These Are the 10 Most Expensive Cities for Utilities — and the 5 Cheapest

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Americans weary of high prices didn’t get much relief in 2025, as the nation’s inflation rate continued to rise even after hitting 40-year highs earlier this decade.

Among the biggest contributors to high inflation are utility bills. Electricity prices rose 6.7% year over year in December, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Utility gas services spiked 10.8%. Both figures were well above the overall inflation rate of 2.7%.

Over the past five years, U.S. household utility costs have risen roughly 15%, according to a new report from bill-pay service doxo. Doxo’s 2025 U.S. Utilities Market Size and Household Spending Report analyzed spending in four main utilities categories (electric, gas, waste/recycle and water/sewer) across 97% of U.S. ZIP codes.

One thing it found is that U.S. households with utility bills spend a median of $347 per month, or $4,168 per year. Here’s a deeper look at rising utilities costs, as well as where utility bills are highest and lowest.

Also see six government and utility programs that can help with high power costs.

‘Perfect Storm’ of Rising Utility Costs

Here are a couple of other highlights from the report:

• Electricity prices rose almost 20% over the past five years, and there was a 7% rise in 2025 linked to higher demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and grid investments.
• Water/sewer and waste/recycling services rose “more steadily,” falling in line with inflation and infrastructure costs.
• Utilities bills make up 5% of annual household income.

“American families are navigating a perfect storm of rising utility costs,” doxo co-founder and CEO Steve Shivers said in a press release. “Sweeping infrastructure transformation and increasing energy demand are converging, resulting in more costs being passed to households.”

That storm is worse in some places than others, however. Following is a look at some of the priciest and cheapest cities for utilities.

The Most Expensive Cities for Utilities

These are the 10 cities with the highest median utility costs in the United States, per the analysis.

1. New York

• Median total utilities bill: $853 per month
• Median electric bill: $130
• Median gas bill: $85
• Median waste/recycling bill: $517
• Median water/sewer bill: $121

2. Milwaukee

• Median total utilities bill: $588 per month
• Median electric bill: $110
• Median gas bill: $98
• Median waste/recycling bill: $179
• Median water/sewer bill: $200

3. San Jose, California

• Median total utilities bill: $579 per month
• Median electric bill: $119
• Median gas bill: $158
• Median waste/recycling bill: $152
• Median water/sewer bill: $150

4. San Francisco

• Median total utilities bill: $545 per month
• Median electric bill: $100
• Median gas bill: $166
• Median waste/recycling bill: $133
• Median water/sewer bill: $146

5. Baltimore

• Median total utilities bill: $503 per month
• Median electric bill: $165
• Median gas bill: $123
• Median waste/recycling bill: $115
• Median water/sewer bill: $100

6. Memphis, Tennessee

• Median total utilities bill: $497 per month
• Median electric bill: $174
• Median gas bill: $171
• Median waste/recycling bill: $71
• Median water/sewer bill: $81

7. Seattle

• Median total utilities bill: $493 per month
• Median electric bill: $102
• Median gas bill: $78
• Median waste/recycling bill: $150
• Median water/sewer bill: $162

8. Washington, D.C.

• Median total utilities bill: $478 per month
• Median electric bill: $100
• Median gas bill: $83
• Median waste/recycling bill: $159
• Median water/sewer bill: $137

9. San Diego

• Median total utilities bill: $469 per month
• Median electric bill: $100
• Median gas bill: $121
• Median waste/recycling bill: $104
• Median water/sewer bill: $144

10. Detroit

• Median total utilities bill: $461 per month
• Median electric bill: $145
• Median gas bill: $150
• Median waste/recycling bill: $86
• Median water/sewer bill: $80

The Least Expensive Cities for Utilities

Here’s a look at the five cheapest cities for utilities among the 50 analyzed by doxo.

1. Albuquerque, New Mexico: $304 median monthly overall utilities bill
2. Houston: $309 median monthly bill
3. Las Vegas: $311 median monthly bill
4. Orlando, Florida: $315 median monthly bill
5. St. Louis: $315 median monthly bill

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