Cost to run a room air conditioner by state
A typical ENERGY STAR room air conditioner costs between $67.66 a year in Louisiana and $255.31 in Hawaii, about 3.8 times as much. The median state is around $85.58.
“Typical” is the median annual energy use of 556 current ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioners (532 kWh a year) times each state’s average residential price from the U.S. EIA (July 2026). Your own rate and the exact model change the result; use the calculator on any room air conditioner page.
| State | Price (¢/kWh) | Cost per year | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana | 12.72 | $67.66 | $5.64 |
| Nevada | 12.77 | $67.92 | $5.66 |
| Utah | 13.12 | $69.79 | $5.82 |
| North Dakota | 13.41 | $71.33 | $5.94 |
| Tennessee | 13.71 | $72.92 | $6.08 |
| Idaho | 13.73 | $73.03 | $6.09 |
| Nebraska | 13.78 | $73.30 | $6.11 |
| Kentucky | 13.81 | $73.46 | $6.12 |
| Arkansas | 14.33 | $76.22 | $6.35 |
| Oklahoma | 14.35 | $76.33 | $6.36 |
| Wyoming | 14.36 | $76.38 | $6.37 |
| Mississippi | 14.54 | $77.34 | $6.44 |
| Washington | 14.71 | $78.24 | $6.52 |
| Montana | 14.99 | $79.73 | $6.64 |
| Florida | 15.03 | $79.94 | $6.66 |
| North Carolina | 15.16 | $80.64 | $6.72 |
| Kansas | 15.27 | $81.22 | $6.77 |
| South Dakota | 15.37 | $81.75 | $6.81 |
| Arizona | 15.38 | $81.81 | $6.82 |
| South Carolina | 15.47 | $82.28 | $6.86 |
| West Virginia | 15.78 | $83.93 | $6.99 |
| Texas | 15.88 | $84.47 | $7.04 |
| Oregon | 15.97 | $84.94 | $7.08 |
| Iowa | 15.99 | $85.05 | $7.09 |
| Missouri | 16.09 | $85.58 | $7.13 |
| New Mexico | 16.09 | $85.58 | $7.13 |
| Georgia | 16.27 | $86.54 | $7.21 |
| Alabama | 16.40 | $87.23 | $7.27 |
| Indiana | 16.73 | $88.99 | $7.42 |
| Colorado | 17 | $90.42 | $7.54 |
| Minnesota | 17.45 | $92.82 | $7.73 |
| Virginia | 17.55 | $93.35 | $7.78 |
| Delaware | 18.48 | $98.30 | $8.19 |
| Wisconsin | 19.06 | $101.38 | $8.45 |
| Illinois | 19.22 | $102.23 | $8.52 |
| Ohio | 19.45 | $103.45 | $8.62 |
| Maryland | 21.41 | $113.88 | $9.49 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.72 | $115.53 | $9.63 |
| Michigan | 23.05 | $122.60 | $10.22 |
| Vermont | 23.75 | $126.33 | $10.53 |
| Connecticut | 24.16 | $128.51 | $10.71 |
| New Jersey | 25.19 | $133.99 | $11.17 |
| District of Columbia | 25.21 | $134.09 | $11.17 |
| New Hampshire | 26.60 | $141.49 | $11.79 |
| Rhode Island | 28.29 | $150.47 | $12.54 |
| Alaska | 28.83 | $153.35 | $12.78 |
| New York | 29.90 | $159.04 | $13.25 |
| Massachusetts | 30.49 | $162.18 | $13.51 |
| Maine | 32.41 | $172.39 | $14.37 |
| California | 33.61 | $178.77 | $14.90 |
| Hawaii | 48 | $255.31 | $21.28 |
Sorted from the cheapest state to the most expensive. See also electricity prices by state and all room air conditioners.