State ranking · 2025
The cheapest states for electricity
Every state ranked from the lowest average residential rate, using annual EIA data as a comparable statewide benchmark.
- 11.81¢/kWh
- Cheapest · North Dakota
- 17.30¢/kWh
- US average
- 34+
- States below average
North Dakota has the cheapest residential electricity at 11.81¢/kWh
In the U.S. Energy Information Administration's 2025 annual-frequency retail-sales series, North Dakota has the lowest residential average revenue per kWh at 11.81¢/kWh, below the 17.30¢/kWh national average; 34 states fall below the national average.
- 17.30¢/kWh US residential average
- 40.59¢/kWh priciest - Hawaii
The verdict
North Dakota has the cheapest residential electricity at 11.81¢/kWh - below the 17.30¢/kWh US average, and about a third of Hawaii's rate.
- 11.81¢/kWh
- cheapest - North Dakota
- 17.30¢/kWh
- US residential average
- 34+
- states below the US average
- 40.59¢/kWh
- priciest - Hawaii
Residential average revenue per kWh, EIA retail-sales API (2025, annual frequency).
Residential electricity prices vary widely across states. The table below ranks the fifteen lowest statewide residential averages in the most recent stored annual-frequency EIA retail-sales API period, and every figure links to that state's full profile. These are annual averages, not live utility quotes or a measure of the cause of a state rate.
The bar to make this top-12 cheapest list
Distribution of statewide residential rates (¢/kWh)
13.24¢/kWh Most affordable More affordable than 76% of 50 other states
all states and DC, equal-width bands
Each bar spans 1¢/kWh. Taller bars contain more states; the dashed marker locates this state. Hover, focus or tap a bar for its exact count and share.
Source EIA retail-sales API · 2025
What this ranking can compare
The same EIA measure is applied to every state, so it can show the size of the annual residential-rate gap and the states nearest the national average. It cannot isolate why a particular state is low: statewide averages combine multiple utilities, customer classes, tariffs, and delivery systems. The linked profile supplies the matching rate, generation, and trend data without treating one field as a causal explanation for another.
How to use a yearly ranking
The leaders can be close together, so their order can change between annual periods. Compare both the current ranking and the multi-year rate series on a state profile before drawing a conclusion from a small difference. For a household decision, use a current utility tariff, fixed charges, and expected usage rather than converting this annual benchmark into a bill quote.
What a low rate does not tell you
A low annual rate is not a verdict on a grid's cleanliness, resilience, or a household's total bill. Those are different questions with different measures. Open a state profile to compare the reported rate, generation mix, and multi-year history, then use a current utility tariff for a personal estimate.
| # | State | Avg residential rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North DakotaStatewide annual residential average, not a utility quote. | 11.81¢/kWh |
| 2 | IdahoStatewide annual residential average, not a utility quote. | 11.82¢/kWh |
| 3 | NebraskaStatewide annual residential average, not a utility quote. | 12.34¢/kWh |
| 4 | LouisianaStatewide annual residential average, not a utility quote. | 12.57¢/kWh |
| 5 | ArkansasStatewide annual residential average, not a utility quote. | 12.84¢/kWh |
| 6 | MontanaStatewide annual residential average, not a utility quote. | 12.98¢/kWh |
| 7 | UtahStatewide annual residential average, not a utility quote. | 13.07¢/kWh |
| 8 | WashingtonStatewide annual residential average, not a utility quote. | 13.11¢/kWh |
| 9 | OklahomaStatewide annual residential average, not a utility quote. | 13.12¢/kWh |
| 10 | NevadaStatewide annual residential average, not a utility quote. | 13.15¢/kWh |
| 11 | TennesseeStatewide annual residential average, not a utility quote. | 13.18¢/kWh |
| 12 | KentuckyStatewide annual residential average, not a utility quote. | 13.24¢/kWh |
| 13 | South DakotaStatewide annual residential average, not a utility quote. | 13.38¢/kWh |
| 14 | WyomingStatewide annual residential average, not a utility quote. | 13.38¢/kWh |
| 15 | MissouriStatewide annual residential average, not a utility quote. | 13.49¢/kWh |
How these rates changed year-over-year
Among the fifteen cheapest states, rates moved unevenly between 2024 and 2025. Washington saw the largest increase at +10.2% (+1.21¢/kWh). Nevada was the only state in this group whose rate fell, declining 12.3% (−1.85¢/kWh).
| State | 2024 rate | 2025 rate | Change | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 11.51¢/kWh | 11.81¢/kWh | +0.30¢ | +2.6% |
| Idaho | 11.52¢/kWh | 11.82¢/kWh | +0.30¢ | +2.6% |
| Nebraska | 11.53¢/kWh | 12.34¢/kWh | +0.81¢ | +7.0% |
| Louisiana | 11.73¢/kWh | 12.57¢/kWh | +0.84¢ | +7.2% |
| Arkansas | 12.32¢/kWh | 12.84¢/kWh | +0.52¢ | +4.2% |
| Montana | 12.66¢/kWh | 12.98¢/kWh | +0.32¢ | +2.5% |
| Utah | 12.22¢/kWh | 13.07¢/kWh | +0.85¢ | +7.0% |
| Washington | 11.90¢/kWh | 13.11¢/kWh | +1.21¢ | +10.2% |
| Oklahoma | 12.24¢/kWh | 13.12¢/kWh | +0.88¢ | +7.2% |
| Nevada | 15.00¢/kWh | 13.15¢/kWh | -1.85¢ | -12.3% |
| Tennessee | 12.42¢/kWh | 13.18¢/kWh | +0.76¢ | +6.1% |
| Kentucky | 12.79¢/kWh | 13.24¢/kWh | +0.45¢ | +3.5% |
| South Dakota | 12.86¢/kWh | 13.38¢/kWh | +0.52¢ | +4.0% |
| Wyoming | 12.47¢/kWh | 13.38¢/kWh | +0.91¢ | +7.3% |
| Missouri | 12.91¢/kWh | 13.49¢/kWh | +0.58¢ | +4.5% |
Change calculated from EIA annual-frequency residential average revenue per kWh. A rate increase does not mean the state is no longer among the cheapest, it means the distance to the national average narrowed or widened.
Residential vs. commercial and industrial rates
A state's residential rate is almost always the highest of its three main sectors. Among the five cheapest residential states, industrial rates run 36% lower on average, reflecting higher consumption volumes and different tariff structures. The same EIA series covers all three sectors.
| State | Residential | Commercial | Industrial |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Dakota | 11.81¢/kWh | 7.40¢/kWh | 7.50¢/kWh |
| Idaho | 11.82¢/kWh | 9.25¢/kWh | 7.98¢/kWh |
| Nebraska | 12.34¢/kWh | 8.79¢/kWh | 8.00¢/kWh |
| Louisiana | 12.57¢/kWh | 11.20¢/kWh | 6.23¢/kWh |
| Arkansas | 12.84¢/kWh | 10.76¢/kWh | 6.71¢/kWh |
Compare any two states
Select two states to see how their residential electricity rates and rankings differ.
| Metric | North Dakota | Idaho |
|---|
Frequently asked questions
Which state has the cheapest electricity?
North Dakota currently has the lowest average residential rate at 11.81¢/kWh, narrowly ahead of a tight cluster of low-cost states. The gap between the cheapest states is only a fraction of a cent, so year-to-year shuffling near the top is normal.
Why are these states so cheap?
This ranking establishes which statewide annual residential averages are lowest; it does not identify the cause of any state's rate. Utility tariffs, fuel contracts, delivery costs, customer mix, and regulation can all differ within a state. Use the ranking as a benchmark and consult your utility for a current rate explanation.
Will my actual bill match the state average?
Not exactly. EIA reports a single state average, but your utility, rate schedule, and time-of-use plan all move your effective rate. Rural cooperatives and municipal utilities often differ from the dominant investor-owned utility in the same state. Treat the ranking as a benchmark, not a quote.
Act on the ranking
A low state average is a starting point, not your bill.
- Open North Dakota's profile for its rate, trend, and generation mix. All states
- See the most expensive states for the full spread. Most expensive
- Estimate your own monthly bill from your kWh usage. Cost calculator
Rates are EIA state averages, your utility, plan, and usage set your actual bill.
Every rate in this ranking is rendered from RateWatt's stored EIA annual-frequency retail-sales series for 2025; no rate is typed in by an editor. This ranking is computed live from the EIA's most recent published state price data. Report errors via /contact or the editorial & corrections policy. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2025.