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How much does it cost to run a hair dryer?
At the U.S. average residential price of 18.34¢ per kilowatt-hour (June 2026), running a hair dryer costs about $17.33 a year. Your own bill depends on your state's rate, which ranges from 13.11¢ to 52.72¢ across the country.
- Per hour
- 33.0¢
- Per day of use
- 5.0¢
- Per month
- $1.44
- Per year
- $17.33
Assumption: 1,800 W, 9 minutes a day, 350 days a year — 94 kWh a year. About nine minutes a day on high.
Cost by state
Same appliance, same usage, 51 different prices. Sorted cheapest first.
| State | Rate | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nevada | 13.11¢ | $1.03 | $12.39 |
| Nebraska | 13.25¢ | $1.04 | $12.52 |
| Utah | 13.37¢ | $1.05 | $12.63 |
| Louisiana | 13.49¢ | $1.06 | $12.75 |
| Tennessee | 14.07¢ | $1.11 | $13.30 |
| North Dakota | 14.12¢ | $1.11 | $13.34 |
| Arkansas | 14.12¢ | $1.11 | $13.34 |
| Kentucky | 14.26¢ | $1.12 | $13.48 |
| Oklahoma | 14.33¢ | $1.13 | $13.54 |
| Idaho | 14.37¢ | $1.13 | $13.58 |
| North Carolina | 14.74¢ | $1.16 | $13.93 |
| Mississippi | 14.88¢ | $1.17 | $14.06 |
| Washington | 14.91¢ | $1.17 | $14.09 |
| New Mexico | 15.06¢ | $1.19 | $14.23 |
| Florida | 15.10¢ | $1.19 | $14.27 |
| Montana | 15.14¢ | $1.19 | $14.31 |
| Arizona | 15.18¢ | $1.20 | $14.35 |
| Wyoming | 15.24¢ | $1.20 | $14.40 |
| South Dakota | 15.36¢ | $1.21 | $14.52 |
| West Virginia | 15.45¢ | $1.22 | $14.60 |
| South Carolina | 15.55¢ | $1.22 | $14.69 |
| Kansas | 15.71¢ | $1.24 | $14.85 |
| Iowa | 15.93¢ | $1.25 | $15.05 |
| Texas | 15.94¢ | $1.26 | $15.06 |
| Missouri | 16.22¢ | $1.28 | $15.33 |
| Oregon | 16.32¢ | $1.29 | $15.42 |
| Georgia | 16.36¢ | $1.29 | $15.46 |
| Alabama | 16.40¢ | $1.29 | $15.50 |
| Colorado | 17.13¢ | $1.35 | $16.19 |
| Virginia | 17.22¢ | $1.36 | $16.27 |
| Indiana | 17.51¢ | $1.38 | $16.55 |
| Minnesota | 17.52¢ | $1.38 | $16.56 |
| Ohio | 19.19¢ | $1.51 | $18.13 |
| Delaware | 19.29¢ | $1.52 | $18.23 |
| Wisconsin | 19.56¢ | $1.54 | $18.48 |
| Illinois | 19.89¢ | $1.57 | $18.80 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.73¢ | $1.71 | $20.53 |
| Maryland | 21.84¢ | $1.72 | $20.64 |
| Michigan | 22.99¢ | $1.81 | $21.73 |
| Connecticut | 24.32¢ | $1.92 | $22.98 |
| District of Columbia | 24.39¢ | $1.92 | $23.05 |
| Vermont | 24.44¢ | $1.92 | $23.10 |
| New Jersey | 24.95¢ | $1.96 | $23.58 |
| New Hampshire | 27.01¢ | $2.13 | $25.52 |
| Alaska | 28.21¢ | $2.22 | $26.66 |
| Rhode Island | 29.23¢ | $2.30 | $27.62 |
| New York | 29.49¢ | $2.32 | $27.87 |
| Maine | 29.59¢ | $2.33 | $27.96 |
| Massachusetts | 29.61¢ | $2.33 | $27.98 |
| California | 34.74¢ | $2.74 | $32.83 |
| Hawaii | 52.72¢ | $4.15 | $49.82 |
Cutting the number down
- Nearly 2,000 W sounds alarming, but a few minutes a day keeps the annual total modest.
- A cool-shot finish uses a fraction of the power of the heated setting.
Questions
- How many watts does a hair dryer use?
- About 1,800 W while running.
- How much does a hair dryer cost per month?
- About $1.44 a month at the U.S. average rate, or $17.33 a year.
- Where is it cheapest to run?
- Nevada, at $12.39 a year, versus $49.82 in Hawaii — a spread of $37.43.