Average Residential Electricity Rates by State
Solar panel ROI depends directly on your local electricity rate — the higher you pay per kWh, the faster your system pays for itself. This EIA data shows which states offer the strongest financial case for going solar.
Top 10 States — Avg Residential Electricity Price
Data: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) • Period: January 2026
All 51 States — Complete Data Table
Click column headers to sort. Data period: January 2026.
| # ↕ | State ↕ | Avg Residential Electricity Price ↕ | vs Nat'l Avg ↕ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii HI | 39.79¢/kWh | +121.3% |
| 2 | Massachusetts MA | 31.16¢/kWh | +73.3% |
| 3 | Maine ME | 30.73¢/kWh | +70.9% |
| 4 | California CA | 30.29¢/kWh | +68.5% |
| 5 | Rhode Island RI | 30.14¢/kWh | +67.7% |
| 6 | New York NY | 28.37¢/kWh | +57.8% |
| 7 | Connecticut CT | 28.30¢/kWh | +57.4% |
| 8 | New Hampshire NH | 26.32¢/kWh | +46.4% |
| 9 | Alaska AK | 25.52¢/kWh | +42.0% |
| 10 | District of Columbia DC | 23.72¢/kWh | +31.9% |
| 11 | Vermont VT | 23.29¢/kWh | +29.5% |
| 12 | New Jersey NJ | 23.13¢/kWh | +28.7% |
| 13 | Maryland MD | 20.61¢/kWh | +14.6% |
| 14 | Pennsylvania PA | 20.19¢/kWh | +12.3% |
| 15 | Michigan MI | 19.52¢/kWh | +8.6% |
| 16 | Wisconsin WI | 18.20¢/kWh | +1.2% |
| 17 | Ohio OH | 17.59¢/kWh | -2.2% |
| 18 | Delaware DE | 16.51¢/kWh | -8.2% |
| 19 | Colorado CO | 16.44¢/kWh | -8.6% |
| 20 | Illinois IL | 16.36¢/kWh | -9.0% |
| 21 | Indiana IN | 16.19¢/kWh | -9.9% |
| 22 | Alabama AL | 16.06¢/kWh | -10.7% |
| 23 | Florida FL | 15.92¢/kWh | -11.4% |
| 24 | Virginia VA | 15.87¢/kWh | -11.7% |
| 25 | Texas TX | 15.69¢/kWh | -12.7% |
| 26 | Arizona AZ | 15.61¢/kWh | -13.2% |
| 27 | South Carolina SC | 15.41¢/kWh | -14.3% |
| 28 | Minnesota MN | 14.98¢/kWh | -16.7% |
| 29 | West Virginia WV | 14.77¢/kWh | -17.8% |
| 30 | New Mexico NM | 14.70¢/kWh | -18.2% |
| 31 | Oregon OR | 14.66¢/kWh | -18.5% |
| 32 | Georgia GA | 14.46¢/kWh | -19.6% |
| 33 | Kansas KS | 14.29¢/kWh | -20.5% |
| 34 | Kentucky KY | 14.27¢/kWh | -20.6% |
| 35 | Mississippi MS | 14.24¢/kWh | -20.8% |
| 36 | Nevada NV | 13.98¢/kWh | -22.2% |
| 37 | Washington WA | 13.81¢/kWh | -23.2% |
| 38 | North Carolina NC | 13.68¢/kWh | -23.9% |
| 39 | South Dakota SD | 13.60¢/kWh | -24.4% |
| 40 | Tennessee TN | 13.10¢/kWh | -27.1% |
| 41 | Utah UT | 12.88¢/kWh | -28.4% |
| 42 | Montana MT | 12.86¢/kWh | -28.5% |
| 43 | Wyoming WY | 12.85¢/kWh | -28.5% |
| 44 | Iowa IA | 12.83¢/kWh | -28.6% |
| 45 | Oklahoma OK | 12.62¢/kWh | -29.8% |
| 46 | Louisiana LA | 12.46¢/kWh | -30.7% |
| 47 | Arkansas AR | 12.35¢/kWh | -31.3% |
| 48 | Idaho ID | 12.07¢/kWh | -32.9% |
| 49 | Missouri MO | 11.80¢/kWh | -34.4% |
| 50 | Nebraska NE | 11.76¢/kWh | -34.6% |
| 51 | North Dakota ND | 10.92¢/kWh | -39.3% |
Data Source & Methodology
Residential electricity price data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) monthly Electric Power Monthly report. Values represent the average retail price paid by residential customers in cents per kilowatt-hour (¢/kWh), inclusive of all rates, riders, and taxes. States with higher electricity rates typically see solar payback periods 30-50% shorter than the national average.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Series type: Monthly retail electricity price for residential customers (cents per kWh). Higher price = stronger solar ROI.
Last updated: January 2026
Coverage: All 50 US states