Heating Cost by State
What it costs to heat a home for a year in every state, on natural gas, propane, heating oil, electric resistance and a heat pump. The numbers come from current U.S. Energy Information Administration prices and each state's climate.
Updated October 11, 2026. Prices: electricity 2026 average through July; natural gas winter 2025–26 average; propane and heating oil week of Oct 5, 2026.
The cheapest way to heat a home in each state
Across the 50 states and D.C., the cheapest heat to run is natural gas in 34 and a heat pump in 17. Tap a state to jump to its row.
Annual heating cost by state and fuel
Pick a home size. The lowest cost in each row is highlighted. Click a column heading to sort, or a state name to open the calculator with that state loaded.
| State | Climate zone | Natural gas80% furnace | Propane80% furnace | Heating oil83% furnace | Electric resistancebaseboard or furnace | Heat pumpair source | Cheapest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3 · Warm | $420 | $960 | $1,050 | $970 | $370 | Heat pump |
| Alaska | 7 · Very cold | $1,200 | $2,700 | $3,990 | $6,040 | $3,450 | Natural gas |
| Arizona | 2 · Hot | $270 | $430 | $630 | $540 | $200 | Heat pump |
| Arkansas | 3 · Warm | $520 | $630 | $1,050 | $800 | $300 | Heat pump |
| California | 3 · Warm | $540 | $710 | $1,050 | $1,950 | $740 | Natural gas |
| Colorado | 5 · Cool | $630 | $1,570 | $2,520 | $2,350 | $1,040 | Natural gas |
| Connecticut | 5 · Cool | $1,010 | $2,760 | $2,510 | $3,940 | $1,750 | Natural gas |
| Delaware | 4 · Mixed | $740 | $1,800 | $1,890 | $1,890 | $760 | Natural gas |
| District of Columbia | 4 · Mixed | $710 | $1,750 | $1,900 | $2,610 | $1,040 | Natural gas |
| Florida | 2 · Hot | $350 | $800 | $610 | $540 | $200 | Heat pump |
| Georgia | 3 · Warm | $400 | $840 | $1,020 | $900 | $340 | Heat pump |
| Hawaii | 1 · Very hot | $270 | $140 | $210 | $540 | $190 | Heat pump |
| Idaho | 5 · Cool | $410 | $1,650 | $2,520 | $1,830 | $810 | Natural gas |
| Illinois | 5 · Cool | $620 | $1,200 | $2,400 | $2,700 | $1,200 | Natural gas |
| Indiana | 5 · Cool | $640 | $1,620 | $2,410 | $2,390 | $1,060 | Natural gas |
| Iowa | 5 · Cool | $590 | $1,070 | $2,370 | $2,000 | $890 | Natural gas |
| Kansas | 4 · Mixed | $600 | $990 | $1,800 | $1,600 | $640 | Natural gas |
| Kentucky | 4 · Mixed | $630 | $1,310 | $1,830 | $1,510 | $600 | Heat pump |
| Louisiana | 2 · Hot | $270 | $480 | $630 | $470 | $170 | Heat pump |
| Maine | 6 · Cold | $1,300 | $2,910 | $3,120 | $5,280 | $2,640 | Natural gas |
| Maryland | 4 · Mixed | $720 | $1,870 | $1,910 | $2,250 | $900 | Natural gas |
| Massachusetts | 5 · Cool | $1,480 | $2,350 | $2,560 | $4,230 | $1,880 | Natural gas |
| Michigan | 5 · Cool | $620 | $1,530 | $2,330 | $3,020 | $1,340 | Natural gas |
| Minnesota | 6 · Cold | $780 | $1,560 | $3,000 | $2,870 | $1,430 | Natural gas |
| Mississippi | 3 · Warm | $380 | $830 | $1,050 | $890 | $340 | Heat pump |
| Missouri | 4 · Mixed | $660 | $1,010 | $1,800 | $1,480 | $590 | Heat pump |
| Montana | 6 · Cold | $640 | $1,570 | $3,150 | $2,440 | $1,220 | Natural gas |
| Nebraska | 5 · Cool | $660 | $1,110 | $2,230 | $1,810 | $810 | Natural gas |
| Nevada | 3 · Warm | $240 | $710 | $1,050 | $790 | $300 | Natural gas |
| New Hampshire | 6 · Cold | $1,400 | $3,240 | $3,120 | $4,710 | $2,360 | Natural gas |
| New Jersey | 4 · Mixed | $620 | $1,940 | $1,890 | $2,530 | $1,010 | Natural gas |
| New Mexico | 4 · Mixed | $450 | $1,440 | $1,890 | $1,590 | $640 | Natural gas |
| New York | 5 · Cool | $990 | $2,410 | $2,600 | $4,140 | $1,840 | Natural gas |
| North Carolina | 4 · Mixed | $800 | $1,760 | $1,820 | $1,570 | $630 | Heat pump |
| North Dakota | 6 · Cold | $640 | $1,320 | $3,000 | $2,180 | $1,090 | Natural gas |
| Ohio | 5 · Cool | $720 | $1,690 | $2,470 | $2,630 | $1,170 | Natural gas |
| Oklahoma | 3 · Warm | $340 | $630 | $1,000 | $800 | $300 | Heat pump |
| Oregon | 4 · Mixed | $720 | $1,280 | $1,890 | $1,620 | $650 | Heat pump |
| Pennsylvania | 5 · Cool | $860 | $2,070 | $2,430 | $2,950 | $1,310 | Natural gas |
| Rhode Island | 5 · Cool | $1,290 | $2,500 | $2,560 | $4,110 | $1,830 | Natural gas |
| South Carolina | 3 · Warm | $410 | $980 | $1,020 | $930 | $360 | Heat pump |
| South Dakota | 6 · Cold | $700 | $1,420 | $3,000 | $2,550 | $1,270 | Natural gas |
| Tennessee | 4 · Mixed | $560 | $1,570 | $1,800 | $1,470 | $590 | Natural gas |
| Texas | 3 · Warm | $500 | $850 | $1,050 | $940 | $360 | Heat pump |
| Utah | 5 · Cool | $630 | $1,460 | $2,520 | $1,860 | $830 | Natural gas |
| Vermont | 6 · Cold | $1,220 | $3,090 | $3,130 | $4,200 | $2,100 | Natural gas |
| Virginia | 4 · Mixed | $730 | $1,810 | $1,860 | $1,770 | $710 | Heat pump |
| Washington | 4 · Mixed | $720 | $1,280 | $1,890 | $1,520 | $610 | Heat pump |
| West Virginia | 4 · Mixed | $590 | $1,770 | $1,840 | $1,640 | $650 | Natural gas |
| Wisconsin | 6 · Cold | $830 | $1,480 | $2,910 | $3,340 | $1,670 | Natural gas |
| Wyoming | 6 · Cold | $800 | $1,840 | $3,150 | $2,440 | $1,220 | Natural gas |
Annual cost for a 2,000 sq ft home with typical insulation, rounded to the nearest $10. "Cheapest" assumes the fuel is available at your address: many rural homes have no natural gas line, and heating oil is rare outside the Northeast.
Get the number for your own house
The calculator takes your exact square footage, your real utility rates and your furnace's efficiency, and adds cold-climate and geothermal heat pumps, wood and pellets.
What the numbers show
Where heating costs the most. Among states with a real winter, the highest bills on the cheapest available fuel are in Massachusetts ($1,480), New Hampshire ($1,400) and Maine ($1,300). The lowest are in Idaho ($410), New Mexico ($450) and Tennessee ($560).
Propane and oil cost far more than gas. At U.S. average prices, heat delivered by a natural gas furnace costs about $18 per million BTU. Propane is about $36 and heating oil about $53. The gap between propane and gas is widest in Vermont, at about $1,880 a year.
Heat pumps depend on the climate and the electric rate. A heat pump delivers about 2.8 units of heat per unit of electricity in a hot climate and about 2.0 in a cold one, so the same machine costs much more to run in Maine than in Georgia. Electric resistance heat delivers 1 unit per unit everywhere, which is why it is the most expensive column in most states.
Energy prices by state
The residential prices behind the table above.
| State | Electricityper kWh | Natural gasper therm | Propaneper gallon | Heating oilper gallon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16.5¢ | $1.67 | $3.52 | $6.04† |
| Alaska | 27.1¢ | $1.26 | $2.60† | $6.04† |
| Arizona | 15.4¢ | $1.78 | $2.60† | $6.04† |
| Arkansas | 13.6¢ | $2.08 | $2.29 | $6.04† |
| California | 33.3¢ | $2.16 | $2.60† | $6.04† |
| Colorado | 16.7¢ | $1.05 | $2.39 | $6.04† |
| Connecticut | 28.0¢ | $1.69 | $4.21 | $6.00 |
| Delaware | 17.9¢ | $1.65 | $3.67 | $6.04 |
| District of Columbia | 24.7¢ | $1.57 | $3.56* | $6.08* |
| Florida | 15.3¢ | $2.36 | $4.86 | $5.89* |
| Georgia | 15.4¢ | $1.62 | $3.08 | $5.89* |
| Hawaii | 46.3¢ | $5.40 | $2.60† | $6.04† |
| Idaho | 13.0¢ | $0.69 | $2.51 | $6.04† |
| Illinois | 19.2¢ | $1.03 | $1.83 | $5.74* |
| Indiana | 17.0¢ | $1.07 | $2.47 | $5.76 |
| Iowa | 14.2¢ | $0.98 | $1.63 | $5.68 |
| Kansas | 15.2¢ | $1.34 | $2.01 | $5.74* |
| Kentucky | 14.3¢ | $1.40 | $2.67 | $5.83 |
| Louisiana | 13.4¢ | $1.81 | $2.92* | $6.04† |
| Maine | 30.0¢ | $1.74 | $3.55 | $5.97 |
| Maryland | 21.3¢ | $1.60 | $3.80 | $6.11 |
| Massachusetts | 30.1¢ | $2.46 | $3.59 | $6.12 |
| Michigan | 21.5¢ | $1.03 | $2.34 | $5.58 |
| Minnesota | 16.3¢ | $1.04 | $1.90 | $5.74 |
| Mississippi | 15.2¢ | $1.51 | $3.05 | $6.04† |
| Missouri | 14.0¢ | $1.46 | $2.06 | $5.74* |
| Montana | 13.9¢ | $0.85 | $1.91 | $6.04† |
| Nebraska | 12.9¢ | $1.10 | $1.70 | $5.33 |
| Nevada | 13.5¢ | $0.98 | $2.60† | $6.04† |
| New Hampshire | 26.8¢ | $1.86 | $3.95 | $5.98 |
| New Jersey | 24.0¢ | $1.38 | $3.95 | $6.04 |
| New Mexico | 15.1¢ | $1.01 | $2.92* | $6.04† |
| New York | 29.4¢ | $1.65 | $3.67 | $6.23 |
| North Carolina | 14.9¢ | $1.78 | $3.58 | $5.82 |
| North Dakota | 12.4¢ | $0.85 | $1.61 | $5.74* |
| Ohio | 18.7¢ | $1.20 | $2.57 | $5.92 |
| Oklahoma | 13.6¢ | $1.38 | $2.29 | $5.74* |
| Oregon | 15.4¢ | $1.60 | $2.60† | $6.04† |
| Pennsylvania | 21.0¢ | $1.44 | $3.15 | $5.83 |
| Rhode Island | 29.2¢ | $2.15 | $3.82 | $6.12 |
| South Carolina | 15.9¢ | $1.63 | $3.59* | $5.89* |
| South Dakota | 14.5¢ | $0.94 | $1.73 | $5.74* |
| Tennessee | 13.9¢ | $1.24 | $3.19 | $5.74* |
| Texas | 16.1¢ | $2.02 | $3.10 | $6.04† |
| Utah | 13.2¢ | $1.05 | $2.23 | $6.04† |
| Vermont | 23.9¢ | $1.62 | $3.77 | $5.99 |
| Virginia | 16.8¢ | $1.62 | $3.68 | $5.95 |
| Washington | 14.4¢ | $1.61 | $2.60† | $6.04† |
| West Virginia | 15.5¢ | $1.32 | $3.59* | $5.89* |
| Wisconsin | 19.0¢ | $1.10 | $1.81 | $5.58 |
| Wyoming | 13.9¢ | $1.06 | $2.25* | $6.04† |
| U.S. average | 18.2¢ | $1.43 | $2.60 | $6.04 |
* Regional average. † U.S. average. EIA surveys propane and heating oil prices only from October to March and not in every state, so states it does not survey show the average for their region or for the country. A fuel shown at the U.S. average is never marked as a state's cheapest.
How these numbers are calculated
Heat needed. Each state is assigned a climate zone, and each zone a typical number of heating degree days, from 1,500 in a hot zone to 9,500 in a very cold one. A home needs about 4 BTU per square foot for each degree day, which is what U.S. homes actually use according to the EIA's Residential Energy Consumption Survey, and the same assumption the heating cost calculator uses. One zone per state is a simplification: northern and southern parts of a large state can differ a lot.
Equipment. Natural gas and propane furnaces at 80% efficiency, oil at 83%, electric resistance at 100%, and a standard air-source heat pump rated at a seasonal COP of 2.5, adjusted down in cold zones and up in mild ones. A 96% gas furnace would cut the natural gas column by about 17%.
Prices. Residential prices from the U.S. Energy Information Administration: electricity (2026 average through July), natural gas (winter 2025–26 average), and the weekly propane and heating oil surveys (week of Oct 5, 2026). This page is rebuilt whenever those prices change.
What is left out. Fixed monthly utility charges, equipment and installation cost, air conditioning, and how well your particular house is insulated. Treat these as a comparison between fuels and states, not a prediction of your bill.
Common questions
Which state is the most expensive to heat a home in?
Among states with a real winter, Massachusetts ($1,480), New Hampshire ($1,400) and Maine ($1,300) have the highest bills even on the cheapest fuel available, for a 2,000 sq ft home. The figures combine each state's climate with its current energy prices.
Is it cheaper to heat with natural gas or a heat pump?
It depends on the state. At current prices natural gas is the cheapest option in 34 states and a heat pump in 17. Gas usually wins where winters are cold and gas is cheap; heat pumps win where winters are mild or electricity is cheap.
How much more does propane cost than natural gas?
At U.S. average prices, heat from a propane furnace costs about $36 per million BTU against about $18 for natural gas, roughly 2.0 times as much. Heating oil is about $53 per million BTU.