Average monthly utility costs by state
Now that we’ve discussed the national averages for utility expenses and how to save money on your utility bills, let’s talk about how much utilities cost per month in different states.
States with the most expensive utilities
Connecticut didn’t have the most expensive bill for any single utility, but it had close to the most expensive for many of them. The result is that the average Connecticut homeowner pays more for their utilities as a whole than average residents in any other state.
Alaska is known for frequent snowfall and frigid blizzards. Considering the state’s uniquely cold climate, it’s really not surprising that the average natural gas bill in Alaska is $122.83. This means Alaskans pay more for natural gas than anyone else in the country.
As we said earlier, Hawaii’s average electricity bill is the highest in the nation. On average, homeowners in Hawaii pay $168.21 per month for electricity. The only state that comes close is Connecticut at $150.71.
4. Massachusetts: $413.05
Coming up only nine cents short of Hawaii’s average utility bill is Massachusetts, Connecticut’s neighbor to the north. Massachusetts is the second of five northeastern states to land in our top ten states with the highest utility bills.
Like Connecticut, Rhode Island doesn’t have the highest average bill for any single utility, but each of the bills we checked were among the highest in the US. Who would have thought that the smallest state would have some of the biggest utility prices?
6. New Hampshire: $395.47
New Hampshire borders Canada, so as you’d expect, it’s pretty darn cold there, which partially explains why New Hampshirites pay more for gas than residents of most other states.
Maine lies directly to the east of New Hampshire, and the state’s average utility costs are just a few dollars short of its neighbor’s. Like the other northeastern states in our top ten, natural gas is one of the biggest contributors to Maine’s high utility costs.
8. South Carolina: $385.75
At $144.73 a month, South Carolina’s average electricity bill is one of the highest in the nation. Unlike most of the other states in our top ten, South Carolina has a hot climate that necessitates a lot of AC, which contributes to these hefty bills.
Maryland’s average gas bill is one of the lowest in our top ten. That said, electricity bills in the Old Line State soar about $13 above the national average.
Virginia closes out our list of the ten states with the most expensive utilities. While the state’s monthly utility cost is almost $60 less than Connecticut’s (the most expensive), it’s still over $20 higher than the nationwide average of $356.13.
Moving? Here's what to do with your utilities
If you’re researching utility costs in different states because you want to move somewhere new, there’s some utility-related paperwork you should take care of. First, you need to set a shutoff date for all of your utilities in your current home. Next, you’ll need to set up utilities at your new place before moving day. Read our guide to moving paperwork to learn more.
States with the least expensive utilities
Utility bills in New Mexico are the cheapest in the nation, so you wouldn’t need to pull a Walter White (à la Breaking Bad) to afford living there. While residents of many states have slightly lower gas bills, none have electricity bills that can rival New Mexico’s for affordability.
Utah’s average utility bills take a close second to New Mexico’s, trailing by less than $20. Keep in mind that Utah experiences droughts from time to time, so water bills in the state may sometimes climb higher than the national average.
At number three on our list, Idaho’s cheap utilities are no small potatoes. The state stays relatively cold year-round, but despite this, the average Idahoan’s monthly gas bill is one of the lowest in the country.
Colorado lies directly east of Utah, and the two states are pretty similar in terms of topography, elevation, and climate. All things considered, it’s not surprising that the average Coloradan’s utility bills are within a few dollars of the average Utahn’s.
Montana holds a significant portion of the famous Rocky Mountains, and like most of the states that the Rockies run through, it made our list of states with the cheapest utility bills.
The West Coast is the best coast, at least that’s what some people say. We’re not here to settle that debate. However, California and Oregon are both in the ten states with the cheapest utility bills, and Washington—the third West Coast state in the contiguous US—is in the cheapest twenty. For comparison, eight of the ten states with the highest utility bills are East Coast states, so the West Coast has cheaper utilities if nothing else.
Did you know that Wisconsin’s climate is perfectly suited for making cheese? Just kidding. We don’t know that. We aren’t cheese experts, but what we do know is that Wisconsin’s low utility bills mean you don’t have to be a big cheese to afford your monthly expenses.
Nevada lies right between two other states that made our cheapest list: California and Utah. It’s also one of several desert states with lower-than-average utility bills.
Wyoming’s climate is characterized by significant fluctuations in temperature that range from hot summers to below-freezing winters. However, Wyoming’s elevation means that it doesn’t get extremely hot very often, so AC doesn’t drive average Wyoming homeowner’s electricity bills through the roof.
Oregon is the last stop on our list of states with the cheapest utilities. While the average Oregonian’s utility bills total almost $50 higher than the average New Mexico resident’s, they’re still more than $20 below the national average. Not too shabby.
Cost of homeownership in the US
Low utility costs are just one side of the equation that potential homebuyers care about. You should also be aware of the current trends in the housing market, and how housing costs vary by state year over year.
For electricity bill costs, we got average electricity consumption figures and pricing information from the US Energy Information Administration.31
For natural gas bill costs, we found average gas usage and prices from the American Gas Association.32
Our average broadband internet pricing information came from Cable.co.33
To calculate water bill costs, we gathered residential water usage and pricing information from Circle of Blue.34
Our data about the average cost of streaming services came from a survey conducted by Reviews.org.35
The sum of these utilities make up our averages for each state’s total utility costs per month. States were ranked solely based on how much these utilities cost their residents each month on average. Other factors were not considered for our rankings.
Rankings and full data set