Solar panel cost by state
Price per watt, the electricity rate the array is displacing and the sun the state actually gets. Those three numbers decide almost everything, and they differ enough between states that a national average is useless to anyone.
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Sources: EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (residential retail rates)NREL PVWatts / NSRDB (peak sun hours and production)DSIRE (state and utility incentives)
There is a fourth thing that used to matter and no longer does. The 30% federal residential clean energy credit ended for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. Nothing on this site subtracts it any more, and the net costs below are lower only where a state still runs a program of its own.
Every figure below is modelled for a 8 kW system, after whatever incentives are actually open today. None of it is a quote.
Every state
- Alabama$2.70/W · 15.4¢ · 4.5 sun hrs$21,60013.3 yrs
- Alaska$3.50/W · 24.5¢ · 3 sun hrs$28,00016.3 yrs
- Arizona$2.50/W · 14.5¢ · 6 sun hrsArizona Residential Solar Energy Tax Credit$19,0009.3 yrs
- Arkansas$2.75/W · 12.6¢ · 4.6 sun hrs$22,00016.2 yrs
- California$3.30/W · 31.8¢ · 5.5 sun hrs$26,4006.5 yrs
- Colorado$2.90/W · 15¢ · 5.4 sun hrs$23,20012.3 yrs
- Connecticut$3.20/W · 27.5¢ · 4.2 sun hrs$25,6009.5 yrs
- Delaware$2.90/W · 16.5¢ · 4.4 sun hrsDelmarva Green Energy Program$20,70012.2 yrs
- District of Columbia$3.00/W · 16.8¢ · 4.3 sun hrsDC SREC market$18,00010.7 yrs
- Florida$2.45/W · 15.3¢ · 5.2 sun hrs$19,60010.5 yrs
- Georgia$2.60/W · 14.5¢ · 4.8 sun hrs$20,80012.8 yrs
- Hawaii$3.60/W · 41.5¢ · 5.7 sun hrsHawaii Renewable Energy Technologies Income Tax Credit$23,8004.3 yrs
- Idaho$2.70/W · 11.5¢ · 4.9 sun hrsIdaho Residential Alternative Energy Deduction$20,80015.8 yrs
- Illinois$3.00/W · 16.5¢ · 4.3 sun hrsIllinois Shines (Adjustable Block Program)$19,00011.5 yrs
- Indiana$2.80/W · 15¢ · 4.2 sun hrs$22,40015.2 yrs
- Iowa$2.85/W · 13.5¢ · 4.4 sun hrs$22,80016.4 yrs
- Kansas$2.75/W · 14.2¢ · 5 sun hrs$22,00013.3 yrs
- Kentucky$2.80/W · 13¢ · 4.2 sun hrs$22,40017.6 yrs
- Louisiana$2.75/W · 12.8¢ · 4.7 sun hrs$22,00015.7 yrs
- Maine$3.00/W · 25.5¢ · 4.2 sun hrs$24,0009.6 yrs
- Maryland$2.90/W · 17.5¢ · 4.4 sun hrsMaryland Residential Clean Energy Rebate$20,70011.5 yrs
- Massachusetts$3.40/W · 30.5¢ · 4.3 sun hrsSMART program + state tax credit$23,7007.7 yrs
- Michigan$2.90/W · 19¢ · 4 sun hrs$23,20013.1 yrs
- Minnesota$3.00/W · 15¢ · 4.3 sun hrs$24,00015.9 yrs
- Mississippi$2.75/W · 13.5¢ · 4.7 sun hrs$22,00014.8 yrs
- Missouri$2.75/W · 12.5¢ · 4.6 sun hrs$22,00016.4 yrs
- Montana$2.95/W · 12.5¢ · 4.5 sun hrsMontana Alternative Energy Systems Credit$23,10017.6 yrs
- Nebraska$2.80/W · 11.5¢ · 4.8 sun hrs$22,40017.4 yrs
- Nevada$2.60/W · 16.5¢ · 6 sun hrs$20,8009.0 yrs
- New Hampshire$3.10/W · 25.5¢ · 4.2 sun hrsNH Residential Renewable Electric Generation Rebate$23,8009.5 yrs
- New Jersey$3.10/W · 20.5¢ · 4.4 sun hrsSuccessor Solar Incentive (SuSI)$20,8009.9 yrs
- New Mexico$2.75/W · 14.5¢ · 6.2 sun hrsNew Mexico Solar Market Development Tax Credit$19,5009.3 yrs
- New York$3.40/W · 24.5¢ · 4 sun hrsNY-Sun Megawatt Block + state solar tax credit$22,7009.9 yrs
- North Carolina$2.60/W · 13.5¢ · 4.7 sun hrs$20,80014.0 yrs
- North Dakota$2.95/W · 10.8¢ · 4.5 sun hrs$23,60020.8 yrs
- Ohio$2.80/W · 15.5¢ · 4.1 sun hrs$22,40015.1 yrs
- Oklahoma$2.70/W · 12¢ · 5.1 sun hrs$21,60015.1 yrs
- Oregon$2.80/W · 13.5¢ · 4 sun hrsOregon Solar + Storage Rebate Program$20,90016.6 yrs
- Pennsylvania$2.80/W · 18¢ · 4.1 sun hrsPennsylvania SREC market$20,90012.1 yrs
- Rhode Island$3.20/W · 27.5¢ · 4.3 sun hrsRenewable Energy Fund residential grant$23,1008.4 yrs
- South Carolina$2.65/W · 14.5¢ · 4.8 sun hrsSouth Carolina Solar Energy Tax Credit$17,70010.9 yrs
- South Dakota$2.90/W · 12.5¢ · 4.7 sun hrs$23,20016.9 yrs
- Tennessee$2.70/W · 13¢ · 4.4 sun hrs$21,60016.2 yrs
- Texas$2.55/W · 15¢ · 5.1 sun hrs$20,40011.4 yrs
- Utah$2.55/W · 11.5¢ · 5.4 sun hrs$20,40014.1 yrs
- Vermont$3.20/W · 21.5¢ · 4 sun hrs$25,60012.7 yrs
- Virginia$2.70/W · 14.5¢ · 4.5 sun hrs$21,60014.2 yrs
- Washington$2.90/W · 11.5¢ · 3.7 sun hrs$23,20023.3 yrs
- West Virginia$2.85/W · 14.5¢ · 4.1 sun hrs$22,80016.4 yrs
- Wisconsin$3.00/W · 17¢ · 4.2 sun hrsFocus on Energy solar rebate$23,50014.1 yrs
- Wyoming$2.90/W · 11.5¢ · 5.3 sun hrs$23,20016.3 yrs
Right column: 8 kW net cost and payback.
Net cost is installed cost minus any state incentive still open — no federal credit, because there is not one for homeowners any more. Payback divides net cost by first-year bill offset, holding the rate flat. Both are modelled from EIA rates and NREL sun hours, not quoted by an installer.
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