Last month, bill pay service doxo released its 2024 Cost of Bills Index, which breaks down comparative household costs across the country.
The report focused on the ten most common household bill categories:
- Utilities
- Cable and phone
- Mobile phone
- Auto loans
- Auto insurance
- Life insurance
- Health insurance
- Alarm and security
- Rent
- Mortgage
To determine the ranking, doxo used the number 100 to represent the national average in the index. Then, states were assigned a number either above or below 100 based on how they compared to the national average.
doxo’s 2024 U.S. Household Bill Pay Report found that the average U.S. household spends $2,126 a month — $25,513 annually — on the ten most essential bills.
No. 1 most expensive U.S. state based on monthly costs: Hawaii
Hawaii is still the most expensive state based on the cost of monthly household bills. It took the top spot on last year’s list as well. Residents spend $3,091 each month — 45% above the national average.
The doxo report found that the average monthly bill for a mortgage in Hawaii is $2,576, while the average rent is $1,983.
Only one in five households in the state can afford to buy a single-family home, according to a report in May from the University of Hawaii.
The report stated that the 2023 Maui wildfires and higher interest rates have made the housing situation in the Aloha state even worse.
Hawaii
Matteo Colombo | Digitalvision | Getty Images
Top 10 most expensive U.S. states based on monthly costs
- Hawaii
- California
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- Maryland
- Washington
- New York
- Connecticut
- Colorado
- New Hampshire
No. 1 least expensive state based on monthly costs: West Virginia
For the second year in a row, West Virginia ranked as the least expensive state based on monthly costs.
The average cost of bills in West Virginia is $1,596 per month — 25% below the national average. The average mortgage in the state is $961, while the average rent is $846 a month.
The Mountain State also ranked as the cheapest state to live in for 2024, according to CNBC’s America’s Top States for Business Study.
West Virginia
Posnov | Moment | Getty Images
The average home price in Morgantown, West Virginia, is $367,599, and the monthly energy bill is $178.61.
The low cost of living in West Virginia means companies can pay lower wages than they might in a state with a higher cost of living. West Virginia’s average hourly wage of $25.10 in 2023 was the third lowest in the nation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
