Solar Payback by City (2026)
Solar economics are local. This index covers 1067 U.S. cities, each with an estimated payback derived from the real state electricity rate (EIA 2026), NREL PVWatts v8 production, and state incentives — with city-level solar production modeled from the state value and the city's latitude. Pick your state, then your city.
All States
Massachusetts
30.1¢/kWh · ~1302 kWh/kW
Connecticut
29.8¢/kWh · ~1252 kWh/kW
Rhode Island
29.5¢/kWh · ~1294 kWh/kW
Pennsylvania
20.8¢/kWh · ~1344 kWh/kW
Indiana
17.0¢/kWh · ~1220 kWh/kW
Michigan
20.7¢/kWh · ~1180 kWh/kW
Minnesota
15.7¢/kWh · ~1290 kWh/kW
Iowa
13.3¢/kWh · ~1280 kWh/kW
Missouri
12.8¢/kWh · ~1290 kWh/kW
South Dakota
14.2¢/kWh · ~1310 kWh/kW
North Carolina
14.9¢/kWh · ~1400 kWh/kW
South Carolina
16.2¢/kWh · ~1400 kWh/kW
Virginia
16.6¢/kWh · ~1370 kWh/kW
Maryland
21.2¢/kWh · ~1290 kWh/kW
West Virginia
15.4¢/kWh · ~1220 kWh/kW
Kentucky
14.4¢/kWh · ~1300 kWh/kW
Tennessee
13.9¢/kWh · ~1350 kWh/kW
Texas
16.1¢/kWh · ~1421 kWh/kW
Arkansas
13.3¢/kWh · ~1350 kWh/kW
Louisiana
13.5¢/kWh · ~1400 kWh/kW
Colorado
16.5¢/kWh · ~1500 kWh/kW
New Mexico
14.8¢/kWh · ~1650 kWh/kW
California
32.8¢/kWh · ~1560 kWh/kW
Don't see your exact city? The Solar ROI Calculator lets you enter your own usage and utility rate for a tailored estimate.