Worst States for Solar Panels
#1: Washington — only $5,738 in net 20-year savings (13.7 year payback). For each state we model a 6.0 kW rooftop system using the state's climatological peak sun hours and the EIA residential rate. Includes the 30% federal Investment Tax Credit and a national-average installed cost of $3.00/W. States are ranked by net 20-year savings (savings minus net install cost). State electricity prices come from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (June 2026). See our methodology for the full formula.Rank State Rate (¢/kWh) 20-year net savings 1 Washington 14.91 $5,738 (20-yr net) · 13.7 yr payback 2 Kentucky 14.26 $7,862 (20-yr net) · 12.3 yr payback 3 West Virginia 15.45 $7,986 (20-yr net) · 12.2 yr payback 4 Tennessee 14.07 $8,070 (20-yr net) · 12.2 yr payback 5 North Dakota 14.12 $8,625 (20-yr net) · 11.9 yr payback 6 Nebraska 13.25 $8,676 (20-yr net) · 11.8 yr payback 7 Louisiana 13.49 $9,061 (20-yr net) · 11.6 yr payback 8 Arkansas 14.12 $9,108 (20-yr net) · 11.6 yr payback 9 Oregon 16.32 $9,702 (20-yr net) · 11.3 yr payback 10 Idaho 14.37 $10,474 (20-yr net) · 10.9 yr payback 11 North Carolina 14.74 $10,565 (20-yr net) · 10.9 yr payback 12 Mississippi 14.88 $10,785 (20-yr net) · 10.8 yr payback 13 Iowa 15.93 $10,802 (20-yr net) · 10.8 yr payback 14 Montana 15.14 $11,193 (20-yr net) · 10.6 yr payback 15 South Dakota 15.36 $11,539 (20-yr net) · 10.4 yr payback 16 Missouri 16.22 $11,782 (20-yr net) · 10.3 yr payback 17 Indiana 17.51 $11,927 (20-yr net) · 10.3 yr payback 18 Alabama 16.40 $12,053 (20-yr net) · 10.2 yr payback 19 Ohio 19.19 $12,313 (20-yr net) · 10.1 yr payback 20 Oklahoma 14.33 $12,368 (20-yr net) · 10.1 yr payback 21 South Carolina 15.55 $12,369 (20-yr net) · 10.1 yr payback 22 Utah 13.37 $12,522 (20-yr net) · 10.0 yr payback 23 Minnesota 17.52 $12,539 (20-yr net) · 10.0 yr payback 24 Virginia 17.22 $13,285 (20-yr net) · 9.7 yr payback 25 Georgia 16.36 $13,669 (20-yr net) · 9.6 yr payback 26 Kansas 15.71 $13,699 (20-yr net) · 9.6 yr payback 27 Wisconsin 19.56 $14,130 (20-yr net) · 9.4 yr payback 28 Wyoming 15.24 $14,474 (20-yr net) · 9.3 yr payback 29 Illinois 19.89 $14,581 (20-yr net) · 9.3 yr payback 30 Florida 15.10 $14,741 (20-yr net) · 9.2 yr payback 31 Texas 15.94 $15,718 (20-yr net) · 8.9 yr payback 32 Delaware 19.29 $15,738 (20-yr net) · 8.9 yr payback 33 Nevada 13.11 $16,065 (20-yr net) · 8.8 yr payback 34 Alaska 28.21 $16,313 (20-yr net) · 8.7 yr payback 35 Pennsylvania 21.73 $16,353 (20-yr net) · 8.7 yr payback 36 Michigan 22.99 $17,246 (20-yr net) · 8.4 yr payback 37 Vermont 24.44 $19,129 (20-yr net) · 7.9 yr payback 38 Maryland 21.84 $19,484 (20-yr net) · 7.9 yr payback 39 Colorado 17.13 $19,588 (20-yr net) · 7.8 yr payback 40 New Mexico 15.06 $19,814 (20-yr net) · 7.8 yr payback 41 Connecticut 24.32 $20,635 (20-yr net) · 7.6 yr payback 42 Arizona 15.18 $21,110 (20-yr net) · 7.5 yr payback 43 New Jersey 24.95 $23,200 (20-yr net) · 7.0 yr payback 44 District of Columbia 24.39 $23,230 (20-yr net) · 7.0 yr payback 45 New Hampshire 27.01 $23,388 (20-yr net) · 7.0 yr payback 46 New York 29.49 $25,685 (20-yr net) · 6.6 yr payback 47 Maine 29.59 $26,826 (20-yr net) · 6.4 yr payback 48 Massachusetts 29.61 $26,852 (20-yr net) · 6.4 yr payback 49 Rhode Island 29.23 $27,345 (20-yr net) · 6.3 yr payback 50 California 34.74 $53,864 (20-yr net) · 3.8 yr payback 51 Hawaii 52.72 $90,064 (20-yr net) · 2.5 yr payback How we calculated this