Solar payback by state
Every state, on the same example: a $180 a month electricity bill, panels at $2.90 a watt, utility prices rising 3 percent a year, and no federal tax credit, because it ended on December 31, 2025. Click a state to put your own bill in.
| State | Pays back in | Power price | System cost | 25 year gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 5 yr | 42.5 cents | $8,843 | $57,431 |
| California | 6 yr | 31.8 cents | $11,438 | $54,836 |
| Connecticut | 8 yr | 28.5 cents | $16,214 | $50,060 |
| Massachusetts | 8 yr | 30.5 cents | $14,787 | $51,487 |
| Rhode Island | 8 yr | 28 cents | $15,980 | $50,294 |
| Maine | 9 yr | 24 cents | $18,792 | $47,482 |
| New Hampshire | 9 yr | 24.5 cents | $18,408 | $47,865 |
| New York | 9 yr | 24.5 cents | $18,861 | $47,413 |
| Nevada | 10 yr | 16.5 cents | $20,707 | $45,566 |
| New Jersey | 10 yr | 20.5 cents | $21,485 | $44,789 |
| Alaska | 11 yr | 24.5 cents | $24,222 | $42,052 |
| Arizona | 11 yr | 15.3 cents | $21,933 | $44,341 |
| Colorado | 11 yr | 15.2 cents | $23,929 | $42,345 |
| Maryland | 11 yr | 18.3 cents | $23,697 | $42,576 |
| New Mexico | 11 yr | 14.5 cents | $22,871 | $43,403 |
| Vermont | 11 yr | 21.5 cents | $21,851 | $44,423 |
| Alabama | 12 yr | 15.9 cents | $26,264 | $40,010 |
| Delaware | 12 yr | 16.9 cents | $26,061 | $40,212 |
| District of Columbia | 12 yr | 16.5 cents | $26,283 | $39,991 |
| Florida | 12 yr | 15.4 cents | $26,148 | $40,125 |
| Illinois | 12 yr | 17 cents | $26,530 | $39,744 |
| Michigan | 12 yr | 19.2 cents | $24,469 | $41,805 |
| Pennsylvania | 12 yr | 18.5 cents | $24,775 | $41,499 |
| Texas | 12 yr | 15.3 cents | $25,412 | $40,862 |
| Wisconsin | 12 yr | 17.3 cents | $26,494 | $39,780 |
| Georgia | 13 yr | 14.4 cents | $28,370 | $37,904 |
| Kansas | 13 yr | 14.1 cents | $27,574 | $38,699 |
| South Carolina | 13 yr | 14.6 cents | $27,981 | $38,293 |
| Virginia | 13 yr | 14.6 cents | $29,033 | $37,241 |
| Indiana | 14 yr | 15.1 cents | $30,109 | $36,165 |
| Minnesota | 14 yr | 14.8 cents | $29,759 | $36,515 |
| Mississippi | 14 yr | 13.4 cents | $31,164 | $35,110 |
| North Carolina | 14 yr | 13.7 cents | $29,819 | $36,455 |
| Ohio | 14 yr | 15.9 cents | $29,547 | $36,727 |
| Utah | 14 yr | 11.6 cents | $31,355 | $34,919 |
| West Virginia | 14 yr | 14.7 cents | $31,959 | $34,315 |
| Arkansas | 15 yr | 13 cents | $32,123 | $34,151 |
| Iowa | 15 yr | 13.4 cents | $32,363 | $33,911 |
| Kentucky | 15 yr | 13 cents | $34,693 | $31,581 |
| Louisiana | 15 yr | 12.5 cents | $34,167 | $32,107 |
| Missouri | 15 yr | 12.7 cents | $32,882 | $33,392 |
| Montana | 15 yr | 12.6 cents | $33,143 | $33,131 |
| Nebraska | 15 yr | 11.6 cents | $34,714 | $31,560 |
| Oklahoma | 15 yr | 12.1 cents | $32,132 | $34,142 |
| South Dakota | 15 yr | 12.2 cents | $34,230 | $32,044 |
| Tennessee | 15 yr | 12.8 cents | $33,880 | $32,394 |
| Wyoming | 15 yr | 11.6 cents | $32,400 | $33,874 |
| Idaho | 16 yr | 11.4 cents | $35,323 | $30,951 |
| Oregon | 16 yr | 13.5 cents | $35,390 | $30,884 |
| North Dakota | 17 yr | 10.9 cents | $39,785 | $26,488 |
| Washington | 19 yr | 11.5 cents | $44,566 | $21,708 |
The states at the top are not the sunniest ones. They are the ones with the most expensive electricity, which is what solar is actually competing against. Hawaii and California pay back quickly on price alone; a sunny state with cheap power can sit near the bottom of this table.