What a Pack of Cigarettes Costs, in Every State
The price of smoking in 2017
This summer marks the seventh year The Awl has conducted its (very thorough and scientific) study on the cost of smoking in America. As always, we called a random gas station or convenience store in each state’s most populous city and asked the price on a pack of Marlboro Reds, tax included. Mississippi has the cheapest cigarettes, North and South Carolina are tied at $6 (cute!), and New York remains — now and forever — the most expensive. Twenty people were unable to give prices over the phone this year and four people hung up on me. In Montana, a gas station attendant had me call him on his cell phone (“It’s piped straight into my hearing aid”) and discussed cigarette brands, before telling me he did not sell any.
2017 also marks the seventh year The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has tracked Teen Vaping. Teen smoking rates have been falling for years but, for the first time since 2011, the teen vaping rate fell as well. Congratulations, teens. Vaping is lame.
46. Kentucky ($5.19): $5.72 = +10%
45. North Dakota ($5.32): $5.79 = +9%
44. Idaho ($5.45): $5.87 = +8%
43. Tennessee ($5.28): $5.90 = +12%
42. Oklahoma ($6.04): $5.96 = -1%
41. Wyoming ($6.22): $5.96 = -4%
40. North Carolina ($5.81): $6 = +3%
tied with South Carolina ($6.34): $6 = -5%
39. Alabama ($5.62): $6.04 = +7%
38. Virginia ($6.31): $6.12 = -3%
37. Colorado ($6.31): $6.28 = -.5%
36. Indiana ($6.16): $6.41 = +4%
35. Iowa ($7.73): $6.42 = -17%
34. West Virginia ($5.89): $6.49 = +10%
33. Arkansas ($5.94): $6.69 = +13%
32. Florida ($5.57): $6.71 = +20%
31. Missouri ($5.40): $6.73 = +25%
30. Montana ($6.70): $6.78 = +1%
29. Oregon ($6.24): $6.79 = +9%
tied with New Hampshire ($6.90): $6.79 = -2%
28. Ohio ($6.01): $6.85 = +14%
27. Kansas ($7.83): $6.92 = -12%
26. Louisiana ($6.92): $7 = +1%
25. Georgia ($6.44): $7.02 = +9%
tied with South Dakota ($7.09): $7.02 = -1%
24. Nebraska ($7.01): $7.09 = +1%
23. Texas ($7.57): $7.14 = -6%
22. Michigan ($7.60): $7.25 = -5%
21. Delaware ($6.60): $7.49 = +13%
20. Maryland ($7): $7.58 = +8%
19. Utah ($6.84): $7.59 = +11%
tied with New Mexico ($7.37): $7.59 = +3%
18. Maine ($7.67): $7.86 = +2%
17. Nevada ($7.57): $8.19 = +8%
16. Arizona ($8.10): $8.21 = +1%
15. Wisconsin ($7.57): $8.46 = +12%
14. New Jersey ($8.37): $8.55 = +2%
13. Minnesota ($9.07): $9 = -1%
12. Washington D.C. ($8.15): $9.19 = +13%
11. Rhode Island ($10): $9.40 = -2%
10. Washington ($9.75): $9.56 = -2%
9. Hawaii ($5.35): $9.87 = +84%
8. Connecticut ($9.65): $10.09 = +5%
7. California ($7.16): $10.51 = +47%
6. Alaska ($10): $10.52 = +5%
5. Vermont ($10.43): $10.54 = +1%
4. Massachusetts ($10.67): $10.70 = +.5%
3. Pennsylvania ($9.50): $11.85 = +25%
2. Illinois ($11.26): $13.23 = +17%
1. New York ($12.60): $13.95 = +11%
Rebecca McCarthy is on Twitter
