Electric Consumer

Editor: Katerine G., Editor & Data Researcher · Research & publishing: Electric Consumer Editorial Team · Data retrieved · Sources named on this page: EIA-861, EIA retail sales, NREL PVWatts · How we got these numbers · Report an error

Best states for rooftop solar: what 1 kW of panels earns

$696a year from 1 kW of panels in Hawaii at the 2025 home price

One kW of rooftop panels makes about 1,714 kWh a year in Hawaii, worth $696 at 40.59 ¢. In Washington the same panels make 1,062 kWh but are worth $139 at 13.11 ¢. The highest output per kW is in Nevada (1,818 kWh); price, not sun, drives most of the ranking. Valuing every kWh at the full retail price assumes full net metering, which many states no longer give.

Find your state

Pick a state to see where it ranks.

Best states for rooftop solar: what 1 kW of panels earns, mapNew Mexico: $269Texas: $232Kentucky: $177Ohio: $211Georgia: $208Arkansas: $176Oregon: $174Pennsylvania: $240Missouri: $187North Carolina: $198Utah: $201Virginia: $205Wyoming: $207West Virginia: $185New York: $336Indiana: $222Kansas: $216Idaho: $162Nevada: $239Illinois: $231Vermont: $281New Jersey: $300Minnesota: $214Maryland: $270Iowa: $188Hawaii: $696New Hampshire: $309Rhode Island: $381Connecticut: $377Montana: $171Arizona: $268Nebraska: $178Washington: $139South Dakota: $187California: $549Alabama: $223Wisconsin: $240Mississippi: $192Colorado: $243Oklahoma: $196Tennessee: $183Louisiana: $187Michigan: $256Massachusetts: $389Florida: $236Alaska: $265North Dakota: $157South Carolina: $219Maine: $352Delaware: $237District of Columbia: $305
  • $139 to $187
  • $187 to $208
  • $208 to $239
  • $239 to $300
  • $300 to $696

Hawaii $696 first, Washington $139 last: the map links to each state.

All 51 ranked places

$ a year of output from 1 kW of rooftop panels, valued at the 2025 home price

  1. 1Hawaii$696
  2. 2California$549
  3. 3Massachusetts$389
  4. 4Rhode Island$381
  5. 5Connecticut$377
  6. 6Maine$352
  7. 7New York$336
  8. 8New Hampshire$309
  9. 9District of Columbia$305
  10. 10New Jersey$300
  11. 11Vermont$281
  12. 12Maryland$270
  13. 13New Mexico$269
  14. 14Arizona$268
  15. 15Alaska$265
  16. 16Michigan$256
  17. 17Colorado$243
  18. 18Wisconsin$240
  19. 19Pennsylvania$240
  20. 20Nevada$239
  21. 21Delaware$237
  22. 22Florida$236
  23. 23Texas$232
  24. 24Illinois$231
  25. 25Alabama$223
  26. 26Indiana$222
  27. 27South Carolina$219
  28. 28Kansas$216
  29. 29Minnesota$214
  30. 30Ohio$211
  31. 31Georgia$208
  32. 32Wyoming$207
  33. 33Virginia$205
  34. 34Utah$201
  35. 35North Carolina$198
  36. 36Oklahoma$196
  37. 37Mississippi$192
  38. 38Iowa$188
  39. 39South Dakota$187
  40. 40Missouri$187
  41. 41Louisiana$187
  42. 42West Virginia$185
  43. 43Tennessee$183
  44. 44Nebraska$178
  45. 45Kentucky$177
  46. 46Arkansas$176
  47. 47Oregon$174
  48. 48Montana$171
  49. 49Idaho$162
  50. 50North Dakota$157
  51. 51Washington$139

The table, sortable

Best states for rooftop solar: first 51 of 51
1Hawaii6961,71440.59220.55.4Home systems 220.5, +1332% vs median; $147 ahead of California; Home price 40.59, +164% vs median
2California5491,68732.54147.76.1Home systems 147.7, +859% vs median; $147 apart from Hawaii; Home price 32.54, +112% vs median
3Massachusetts3891,27730.4864.96.9Home price 30.48, +98% vs median; $160 apart from California; Median household 101,341, +34% vs median
4Rhode Island3811,29529.4637.96.1Home price 29.46, +92% vs median; $8 apart from Massachusetts; Cooling degree-days 404, -48% vs median
5Connecticut3771,28229.3866.97.7Home price 29.38, +91% vs median; $5 apart from Rhode Island; Median household 93,760, +24% vs median
6Maine3521,26727.7820.68.0Home price 27.78, +81% vs median; $25 apart from Connecticut; Cooling degree-days 171, -78% vs median
7New York3361,27326.3930.76.9Home price 26.39, +72% vs median; $16 apart from Maine; Output 1,273, -7% vs median
8New Hampshire3091,25824.5634.68.1Median household 95,628, +27% vs median; $27 apart from New York; Home price 24.56, +60% vs median
9District of Columbia3051,39221.94No dataNo data$4 apart from New Hampshire; Median household 106,287, +41% vs median
10New Jersey3001,32422.6354.07.4Median household 101,050, +34% vs median; $6 apart from District of Columbia; Home price 22.63, +47% vs median
11Vermont2811,22522.9229.211.0Cooling degree-days 171, -78% vs median; $19 apart from New Jersey; Output 1,225, -11% vs median
12Maryland2701,38819.4844.17.8$10 apart from Vermont; Median household 101,652, +35% vs median
13New Mexico2691,78415.0853.66.2Output 1,784, +30% vs median; $1 apart from Maryland; Median household 62,125, -18% vs median
14Arizona2681,75015.32101.28.1Cooling degree-days 2,707, +248% vs median; $1 apart from New Mexico; Output 1,750, +28% vs median
15Alaska2651,01726.099.35.4Output 1,017, -26% vs median; $3 apart from Arizona; Home price 26.09, +70% vs median
16Michigan2561,28020.015.76.6$9 apart from Alaska; Output 1,280, -7% vs median
17Colorado2431,53415.8571.36.0Median household 92,470, +22% vs median; $13 apart from Michigan; Home systems 71.3, +363% vs median
18Wisconsin2401,32418.166.77.3$3 apart from Colorado; Cooling degree-days 478, -39% vs median
19Pennsylvania2401,24119.3014.88.3$1 apart from Wisconsin; Output 1,241, -10% vs median
20Nevada2391,81813.15102.47.6Output 1,818, +33% vs median; $0 apart from Pennsylvania; Home systems 102.4, +565% vs median
21Delaware2371,38317.1329.98.0$2 apart from Nevada; Median household 82,855, +10% vs median
22Florida2361,54615.2427.89.3Cooling degree-days 3,191, +310% vs median; $1 apart from Delaware; Output 1,546, +13% vs median
23Texas2321,49815.4710.98.0$4 apart from Florida; Cooling degree-days 2,648, +240% vs median
24Illinois2311,30817.6925.27.4$0 apart from Texas; Output 1,308, -5% vs median
25Alabama2231,38316.100.012.7Median household 62,027, -18% vs median; $9 apart from Illinois; Cooling degree-days 1,898, +144% vs median
26Indiana2221,37016.233.78.7$0 apart from Alabama; Home systems 3.7, -76% vs median
27South Carolina2191,46314.969.97.3Cooling degree-days 1,838, +136% vs median; $3 apart from Indiana; Median household 66,818, -12% vs median
28Kansas2161,48214.565.77.5$3 apart from South Carolina; Home systems 5.7, -63% vs median
29Minnesota2141,35315.829.29.0Cooling degree-days 422, -46% vs median; $2 apart from Kansas; Median household 87,556, +16% vs median
30Ohio2111,24416.964.87.4$3 apart from Minnesota; Output 1,244, -9% vs median
31Georgia2081,41314.734.76.5$3 apart from Ohio; Cooling degree-days 1,673, +115% vs median
32Wyoming2071,54913.386.76.8Cooling degree-days 220, -72% vs median; $1 apart from Georgia; Output 1,549, +13% vs median
33Virginia2051,34315.2819.07.4$2 apart from Wyoming; Median household 90,974, +20% vs median
34Utah2011,54113.0763.87.1Median household 91,750, +21% vs median; $4 apart from Virginia; Output 1,541, +12% vs median
35North Carolina1981,41114.0211.47.3$3 apart from Utah; Median household 69,904, -7% vs median
36Oklahoma1961,49513.1210.56.8Cooling degree-days 1,922, +147% vs median; $2 apart from North Carolina; Median household 63,603, -16% vs median
37Mississippi1921,37014.031.36.1Median household 54,915, -27% vs median; $4 apart from Oklahoma; Cooling degree-days 2,126, +173% vs median
38Iowa1881,37313.7212.57.4$4 apart from Mississippi; Home price 13.72, -11% vs median
39South Dakota1871,40013.381.18.5Home price 13.38, -13% vs median; $1 apart from Iowa; Home systems 1.1, -93% vs median
40Missouri1871,38613.4910.510.0Median household 68,920, -9% vs median; $0 apart from South Dakota; Home price 13.49, -12% vs median
41Louisiana1871,48412.5716.06.2Cooling degree-days 2,557, +229% vs median; $0 apart from Missouri; Median household 60,023, -21% vs median
42West Virginia1851,19915.411.18.5Median household 57,917, -23% vs median; $2 apart from Louisiana; Output 1,199, -13% vs median
43Tennessee1831,38513.180.06.9Median household 67,097, -11% vs median; $2 apart from West Virginia; Home price 13.18, -14% vs median
44Nebraska1781,43912.344.17.5$5 apart from Tennessee; Home price 12.34, -20% vs median
45Kentucky1771,34013.244.98.4Median household 62,417, -17% vs median; $0 apart from Nebraska; Home price 13.24, -14% vs median
46Arkansas1761,37212.8411.310.6Median household 58,773, -22% vs median; $1 apart from Kentucky; Cooling degree-days 1,726, +122% vs median
47Oregon1741,13015.3717.77.5Output 1,130, -18% vs median; $2 apart from Arkansas; Cooling degree-days 157, -80% vs median
48Montana1711,31612.9817.47.0Cooling degree-days 161, -79% vs median; $3 apart from Oregon; Home price 12.98, -16% vs median
49Idaho1621,37111.8221.97.7Home price 11.82, -23% vs median; $9 apart from Montana; Cooling degree-days 409, -47% vs median
50North Dakota1571,32611.810.65.6Home price 11.81, -23% vs median; $5 apart from Idaho; Cooling degree-days 423, -46% vs median
51Washington1391,06213.1117.17.3Output 1,062, -23% vs median; $17 apart from North Dakota; Median household 94,952, +26% vs median

Hawaii $696 to Washington $139; 51 rows in the CSV.

CSV

Why the top and the bottom differ

Output is NLR PVWatts for one point per state (population-weighted centre), a 20 degree south-facing roof and 14% losses. The sunniest and the cloudiest state differ by 1.79 times, the highest and lowest price by 3.4 times. Adoption (home net-metered systems per 1,000 accounts) is highest in Hawaii (220).

Averages of the first and last 10 states
MeasureFirst 10 (Hawaii to New Jersey)Last 10 (West Virginia to Washington)All 51
Value of 1 kW a year, $399170248
Output, kWh per kW a year1,3771,2941,389
Home price 2025, ¢/kWh28.5713.2117.92
Home systems per 1,000 accounts75.39.629.9
Cooling degree-days (normal)4387281,002
Median household income, $93,54471,70778,195

Across the states, best states for rooftop solar moves most closely with (r, a pattern and not a cause; glossary):

  • industry price: r = +0.90 across 51 states
  • monthly home use: r = -0.68 across 51 states
  • petroleum share of generation: r = +0.66 across 51 states
  • median household income: r = +0.53 across 51 states

Best states for rooftop solar: regions and residents

By Census division, Pacific comes first on best states for rooftop solar (mean $365) and West North Central last ($190). Between Pacific and West North Central the means are $175 apart; Hawaii and Washington are $556 apart: most of the spread sits between states, not between regions.

Best states for rooftop solar by Census division
Census divisionStatesMean, best states for rooftop solarRanked highestRanked lowestMedian rank
New England6$348Massachusetts $389Vermont $2816
Middle Atlantic3$292New York $336Pennsylvania $24010
East North Central5$232Michigan $256Ohio $21124
West North Central7$190Kansas $216North Dakota $15739
South Atlantic9$229District of Columbia $305West Virginia $18527
East South Central4$194Alabama $223Kentucky $17740
West South Central4$198Texas $232Arkansas $17638
Mountain8$220New Mexico $269Idaho $16226
Pacific5$365Hawaii $696Washington $13915

One vote per state or one per resident? On best states for rooftop solar the answers are the median state $222, the plain state mean $248, weighted by residents $275.

Residents by position in the best states for rooftop solar ranking
GroupResidentsShare of ranked residentsMean of statesMean weighted by residents
First 10: Hawaii to New Jersey85 million26%$399$443
Middle 31: Vermont to Louisiana213 million64%$225$226
Last 10: West Virginia to Washington34 million10%$170$168

Biggest steps between neighbours in this order:

  • 2nd to 3rd: California to Massachusetts, $160 apart
  • 1st to 2nd: Hawaii to California, $147 apart
  • 7th to 8th: New York to New Hampshire, $27 apart
  • 5th to 6th: Connecticut to Maine, $25 apart

Within 10% of leader Hawaii ($696): 0 other places; within 25%: 1. The tenth place, New Jersey, is $396 from the leader and the last, Washington, $556.

Home price 2025, ¢/kWh against Solar output, kWh per kW a year

51 dots, one per state; Hawaii is highest on home price 2025, ¢/kWh and North Dakota lowest. Fit line r = -0.07.

Home price 2025, ¢/kWh against Solar output, kWh per kW a year, 51 states10203040501,0001,2001,4001,6001,8002,000Hawaii: 1,714, 41HICalifornia: 1,687, 33Massachusetts: 1,277, 30Rhode Island: 1,295, 29Connecticut: 1,282, 29Maine: 1,267, 28New York: 1,273, 26New Hampshire: 1,258, 25District of Columbia: 1,392, 22New Jersey: 1,324, 23Vermont: 1,225, 23Maryland: 1,388, 19New Mexico: 1,784, 15Arizona: 1,750, 15Alaska: 1,017, 26AKMichigan: 1,280, 20Colorado: 1,534, 16Wisconsin: 1,324, 18Pennsylvania: 1,241, 19Nevada: 1,818, 13NVDelaware: 1,383, 17Florida: 1,546, 15Texas: 1,498, 15Illinois: 1,308, 18Alabama: 1,383, 16Indiana: 1,370, 16South Carolina: 1,463, 15Kansas: 1,482, 15Minnesota: 1,353, 16Ohio: 1,244, 17Georgia: 1,413, 15Wyoming: 1,549, 13Virginia: 1,343, 15Utah: 1,541, 13North Carolina: 1,411, 14Oklahoma: 1,495, 13Mississippi: 1,370, 14Iowa: 1,373, 14South Dakota: 1,400, 13Missouri: 1,386, 13Louisiana: 1,484, 13West Virginia: 1,199, 15Tennessee: 1,385, 13Nebraska: 1,439, 12Kentucky: 1,340, 13Arkansas: 1,372, 13Oregon: 1,130, 15Montana: 1,316, 13Idaho: 1,371, 12North Dakota: 1,326, 12NDWashington: 1,062, 13Solar output, kWh per kW a yearHome price 2025, ¢/kWh
51 states: first 8 of 51 rows
StateSolar output, kWh per kW a yearHome price 2025, ¢/kWh
Hawaii1713.9040.59
California1687.1032.54
Massachusetts1277.1030.48
Rhode Island1294.7029.46
Connecticut1282.2029.38
Maine1266.9027.78
New York1273.1026.39
New Hampshire1258.1024.56

Hawaii is highest on the vertical axis (41), North Dakota lowest (12).

CSV

Try your own numbers

What a system earns at the 2025 home price.

    Sources

    From PVWatts, EIA retail sales, EIA-861.

    Output: PVWatts v8, 1 kW, fixed roof, 20 degree tilt, south, 14% losses, one point per state. Value = output times the EIA 2025 home price. Adoption: EIA-861 2024 home net-metered systems per 1,000 home accounts.

    Periods, retrieval dates and licences: data sources.

    Related to best states for rooftop solar

    Questions

    Which state is best for rooftop solar?

    By value of output at full retail price, Hawaii ($696 per kW a year), then California ($549) and Massachusetts ($389).

    Which state has the most sunshine for panels?

    Nevada: 1,818 kWh per kW a year in PVWatts, against 1,017 in Alaska.

    Does the federal tax credit apply?

    The 30% residential credit (Section 25D) ended after 31 December 2025, so it is not in this table. See the solar payback guide.

    Is full retail credit realistic?

    Under traditional net metering yes; under net billing or time-varying export rates the credit for exported power is lower. The value here is an upper bound.

    Where do most homes have solar?

    By home net-metered systems per 1,000 accounts: Hawaii (220), California (148). EIA-861 2024.

    How accurate is the solar output?

    One site per state, typical weather: a rough comparison of states, not a quote for your roof. Use PVWatts with your address for that.

    Why does Hawaii rank first?

    Hawaii has the highest home price (40.59 ¢) and 1,714 kWh of output per kW.

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    $696 a year from 1 kW of panels in Hawaii at the 2025 home price

    Cite this page

    Underlying data are U.S. government works (EIA, Census Bureau). Our tables and charts: CC BY 4.0, credit Electric Consumer. The access date fills in when you open this page.

    APA

    Electric Consumer. (2026). Best states for rooftop solar: output and electricity price, 2025. Data as of 2 October 2026. Retrieved [date accessed], from https://electricconsumer.org/rankings/best-states-for-rooftop-solar.html

    MLA

    Electric Consumer. “Best states for rooftop solar: output and electricity price, 2025.” Electric Consumer, data as of 2 October 2026, https://electricconsumer.org/rankings/best-states-for-rooftop-solar.html. Accessed [date accessed].

    Chicago

    Electric Consumer. “Best states for rooftop solar: output and electricity price, 2025.” Data as of 2 October 2026. Accessed [date accessed]. https://electricconsumer.org/rankings/best-states-for-rooftop-solar.html.

    BibTeX

    @misc{usedata_rankings_best_states_for_rooftop_solar,
  author = "Electric Consumer",
  title = {Best states for rooftop solar: output and electricity price, 2025},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://electricconsumer.org/rankings/best-states-for-rooftop-solar.html},
  note = {Data as of 2 October 2026. Accessed [date accessed]}
}
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