How Much Does It Cost to Run a Central air conditioner? (April 2026)
Running a Central air conditioner (3,500 W typical) for 6 hours a day costs between $77.80 per month in North Dakota and $293.71 per month in Hawaii, at each state's official average residential rate for April 2026.
Central air conditioner: what it costs you
Pick your state and how long it runs each day. Nothing you type is stored.
- Cost per month
- $122.79
- Cost per year
- $1,473.44
Assumes a 30-day month (year = 12 × month) at Ohio's average residential rate of 19.49¢/kWh (U.S. EIA, April 2026). Your plan's price differs.
Typical wattage: 3,500 W (DOE Energy Saver, verified 2026-07-17) — 3-ton system ~3,000-5,000 W while running. A representative figure, not a spec sheet for your model.
Monthly cost in every state (6 hours/day)
| State | Price | Cost / month |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 46.62¢/kWh | $293.71 |
| California | 35.25¢/kWh | $222.08 |
| Connecticut | 32.24¢/kWh | $203.11 |
| Massachusetts | 29.45¢/kWh | $185.54 |
| New York | 29.45¢/kWh | $185.54 |
| Maine | 28.42¢/kWh | $179.05 |
| Rhode Island | 28.30¢/kWh | $178.29 |
| Alaska | 27.35¢/kWh | $172.31 |
| New Hampshire | 27.24¢/kWh | $171.61 |
| District of Columbia | 25.41¢/kWh | $160.08 |
| Vermont | 24.56¢/kWh | $154.73 |
| New Jersey | 23.53¢/kWh | $148.24 |
| Maryland | 22.07¢/kWh | $139.04 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.47¢/kWh | $135.26 |
| Michigan | 21.39¢/kWh | $134.76 |
| Illinois | 20.47¢/kWh | $128.96 |
| Ohio | 19.49¢/kWh | $122.79 |
| Wisconsin | 19.21¢/kWh | $121.02 |
| Delaware | 18.79¢/kWh | $118.38 |
| Indiana | 17.90¢/kWh | $112.77 |
| Alabama | 17.41¢/kWh | $109.68 |
| Virginia | 17.38¢/kWh | $109.49 |
| South Carolina | 17.06¢/kWh | $107.48 |
| Texas | 16.99¢/kWh | $107.04 |
| Mississippi | 16.76¢/kWh | $105.59 |
| Colorado | 16.54¢/kWh | $104.20 |
| Minnesota | 16.39¢/kWh | $103.26 |
| North Carolina | 16.25¢/kWh | $102.38 |
| West Virginia | 16.06¢/kWh | $101.18 |
| Kansas | 15.78¢/kWh | $99.41 |
| Oregon | 15.78¢/kWh | $99.41 |
| Arizona | 15.48¢/kWh | $97.52 |
| Florida | 15.38¢/kWh | $96.89 |
| Georgia | 15.37¢/kWh | $96.83 |
| New Mexico | 15.15¢/kWh | $95.45 |
| Kentucky | 15.02¢/kWh | $94.63 |
| Tennessee | 14.94¢/kWh | $94.12 |
| Wyoming | 14.68¢/kWh | $92.48 |
| South Dakota | 14.52¢/kWh | $91.48 |
| Louisiana | 14.44¢/kWh | $90.97 |
| Washington | 14.36¢/kWh | $90.47 |
| Nevada | 14.29¢/kWh | $90.03 |
| Arkansas | 14.16¢/kWh | $89.21 |
| Missouri | 14.01¢/kWh | $88.26 |
| Montana | 13.90¢/kWh | $87.57 |
| Iowa | 13.86¢/kWh | $87.32 |
| Oklahoma | 13.31¢/kWh | $83.85 |
| Utah | 13.29¢/kWh | $83.73 |
| Nebraska | 13.28¢/kWh | $83.66 |
| Idaho | 12.70¢/kWh | $80.01 |
| North Dakota | 12.35¢/kWh | $77.80 |
How to cut this cost
- Run it fewer hours. The cost above scales linearly with runtime - use the calculator to see what your actual hours cost.
- Measure what it really draws. The wattage here is a typical DOE figure; a plug-in electricity usage monitor shows what your unit actually uses.
- Compare it with similar loads: window air conditioner, portable air conditioner, ceiling fan, box fan, dehumidifier.
Rates: U.S. Energy Information Administration residential average retail price, April 2026 (public domain). Typical wattage: 3,500 W, DOE Energy Saver, verified 2026-07-17 (3-ton system ~3,000-5,000 W while running.). Costs assume a 30-day month at the state's average residential rate; your model, usage and plan price differ.