Average electric, water, sewer & trash bills by city
Find estimated monthly utility costs with sources and assumptions.
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Making utility costs clear
Utilities are a mandatory, often sizable part of a household budget—but rates and bills are usually scattered and hard to compare. Whether you're considering a move, trying to understand your local bills, or comparing areas, we aim to bring together the most comprehensive data on electric, water, sewer, and trash costs across the US.
Utility information typically lives in many places: city sites, provider tariffs, county pages. We consolidate it in one place, cite every source, and explain our methodology so you can see exactly how we get to each estimate.
How it works
- Search a city → get total estimated bill plus a breakdown by utility.
- See sources and last-verified date for each utility (electric, water, sewer, trash).
- Compare nearby cities in the same county from each city page.
Why utility costs vary
Electric — Costs depend on whether your area is regulated or deregulated (e.g., Texas retail electric providers vs. municipal Austin Energy) and on municipal vs. investor-owned utilities. They are also affected by time-of-use or peak/off-peak pricing, demand charges, state and local taxes, regulatory tariffs, and rider adjustments—so comparing across regions is often complex. We use representative rates and assumed usage so you can see the main drivers; your actual bill will reflect your provider’s full schedule.
Water & sewer — Rates vary by local infrastructure, whether service is city-run or regional, and by rate structure: flat, tiered (by volume), or sewer as a percent of water. Other factors include conservation or drought tiers, combined vs. separate billing for water and sewer, and the age and cost of local systems. We show each component and its source so you can see what drives your city’s total.
Trash — A major driver is whether collection is public (city or county) or private (you or your HOA choose a hauler; rates vary). Trash can be a fixed monthly fee set by the city or hauler, or sometimes included in property taxes or HOA dues (effectively no separate bill). Where no single rate exists we note that pricing varies by provider. We show a monthly estimate where a single rate is available.
Interactive tools
Want to compare costs between two cities? Use our compare two cities calculator for side-by-side electric, water, sewer, and trash estimates.
Check out our other tools: appliance running cost, solar + battery payback, internet provider search, and the full tools hub.
Cities with highest total utility cost
Highest estimated monthly total (electric + water + sewer + trash) across the cities we cover. Same assumed usage (1,000 kWh, 5,000 gal) for comparison.
| City | State | Est. total/mo | Largest driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | California | $741.06 | Electric |
| San Diego | California | $694.07 | Electric |
| San Jose | California | $673.48 | Electric |
| Oakland | California | $629.25 | Electric |
| Fairbanks | Alaska | $617.38 | Electric |
| Stockton | California | $598.43 | Electric |
| Badger | Alaska | $584.38 | Electric |
| Fresno | California | $556.40 | Electric |
| Urban Honoluluⓘ | Hawaii | $547.47 | Electric |
| Bakersfield | California | $519.73 | Electric |
Rankings reflect only the cities currently in our dataset and will change as coverage expands.
Explore by state
Browse some of the most popular states below, or view all states to see every state we cover. Pick a state to see all cities and comparison tables.
Coverage is expanding weekly; each city includes sources and last-verified dates. See all states
View all states · See how estimates are calculated · Browse utility providers
Methodology & Assumptions
We estimate monthly costs from base charges and per-unit rates on official provider pages. Actual bills vary by usage, fees, and provider.
- Electric: 1,000 kWh assumed
- Water: 5,000 gal assumed
Quick answers
- What's included in "utilities" here?
- We estimate four components: electric (based on tariff or typical-bill data where available), water (base + volumetric), sewer (flat, tiered, or percent of water), and trash (monthly fee). Each city page shows assumed usage (e.g., 1,000 kWh, 5,000 gal) and links to sources. We do not include internet estimates. Internet pricing, and availability vary widely by address, plan, bundles, etc. Use our internet provider search by address to see which providers serve your area.
- What assumptions do you use?
- We use fixed assumed usage for comparison: typically 1,000 kWh per month for electric and 5,000 gallons per month for water. Sewer and trash use each city's structure (flat fee, tiered, etc.). These are shown on every city page so you can compare fairly across cities.
- Why might my actual bill differ?
- Actual bills depend on your usage, seasonal rates, taxes, fees, and provider-specific rules. Our estimates use fixed assumed usage for comparison. Your home may use more or less; always confirm current rates with your provider.
- How often are rates updated?
- Each component on a city page shows a 'last verified' date. We aim to update from official sources periodically. Always confirm current rates on the provider's or city's website before making decisions.
- Are these official rates?
- Rates are sourced from official utility and provider pages where possible (tariffs, rate sheets, PSC/commission data). We cite each source and last-verified date. In deregulated markets (e.g., Texas REPs) we may use average marketplace data; those cases are clearly labeled.