Average Utility Costs in Washington

Typical monthly utility costs in Washington are about $308.75/mo, based on 1,000 kWh of electricity and 5,000 gallons of water (plus sewer and trash where available). Compare Washington cities below to find cheaper vs more expensive areas.

Average Monthly Utility Costs in Washington

The average utility bill in Washington is estimated at $308.75 per month, a typical total assembled from median city estimates for electricity, water, sewer, and trash. To reflect a more typical bill across cities (and reduce the impact of outliers), these "average" values use the median of city estimates.

Electric (1,000 kWh)
$131.95
Median of city estimates; each city uses its serving provider's rate.
Water (5,000 gal)
$54.33
Median of non-$0 cities — Some cities show $0 when no municipal rate is published or service varies by address; this is the median of cities with a reported rate.
Sewer
$90.73
Median of non-$0 cities — Some cities show $0 when no municipal rate is published or service varies by address; this is the median of cities with a reported rate.
Trash
$31.75
Median of non-$0 cities — Some cities show $0 when no municipal rate is published or service varies by address; this is the median of cities with a reported rate.
Typical total (assembled from medians)
$308.75
Alternate view: Median of city totals: $297.59

Assumptions: 1,000 kWh/month and 5,000 gallons/month (where applicable). "Average" values represent the median city estimate; water/sewer/trash medians exclude $0 entries when service or published rates vary by address. Actual bills vary by usage, fees, and provider.

Search by city or county

These rankings are estimates for comparison at 1,000 kWh. For the full breakdown (electric, water, sewer, trash) by city, use the comparison table below.

Cheapest electric rates in Washington

Top 5 cities with the lowest estimated electric bill at 1,000 kWh. See the comparison table below for all cities.

Most expensive total utility monthly cost in Washington

Top 5 cities with the highest estimated total (electric + water + sewer + trash). See the comparison table for all cities. High totals are often driven by sewer/trash fixed fees and local rate structures, not just electric.

Compare all cities

Estimated monthly costs by city, sorted by total (highest first). Same assumed usage (1,000 kWh, 5,000 gal) for comparison; some cities may show $0 when no single published municipal rate is available or service varies by address. 10 cities.

CityCountyElectricWaterSewerTrashTotalView
BellevueKing County$131.95$118.49$141.00$32.63$424.07View Bellevue details →
KirklandKing County$131.95$68.03$170.00$37.15$407.13View Kirkland details →
SeattleKing County$151.69$60.25$86.77$45.05$343.76View Seattle details →
KentKing County$131.95$60.95$94.69$27.43$315.02View Kent details →
AuburnKing County$131.95$56.78$95.60$16.58$300.91View Auburn details →
TacomaPierce County$115.71$51.87$66.72$59.98$294.28View Tacoma details →
EverettSnohomish County$120.33$43.01$104.04$10.54$277.92View Everett details →
YakimaYakima County$172.18$12.50$58.00$17.60$260.28View Yakima details →
SpokaneSpokane County$104.10$43.28$39.79$45.20$232.37View Spokane details →
VancouverClark County$106.90$28.25$50.88$30.87$216.90View Vancouver details →

Washington counties

View estimated utility costs by county. Each county page lists cities and a comparison table of monthly estimates.

Utility providers in Washington

In the cities we cover, electric is provided by Avista Utilities (Post Falls, Spokane); Clark Public Utilities (Vancouver); Pacific Power (Yakima, Medford); Puget Sound Energy (PSE) (Bellevue, Kent, Kirkland, Auburn); Seattle City Light (Seattle); Snohomish County PUD (SnoPUD) (Everett); Tacoma Power (TPU) (Tacoma); Vera Water and Power (Spokane) Water, sewer, and trash are set by city, county, or regional providers. Our estimates use each utility's published rate at 1,000 kWh. City pages show sources and last-verified dates.

See which electric, water, sewer, and trash providers serve different areas of Washington, along with typical residential rate information and sources.

View utility providers in Washington

Compare with nearby states

Compare utility costs in Washington with neighboring states.

FAQ – Utilities in Washington

Electric service in Seattle is provided by Seattle City Light, a municipal utility owned by the City of Seattle. Washington is a regulated state; rates are set at the local or state level. Our estimates use Seattle City Light's flat residential rate at 1,000 kWh.
Utility costs vary by city and county due to different electric providers (municipal, co-op, or investor-owned) and rate structures, plus local water, sewer, and solid-waste fees. Water and sewer in Washington are often set at the municipal or regional level. We show sources and last-verified dates on every city page.
We estimate four components: electric (standardized 1,000 kWh using the serving utility's rate), water (base + volumetric), sewer (flat or tiered), and trash (monthly fee). Each city page shows assumptions and sources so you can compare cities fairly.
Some cities show $0 when a single published municipal rate isn't available, service varies by address/provider, or the rate schedule hasn't been added yet. In the state 'median' cards, water/sewer/trash medians exclude $0 entries to reduce distortion.
Each city page links to official sources and shows last-verified dates. The Providers page lists utilities and the cities they serve. Use the city search or county links to drill down to a specific area.