EV Charging Costs, 2026

What a Home EV Charger Costs in 173 Metros, and Why Your Panel May Matter More Than Your City

Two things drive most of what you pay for a home Level 2 charger install. Your metro sets the price of the labor, which we model from local electrician wages. Your electrical service decides whether the job is a charger circuit or a panel job, and your address cannot tell you which. 173 metros, 289 cities, one national price for the hardware.

Published: June 24, 2026Updated: September 11, 2026Wage data: BLS OEWS May 2025

Key findings

By Matt Kovalik, licensed Minnesota electrician (Journeyworker License #AJ703617). Matt works on EV charging infrastructure at Metro Transit.

  1. A home Level 2 EV charger installation runs about $1,800 at the national median electrician wage in 2026.
  2. Across the 173 metros in this study the estimate ranges from roughly $1,560 in the least expensive metro (Ocala, FL) to about $2,460 in the most expensive (Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA), a spread of about $900 that, in this model, comes entirely from local electrician labor, because the charger hardware and the materials are held at national prices.
  3. Whether the house can take the charger is a separate question from the cost ranking, and it has two opposite failure modes. Older housing and gas or oil heat, both common in metros like Buffalo-Cheektowaga, raise a condition problem: a light load, but a panel or service that may not be worth adding to. Newer housing and electric heat, both common in metros like Cape Coral-Fort Myers, raise a load problem: a service that is usually sound but already carries a heavy calculated load.
  4. Under every stress test we ran, 13 metros keep both housing conditions, older housing stock and a high share of electric heat. They are the stress-tested core of the 25 metros above both medians, and most of them form a Gulf and Appalachian belt. That describes each metro's housing stock, not any particular house.
$1,800
Install at the national median electrician wage
$1,560
Least expensive metro (Ocala)
$2,460
Most expensive metro (Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro)
1.58x
Top to bottom ratio (spread is labor-driven)

Find your city: the estimated install for all 289 cities in the study

The federal home charger tax credit expired on June 30, 2026

The federal tax credit that offsets part of a home EV charger installation expired on June 30, 2026. A home charger installed now gets no federal credit, so the dollar figures on this page are full retail estimates with no incentive subtracted.1

1. The credit was the federal Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property Credit (Internal Revenue Code Section 30C), which covered 30 percent of a residential charger installation up to $1,000 and expired June 30, 2026. Some states and electric utilities still run their own EV charger rebates, so check local programs before you budget.

Part One

What the labor costs

The national number

The $1,800 headline is the estimated install at the national median electrician wage, which is $30.38 per hour for electricians in the May 2025 BLS data. It is the right single number to anchor on. For reference, the simple average across the 289 cities in this study works out to about $1,920, which sits above the $1,800 figure only because the studied cities skew toward higher-wage metros. That $1,920 is a study average, not a national average, and it should not be read as one.

We estimated every metro the same way: hold the equipment and materials at their national cost, then flex only the labor portion by the local electrician wage reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Because labor is the only input that moves from place to place, the cost ranking simply follows the wage ranking, metro by metro. That is the whole story of the wage spread, and the map, the ranked chart, and the full table below show it.

Take Minneapolis as a worked example. The metro electrician median is $39.37 per hour, about 30 percent above the national median, so the estimate comes to about $2,090. That places Minneapolis 40th of the 289 cities in this study, which is 18th of the 173 ranked metros once cities in the same metro are combined.

Why the spread tracks regional electrician wages

Part Two explains why two quotes for the same house can diverge. The spread between metros is a different matter, and it is a wage story from end to end. The highest electrician medians in the May 2025 BLS data sit in the Pacific Northwest: the Portland, Bend, Salem, and Eugene metros in Oregon all rank in the top eight for install cost, alongside Seattle. The lowest medians cluster across the South: Ocala and Orlando in Florida, El Paso in Texas, and Little Rock and Fayetteville in Arkansas sit at the bottom of the table. A high-wage metro and a low-wage metro can differ by more than twenty dollars an hour in the electrician median, and that gap is what moves the install estimate.

We report this as a wage observation and stop there. The figures show where electrician wages are high and where they are low, and the install ranking tracks that pattern by construction. We do not assert a single cause for why one region pays electricians more than another, because that would go beyond what the wage data alone supports.

The map: install cost by metro

Each point is one metro at its Census centroid, colored and sized by the estimated Level 2 install. Sage is lower cost, terracotta is higher. With JavaScript on, the map is interactive; with it off, the same map renders below and every value is in the table further down.

Home EV Charger Install Cost by Metro, 2026Point color and size show the estimated Level 2 install. The spread tracks local electrician wages (BLS OEWS, May 2025).AKHIEstimated install$1,560$2,460Source: NailThePrice.com
Embed this map (static SVG) Download the full cost data (CSV)

The 15 most and 15 least expensive metros

Estimated Level 2 install, ranked. Every bar is labeled with its dollar value. This chart is plain SVG and needs no JavaScript.

The 15 most expensive metros1. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA$2,4572. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$2,4143. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$2,4044. Urban Honolulu, HI$2,3815. Bend, OR$2,3646. Salem, OR$2,3597. Fairbanks-College, AK$2,3438. Eugene-Springfield, OR$2,2939. Rockford, IL$2,27210. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$2,26411. Medford, OR$2,25812. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$2,23613. Springfield, IL$2,13814. Mankato, MN$2,11215. Duluth, MN-WI$2,106The 15 least expensive metros159. Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL$1,670160. Asheville, NC$1,665161. Wilmington, NC$1,657162. Fort Smith, AR-OK$1,632163. Jackson, MS$1,630164. North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL$1,624165. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL$1,606166. Cedar Rapids, IA$1,597167. Montgomery, AL$1,592168. Athens-Clarke County, GA$1,589169. Killeen-Temple, TX$1,588170. Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, .$1,581171. Little Rock-North Little Rock-Co.$1,565172. El Paso, TX$1,564173. Ocala, FL$1,557Source: NailThePrice.com

Full metro ranking, all 173 metros

Rank is out of 173 metros, by estimated install cost. Electrician wage is the metro hourly median for SOC 47-2111 in the BLS OEWS May 2025 data. The three highlighted metros have a documented local electrical permit fee, shown as a separate add-on.

RankMetroStateElectrician median wageEst. install
1Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WAOR$50.53$2,457
2Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-INIL$49.21$2,414
3Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WAWA$48.93$2,404
4Urban Honolulu, HIHI$48.21$2,381
5Bend, OROR$47.69$2,364
6Salem, OROR$47.53$2,359
7Fairbanks-College, AKAK$47.05$2,343
8Eugene-Springfield, OROR$45.52$2,293
9Rockford, ILIL$44.85$2,272
10San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CACA$44.63$2,264
11Medford, OROR$44.43$2,258
12San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CACA$43.77$2,236
13Springfield, ILIL$40.76$2,138
14Mankato, MNMN$39.96$2,112
15Duluth, MN-WIMN$39.76$2,106
16Anchorage, AKAK$39.63$2,101
17Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MIMI$39.42$2,095
18Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI (permit $35 to $300 extra)MN$39.37$2,093
19St. Cloud, MNMN$39.37$2,093
20Ann Arbor, MIMI$39.16$2,086
21Billings, MTMT$38.93$2,079
22Lansing-East Lansing, MIMI$38.69$2,071
23Peoria, ILIL$38.68$2,070
24Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NHMA$38.42$2,062
25Spokane-Spokane Valley, WAWA$38.38$2,061
26Rochester, MNMN$38.29$2,058
27Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CTCT$38.25$2,056
28Evansville, ININ$38.10$2,052
29Missoula, MTMT$38.10$2,052
30New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJNY$37.99$2,048
31Lewiston-Auburn, MEME$37.71$2,039
32Madison, WIWI$37.71$2,039
33Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NYNY$37.47$2,031
34Milwaukee-Waukesha, WIWI$37.41$2,029
35Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CTCT$37.34$2,027
36New Haven, CTCT$37.22$2,023
37Springfield, MAMA$37.22$2,023
38Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CACA$37.20$2,022
39Akron, OHOH$37.19$2,022
40Rochester, NYNY$37.17$2,021
41Green Bay, WIWI$37.15$2,021
42St. Louis, MO-ILMO$37.10$2,019
43Syracuse, NYNY$37.07$2,018
44Great Falls, MTMT$37.00$2,016
45Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-ILIA$36.99$2,015
46Fargo, ND-MNND$36.99$2,015
47Kansas City, MO-KSMO$36.95$2,014
48Stockton-Lodi, CACA$36.74$2,007
49San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CACA$36.62$2,003
50Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WVDC$36.50$1,999
51Bakersfield-Delano, CACA$36.47$1,998
52Waterbury-Shelton, CTCT$36.47$1,998
53Worcester, MAMA$36.30$1,993
54Kenosha, WIWI$36.04$1,984
55Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NYNY$36.01$1,983
56Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CACA$35.98$1,982
57Toledo, OHOH$35.92$1,981
58Cheyenne, WYWY$35.86$1,979
59Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MDPA$35.86$1,979
60Providence-Warwick, RI-MARI$35.57$1,969
61Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CACA$35.49$1,967
62Reno, NVNV$35.00$1,951
63Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CACA$35.00$1,951
64Chattanooga, TN-GATN$34.77$1,943
65Harrisburg-Carlisle, PAPA$34.53$1,935
66Fresno, CACA$34.48$1,934
67Portland-South Portland, MEME$34.45$1,933
68Fort Wayne, ININ$34.27$1,927
69Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NVNV$34.08$1,921
70Cleveland, OHOH$34.07$1,920
71Grand Forks, ND-MNND$33.51$1,902
72Casper, WYWY$33.48$1,901
73Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PAPA$33.44$1,900
74Pittsburgh, PAPA$33.34$1,896
75Burlington-South Burlington, VTVT$32.14$1,857
76Appleton, WIWI$32.13$1,857
77Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJPA$31.97$1,852
78Kalamazoo-Portage, MIMI$31.58$1,839
79Wichita, KSKS$31.57$1,839
80Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMD$31.54$1,838
81Topeka, KSKS$31.50$1,836
82Idaho Falls, IDID$31.42$1,834
83Baton Rouge, LALA$31.41$1,834
84Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, ININ$31.31$1,830
85Charleston, WVWV$31.17$1,826
86Columbus, OHOH$31.11$1,824
87Boulder, COCO$30.83$1,815
88Manchester-Nashua, NHNH$30.81$1,814
89Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OHWV$30.59$1,807
90Cincinnati, OH-KY-INOH$30.53$1,805
91Bangor, MEME$30.48$1,803
92Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TNTN$30.45$1,802
93Denver-Aurora-Centennial, COCO$30.36$1,799
94Des Moines-West Des Moines, IAIA$30.21$1,794
95Salt Lake City-Murray, UTUT$30.11$1,791
96New Orleans-Metairie, LALA$30.04$1,789
97Gulfport-Biloxi, MSMS$30.02$1,788
98Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-INKY$30.02$1,788
99Omaha, NE-IANE$30.02$1,788
100Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NCVA$29.98$1,787
101Tulsa, OKOK$29.94$1,786
102Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MIMI$29.92$1,785
103Ogden, UTUT$29.82$1,782
104Bismarck, NDND$29.76$1,780
105Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OHOH$29.75$1,779
106Mobile, ALAL$29.68$1,777
107Boise City, IDID$29.62$1,775
108Columbia, MOMO$29.57$1,774
109Sioux Falls, SD-MNSD$29.55$1,773
110Fort Collins-Loveland, COCO$29.52$1,772
111Beaumont-Port Arthur, TXTX$29.51$1,772
112Richmond, VAVA$29.50$1,771
113Flagstaff, AZAZ$29.49$1,771
114Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ (permit $195 to $500 extra)AZ$29.43$1,769
115Rapid City, SDSD$29.40$1,768
116Oklahoma City, OKOK$29.33$1,766
117Memphis, TN-MS-ARTN$29.27$1,764
118Provo-Orem-Lehi, UTUT$29.26$1,764
119Shreveport-Bossier City, LALA$29.25$1,763
120Dover, DEDE$29.21$1,762
121Lincoln, NENE$29.17$1,761
122Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TXTX$29.03$1,756
123Columbia, SCSC$29.03$1,756
124Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SCSC$28.95$1,753
125Tuscaloosa, ALAL$28.90$1,752
126Naples-Marco Island, FLFL$28.86$1,750
127Lafayette, LALA$28.76$1,747
128Midland, TXTX$28.62$1,743
129Tucson, AZAZ$28.60$1,742
130Corpus Christi, TXTX$28.56$1,741
131Colorado Springs, COCO$28.47$1,738
132Durham-Chapel Hill, NCNC$28.47$1,738
133Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TXTX$28.45$1,737
134Albuquerque, NMNM$28.43$1,736
135Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SCNC$28.41$1,736
136Charleston-North Charleston, SCSC$28.37$1,734
137Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TXTX$28.37$1,734
138Clarksville, TN-KYTN$28.21$1,729
139Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA (permit $175 to $500 extra)GA$28.20$1,729
140Knoxville, TNTN$28.19$1,729
141Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FLFL$28.19$1,729
142Port St. Lucie, FLFL$28.14$1,727
143Huntsville, ALAL$28.13$1,727
144Savannah, GAGA$28.09$1,725
145Jacksonville, FLFL$28.02$1,723
146Roanoke, VAVA$27.98$1,722
147Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FLFL$27.85$1,718
148Fayetteville, NCNC$27.74$1,714
149Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FLFL$27.62$1,710
150Lexington-Fayette, KYKY$27.56$1,708
151Santa Fe, NMNM$27.52$1,707
152San Antonio-New Braunfels, TXTX$27.41$1,703
153Raleigh-Cary, NCNC$27.31$1,700
154Birmingham, ALAL$27.23$1,697
155Springfield, MOMO$27.21$1,697
156St. George, UTUT$27.17$1,695
157Winston-Salem, NCNC$26.97$1,689
158Gainesville, FLFL$26.77$1,682
159Lakeland-Winter Haven, FLFL$26.40$1,670
160Asheville, NCNC$26.25$1,665
161Wilmington, NCNC$26.00$1,657
162Fort Smith, AR-OKAR$25.24$1,632
163Jackson, MSMS$25.15$1,630
164North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FLFL$24.97$1,624
165Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FLFL$24.43$1,606
166Cedar Rapids, IAIA$24.15$1,597
167Montgomery, ALAL$23.99$1,592
168Athens-Clarke County, GAGA$23.92$1,589
169Killeen-Temple, TXTX$23.88$1,588
170Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, ARAR$23.67$1,581
171Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, ARAR$23.17$1,565
172El Paso, TXTX$23.14$1,564
173Ocala, FLFL$22.93$1,557

Part Two

What the house needs

The ranking prices the labor in each metro, but it says nothing about whether your electrical service can take the charger.

Why two EV charger quotes can look so different

A Level 2 charger does not cost more in Portland because the charger is different from the one installed in Florida. The hardware is basically the same everywhere. The wire, breaker, conduit, fittings, and the charger unit are priced nationally. What changes from city to city is the licensed electrician labor it takes to install them, which is exactly what this study isolates.

That is also why a real quote can land far from the baseline. A charger mounted next to an existing panel with open capacity is a simple job. A long wire run across a finished basement, a detached garage, or a service panel that cannot accept another 240V continuous load, or one in poor enough condition that it should not be added to, is a different job, and the price reflects it. None of that is geography. It is the condition of your electrical system once the panel is opened.

This study does not try to price every panel upgrade or awkward garage layout, because those depend on the house, not the city. It holds the equipment and materials at their national cost and flexes only the labor, so the number you see is the local wage baseline before any house-specific work is added. Treat it as the floor to compare against, then expect a long run, or panel or service work when the load calculation or the panel's condition calls for it, to push a real quote higher. The section on service jobs further down explains which is which.

Two ways a charger install turns into a service job

From the panel side, by Matt Kovalik, licensed Minnesota journeyworker electrician.

Whether a house needs more than a charger circuit depends on its electrical service, not its city. Two Census housing indicators, taken metro by metro, show that the same question comes up for opposite reasons in different parts of the country.

What is already known about panel capacity

A national online survey by the Electric Power Research Institute in 2022 (2,949 responses, 1,857 in single-family detached homes) found that over 20 percent of single-family respondents had a main breaker of 100 amps or less; a Berkeley Lab recalculation of the same survey, dropping respondents who could not read their breaker, puts it at 27 percent of single-family detached homes. A UC Davis and Berkeley Lab survey of single-family homeowners across the country, reported at the 2024 ACEEE Summer Study from 281 validated responses, found 62.5 percent of homes with panels of 200 amps or more and 29.5 percent at 100 amps or less, with 200 amp panels increasing in homes built after the 1960s and 100 amp panels declining after 2000. Pecan Street estimated in 2021 that 35 to 45 million U.S. homes could fully electrify with their existing panels, an extrapolation from 263 homes in its research testbed, 96 percent of them in Texas, mostly in one Austin neighborhood and mostly built after 2007. None of those numbers come from the big public housing surveys. As Berkeley Lab researchers put it in a 2026 paper, the Residential Energy Consumption Survey, the U.S. Census, the American Housing Survey, and California's appliance saturation survey do not include panel capacity, and the estimates that do exist are either national with no state breakdown or state-level with small samples.

So national and single-state estimates of panel capacity exist. A metro-level view does not, because none of the big housing surveys record the panel. What this section adds is the metro level, using two housing-stock indicators that the published work associates with panel capacity: the age of the stock and how it is heated.

What this does not measure. This page does not measure electrical panel capacity, and it is not a substitute for the surveys, metering studies, and permit records cited in this section, which do. It reports two housing-stock indicators, taken metro by metro from the Census, that the published literature associates with panel capacity. They describe places, not houses, and they say nothing about any single home.
Failure mode 1: condition

Older housing stock, gas or oil heat

Buffalo-Cheektowaga: 77 percent of housing units built before 1980, 9 percent of occupied units heated with electricity.

This is a condition problem. The electrical load is light, because the furnace, the water heater, and often the range and dryer burn gas. On paper a 100 amp service usually has room for a Level 2 charger. What it may not have is a service worth adding to: a fuse panel, a known problem brand such as Federal Pacific or Zinsco, a service entrance cable that has been outdoors since the 1970s, or no grounding electrode system or bonding worth the name. The charger is not the reason for the upgrade. It is the reason someone finally looked at the panel.

Failure mode 2: load

Newer housing stock, electric heat

Cape Coral-Fort Myers: 20 percent of housing units built before 1980, 94 percent of occupied units heated with electricity.

This is a load problem. The service is usually 200 amps and the panel is in good shape. But a heat pump with electric backup heat, an electric water heater, an electric range, a dryer, and a pool pump already put a heavy calculated load on it before a charger is counted. The Code figures a 48 amp charger at 60 amps because it is a continuous load. Nothing is wrong with the house. It is already using a good share of what it has.

Both homeowners hear the same sentence from an estimator: you may need a panel upgrade. The jobs behind that sentence are opposites. One replaces old equipment that has capacity to spare. The other manages or expands capacity on equipment that is in good shape. Which one you are is not visible from a metro statistic. It is visible from your panel and from a load calculation.

On a service call, these two houses do not look anything alike. In an older Buffalo house, you can open the panel and find a fuse box or a rusted service entrance feeding a home that has relatively few major electrical loads. In Cape Coral, you might find a clean 200A panel already carrying strip heat, a heat pump, and an electric water heater. The address changes the labor market, but the condition and existing load of the electrical system are what determine what the job actually looks like.

What each one means at the panel

For the older house, the first question is whether the existing service can be kept. Article 220.87 of the National Electrical Code lets an electrician establish the existing load from a year of utility demand data, or from a 30 day recording, instead of a worst case calculation. On a gas heated house that measured number is often low, and 125 percent of it plus the charger fits under 100 amps with room left. Metering backs that up. In the Massachusetts residential baseline study, reported at the 2024 ACEEE Summer Study, homes with 200 amp panels averaged a one minute peak of about 65 amps, and about 5 percent reached or exceeded 100 amps; homes with 100 amp panels averaged about 50 amps (71 and 105 metered homes). In that sample, measured demand ran far below the rating. That gap is the premise behind 220.87 and the reason an upgrade is not automatic. When it fits, the upgrade conversation is about the condition of the panel and the service entrance, and a sound 100 amp service can take a 40 amp charger circuit without being replaced. When the panel is a known problem brand, a fuse box, or corroded, the charger waits until the service is replaced, and that is a separate job with its own price.

A load calculation under 220.87 is not just looking at the number stamped on the main breaker. It means looking at the existing service, measuring or documenting the actual load, and determining whether the proposed equipment can be supported by the service as it stands. What I have seen is that the calculation often does not get run. It is faster to look at a 100A panel and quote a 200A service than to work through the numbers, and on a bid visit nobody is paying for that time. The problem is that the homeowner can end up paying for a service upgrade that the load may not require.

For the newer house, the question is arithmetic. Article 220.83 gives the calculation for adding load to an existing dwelling, and on an all electric house the big lines are the ones the Sunbelt is full of: strip heat in the air handler, an electric water heater and sometimes a tankless one, a range, a dryer, a pool pump, and often a pool heater. Whether a 60 amp charger circuit fits under 200 amps depends on the house, and on a 150 amp service, which many 1980s and 1990s houses have, it frequently does not. The fixes are usually cheaper than a new service: a 32 amp charger on a 40 amp circuit instead of a 48 amp unit on a 60, a charger with an energy management setting that caps its draw, with the setting locked or access restricted, so only the capped value counts against the service (NEC 625.42), or a metered demand study under 220.87 that shows the house never pulls what the calculation assumes.

In both cases some homeowners avoid a panel or service upgrade entirely. The older house with a sound 100 amp service and a light load gets a 40 amp circuit and a charger. The newer house gets a smaller or load managed charger and keeps its 200 amp service. The mistake is deciding which case you are from the age of the house or the size of the panel before anyone has done a load calculation and opened the cover. A quote that skips that step is a guess, in either direction.

Every metro on both indicators

All 173 metros from the cost ranking above, plotted on the two indicators. The dashed lines are the medians across the 173: 45.5 percent of housing units built before 1980, and 34.8 percent of occupied units heated with electricity. Hover a dot for its values. The two single condition groups hold 61 and 61 metros, which is arithmetic, not a finding: a median split of two negatively correlated variables produces near equal off diagonal groups by construction. This chart is plain SVG and needs no JavaScript; every value is also in the housing data CSV below it.

Housing age and electric heat, 173 metrosEach dot is one metro. Dashed lines are the medians across the 173 metros.Ringed dots are the 13 metro core; the two larger ringed dots are Buffalo and Cape Coral.0%20%40%60%80%0%20%40%60%80%100%median 45.5%median 34.8%Newer stock, electric heatBoth conditions presentNeither conditionOlder stock, gas or oil heatShare of housing units built before 1980 (all units)Share of occupied units heated with electricityPortland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA: 46% of housing units built before 1980, 51% of occupied units heated with electricityChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 63% of housing units built before 1980, 15% of occupied units heated with electricitySeattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 43% of housing units built before 1980, 55% of occupied units heated with electricityBend, OR: 26% of housing units built before 1980, 49% of occupied units heated with electricitySalem, OR: 49% of housing units built before 1980, 52% of occupied units heated with electricityFairbanks-College, AK: about 38% of housing units built before 1980, about 11% of occupied units heated with electricityRockford, IL: 61% of housing units built before 1980, 12% of occupied units heated with electricitySan Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 67% of housing units built before 1980, 31% of occupied units heated with electricityMedford, OR: 45% of housing units built before 1980, 54% of occupied units heated with electricitySan Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: 59% of housing units built before 1980, 36% of occupied units heated with electricitySpringfield, IL: 61% of housing units built before 1980, 21% of occupied units heated with electricityMankato, MN: 52% of housing units built before 1980, 19% of occupied units heated with electricityDuluth, MN-WI: 68% of housing units built before 1980, 19% of occupied units heated with electricityAnchorage, AK: 36% of housing units built before 1980, 14% of occupied units heated with electricityDetroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 66% of housing units built before 1980, 12% of occupied units heated with electricityMinneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 49% of housing units built before 1980, 19% of occupied units heated with electricitySt. Cloud, MN: 44% of housing units built before 1980, 27% of occupied units heated with electricityAnn Arbor, MI: 53% of housing units built before 1980, 19% of occupied units heated with electricityBillings, MT: 48% of housing units built before 1980, 22% of occupied units heated with electricityLansing-East Lansing, MI: 60% of housing units built before 1980, 18% of occupied units heated with electricityPeoria, IL: 71% of housing units built before 1980, 23% of occupied units heated with electricityBoston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 66% of housing units built before 1980, 19% of occupied units heated with electricityRochester, MN: 45% of housing units built before 1980, 16% of occupied units heated with electricityBridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT: 67% of housing units built before 1980, 20% of occupied units heated with electricityEvansville, IN: 58% of housing units built before 1980, 38% of occupied units heated with electricityMissoula, MT: 45% of housing units built before 1980, 34% of occupied units heated with electricityNew York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 73% of housing units built before 1980, 15% of occupied units heated with electricityLewiston-Auburn, ME: about 64% of housing units built before 1980, about 9% of occupied units heated with electricityMadison, WI: 46% of housing units built before 1980, 23% of occupied units heated with electricityMilwaukee-Waukesha, WI: 67% of housing units built before 1980, 19% of occupied units heated with electricityHartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT: 67% of housing units built before 1980, 16% of occupied units heated with electricityNew Haven, CT: 70% of housing units built before 1980, 18% of occupied units heated with electricitySpringfield, MA: 76% of housing units built before 1980, 21% of occupied units heated with electricitySanta Rosa-Petaluma, CA: 52% of housing units built before 1980, 26% of occupied units heated with electricityAkron, OH: 65% of housing units built before 1980, 16% of occupied units heated with electricityRochester, NY: 67% of housing units built before 1980, 19% of occupied units heated with electricityGreen Bay, WI: 49% of housing units built before 1980, 19% of occupied units heated with electricitySt. Louis, MO-IL: 58% of housing units built before 1980, 33% of occupied units heated with electricitySyracuse, NY: 68% of housing units built before 1980, 19% of occupied units heated with electricityGreat Falls, MT: 66% of housing units built before 1980, 16% of occupied units heated with electricityDavenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL: 71% of housing units built before 1980, 18% of occupied units heated with electricityFargo, ND-MN: 38% of housing units built before 1980, 45% of occupied units heated with electricityKansas City, MO-KS: 51% of housing units built before 1980, 29% of occupied units heated with electricityStockton-Lodi, CA: 44% of housing units built before 1980, 29% of occupied units heated with electricitySan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 50% of housing units built before 1980, 35% of occupied units heated with electricityWashington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 45% of housing units built before 1980, 45% of occupied units heated with electricityBakersfield-Delano, CA: 43% of housing units built before 1980, 31% of occupied units heated with electricityWaterbury-Shelton, CT: 66% of housing units built before 1980, 21% of occupied units heated with electricityWorcester, MA: 64% of housing units built before 1980, 20% of occupied units heated with electricityKenosha, WI: 56% of housing units built before 1980, 20% of occupied units heated with electricityAlbany-Schenectady-Troy, NY: 62% of housing units built before 1980, 19% of occupied units heated with electricitySacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA: 44% of housing units built before 1980, 34% of occupied units heated with electricityToledo, OH: 68% of housing units built before 1980, 21% of occupied units heated with electricityCheyenne, WY: 50% of housing units built before 1980, 21% of occupied units heated with electricityPhiladelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 67% of housing units built before 1980, 25% of occupied units heated with electricityProvidence-Warwick, RI-MA: 70% of housing units built before 1980, 13% of occupied units heated with electricityLos Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 67% of housing units built before 1980, 29% of occupied units heated with electricityReno, NV: 34% of housing units built before 1980, 30% of occupied units heated with electricityRiverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 36% of housing units built before 1980, 22% of occupied units heated with electricityChattanooga, TN-GA: 46% of housing units built before 1980, 70% of occupied units heated with electricityHarrisburg-Carlisle, PA: 57% of housing units built before 1980, 37% of occupied units heated with electricityFresno, CA: 46% of housing units built before 1980, 35% of occupied units heated with electricityPortland-South Portland, ME: 53% of housing units built before 1980, 13% of occupied units heated with electricityFort Wayne, IN: 55% of housing units built before 1980, 25% of occupied units heated with electricityLas Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV: 18% of housing units built before 1980, 36% of occupied units heated with electricityCleveland, OH: 72% of housing units built before 1980, 17% of occupied units heated with electricityGrand Forks, ND-MN: 53% of housing units built before 1980, 39% of occupied units heated with electricityCasper, WY: 55% of housing units built before 1980, 21% of occupied units heated with electricityScranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA: 74% of housing units built before 1980, 22% of occupied units heated with electricityPittsburgh, PA: 73% of housing units built before 1980, 17% of occupied units heated with electricityBurlington-South Burlington, VT: 49% of housing units built before 1980, 14% of occupied units heated with electricityAppleton, WI: 49% of housing units built before 1980, 15% of occupied units heated with electricityAllentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ: 62% of housing units built before 1980, 33% of occupied units heated with electricityKalamazoo-Portage, MI: 58% of housing units built before 1980, 19% of occupied units heated with electricityWichita, KS: 53% of housing units built before 1980, 29% of occupied units heated with electricityTopeka, KS: 61% of housing units built before 1980, 23% of occupied units heated with electricityIdaho Falls, ID: 45% of housing units built before 1980, 35% of occupied units heated with electricityBaton Rouge, LA: 35% of housing units built before 1980, 66% of occupied units heated with electricityIndianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN: 47% of housing units built before 1980, 38% of occupied units heated with electricityColumbus, OH: 48% of housing units built before 1980, 29% of occupied units heated with electricityBoulder, CO: 42% of housing units built before 1980, 25% of occupied units heated with electricityManchester-Nashua, NH: 53% of housing units built before 1980, 12% of occupied units heated with electricityBangor, ME: 54% of housing units built before 1980, 13% of occupied units heated with electricityNashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN: 32% of housing units built before 1980, 63% of occupied units heated with electricityDenver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 41% of housing units built before 1980, 29% of occupied units heated with electricityDes Moines-West Des Moines, IA: 46% of housing units built before 1980, 30% of occupied units heated with electricitySalt Lake City-Murray, UT: 42% of housing units built before 1980, 16% of occupied units heated with electricityGulfport-Biloxi, MS: 37% of housing units built before 1980, 80% of occupied units heated with electricityOmaha, NE-IA: 51% of housing units built before 1980, 25% of occupied units heated with electricityVirginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC: 44% of housing units built before 1980, 58% of occupied units heated with electricityTulsa, OK: 48% of housing units built before 1980, 36% of occupied units heated with electricityGrand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI: 51% of housing units built before 1980, 10% of occupied units heated with electricityOgden, UT: 38% of housing units built before 1980, 13% of occupied units heated with electricityBismarck, ND: 44% of housing units built before 1980, 24% of occupied units heated with electricityDayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH: 69% of housing units built before 1980, 31% of occupied units heated with electricityBoise City, ID: 29% of housing units built before 1980, 30% of occupied units heated with electricityColumbia, MO: 37% of housing units built before 1980, 43% of occupied units heated with electricitySioux Falls, SD-MN: 39% of housing units built before 1980, 28% of occupied units heated with electricityFort Collins-Loveland, CO: 32% of housing units built before 1980, 25% of occupied units heated with electricityRichmond, VA: 44% of housing units built before 1980, 65% of occupied units heated with electricityFlagstaff, AZ: 28% of housing units built before 1980, 26% of occupied units heated with electricityPhoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 27% of housing units built before 1980, 68% of occupied units heated with electricityRapid City, SD: 45% of housing units built before 1980, 32% of occupied units heated with electricityOklahoma City, OK: 45% of housing units built before 1980, 39% of occupied units heated with electricityMemphis, TN-MS-AR: 46% of housing units built before 1980, 49% of occupied units heated with electricityProvo-Orem-Lehi, UT: 25% of housing units built before 1980, 17% of occupied units heated with electricityDover, DE: 35% of housing units built before 1980, 34% of occupied units heated with electricityLincoln, NE: 48% of housing units built before 1980, 35% of occupied units heated with electricityAustin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX: 19% of housing units built before 1980, 57% of occupied units heated with electricityColumbia, SC: 35% of housing units built before 1980, 72% of occupied units heated with electricityGreenville-Anderson-Greer, SC: 37% of housing units built before 1980, 59% of occupied units heated with electricityTuscaloosa, AL: 37% of housing units built before 1980, 70% of occupied units heated with electricityNaples-Marco Island, FL: 17% of housing units built before 1980, 91% of occupied units heated with electricityLafayette, LA: 40% of housing units built before 1980, 77% of occupied units heated with electricityMidland, TX: 33% of housing units built before 1980, 52% of occupied units heated with electricityTucson, AZ: 39% of housing units built before 1980, 45% of occupied units heated with electricityCorpus Christi, TX: 44% of housing units built before 1980, 79% of occupied units heated with electricityColorado Springs, CO: 36% of housing units built before 1980, 24% of occupied units heated with electricityDurham-Chapel Hill, NC: 31% of housing units built before 1980, 59% of occupied units heated with electricityHouston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 31% of housing units built before 1980, 53% of occupied units heated with electricityAlbuquerque, NM: 41% of housing units built before 1980, 18% of occupied units heated with electricityCharlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC: 29% of housing units built before 1980, 54% of occupied units heated with electricityCharleston-North Charleston, SC: 28% of housing units built before 1980, 76% of occupied units heated with electricityDallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 30% of housing units built before 1980, 62% of occupied units heated with electricityClarksville, TN-KY: 31% of housing units built before 1980, 71% of occupied units heated with electricityAtlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA: 26% of housing units built before 1980, 43% of occupied units heated with electricityKnoxville, TN: 43% of housing units built before 1980, 65% of occupied units heated with electricityMiami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 45% of housing units built before 1980, 91% of occupied units heated with electricityPort St. Lucie, FL: 24% of housing units built before 1980, 93% of occupied units heated with electricityHuntsville, AL: 31% of housing units built before 1980, 75% of occupied units heated with electricitySavannah, GA: 35% of housing units built before 1980, 76% of occupied units heated with electricityJacksonville, FL: 32% of housing units built before 1980, 93% of occupied units heated with electricityFayetteville, NC: 36% of housing units built before 1980, 78% of occupied units heated with electricityTampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: 39% of housing units built before 1980, 91% of occupied units heated with electricityLexington-Fayette, KY: 42% of housing units built before 1980, 59% of occupied units heated with electricitySanta Fe, NM: 34% of housing units built before 1980, 18% of occupied units heated with electricitySan Antonio-New Braunfels, TX: 33% of housing units built before 1980, 72% of occupied units heated with electricityRaleigh-Cary, NC: 19% of housing units built before 1980, 59% of occupied units heated with electricityBirmingham, AL: 46% of housing units built before 1980, 56% of occupied units heated with electricitySpringfield, MO: 41% of housing units built before 1980, 42% of occupied units heated with electricitySt. George, UT: about 11% of housing units built before 1980, about 38% of occupied units heated with electricityWinston-Salem, NC: 44% of housing units built before 1980, 68% of occupied units heated with electricityGainesville, FL: 33% of housing units built before 1980, 81% of occupied units heated with electricityLakeland-Winter Haven, FL: 30% of housing units built before 1980, 93% of occupied units heated with electricityAsheville, NC: 36% of housing units built before 1980, 63% of occupied units heated with electricityWilmington, NC: 23% of housing units built before 1980, 88% of occupied units heated with electricityFort Smith, AR-OK: 44% of housing units built before 1980, 55% of occupied units heated with electricityJackson, MS: 43% of housing units built before 1980, 50% of occupied units heated with electricityNorth Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL: 35% of housing units built before 1980, 90% of occupied units heated with electricityOrlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL: 24% of housing units built before 1980, 91% of occupied units heated with electricityCedar Rapids, IA: 55% of housing units built before 1980, 19% of occupied units heated with electricityMontgomery, AL: 44% of housing units built before 1980, 58% of occupied units heated with electricityAthens-Clarke County, GA: 35% of housing units built before 1980, 70% of occupied units heated with electricityKilleen-Temple, TX: 30% of housing units built before 1980, 83% of occupied units heated with electricityFayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR: 22% of housing units built before 1980, 46% of occupied units heated with electricityLittle Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR: 38% of housing units built before 1980, 54% of occupied units heated with electricityEl Paso, TX: 39% of housing units built before 1980, 26% of occupied units heated with electricityOcala, FL: 24% of housing units built before 1980, 87% of occupied units heated with electricityBuffalo-Cheektowaga, NY: 77% of housing units built before 1980, 9% of occupied units heated with electricityCape Coral-Fort Myers, FL: 20% of housing units built before 1980, 94% of occupied units heated with electricityUrban Honolulu, HI: 57% of housing units built before 1980, 48% of occupied units heated with electricityEugene-Springfield, OR: 55% of housing units built before 1980, 75% of occupied units heated with electricitySpokane-Spokane Valley, WA: 52% of housing units built before 1980, 45% of occupied units heated with electricityBaltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD: 56% of housing units built before 1980, 42% of occupied units heated with electricityCharleston, WV: 68% of housing units built before 1980, 44% of occupied units heated with electricityHuntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH: 56% of housing units built before 1980, 51% of occupied units heated with electricityCincinnati, OH-KY-IN: 56% of housing units built before 1980, 40% of occupied units heated with electricityNew Orleans-Metairie, LA: 63% of housing units built before 1980, 59% of occupied units heated with electricityLouisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN: 53% of housing units built before 1980, 44% of occupied units heated with electricityMobile, AL: 51% of housing units built before 1980, 63% of occupied units heated with electricityBeaumont-Port Arthur, TX: 49% of housing units built before 1980, 63% of occupied units heated with electricityShreveport-Bossier City, LA: 50% of housing units built before 1980, 56% of occupied units heated with electricityRoanoke, VA: 58% of housing units built before 1980, 54% of occupied units heated with electricityBuffaloCape CoralNew YorkEugeneHonoluluNew OrleansProvoFairbanksSt. GeorgeSource: NailThePrice.com, from U.S. Census ACS 5-year 2020-2024
Older stock, gas or oil heat (61) Newer stock, electric heat (61) Both conditions present (25) Neither condition (26) Stress-tested core (13)
Download the housing data for all 173 metros (CSV)

Where both conditions are present

25 metros sit above both medians. 13 of them stay there under every stress test we ran: a pre-1990 cutoff in place of pre-1980, an electric heat threshold set anywhere from 30 to 40 percent instead of the median, and a check that each metro's estimate clears the median by more than its 90 percent margin of error on both axes. Ten of those 13 form a Gulf and Appalachian belt, from Beaumont and New Orleans through Mobile, Shreveport, Louisville, Cincinnati, Huntington, Charleston, Roanoke, and Baltimore; the other three are Pacific metros: Eugene, Spokane, and Honolulu.

Both conditions are present in these places. That is a statement about the housing stock of a metro, not a ranking of how hard an install is, and it does not say that any particular house there is both old and electrically heated. The two indicators come from different universes and cannot be combined into a share of homes.

The belt's Gulf and Appalachian concentration is why we mention a related finding from California, which this page cannot test: a 2024 UCLA analysis of statewide parcel and permit records estimated that the share of single-family homes with the smallest panels, under 100 amps, was roughly four times higher in disadvantaged communities than elsewhere, 8 percent against 2 percent. This page measures neither panels nor income, so we note the parallel and do not extend it.

MetroStateBuilt before 1980Electric heatInstall cost rank (of 173)
Charleston, WVWV68%44%85
New Orleans-Metairie, LALA63%59%96
Roanoke, VAVA58%54%146
Urban Honolulu, HIHI57%48%4
Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OHWV56%51%89
Cincinnati, OH-KY-INOH56%40%90
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MDMD56%42%80
Eugene-Springfield, OROR55%75%8
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-INKY53%44%98
Spokane-Spokane Valley, WAWA52%45%25
Mobile, ALAL51%63%106
Shreveport-Bossier City, LALA50%56%119
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TXTX49%63%111

None of this tells you whether your house needs a panel upgrade. The service size, condition of the equipment, existing loads, available capacity, and what you are planning to add are all house-level facts that a metro-wide cost study cannot see. A Cincinnati address is not a diagnosis. The load calculation and an inspection of the actual service are what settle the question.

Reference

Find your city

All 289 cities in the study, alphabetical, with the estimated install for each. 287 are priced from the median electrician wage in their metro; Concord, NH and Juneau, AK use a state nonmetropolitan electrician wage instead (note 2). This list is server-rendered and needs no JavaScript.

Akron, OH Akron metro $2,022
Albany, NY Albany-Schenectady-Troy metro $1,983
Albuquerque, NM Albuquerque metro $1,736
Alexandria, VA Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro $1,999
Allentown, PA Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metro $1,852
Alpharetta, GA Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro $1,729
Anaheim, CA Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro $1,967
Anchorage, AK Anchorage metro $2,101
Ann Arbor, MI Ann Arbor metro $2,086
Appleton, WI Appleton metro $1,857
Arlington, VA Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro $1,999
Arlington, TX Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro $1,734
Asheville, NC Asheville metro $1,665
Athens, GA Athens-Clarke County metro $1,589
Atlanta, GA Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro $1,729
Aurora, IL Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro $2,414
Aurora, CO Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro $1,799
Austin, TX Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro $1,756
Bakersfield, CA Bakersfield-Delano metro $1,998
Baltimore, MD Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro $1,838
Bangor, ME Bangor metro $1,803
Baton Rouge, LA Baton Rouge metro $1,834
Beaumont, TX Beaumont-Port Arthur metro $1,772
Beaverton, OR Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metro $2,457
Bellevue, WA Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro $2,404
Bend, OR Bend metro $2,364
Bethesda, MD Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro $1,999
Billings, MT Billings metro $2,079
Birmingham, AL Birmingham metro $1,697
Bismarck, ND Bismarck metro $1,780
Blaine, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Bloomington, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Boise, ID Boise City metro $1,775
Boston, MA Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro $2,062
Boulder, CO Boulder metro $1,815
Broken Arrow, OK Tulsa metro $1,786
Buffalo, NY Buffalo-Cheektowaga metro $2,031
Burlington, VT Burlington-South Burlington metro $1,857
Cambridge, MA Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro $2,062
Cape Coral, FL Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro $1,718
Carmel, IN Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood metro $1,830
Cary, NC Raleigh-Cary metro $1,700
Casper, WY Casper metro $1,901
Cedar Rapids, IA Cedar Rapids metro $1,597
Centennial, CO Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro $1,799
Chandler, AZ Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro $1,769
Charleston, WV Charleston metro $1,826
Charleston, SC Charleston-North Charleston metro $1,734
Charlotte, NC Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia metro $1,736
Chaska, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Chattanooga, TN Chattanooga metro $1,943
Chesapeake, VA Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro $1,787
Cheyenne, WY Cheyenne metro $1,979
Chicago, IL Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro $2,414
Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati metro $1,805
Clarksville, TN Clarksville metro $1,729
Cleveland, OH Cleveland metro $1,920
Colorado Springs, CO Colorado Springs metro $1,738
Columbia, MD Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro $1,838
Columbia, MO Columbia metro $1,774
Columbia, SC Columbia metro $1,756
Columbus, OH Columbus metro $1,824
Concord, NH state nonmetro wage, see note2 $1,748
Coon Rapids, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Coral Springs, FL Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro $1,729
Corpus Christi, TX Corpus Christi metro $1,741
Cranston, RI Providence-Warwick metro $1,969
Dallas, TX Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro $1,734
Davenport, IA Davenport-Moline-Rock Island metro $2,015
Dayton, OH Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek metro $1,779
Denton, TX Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro $1,734
Denver, CO Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro $1,799
Des Moines, IA Des Moines-West Des Moines metro $1,794
Detroit, MI Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro $2,095
Dover, DE Dover metro $1,762
Duluth, MN Duluth metro $2,106
Durham, NC Durham-Chapel Hill metro $1,738
Eagan, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Eden Prairie, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Edina, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Edison, NJ New York-Newark-Jersey City metro $2,048
El Paso, TX El Paso metro $1,564
Elk Grove, CA Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom metro $1,982
Eugene, OR Eugene-Springfield metro $2,293
Evanston, IL Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro $2,414
Evansville, IN Evansville metro $2,052
Fairbanks, AK Fairbanks-College metro $2,343
Fargo, ND Fargo metro $2,015
Fayetteville, NC Fayetteville metro $1,714
Fayetteville, AR Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers metro $1,581
Federal Way, WA Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro $2,404
Fishers, IN Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood metro $1,830
Flagstaff, AZ Flagstaff metro $1,771
Fort Collins, CO Fort Collins-Loveland metro $1,772
Fort Lauderdale, FL Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro $1,729
Fort Smith, AR Fort Smith metro $1,632
Fort Wayne, IN Fort Wayne metro $1,927
Fort Worth, TX Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro $1,734
Frederick, MD Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro $1,999
Fremont, CA San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro $2,264
Fresno, CA Fresno metro $1,934
Frisco, TX Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro $1,734
Gainesville, FL Gainesville metro $1,682
Gilbert, AZ Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro $1,769
Goodyear, AZ Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro $1,769
Grand Forks, ND Grand Forks metro $1,902
Grand Rapids, MI Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood metro $1,785
Great Falls, MT Great Falls metro $2,016
Green Bay, WI Green Bay metro $2,021
Greenville, SC Greenville-Anderson-Greer metro $1,753
Gulfport, MS Gulfport-Biloxi metro $1,788
Harrisburg, PA Harrisburg-Carlisle metro $1,935
Hartford, CT Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford metro $2,027
Henderson, NV Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas metro $1,921
Hillsboro, OR Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metro $2,457
Honolulu, HI Urban Honolulu metro $2,381
Houston, TX Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro $1,737
Huntington, WV Huntington-Ashland metro $1,807
Huntsville, AL Huntsville metro $1,727
Idaho Falls, ID Idaho Falls metro $1,834
Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood metro $1,830
Irvine, CA Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro $1,967
Jackson, MS Jackson metro $1,630
Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville metro $1,723
Jersey City, NJ New York-Newark-Jersey City metro $2,048
Johns Creek, GA Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro $1,729
Joliet, IL Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro $2,414
Juneau, AK state nonmetro wage, see note2 $2,252
Kailua, HI Urban Honolulu metro $2,381
Kalamazoo, MI Kalamazoo-Portage metro $1,839
Kansas City, MO Kansas City metro $2,014
Kenosha, WI Kenosha metro $1,984
Kent, WA Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro $2,404
Killeen, TX Killeen-Temple metro $1,588
Kirkland, WA Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro $2,404
Knoxville, TN Knoxville metro $1,729
Lafayette, LA Lafayette metro $1,747
Lakeland, FL Lakeland-Winter Haven metro $1,670
Lakeville, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Lakewood, CO Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro $1,799
Lansing, MI Lansing-East Lansing metro $2,071
Las Vegas, NV Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas metro $1,921
Lewiston, ME Lewiston-Auburn metro $2,039
Lewisville, TX Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro $1,734
Lexington, KY Lexington-Fayette metro $1,708
Lincoln, NE Lincoln metro $1,761
Little Rock, AR Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway metro $1,565
Livonia, MI Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro $2,095
Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro $1,967
Louisville, KY Louisville/Jefferson County metro $1,788
Lowell, MA Boston-Cambridge-Newton metro $2,062
Madison, WI Madison metro $2,039
Manchester, NH Manchester-Nashua metro $1,814
Mankato, MN Mankato metro $2,112
Maple Grove, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Marietta, GA Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro $1,729
McKinney, TX Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro $1,734
Medford, OR Medford metro $2,258
Memphis, TN Memphis metro $1,764
Meridian, ID Boise City metro $1,775
Mesa, AZ Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro $1,769
Miami, FL Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro $1,729
Midland, TX Midland metro $1,743
Milwaukee, WI Milwaukee-Waukesha metro $2,029
Minneapolis, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Missoula, MT Missoula metro $2,052
Mobile, AL Mobile metro $1,777
Montgomery, AL Montgomery metro $1,592
Moorhead, MN Fargo metro $2,015
Murfreesboro, TN Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin metro $1,802
Nampa, ID Boise City metro $1,775
Naperville, IL Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro $2,414
Naples, FL Naples-Marco Island metro $1,750
Nashua, NH Manchester-Nashua metro $1,814
Nashville, TN Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin metro $1,802
New Braunfels, TX San Antonio-New Braunfels metro $1,703
New Haven, CT New Haven metro $2,023
New Orleans, LA New Orleans-Metairie metro $1,789
New York, NY New York-Newark-Jersey City metro $2,048
Newark, NJ New York-Newark-Jersey City metro $2,048
Newark, DE Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro $1,979
Norfolk, VA Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro $1,787
Ocala, FL Ocala metro $1,557
Oceanside, CA San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad metro $2,003
Ogden, UT Ogden metro $1,782
Oklahoma City, OK Oklahoma City metro $1,766
Olathe, KS Kansas City metro $2,014
Omaha, NE Omaha metro $1,788
Orlando, FL Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford metro $1,606
Overland Park, KS Kansas City metro $2,014
Pasadena, CA Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro $1,967
Paterson, NJ New York-Newark-Jersey City metro $2,048
Pearl City, HI Urban Honolulu metro $2,381
Pearland, TX Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro $1,737
Pembroke Pines, FL Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach metro $1,729
Peoria, IL Peoria metro $2,070
Peoria, AZ Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro $1,769
Philadelphia, PA Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro $1,979
Phoenix, AZ Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro $1,769
Pittsburgh, PA Pittsburgh metro $1,896
Plano, TX Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro $1,734
Plymouth, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Port St. Lucie, FL Port St. Lucie metro $1,727
Portland, OR Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metro $2,457
Portland, ME Portland-South Portland metro $1,933
Prior Lake, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Providence, RI Providence-Warwick metro $1,969
Provo, UT Provo-Orem-Lehi metro $1,764
Raleigh, NC Raleigh-Cary metro $1,700
Rapid City, SD Rapid City metro $1,768
Reno, NV Reno metro $1,951
Renton, WA Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro $2,404
Richfield, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Richmond, VA Richmond metro $1,771
Riverside, CA Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro $1,951
Roanoke, VA Roanoke metro $1,722
Rochester, MN Rochester metro $2,058
Rochester, NY Rochester metro $2,021
Rockford, IL Rockford metro $2,272
Roseville, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Roswell, GA Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro $1,729
Round Rock, TX Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro $1,756
Sacramento, CA Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom metro $1,982
Salem, OR Salem metro $2,359
Salt Lake City, UT Salt Lake City-Murray metro $1,791
San Antonio, TX San Antonio-New Braunfels metro $1,703
San Diego, CA San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad metro $2,003
San Francisco, CA San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont metro $2,264
San Jose, CA San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro $2,236
Sandy Springs, GA Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell metro $1,729
Santa Clarita, CA Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro $1,967
Santa Fe, NM Santa Fe metro $1,707
Santa Rosa, CA Santa Rosa-Petaluma metro $2,022
Sarasota, FL North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota metro $1,624
Savage, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Savannah, GA Savannah metro $1,725
Schaumburg, IL Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro $2,414
Scottsdale, AZ Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro $1,769
Scranton, PA Scranton--Wilkes-Barre metro $1,900
Seattle, WA Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro $2,404
Shakopee, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Shreveport, LA Shreveport-Bossier City metro $1,763
Silver Spring, MD Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro $1,999
Sioux Falls, SD Sioux Falls metro $1,773
South Burlington, VT Burlington-South Burlington metro $1,857
Southaven, MS Memphis metro $1,764
Sparks, NV Reno metro $1,951
Spokane, WA Spokane-Spokane Valley metro $2,061
Springfield, IL Springfield metro $2,138
Springfield, MA Springfield metro $2,023
Springfield, MO Springfield metro $1,697
St. Cloud, MN St. Cloud metro $2,093
St. George, UT St. George metro $1,695
St. Louis, MO St. Louis metro $2,019
St. Louis Park, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
St. Paul, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
St. Petersburg, FL Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro $1,710
Stamford, CT Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury metro $2,056
Sterling Heights, MI Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro $2,095
Stockton, CA Stockton-Lodi metro $2,007
Sugar Land, TX Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro $1,737
Surprise, AZ Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro $1,769
Syracuse, NY Syracuse metro $2,018
Tacoma, WA Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro $2,404
Tampa, FL Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro $1,710
Tempe, AZ Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler metro $1,769
Thornton, CO Denver-Aurora-Centennial metro $1,799
Toledo, OH Toledo metro $1,981
Toms River, NJ New York-Newark-Jersey City metro $2,048
Topeka, KS Topeka metro $1,836
Torrance, CA Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim metro $1,967
Troy, MI Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro $2,095
Tucson, AZ Tucson metro $1,742
Tulsa, OK Tulsa metro $1,786
Tuscaloosa, AL Tuscaloosa metro $1,752
Vancouver, WA Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metro $2,457
Virginia Beach, VA Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro $1,787
Warren, MI Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro $2,095
Warwick, RI Providence-Warwick metro $1,969
Washington, DC Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro $1,999
Waterbury, CT Waterbury-Shelton metro $1,998
West Jordan, UT Salt Lake City-Murray metro $1,791
Wichita, KS Wichita metro $1,839
Wilmington, DE Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metro $1,979
Wilmington, NC Wilmington metro $1,657
Winston-Salem, NC Winston-Salem metro $1,689
Woodbury, MN Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro $2,093
Worcester, MA Worcester metro $1,993
Yonkers, NY New York-Newark-Jersey City metro $2,048
2. Concord, NH and Juneau, AK are not inside a metro area that the BLS reports an electrician wage for, so they use their state nonmetropolitan electrician wage instead of a metro-specific one. That is why they appear in this city list with a value but are not ranked in the 173-metro table or plotted on the map. We did not assign them a metro coordinate.

Methodology and sources

Wage model

Housing indicators: how to read them

Frequently asked questions

How much does a home EV charger installation cost in 2026?
At the national median electrician wage, a home Level 2 EV charger installation costs about $1,800 in 2026. Across the 173 metros in this study the estimate ranges from roughly $1,560 to about $2,460. These are modeled figures for the install labor plus national equipment and materials. A permit and any panel upgrade are separate, and local quotes will vary with the specifics of your home.
Why does a home EV charger cost more in some cities than others?
Almost all of the difference is local electrician labor. The charger unit, the wiring, and the materials are priced nationally, so they do not move much from city to city. Electrician wages do. This study holds materials at their national cost and varies only the labor portion by the local electrician wage, which is why a higher-wage metro shows a higher install estimate than a lower-wage one.
Which metros are the most and least expensive for an EV charger install?
The most expensive metro in this study is Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA at about $2,460, and the Oregon metros of Bend, Salem, and Eugene also rank near the top with Seattle. The least expensive is Ocala, FL at roughly $1,560, with El Paso, Little Rock, and several other Southern metros close behind. The ranking follows local electrician wages.
Is there still a federal tax credit for a home EV charger?
No. The federal tax credit expired June 30, 2026. While it was in effect it covered 30 percent of a residential charger installation up to $1,000 under Internal Revenue Code Section 30C, so an install completed on or after July 1 gets no federal credit. Some states and electric utilities still offer their own rebates, so it is worth checking local programs before you commit.
How much does a panel upgrade add to an EV charger install?
A panel upgrade is a common add-on and a major cost driver. If the panel is in poor condition or cannot take the added load, a service or panel upgrade often adds $1,000 or more on top of the charger install. As a standalone job, our own panel upgrade cost data puts the national average at about $2,200. Whether you need one depends on two different things: the condition of the existing panel and service entrance, and whether the charger fits under the service rating in a load calculation. A licensed electrician checks both during an estimate, and some homes need neither.
How was this EV charger cost estimate calculated?
We start from the national install figure, split it into labor and materials, hold the materials national, and scale the labor by each metro's electrician wage from BLS OEWS (SOC 47-2111, May 2025). The formula is install equals $810 in materials plus $990 in labor times the local wage divided by the national median of $30.38 per hour. Figures are modeled from wages, not survey-measured local prices.
Does my house need a panel upgrade for an EV charger?
Not necessarily, and the age of the house does not settle it. An older house with gas heat often has a light electrical load and a 100 amp service with room for a charger circuit; if it needs work, it is usually because the panel or service entrance is in poor condition, not because it is out of capacity. A newer all electric house usually has a sound 200 amp service but a heavy calculated load, so the question is whether the charger fits on paper. The only way to know which case you are is a load calculation and a look inside the panel, which a licensed electrician does as part of an estimate.
What is a load calculation for an EV charger?
A load calculation is the National Electrical Code method, in Article 220, for adding up the electrical demand of a house and comparing it with the service rating. It counts the heating and cooling equipment, water heater, range, dryer, and general circuits with demand factors, then adds the charger as a continuous load, so a 48 amp charger is figured at 60 amps. For an existing house, Article 220.87 also allows the existing load to be taken from a year of utility demand data or a 30 day recording, which is often far below the worst case number. If the total fits under the service rating, no upgrade is required for capacity.
Can load management avoid a panel upgrade for an EV charger?
Often, yes. The Code allows an energy management system to limit what the charger can draw, and only the limited value counts against the service (NEC 625.42). Many chargers have this setting built in, and some monitor the whole panel and throttle the charger when other loads are running. Choosing a 32 amp charger on a 40 amp circuit instead of a 48 amp unit on a 60 amp circuit does the same job with less demand. The trade is slower charging, but 32 amps at 240 volts is about 7.7 kilowatts, which adds roughly 160 to 220 miles of range in eight hours on most EVs after charging losses, well above a typical day of driving. Load management does not fix a panel that is in poor condition; it only addresses capacity.

Keep reading

EV Charger Installation GuideWhat to expect, step by step EV Charger Installation HubCosts, permits, and how to hire Electrical Panel Upgrade CostWhen a charger install also needs a new panel Cost to Rewire a HouseFull rewiring prices and what drives them Whole House Generator CostBackup power pricing and installation Home Improvement Inflation IndexHow project costs are moving in 2026

About this study

Published: June 24, 2026

Updated: September 11, 2026

Wage source: BLS OEWS, SOC 47-2111 Electricians, May 2025.

Housing source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year 2020-2024, tables B25034 and B25040, pulled 2026-08-25. Metro-level indicators only; this page does not measure panel capacity.

Coverage: 173 metros ranked, 289 cities listed, 2 state nonmetro fallbacks noted.

These are modeled estimates, not measured local prices. Always get quotes from licensed contractors before budgeting.