{"id":116446,"date":"2025-08-03T20:22:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-03T20:22:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/116446\/"},"modified":"2025-08-03T20:22:10","modified_gmt":"2025-08-03T20:22:10","slug":"top-10-states-where-phone-and-internet-bills-cut-into-your-paycheck-most","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/116446\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 States Where Phone and Internet Bills Cut Into Your Paycheck Most"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Staying connected isn\u2019t cheap, especially in certain corners of the country. While some Americans shell out less than $400 a year to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gobankingrates.com\/money\/suze-orman-parents-shouldnt-be-paying-their-adult-kids-phone-bills-heres-why\/?hyperlink_type=manual&amp;utm_term=incontent_link_1&amp;utm_campaign=1311778&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com&amp;utm_content=1&amp;utm_medium=rss\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:keep their phones and Wi-Fi running;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">keep their phones and Wi-Fi running<\/a>, others are paying more than $1,600 just for the basics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Read Next: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gobankingrates.com\/investing\/real-estate\/best-states-buy-property-next-5-years-according-to-experts\/?hyperlink_type=manual&amp;utm_term=related_link_1&amp;utm_campaign=1311778&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com&amp;utm_content=2&amp;utm_medium=rss\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:3 Best States To Buy Property in the Next 5 Years, According To Experts;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">3 Best States To Buy Property in the Next 5 Years, According To Experts<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>For You: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gobankingrates.com\/investing\/real-estate\/housing-market-buy-home-in-these-places-if-you-want-it-to-gain-value\/?hyperlink_type=manual&amp;utm_term=related_link_2&amp;utm_campaign=1311778&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com&amp;utm_content=3&amp;utm_medium=rss\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:25 Places To Buy a Home If You Want It To Gain Value;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">25 Places To Buy a Home If You Want It To Gain Value<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.powerchoicetexas.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:report from Power Choice Texas;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">report from Power Choice Texas<\/a> revealed dramatic regional gaps in connectivity costs. In some states, residents are handing over nearly 3.5% of their income just to stay online and reachable \u2014 four times the share paid in the cheapest states.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Price isn\u2019t the only problem, either, as some high-cost states don\u2019t even deliver the top-tier speeds you\u2019d expect, according to the most recent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.highspeedinternet.com\/resources\/fastest-slowest-internet\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:internet speed test data from HighSpeedInternet.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">internet speed test data from HighSpeedInternet.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Kansas<\/p>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Annual cost per person:<\/strong> $1,576<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Percentage of income:<\/strong> 3.48%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Average internet speed:<\/strong> 186.88 Mbps (Ranked 34th)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Kansas residents pay the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gobankingrates.com\/saving-money\/home\/states-with-highest-household-internet-bill\/?hyperlink_type=manual&amp;utm_term=incontent_link_2&amp;utm_campaign=1311778&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com&amp;utm_content=4&amp;utm_medium=rss\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:highest share of income in the country;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">highest share of income in the country<\/a> for connectivity. Making things worse, the state lags far behind on speed, ranked 34th out of 50.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Check Out: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gobankingrates.com\/money\/making-money\/living-wage-family-of-four-needs-all-50-states\/?hyperlink_type=manual&amp;utm_term=related_link_3&amp;utm_campaign=1311778&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com&amp;utm_content=5&amp;utm_medium=rss\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:The Living Wage a Family of 4 Needs in All 50 States;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">The Living Wage a Family of 4 Needs in All 50 States<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Washington<\/p>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Annual cost per person:<\/strong> $1,618<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Percentage of income:<\/strong> 2.70%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Average internet speed:<\/strong> 201.11 Mbps (Ranked 23rd)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Washington leads the nation in total costs. Residents pay more than anyone else for both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gobankingrates.com\/saving-money\/home\/how-to-save-on-bills-you-forget-about\/?hyperlink_type=manual&amp;utm_term=incontent_link_3&amp;utm_campaign=1311778&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com&amp;utm_content=6&amp;utm_medium=rss\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:internet;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">internet<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gobankingrates.com\/money\/suze-orman-parents-shouldnt-be-paying-their-adult-kids-phone-bills-heres-why\/?hyperlink_type=manual&amp;utm_term=incontent_link_4&amp;utm_campaign=1311778&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com&amp;utm_content=7&amp;utm_medium=rss\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:phone services;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">phone services<\/a>, but the state doesn\u2019t even make the top 20 for internet speed.<\/p>\n<p>Texas<\/p>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Annual cost per person:<\/strong> $1,225<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Percentage of income:<\/strong> 2.67%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Average internet speed:<\/strong> 225.74 Mbps (Ranked 8th)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Texas ranks high for costs, but at least delivers performance. The Lone Star State is among the top 10 in average speed.<\/p>\n<p>Pennsylvania<\/p>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Annual cost per person:<\/strong> $994<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Percentage of income:<\/strong> 2.10%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Average internet speed:<\/strong> 204.66 Mbps (Ranked 20th)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Phone costs drive up the total bill in Pennsylvania. Speeds are near average but still not enough to offset the high percentage of income lost to connectivity.<\/p>\n<p>Virginia<\/p>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Annual cost per person:<\/strong> $1,018<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Percentage of income:<\/strong> 2.04%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Average internet speed:<\/strong> 230.49 Mbps (Ranked 6th)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Virginia is one of the rare states offering a decent trade-off. Costs are high, but internet speeds rank sixth nationally.<\/p>\n<p>New Hampshire<\/p>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Annual cost per person:<\/strong> $992<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Percentage of income:<\/strong> 1.99%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Average internet speed:<\/strong> 217.06 Mbps (Ranked 14th)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Connectivity in New Hampshire eats up nearly 2% of income, though speeds are slightly above average.<\/p>\n<p>California<\/p>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Annual cost per person:<\/strong> $1,004<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Percentage of income:<\/strong> 1.86%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Average internet speed:<\/strong> 223.59 Mbps (Ranked 9th)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Californians pay just over a thousand per year. Speeds are strong, ranking ninth nationwide, but the income bite remains one of the largest.<\/p>\n<p>New York<\/p>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Annual cost per person:<\/strong> $1,030<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Percentage of income:<\/strong> 1.81%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Average internet speed:<\/strong> 208.05 Mbps (Ranked 17th)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Connectivity in New York costs over a thousand dollars a year. Speeds are slightly above the national average, but don\u2019t justify the price tag.<\/p>\n<p>Alaska<\/p>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Annual cost per person:<\/strong> $1,006<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Percentage of income:<\/strong> 1.79%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Average internet speed:<\/strong> 125.09 Mbps (Ranked 50th)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Alaska has the slowest average speeds in the country, despite exceeding $1,000 in annual costs. A clear case of paying more for less.<\/p>\n<p>Massachusetts<\/p>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Annual cost per person:<\/strong> $1,006<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Percentage of income:<\/strong> 1.66%<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>Average internet speed:<\/strong> 218.54 Mbps (Ranked 12th)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Massachusetts residents pay a lot, but relatively high wages help ease the burden. Internet speeds rank a solid 12th.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong>More From GOBankingRates<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">This article originally appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gobankingrates.com?utm_term=bottom_link&amp;utm_campaign=1311778&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com&amp;utm_content=12&amp;utm_medium=rss\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:GOBankingRates.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">GOBankingRates.com<\/a>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gobankingrates.com\/money\/finance\/top-states-phone-internet-bills-cut-into-paycheck-most\/?utm_term=source_link&amp;utm_campaign=1311778&amp;utm_source=yahoo.com&amp;utm_content=13&amp;utm_medium=rss\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Top 10 States Where Phone and Internet Bills Cut Into Your Paycheck Most;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Top 10 States Where Phone and Internet Bills Cut Into Your Paycheck Most<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Staying connected isn\u2019t cheap, especially in certain corners of the country. While some Americans shell out less than&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":116447,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[712,46633,72904,158,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-116446","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-internet","8":"tag-internet","9":"tag-internet-speed","10":"tag-internet-speed-test","11":"tag-technology","12":"tag-united-states","13":"tag-unitedstates","14":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114966701163928027","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116446"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116446\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}