20s or around 25 cents. The causes differ by state, and it helps to split the price into two parts: generation (making the power) and delivery (the wires, poles and substations).
Why does Hawaii pay so much more for electricity than everyone else?
Hawaii burns imported oil for much of its power. The islands cannot connect to a mainland grid or pipeline, so fuel arrives by ship and every island runs its own small system. Oil price swings flow straight into bills. Hawaii is also adding solar and batteries to cut that dependence.
Why are rates so high in California and New England?
California’s story is mostly delivery cost. Utilities have spent heavily on wildfire prevention, grid hardening and transmission, and state policy programs add charges too. New England has a different problem: limited in-region generation, few pipelines bringing natural gas, and aging wires. When gas gets tight in winter, prices climb. State clean-energy programs add further costs to bills.
Why Are Some States, Such as Idaho, Washington and North Dakota, So Cheap?
These states have cheap generation, low delivery costs, or both. Idaho and Washington lean on hydropower from big river dams, which have low running costs once built. North Dakota and other Plains states have low-cost coal and wind plus wide-open land and few customers per mile of wire, but the rates still stay low. Utah, Nebraska and Louisiana benefit from cheap gas, coal or public power. Nebraska is notable because all its power is public.
Public and cooperative utilities often charge less because they do not pay shareholder profits. That is not a rule, though. Rates still vary by utility inside each state.
Is a Low Rate the Same as a Low Monthly Bill?
No. Your bill is rate times kWh used, so a state with cheap power can still have a big bill. Southern states such as Louisiana, Tennessee and Alabama use well above the national average because of air conditioning, long summers and electric heating. New England and Pacific states use less.
If you live in a hot or electric-heat state: focus on cutting kWh with efficiency, a heat pump, better insulation and a smart thermostat.
If you live in a high-rate, low-use state: focus on rate options such as time-of-use plans, and on shifting use to cheaper hours.
The table shows the split clearly:
- Louisiana: rate rank 46 (cheap), but about 1,150 kWh a month puts the bill near $144, close to New York’s $150.
- Alabama: a mid-range rate of 15.5 cents, but heavy use pushes the bill to about $171, almost the same as California’s $176.
- Hawaii: the highest rate, yet only about 500 kWh a month keeps the bill near $205. Connecticut’s higher use makes its bill the highest in the table at about $210.
- Utah and New Mexico: modest rates plus low use give the lowest bills, around $91 and $96.
Rates by Region
- Northeast: highest overall, mostly 22 to 31 cents, with Pennsylvania lower.
- Pacific: a split. California and Alaska are high, Washington and Oregon are low.
- Southeast: mid-range rates of about 13 to 16 cents, but high use makes bills heavy.
- Midwest: Great Lakes states run 16 to 20 cents. The Plains are cheap, at 11 to 14 cents.
- Mountain West: mostly 11 to 16 cents, with Utah and Idaho among the cheapest.
How Have Electricity Rates Changed Since 2020?
They have risen. The EIA put the US residential average near 13 cents per kWh in 2020. It was about 16.5 cents in 2024 and has run around 17 cents in 2025. In many years since 2020, residential prices have risen faster than general inflation.
Common drivers include higher natural gas prices at times, heavy spending on transmission and distribution, storm and wildfire costs, and growing demand from data centers in some regions. Check your own utility’s rate filings to see which factor applies to you.
How Are Electricity Rates Set?
In most places, state regulators approve what a regulated utility can charge. Some states, such as Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania, have retail choice. You can pick a supplier for the generation part of your bill while the local utility still delivers the power. Two other plan types matter:
- Tiered rates: the price per kWh rises as you use more in a month.
- Time-of-use (TOU) rates: power costs more during evening peak hours and less overnight.
Both mean your real cost per kWh can differ from the state average.
What Do These Rates Mean for Your Costs?
Here is a simple worked example. Assumptions: 900 kWh a month for a typical home, rates from the table, and no fixed fees. For the EV, I assume 3.5 miles per kWh, so 1,000 kWh covers about 3,500 miles, and a driver covers 12,000 miles a year (about 3,430 kWh).
| State | Rate | 900 kWh/month | EV: 1,000 kWh/yr | EV: 12,000 miles/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 41.0 cents | $369 | $410 | about $1,406 |
| California | 32.0 cents | $288 | $320 | about $1,098 |
| Ohio | 17.1 cents | $154 | $171 | about $587 |
| Idaho | 11.6 cents | $104 | $116 | about $398 |
The same driving costs about $1,000 more a year in Hawaii than in Idaho. If you charge an EV at home, a TOU plan with cheap overnight rates can lower that number.
The same math works for small solar. A 400-watt panel, at 4.5 peak sun hours a day and 25% system losses, makes about 1.35 kWh a day, or roughly 490 kWh a year. At 41 cents that offsets about $200 a year; at 11.6 cents, about $57. Rules for plug-in solar vary by state and change quickly, so confirm with your utility before buying. Never use an extension cord for solar, and never bypass a microinverter’s grid shut-off. Hire a licensed electrician for any permanent wiring or panel work.
How Do I Find My Own Rate and Compare It With My State Average?
Divide your total bill by the kWh you used. That gives your all-in cost per kWh, including fees. Then work through this checklist:
- Find the kWh used on your bill’s usage summary.
- Divide the total amount due by that kWh figure.
- Separate supply (generation) charges from delivery charges.
- Look for a TOU or tiered plan on your utility’s tariff page.
- If your state has retail choice, compare supplier offers for the supply portion.
- Compare your result with the table above.
Methodology and Caveats
State averages mix many utilities, so your rate may be higher or lower. These figures cover residential customers only. Commercial and industrial prices are lower. EIA data also lags by a month or two, and the table uses rounded estimates, so check Table 5.6.A in the Electric Power Monthly for the latest exact figures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are electricity rates by state?
They are the average price residential customers pay per kWh in each state, published by the EIA. In 2025 they range from about 11 cents in North Dakota to about 41 cents in Hawaii. The table above lists every state and DC.
Electric rates by state 2025: what is the national average?
The national average residential rate is about 17 cents per kWh in 2025, up from about 16.5 cents in 2024 (EIA). At around 860 to 900 kWh a month, that is a bill of roughly $140 to $150.
Electric rates by state highest to lowest: which are at each end?
Hawaii is highest, then California, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut. At the low end are North Dakota, Idaho, Nebraska, Washington and Utah. The full ranking is in the table.
Why do rates differ so much between states?
Fuel sources, delivery costs, state policy and utility ownership all differ. Hawaii pays for imported oil, California pays for wildfire and grid spending, and Idaho and Washington benefit from hydropower.
Is my bill likely to match the state estimate?
Probably not exactly. Your utility, plan type, home size and heating fuel all change the result. Use the checklist above to calculate your own cost per kWh.
