Key findings
Hawaii is the clear outlier: at the June 2026 residential average of 52.72¢ per kWh, the standardized 2,160 kWh pool-pump workload costs about $1,139. Nevada is lowest in this comparison at 13.11¢ per kWh, or about $283 for the same electrical workload. That makes the Hawaii benchmark just over four times Nevada's.
California ranks second at roughly $750. Massachusetts, Maine, New York and Rhode Island all land near $630–$640 under the benchmark. By contrast, several states in the Mountain, West South Central and East South Central regions fall near or below $310.
The U.S. June 2026 residential average was 18.34¢ per kWh. Applying that national rate to the same benchmark produces an estimated cost of about $396.
Real pool-pump cost depends on pump wattage, speed schedule, pool season, utility tariff and equipment needs. The fixed workload is used only to make state electricity prices directly comparable. For your own pool, use the Pool Pump Electricity Cost Calculator.
All 50 states ranked
Ranking uses June 2026 EIA residential average electricity prices. Cost = 2,160 kWh × state residential price. Click a column heading to sort.
| Rank | State | June 2026 residential rate | Benchmark cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii | 52.72¢/kWh | $1138.75 |
| 2 | California | 34.74¢/kWh | $750.38 |
| 3 | Massachusetts | 29.61¢/kWh | $639.58 |
| 4 | Maine | 29.59¢/kWh | $639.14 |
| 5 | New York | 29.49¢/kWh | $636.98 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | 29.23¢/kWh | $631.37 |
| 7 | Alaska | 28.21¢/kWh | $609.34 |
| 8 | New Hampshire | 27.01¢/kWh | $583.42 |
| 9 | New Jersey | 24.95¢/kWh | $538.92 |
| 10 | Vermont | 24.44¢/kWh | $527.90 |
| 11 | Connecticut | 24.32¢/kWh | $525.31 |
| 12 | Michigan | 22.99¢/kWh | $496.58 |
| 13 | Maryland | 21.84¢/kWh | $471.74 |
| 14 | Pennsylvania | 21.73¢/kWh | $469.37 |
| 15 | Illinois | 19.89¢/kWh | $429.62 |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 19.56¢/kWh | $422.50 |
| 17 | Delaware | 19.29¢/kWh | $416.66 |
| 18 | Ohio | 19.19¢/kWh | $414.50 |
| 19 | Minnesota | 17.52¢/kWh | $378.43 |
| 20 | Indiana | 17.51¢/kWh | $378.22 |
| 21 | Virginia | 17.22¢/kWh | $371.95 |
| 22 | Colorado | 17.13¢/kWh | $370.01 |
| 23 | Alabama | 16.40¢/kWh | $354.24 |
| 24 | Georgia | 16.36¢/kWh | $353.38 |
| 25 | Oregon | 16.32¢/kWh | $352.51 |
| 26 | Missouri | 16.22¢/kWh | $350.35 |
| 27 | Texas | 15.94¢/kWh | $344.30 |
| 28 | Iowa | 15.93¢/kWh | $344.09 |
| 29 | Kansas | 15.71¢/kWh | $339.34 |
| 30 | South Carolina | 15.55¢/kWh | $335.88 |
| 31 | West Virginia | 15.45¢/kWh | $333.72 |
| 32 | South Dakota | 15.36¢/kWh | $331.78 |
| 33 | Wyoming | 15.24¢/kWh | $329.18 |
| 34 | Arizona | 15.18¢/kWh | $327.89 |
| 35 | Montana | 15.14¢/kWh | $327.02 |
| 36 | Florida | 15.10¢/kWh | $326.16 |
| 37 | New Mexico | 15.06¢/kWh | $325.30 |
| 38 | Washington | 14.91¢/kWh | $322.06 |
| 39 | Mississippi | 14.88¢/kWh | $321.41 |
| 40 | North Carolina | 14.74¢/kWh | $318.38 |
| 41 | Idaho | 14.37¢/kWh | $310.39 |
| 42 | Oklahoma | 14.33¢/kWh | $309.53 |
| 43 | Kentucky | 14.26¢/kWh | $308.02 |
| 44 | North Dakota | 14.12¢/kWh | $304.99 |
| 45 | Arkansas | 14.12¢/kWh | $304.99 |
| 46 | Tennessee | 14.07¢/kWh | $303.91 |
| 47 | Louisiana | 13.49¢/kWh | $291.38 |
| 48 | Utah | 13.37¢/kWh | $288.79 |
| 49 | Nebraska | 13.25¢/kWh | $286.20 |
| 50 | Nevada | 13.11¢/kWh | $283.18 |
Methodology
Electricity data. PoolVerdicts used the U.S. Energy Information Administration's Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, “Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector, by State, June 2026 and 2025.” The EIA release date was August 26, 2026. We use the June 2026 residential value for each of the 50 states and exclude regional aggregates and the District of Columbia.
Standardized workload. The benchmark assumes a 1.5-kilowatt pump operating 8 hours per day for 180 days: 1.5 × 8 × 180 = 2,160 kWh. Every state receives the exact same workload so the only changing variable is the EIA residential electricity price.
Calculation. Benchmark cost = 2,160 kWh × residential price in dollars per kWh. Figures are rounded to the nearest cent. The EIA notes that the monthly values are preliminary estimates; future releases may revise them.
What this study does not assume. We do not assume a six-month pool season is appropriate in every state, that all pumps draw 1.5 kW, or that every household pays its state's average price. Those assumptions would make the ranking look more “realistic” while actually introducing more guesswork. The goal here is controlled comparability.
Why this matters for pump upgrades
Electricity price changes the economics of efficiency. The same reduction in annual kWh is worth much more in Hawaii, California or the Northeast than in a low-price state. That does not mean every variable-speed upgrade pays back quickly; purchase price, installation cost and the pump's actual wattage at useful flow rates still matter.
Use the Variable-Speed Pool Pump Savings Calculator to model your existing wattage, proposed schedule, electricity rate, upgrade cost and rebate rather than applying a generic savings percentage.
Data use and citation
The underlying electricity-price data are from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. PoolVerdicts produced the standardized pool-pump workload, calculations and 50-state ranking. Journalists, researchers and pool-industry publishers may cite the analysis with attribution to PoolVerdicts and may use the downloadable CSV for further analysis.