Internet + Phone Connectivity Cost by State
Internet and phone are the post-2020 essential utilities. Connectivity costs vary 30-50% by state — driven by competition density (rural states with one cable provider pay more), state taxation of telecom services, and regional carrier subsidization patterns.
Most expensive Alaska $1,636/yr combined connectivity
Least expensive Indiana $1,216/yr combined connectivity
U.S. average $1,341 across 50 states
States ranked by combined annual internet + phone
| # | State | Internet $/mo | Phone $/mo | Internet Annual | Phone Annual | Combined Annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $80 | $56 | $960 | $676 | $1,636 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $70 | $60 | $840 | $726 | $1,566 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $70 | $57 | $840 | $684 | $1,524 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $65 | $60 | $780 | $718 | $1,498 |
| 5 | Massachusetts | $65 | $58 | $780 | $698 | $1,478 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | $65 | $57 | $780 | $687 | $1,467 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $65 | $56 | $780 | $675 | $1,455 |
| 8 | California | $60 | $61 | $720 | $731 | $1,451 |
| 9 | New York | $60 | $59 | $720 | $712 | $1,432 |
| 10 | Vermont | $65 | $54 | $780 | $647 | $1,427 |
| 11 | Maine | $65 | $53 | $780 | $641 | $1,421 |
| 12 | Maryland | $60 | $58 | $720 | $693 | $1,413 |
| 13 | Delaware | $60 | $55 | $720 | $659 | $1,379 |
| 14 | Washington | $55 | $59 | $660 | $706 | $1,366 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $60 | $54 | $720 | $644 | $1,364 |
| 16 | Montana | $60 | $52 | $720 | $625 | $1,345 |
| 17 | Florida | $55 | $57 | $660 | $683 | $1,343 |
| 18 | Oregon | $55 | $57 | $660 | $682 | $1,342 |
| 19 | Colorado | $55 | $57 | $660 | $680 | $1,340 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $60 | $51 | $720 | $612 | $1,332 |
| 21 | Virginia | $55 | $56 | $660 | $667 | $1,327 |
| 22 | Arizona | $55 | $55 | $660 | $664 | $1,324 |
| 23 | Illinois | $55 | $55 | $660 | $660 | $1,320 |
| 24 | Nevada | $55 | $55 | $660 | $660 | $1,320 |
| 25 | Kansas | $60 | $50 | $720 | $594 | $1,314 |
| 26 | Minnesota | $55 | $54 | $660 | $651 | $1,311 |
| 27 | North Dakota | $60 | $49 | $720 | $587 | $1,307 |
| 28 | Alabama | $60 | $49 | $720 | $586 | $1,306 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $60 | $49 | $720 | $585 | $1,305 |
| 30 | Texas | $55 | $53 | $660 | $641 | $1,301 |
| 31 | Georgia | $55 | $53 | $660 | $636 | $1,296 |
| 32 | Michigan | $55 | $53 | $660 | $635 | $1,295 |
| 33 | Arkansas | $60 | $48 | $720 | $574 | $1,294 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $60 | $48 | $720 | $574 | $1,294 |
| 35 | Idaho | $55 | $53 | $660 | $630 | $1,290 |
| 36 | North Carolina | $55 | $52 | $660 | $623 | $1,283 |
| 37 | Wisconsin | $55 | $52 | $660 | $621 | $1,281 |
| 38 | South Carolina | $55 | $52 | $660 | $619 | $1,279 |
| 39 | Ohio | $55 | $51 | $660 | $612 | $1,272 |
| 40 | New Mexico | $55 | $51 | $660 | $609 | $1,269 |
| 41 | Tennessee | $55 | $51 | $660 | $606 | $1,266 |
| 42 | Missouri | $55 | $50 | $660 | $599 | $1,259 |
| 43 | Kentucky | $55 | $50 | $660 | $595 | $1,255 |
| 44 | Nebraska | $55 | $50 | $660 | $595 | $1,255 |
| 45 | Utah | $50 | $54 | $600 | $653 | $1,253 |
| 46 | West Virginia | $55 | $49 | $660 | $591 | $1,251 |
| 47 | Louisiana | $55 | $49 | $660 | $582 | $1,242 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $55 | $48 | $660 | $580 | $1,240 |
| 49 | Iowa | $55 | $48 | $660 | $579 | $1,239 |
| 50 | Indiana | $50 | $51 | $600 | $616 | $1,216 |
Method
- Internet = BroadbandNow state-grain average for cable / fiber 100Mbps tier (2024).
- Phone = BLS CPI telephone services category, adjusted by BEA Regional Price Parity. Reflects bundled wireless + landline + VoIP.
- Excludes streaming + cellular family plans. Add ~$50-100/mo for streaming aggregator (Netflix + Hulu + Disney+ + cloud storage); $130-220/mo for a 4-line cellular family plan with handset financing.
Sources: BroadbandNow, BLS CPI, BEA RPP.