HVAC cost map
HVAC cost map 2026: prices by state, metro and county
A central AC replacement typically costs $7,000 in the US for a 1,500–2,500 sq ft home. It is cheapest in Wyoming ($6,300) and most expensive in Hawaii ($7,800); among metros it runs from $6,150 in Idaho Falls, ID to $8,050 in Kahului, HI.
- 3,142 counties
- 386 metros
- Three home sizes
- Wages, climate and energy layers
- Updated each quarter
Home size, sq ft
AC replacement · 1,500–2,500 sq ft home
HVACFIND Price Index · by metro and rural area
Each shade holds about as many counties as the next. A county takes its metro or rural area's figure.
- From $6.1k to $6.45k
- From $6.5k to $6.55k
- From $6.6k to $6.65k
- From $6.7k to $6.8k
- From $6.85k to $6.9k
- From $6.95k to $7.05k
- From $7.1k to $8.05k
- United StatesAC replacement · 1,500–2,500 sq ft home
- $7,000
- Highest stateHawaii
- $7,800
- Lowest stateWyoming
- $6,300
Ranked
Where AC replacement costs most and least
Highest 10 states
- $7,800
- $7,750
- $7,500
- $7,500
- $7,500
- $7,450
- $7,400
- $7,400
- $7,350
- $7,350
Lowest 10 states
- $6,300
- $6,500
- $6,500
- $6,500
- $6,550
- $6,550
- $6,550
- $6,600
- $6,600
- $6,600
States ranked by typical installed price for AC replacement in a 1,500–2,500 sq ft home (HVACFIND Price Index). Hover a row to find it on the map; linked names open their own page.
Method
What the map shows
Prices are the HVACFIND Price Index 2026Q4.2: the typical installed price (the median) for each job and home size in every metro and rural area, built from technician wages, local price levels, climate and permit records. A county takes the price of the metro or rural area it belongs to, because that is the market its contractors quote in. Every other layer is a public dataset, shown at the finest level its publisher releases.
These are estimates, not quotes. Your own quote moves with the home, the equipment and the contractor; check one against your local range before you sign.
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics · May 2025
- HVAC technician wages (SOC 49-9021) by metro, rural area and state; labor is a third of a typical install
- BEA Regional Price Parities · 2024
- the local cost of goods and services the price index adjusts for
- NOAA U.S. Climate Normals · 1991-2020
- cooling and heating degree days and days at 90°F or hotter, by county
- OpenEI utility rates by ZIP · 2024
- the residential rate of the utility serving each ZIP (from EIA Form 861), averaged by county
- EIA natural gas prices · NG bulk through 2026-06
- residential gas prices by state, 12-month average
- Census American Community Survey · ACS 5-year 2020-2024
- median year homes were built and the fuel they heat with, by county
- Census County Business Patterns · 2023
- heating, air-conditioning and plumbing contractors (NAICS 238220) by county
Questions
Answered from the map
Every answer is computed from the same numbers the map draws, and changes when they do.
Where is AC replacement cheapest?
For a 1,500–2,500 sq ft home, a central AC replacement is cheapest in Wyoming ($6,300), Arkansas ($6,500) and Montana ($6,500). The lowest-priced metro is Idaho Falls, ID at $6,150, against $7,000 for the US as a whole.
Where is AC replacement most expensive?
Hawaii ($7,800), District of Columbia ($7,750) and New York ($7,500) have the highest typical prices for a central AC replacement. The priciest metro is Kahului, HI at $8,050. Higher labor costs and local price levels explain most of the gap.
Which states pay HVAC technicians the most?
District of Columbia ($40.57 an hour), Alaska ($37.23 an hour) and Illinois ($37.21 an hour) have the highest median pay for HVAC technicians, against $29.33 an hour nationally (BLS). Labor is roughly a third of a typical install, so high-wage places tend to have higher prices.
Where do homes need the most cooling?
Arizona (3,997 cooling degree days), Hawaii (3,980 cooling degree days) and Florida (3,741 cooling degree days) work an air conditioner hardest in a normal year (NOAA 1991–2020). Arizona averages 156 days a year at 90°F or hotter. A bigger cooling load means a larger system and more running hours.
Where does electricity cost the most to run AC or a heat pump?
Residential power is dearest in Hawaii (43.7¢ per kWh), California (32.8¢ per kWh) and Connecticut (28.8¢ per kWh), against 18.2¢ per kWh on average and 10.9¢ per kWh in Nebraska. Where power is expensive, a higher-efficiency system pays for itself sooner.
How is the HVAC cost map made?
Each county takes the typical price of its metro or rural area from the HVACFIND Price Index 2026Q4.2, built from BLS technician wages, BEA regional price parities, NOAA climate normals and local permit records. The other layers are public data from BLS, NOAA, EIA and the Census Bureau. Prices are estimates, not quotes.
Second opinion
Get one fair quote from a licensed local pro
Tell us the job and when suits you. We confirm by phone or text, then pass your request to one licensed contractor who covers your ZIP. Nobody else gets your number.
- We confirm the job before anyone calls you
- One contractor, never a bidding list
- License checked with the state
- Free for homeowners