Whether you own your own home or are renting a house or an apartment, you’ll have to pay a water bill. Compared to other utilities such as electricity and gas, your water bill should be fairly inexpensive.
However, it’s still a bill that you have to factor into your monthly budget to stay on track with your finances. To work out the average water bill for each state, it’s calculated on the assumption that one person uses around 100 gallons of water per day.
Therefore, in 2019, it was estimated that an average family of 4 paid around $72.93 per month for water. The average prices in the table below are calculated using this assumption.
Average Water Bill Per Household Per Month In 2021
| State | Average Water Cost Per Household Per Month in 2021 |
| Alabama | $26.00 |
| Alaska | $95.00 |
| Arizona | $37.00 |
| Arkansas | $22.00 |
| California | $65.00 |
| Colorado | $37.00 |
| Connecticut | $69.00 |
| Delaware | $45.00 |
| Florida | $6.00 |
| Georgia | $29.00 |
| Hawaii | $57.00 |
| Idaho | $37.00 |
| Illinois | $25.00 |
| Indiana | $38.00 |
| Iowa | $28.00 |
| Kansas | $26.00 |
| Kentucky | $49.00 |
| Louisiana | $33.00 |
| Maine | $19.00 |
| Maryland | $42.00 |
| Massachusetts | $30.00 |
| Michigan | $28.00 |
| Minnesota | $27.00 |
| Mississippi | $23.00 |
| Missouri | $38.00 |
| Montana | $34.00 |
| Nebraska | $23.00 |
| Nevada | $25.00 |
| New Hampshire | $26.00 |
| New Jersey | $64.00 |
| New Mexico | $28.00 |
| New York | $44.00 |
| North Carolina | $20.00 |
| North Dakota | $24.00 |
| Ohio | $26.00 |
| Oklahoma | $33.00 |
| Oregon | $37.00 |
| Pennsulvania | $30.00 |
| Rhode Island | $28.00 |
| South Carolina | $27.00 |
| South Dakota | $24.00 |
| Tennessee | $26.00 |
| Texas | $46.00 |
| Utah | $58.00 |
| Vermont | $18.00 |
| Virginia | $36.00 |
| Washington | $57.00 |
| West Virginia | $72.00 |
| Wisconsin | $18.00 |
| Wyoming | $52.00 |
Highest And Lowest Paying States
Water costs vary from state to state. Some states charge more for water, while others have a much cheaper charge. Overall, the most expensive state for water is Alaska with an average bill of around $95 per month.
On the other hand, the cheapest state is Florida with an average monthly water bill of only $6. Florida is closely followed by Wisconsin and Vermont with an average monthly bill of around $18.
Here’s a quick overview of the least and most expensive states across the US.
The 10 most expensive states for water:
- Alaska $95.00
- West Virginia $72.00
- Connecticut $69.00
- California $65.00
- New Jersey $64.00
- Utah $58.00
- Hawaii $57.00
- Washington $57.00
- Wyoming $52.00
- Kentucky $49.00
The 10 least expensive states for water:
- Florida $6.00
- Wisconsin $18.00
- Vermont $18.00
- Maine $19.00
- North Carolina $20.00
- Arkansas $22.00
- Mississippi $23.00
- Nebraska $23.00
- South Dakota $24.00
- North Dakota $24.00
Factors That Can Determine The Cost Of Your Water
There are a few factors that can determine how much you can expect to pay for water each and every month. Remember that the averages are calculated on a household of 4 people. Therefore, if you have more people living in your home, your bill is likely to be higher.
Conversely, if you live alone or there are less than four people in your household, then your bill is likely to be less.
Here are some general factors that can affect your water bill.
- How much water you use. Obviously, the more water that you use, the more you’re going to pay. Therefore, if you water your lawn on a regular basis or have a pool that constantly needs topping up, then you’ll be paying more.
- The price of water. The price of water can vary both from state to state and also from town to town. Therefore, if you move to another town or state, your water bill could be higher or lower, even if your usage hasn’t changed.
Tips For Reducing Your Water Bill
If you’re finding that your water bill is higher than average, there are some things that you can do to reduce it. Here are 8 tips on the best ways to reduce your water usage:
1. Have shorter showers.
If you’re used to taking long showers, you might need to time yourself so you can slowly reduce the time that you spend in the shower each day. A traditional shower head can use around 5 gallons of water per minute and this soon adds up if you’re in the shower for long periods. Even a 10 minute shower will use around 50 gallons of water. That’s half the average usage per person per day.
Therefore, try to cut your showers back to no more than 5 or 6 minutes. Additionally, you should install an Eco-friendly shower head that uses less water per minute.
2. Turn the water off while shaving or brushing your teeth.
It only takes a little practice to make it a habit to turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth and shaving rather than letting it run. In fact, leaving the water running while you brush your teeth can waste around 56.25 gallons of water every week. Multiply that by 52 and you could save on the cost of 2,925 gallons of water every year just by turning the tap off.
3. Only run your dishwasher when it’s full.
If you run your dishwasher on less than a full load, you could be using more water than you have to. Therefore, make sure your dishwasher is full before you turn it on. A standard dishwasher only uses around 6 gallons of water per cycle. Or even less if yours is Energy Star rated.
4. Avoid washing dishes by hand.
Hand washing your dishes uses a lot more water than a dishwasher does. Therefore, try to avoid this as much as possible. If you do need to hand wash just a few items, only fill your sink half way. And never wash your dishes under running water. This can use up to 2.2 gallons per minute.
5. Make sure you have a full load when you turn on the washing machine.
Washing just a handful of items at a time in your machine is a waste of water. Therefore, make sure you have a full load before turning on the machine.
6. Fix any leaking faucets.
All faucets will eventually leak. This is because the seals can slowly erode away and even disintegrate. So, if you have a leaky faucet, you could be wasting around 34 gallons of water a year even if it only drips. By simply putting in new seals, you can save yourself some money in the long run.
7. Add aerators to your faucets.
An aerator attaches to your faucet and pushes air into water stream. This effectively reduces the volume of flow. Aerators are very inexpensive and you can find them at your local home improvement store.
8. Adjust your lawn watering schedule.
Many people like to water their lawn on a regular basis but have you thought about your lawn watering schedule? Are you watering at the best time? Do you ensure that you’re not over watering?
Giving just a little attention to your watering schedule can save you heaps over time. It’s best to only water early in the morning or in the evening. This ensures that you’re not losing any water through evaporation. Also make sure that your sprinklers aren’t running for longer than they have to as the extra water could literally be going down the drain.
How To Be A Water Recycling Warrior And Have A Lush Green Lawn
Did you know that a lot of the waste water that we use for washing in the home is perfectly suitable for watering your lawn and garden with? Here are some ways you can recycle this water onto your garden.
- Take a bucket into the shower. If you place a bucket in the shower when you’re using it, you can then use the collected water on your house plants or your garden.
- Run the outlet hoses on your dishwasher and washing machine into a tank outside. The gray water that comes out of your dishwasher and washing machine is perfectly acceptable to your lawn and garden. You can easily run the hoses into a small tank to collect the water.
- Collect the water from your air conditioner. Did you know that the outlet hose on your air conditioner releases a fair amount of water when it’s cooling or warming your house? Because the outlet hose is located outside anyway, you can easily collect this water and use it on your garden.
Before you do any of these things though, make sure that you check with your local municipality to ensure that it’s legal and permissible.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How much is the average water bill across America?
The average water bill for Americans is $70.93 per month. This relates to around 300 gallons of water used by a family in a single day.
What state has the highest water bills?
Residents of Alaska have the highest monthly water bill at around $95.
How much does a gallon of water cost in the USA?
In the United States, the average price of water is around $1.50 for 1000 gallons.
How much water does a person use a day?
It’s estimated that on average, a person uses 101.5 gallons of water in a single day.
Final Thoughts
Factoring in the cost of your water bill is important when you set up your monthly budget. Our state by state rundown should give you a good idea of how much you’re likely to pay.
You can also follow our tips to make sure your water bill is as manageable as possible. After all, water is a precious resource and the more we can save, the more we’ll have for the future.
