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Cheapest States to Charge an EV in 2026

Washington state charges $428/year to power a typical EV. Hawaii charges $1,858. That's a $1,430/year difference for the same car. All 50 states ranked by residential electricity rate — the number that determines what you actually pay to charge at home.

5 Cheapest States to Charge an EV

#1

Washington

$350/yr
10.2 cents/kWh • $199 below avg/year

Hydroelectric power dominates the Pacific Northwest grid. Washington's dams produce power at some of the lowest costs in the country.

#2

Wyoming

$370/yr
10.8 cents/kWh • $179 below avg/year

Wyoming coal plants produce electricity at below-average cost. Wind capacity is expanding, keeping rates low.

#3

Idaho

$370/yr
10.8 cents/kWh • $179 below avg/year

Idaho runs heavily on hydroelectric power. Low population density and cheap generation combine to produce some of the cheapest electricity in the US.

#4

Louisiana

$374/yr
10.9 cents/kWh • $175 below avg/year

Natural gas abundance in Louisiana keeps generation costs down. The state has some of the cheapest electricity in the South.

#5

Arkansas

$381/yr
11.1 cents/kWh • $168 below avg/year

Arkansas's mix of natural gas, nuclear, and hydro keeps residential rates well below national average.

All 50 States Ranked by EV Charging Cost

Based on EIA 2024 residential electricity rates. Annual cost assumes 12,000 miles/year at 3.5 mi/kWh efficiency (home charging only).

# State ¢/kWh
1 Washington 10.2
2 Wyoming 10.8
3 Idaho 10.8
4 Louisiana 10.9
5 Arkansas 11.1
6 North Dakota 11.2
7 Oklahoma 11.4
8 Utah 11.5
9 Montana 11.5
10 Kentucky 11.8
11 Nebraska 11.9
12 Tennessee 12.0
13 Oregon 12.0
14 Mississippi 12.2
15 Missouri 12.3
16 Iowa 12.5
17 Kansas 12.7
18 West Virginia 12.7
19 South Dakota 12.8
20 South Carolina 13.2
21 North Carolina 13.3
22 Virginia 13.5
23 Georgia 13.5
24 Arizona 13.7
25 Indiana 13.7
26 New Mexico 13.8
27 Texas 14.1
28 Florida 14.2
29 Colorado 14.2
30 Nevada 14.3
31 Minnesota 14.3
32 Alabama 14.4
33 Ohio 14.6
34 Delaware 14.9
35 Illinois 14.9
36 Maryland 16.4
37 Pennsylvania 16.5
38 Wisconsin 17.1
39 New Jersey 18.2
40 Michigan 18.3
41 Vermont 20.3
42 Alaska 22.8
43 Maine 22.8
44 New York 23.1
45 New Hampshire 25.4
46 Connecticut 27.5
47 Rhode Island 27.8
48 Massachusetts 29.1
49 California 30.6
50 Hawaii 44.3

Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly, 2024 residential averages. Annual cost calculated at 12,000 miles/year, 3.5 mi/kWh EV efficiency, home charging only. Public fast charging costs 2–4x more per kWh.

EV vs Gas Calculator | Savings Calculator | Most Expensive EVs | Most Expensive EVs to Own | EV Charging Costs by State | Cost Per Mile

Why Electricity Rates Vary So Much by State

Hawaii pays 44.3 cents/kWh because the state runs on imported oil. Oil-fired generation is expensive, and Hawaii's grid is island-isolated — no pipeline connections, no interstate grid tie-ins. Every kilowatt-hour is generated locally at fuel import cost.

Washington pays 10.2 cents/kWh because the Columbia River system generates enormous amounts of hydroelectric power at near-zero marginal cost. Once the dams are built, electricity is essentially free to generate — you're just paying for infrastructure and transmission.

California sits at 30.6 cents/kWh — expensive despite abundant solar capacity — because the state has high distribution infrastructure costs, time-of-use pricing that averages high, and aggressive wildfire-related grid hardening costs passed to ratepayers. Having cheap generation doesn't automatically mean cheap rates.

Home Charging vs. Public Charging

This ranking reflects residential rates, which apply to Level 1 and Level 2 home charging. Public DC fast chargers (Tesla Supercharger, Electrify America, EVgo) price by the kWh in most states — typically $0.32–$0.50/kWh, regardless of your state's residential rate.

If you charge 80% at home and 20% at public fast chargers, your effective cost per kWh is somewhere between your home rate and the fast charging rate. Most EV owners report doing 85–90% of charging at home. Road trip charging on Tesla's network, for instance, costs about $0.44/kWh — 4x Washington state's home rate.

The savings advantage of living in a cheap-electricity state mainly applies to home charging. Frequent cross-country travelers who rely on fast charging will pay closer to the same rate regardless of home state. Use the savings calculator to model your specific charging mix.

EV Charging Cost vs. Gas Cost by State

In cheap-electricity states, EVs have a massive fuel cost advantage over gas cars. In Washington at 10.2 cents/kWh, charging costs $428/year — versus $1,300+/year in gas for a 30 MPG car at $3.00/gallon. That's $870/year in savings, just on fuel.

In Hawaii, the advantage narrows sharply. At 44.3 cents/kWh, EV charging costs $1,858/year. Gas in Hawaii averages $4.62/gallon — $1,848/year for a 30 MPG vehicle at 12,000 miles. The fuel cost advantage of an EV essentially disappears. Hawaii EV owners save money on maintenance and state incentives, but not on fuel.

Check the EV charging costs by state page for a full comparison of EV vs. gas fuel costs in every state.

Data: EIA State-Level Residential Electricity Prices, EPA Fuel Economy Ratings Database, DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center, IRS Clean Vehicle Tax Credit Schedules

Last updated: January 2025

How we calculate this · Tax credit eligibility varies by income and vehicle. Verify with your tax professional before purchase.