Energy Calculators

Electricity rates by state

Average residential electricity prices for all 50 states and Washington, DC, ranked from most to least expensive.

The average U.S. residential electricity price was 18.16¢/kWh in August 2026, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Prices ranged from 12.72¢/kWh in Nevada to 47.18¢/kWh in Hawaii.

U.S. average (Aug 2026)
18.16¢/kWh
Change vs Aug 2025
+3.4%+0.59¢/kWh
Highest
47.18¢/kWhHawaii
Lowest
12.72¢/kWhNevada

U.S. average residential electricity price, last 24 months

U.S. average residential electricity price, last 24 monthsU.S. average: 16.8¢ in Sep 2024, 18.2¢ in Aug 2026. Low 15.9¢, high 18.9¢.15.0¢16.0¢17.0¢18.0¢19.0¢20.0¢Feb 2025Aug 2025Feb 2026Aug 2026
· cents per kWh
Show data table
MonthU.S. average
Aug 202618.2¢
Jul 202618.3¢
Jun 202618.4¢
May 202618.4¢
Apr 202618.9¢
Mar 202618.6¢
Feb 202617.6¢
Jan 202617.4¢
Dec 202517.1¢
Nov 202517.8¢
Oct 202517.9¢
Sep 202518.1¢
Aug 202517.6¢
Jul 202517.4¢
Jun 202517.4¢
May 202517.3¢
Apr 202517.2¢
Mar 202517.0¢
Feb 202516.4¢
Jan 202515.9¢
Dec 202416.3¢
Nov 202416.9¢
Oct 202417.1¢
Sep 202416.8¢

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Aug 2026). Retrieved November 5, 2026. About our data

Residential electricity price by state, August 2026

19 of the 51 jurisdictions were above the U.S. average of 18.16¢/kWh.

RankStatePrice12-month changevs U.S. avg
1Hawaii47.18¢/kWh+22.5%+159.8%
2Maine32.11¢/kWh+14.1%+76.8%
3Massachusetts30.48¢/kWh−0.2%+67.8%
4California29.75¢/kWh−3.8%+63.8%
5Alaska29.41¢/kWh+5.8%+61.9%
6New York28.65¢/kWh+7.5%+57.8%
7Rhode Island28.18¢/kWh+6.2%+55.2%
8New Hampshire27.64¢/kWh+13.1%+52.2%
9District of Columbia25.98¢/kWh+12.1%+43.1%
10New Jersey24.61¢/kWh−0.4%+35.5%
11Connecticut24.51¢/kWh−18.8%+35.0%
12Vermont23.84¢/kWh+7.9%+31.3%
13Michigan22.99¢/kWh+10.9%+26.6%
14Pennsylvania21.77¢/kWh+9.2%+19.9%
15Maryland21.40¢/kWh+7.6%+17.8%
16Wisconsin19.41¢/kWh+5.3%+6.9%
17Ohio19.38¢/kWh+10.4%+6.7%
18Illinois19.32¢/kWh+7.2%+6.4%
19Delaware18.70¢/kWh+11.0%+3.0%
20Virginia17.64¢/kWh+11.3%−2.9%
21Minnesota17.20¢/kWh+1.8%−5.3%
22Colorado17.17¢/kWh+5.9%−5.5%
23Iowa17.06¢/kWh+10.2%−6.1%
24Indiana17.02¢/kWh+5.0%−6.3%
25New Mexico16.51¢/kWh+3.3%−9.1%
26Alabama16.33¢/kWh+0.4%−10.1%
27West Virginia16.31¢/kWh+4.4%−10.2%
28Missouri16.02¢/kWh+4.6%−11.8%
29Oregon15.92¢/kWh+0.4%−12.3%
30Texas15.91¢/kWh+3.3%−12.4%
31Georgia15.90¢/kWh+2.3%−12.4%
32South Carolina15.76¢/kWh+4.0%−13.2%
33Montana15.57¢/kWh+9.0%−14.3%
34Kansas15.47¢/kWh+5.6%−14.8%
35South Dakota15.15¢/kWh+9.0%−16.6%
36Arizona15.05¢/kWh−0.3%−17.1%
37Florida14.99¢/kWh−2.2%−17.5%
38North Carolina14.95¢/kWh+2.5%−17.7%
39Oklahoma14.82¢/kWh+2.8%−18.4%
40Washington14.63¢/kWh+7.2%−19.4%
41Mississippi14.43¢/kWh+6.0%−20.5%
41Wyoming14.43¢/kWh+0.7%−20.5%
43Arkansas14.37¢/kWh+7.8%−20.9%
44Kentucky13.80¢/kWh+5.3%−24.0%
45Nebraska13.54¢/kWh+5.8%−25.4%
46Tennessee13.42¢/kWh+2.5%−26.1%
47Idaho13.37¢/kWh+10.7%−26.4%
48North Dakota13.31¢/kWh+2.6%−26.7%
48Utah13.31¢/kWh−2.3%−26.7%
50Louisiana12.87¢/kWh+2.5%−29.1%
51Nevada12.72¢/kWh+1.4%−30.0%
U.S. average18.16¢/kWh+3.4%–

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Aug 2026). About our data

Biggest changes over the past 12 months

Largest increases

  1. Hawaii: +22.5% (38.53¢/kWh → 47.18¢/kWh)
  2. Maine: +14.1% (28.14¢/kWh → 32.11¢/kWh)
  3. New Hampshire: +13.1% (24.44¢/kWh → 27.64¢/kWh)
  4. District of Columbia: +12.1% (23.18¢/kWh → 25.98¢/kWh)
  5. Virginia: +11.3% (15.85¢/kWh → 17.64¢/kWh)

Largest decreases

  1. Connecticut: −18.8% (30.17¢/kWh → 24.51¢/kWh)
  2. California: −3.8% (30.92¢/kWh → 29.75¢/kWh)
  3. Utah: −2.3% (13.62¢/kWh → 13.31¢/kWh)
  4. Florida: −2.2% (15.33¢/kWh → 14.99¢/kWh)
  5. New Jersey: −0.4% (24.70¢/kWh → 24.61¢/kWh)

12-month change compares August 2026 with August 2025. Monthly prices are seasonal, so comparing the same month a year apart avoids mistaking seasonal swings for trends.

How to read these numbers

The figures are EIA’s average residential price: total residential revenue divided by total residential kilowatt-hours sold in each state. Because fixed monthly charges are included, the average price per kWh tends to rise in mild months, when households use less electricity.

Your utility’s tariff may differ from the state average. Use your bill’s total charges divided by the kWh used for the most accurate personal rate. See our methodology for details.

Frequently asked questions

What does the average residential electricity price include?

EIA calculates it by dividing utilities’ residential revenue by the kilowatt-hours they sold. It therefore blends energy, delivery and fixed monthly customer charges into one per-kWh figure. Your own bill can be higher or lower depending on your utility, rate plan and how much electricity you use.

Which state has the most expensive electricity?

In August 2026, Hawaii had the highest average residential price at 47.18¢/kWh, and Nevada had the lowest at 12.72¢/kWh (EIA).

Why do electricity prices change from month to month?

Monthly averages move with fuel costs (especially natural gas), seasonal rate structures, and the mix of fixed and usage-based charges: in months with low usage, fixed charges are spread over fewer kWh, which raises the average price per kWh.

How often is this page updated?

We check EIA every month. EIA publishes state-level monthly data with a lag of roughly two months, so the latest figures here are for August 2026. Monthly figures are partly estimated by EIA and can be revised.

Data last changed: