Internet bills climb 23% as Idaho becomes the priciest state for speed

American households now pay an average of $91.27 a month for home internet, according to HighSpeedInternet.com’s 2026 state-by-state report. Idaho overtook Alaska as the most expensive state for internet value, while New Jersey ranked best on cost per megabit.

Why it matters: - Home internet costs are rising faster than many consumers’ bills elsewhere, even as speeds improve nationwide. - The gap between urban and rural internet value remains wide, with geography still shaping what households pay for service. - The report shows where competition is strongest and where limited provider choice keeps prices high.

What happened: - HighSpeedInternet.com released its Cost of Internet by State in 2026 report on Oct. 28, 2026. - American households pay an average of $91.27 per month for home internet in 2026. - That average is up 23% from $74.17 in 2024. - National median download speeds rose 36% over the same period, from 85.45 Mbps to 116.34 Mbps. - Idaho replaced Alaska as the state with the highest cost per Mbps. - New Jersey ranked as the best internet value in the country.

The details: - HighSpeedInternet.com compared plan prices and speed test data across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. - Researchers divided each state’s average monthly bill by its typical download speed to calculate cost per Mbps. - The national average price is $1.27 per Mbps. - New Jersey recorded the lowest price per Mbps at $0.46, with typical download speeds of 201.80 Mbps. - Florida followed at $0.47 per Mbps. - Delaware and Maryland tied at $0.48 per Mbps. - New Hampshire posted $0.49 per Mbps. - Connecticut came in at $0.50 per Mbps. - North Carolina registered $0.51 per Mbps. - New York posted $0.52 per Mbps. - Massachusetts and South Carolina both landed at $0.53 per Mbps. - Idaho posted the highest price per Mbps at $2.89. - Idaho households pay an average of $127.27 per month for typical speeds of 43.97 Mbps. - Wyoming ranked second at $1.90 per Mbps. - Montana ranked third at $1.62 per Mbps. - New Mexico ranked fourth at $1.28 per Mbps. - Kansas ranked fifth at $1.09 per Mbps. - Oregon ranked sixth at $1.08 per Mbps. - Alaska ranked seventh at $1.04 per Mbps. - Iowa ranked eighth at $1.03 per Mbps. - Wisconsin ranked ninth at $1.00 per Mbps. - Nebraska rounded out the 10 most expensive states at $0.99 per Mbps. - Rural Western states dominated the lowest-value rankings, with many areas relying on older DSL or satellite connections. - Alaska’s cost per Mbps fell from $2.92 to $1.04 after major statewide speed improvements. - Utah dropped out of the top 10 most affordable states and fell to 32nd place at $0.85 per Mbps.

Between the lines: - Strong competition among cable and fiber providers appears to be driving better value in many East Coast states. - States with fewer providers and more rural coverage constraints continue to face slower service at higher effective prices. - The cost-per-Mbps metric helps show value beyond sticker price, since faster service can offset a higher monthly bill.

What's next: - Consumers can use their ZIP code to check local internet deals and newer low-cost options. - The full rankings for all 50 states and Washington, D.C. are available in the full report. - HighSpeedInternet.com said it will continue publishing research and market analyses on internet pricing, performance and availability nationwide.

The bottom line: - Internet speeds are rising, but affordability still depends heavily on where households live and how many providers compete for their business.