Last reviewed: September 2026 · By the HVAC Brief Editorial Team · Our sourcing and editorial standards
US households paid $15.60 per thousand cubic feet of natural gas over the 2025/26 heating season, up 8.7% on the season before. Heating-season prices rose in 34 states.
Gas prices per unit are misleading if read from summer months, when fixed charges inflate them. This tracker leads with the October to March heating season, the price that actually drives heating bills.
This tracker records residential natural gas prices by state from EIA, updated monthly. It is the gas counterpart to our electricity price tracker, and the two together set the running-cost comparison between heat pumps and gas furnaces.
Read the heating-season price, not the summer price
The US average residential price was $26.45 per Mcf in July 2026 but $15.60 averaged across October 2025 to March 2026. The summer figure is higher not because gas cost more but because households used almost none, so each unit carries a larger slice of the fixed monthly charge. For anyone comparing heating costs, the heating-season price is the right one.
By state, 2025/26 heating season
| State | 2025/26 heating season | 2024/25 heating season | Change | July 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $56.11 | $46.79 | +19.9% | $65.72 |
| Massachusetts | $24.98 | $22.94 | +8.9% | $30.57 |
| Arkansas | $23.54 | $18.26 | +28.9% | $30.26 |
| Texas | $22.61 | $19.60 | +15.3% | $34.30 |
| California | $22.32 | $20.98 | +6.4% | $21.35 |
| Georgia | $19.38 | $17.20 | +12.7% | $43.28 |
| Arizona | $19.36 | $17.82 | +8.6% | $26.31 |
| Delaware | $18.76 | $15.71 | +19.4% | $33.41 |
| Alabama | $18.55 | $18.62 | -0.4% | $25.16 |
| Vermont | $18.25 | $17.49 | +4.4% | $32.73 |
| New York | $18.20 | $17.05 | +6.8% | $30.86 |
| Oklahoma | $18.04 | $16.45 | +9.7% | $39.23 |
| District of Columbia | $17.48 | $16.70 | +4.7% | $31.62 |
| Virginia | $17.44 | $15.63 | +11.6% | $29.83 |
| Missouri | $17.29 | $15.96 | +8.3% | $32.00 |
| Mississippi | $17.07 | $16.53 | +3.3% | $30.60 |
| Oregon | $16.61 | $15.49 | +7.2% | $23.23 |
| Pennsylvania | $15.50 | $13.96 | +11.0% | $28.73 |
| Kentucky | $15.43 | $13.29 | +16.1% | $36.74 |
| New Jersey | $14.78 | $13.80 | +7.1% | $18.76 |
| Tennessee | $14.13 | $11.92 | +18.6% | $20.35 |
| Nebraska | $13.29 | $11.26 | +18.1% | $24.69 |
| Alaska | $13.18 | $11.66 | +13.0% | $17.49 |
| Wyoming | $12.46 | $11.33 | +10.0% | $28.22 |
| Indiana | $11.69 | $10.27 | +13.8% | $24.12 |
| Illinois | $11.44 | $10.54 | +8.5% | $21.04 |
| Wisconsin | $11.29 | $10.04 | +12.4% | $18.58 |
| Colorado | $11.13 | $10.38 | +7.2% | $17.56 |
| Utah | $10.94 | $10.26 | +6.6% | $12.38 |
| Michigan | $10.87 | $10.27 | +5.9% | $19.88 |
| Nevada | $10.84 | $14.15 | -23.4% | $15.47 |
| Iowa | $10.74 | $9.92 | +8.3% | $23.93 |
| Minnesota | $10.65 | $11.54 | -7.7% | $17.28 |
| South Dakota | $10.19 | $9.22 | +10.5% | $17.77 |
| North Dakota | $9.98 | $9.44 | +5.7% | $27.68 |
| Montana | $9.21 | $8.28 | +11.3% | $12.40 |
| Idaho | $7.30 | $7.20 | +1.4% | $13.29 |
Warm states sit high in the ranking on a per-unit basis for the same fixed-charge reason. That is why a price per Mcf is not a heating bill: what households actually spend is in our average heating bill analysis, and the comparison with heat pump running costs is in our heat pump versus gas furnace analysis.
Frequently asked questions
How much does residential natural gas cost?
US households paid an average of $15.60 per thousand cubic feet over the 2025/26 heating season (October to March), up 8.7% on the season before, according to EIA. The July 2026 price was $26.45, higher because summer prices per unit are inflated by fixed charges.
Which state has the most expensive natural gas?
Over the heating season, Hawaii at $56.11 per Mcf, followed by Massachusetts and Arkansas. Idaho was cheapest at $7.30.
Why is the price per Mcf higher in summer?
Because a gas bill has a fixed monthly charge as well as a charge per unit. In summer households use very little gas, so the fixed charge is divided over a small volume and the average price per Mcf rises. The US average was $26.45 in July 2026 against $15.60 over the heating season. The heating-season price is the one that matters for heating costs.
Why do warm states have high gas prices per unit?
For the same reason. Households in warm states use little gas even in winter, so fixed charges make up more of each unit’s price. A high price per Mcf in a warm state does not mean a high gas bill.
Are natural gas prices rising?
Yes. The heating-season average rose in 34 of the 37 states with comparable data.
How do I convert price per Mcf to price per therm?
One thousand cubic feet of natural gas contains about 10.36 therms at EIA’s average heat content, so divide the price per Mcf by about 10.4.
Methodology and limitations
- Source: EIA, Natural Gas Prices, Average Residential Price by state (series N3010xx3), dollars per thousand cubic feet, monthly.
- Heating season is October through March. Season averages are simple means of the six monthly prices, shown only where all six months are published.
- EIA had not published July 2026 figures for every state at the time of writing; states without a complete comparison are omitted rather than estimated.
- Monthly residential prices include fixed customer charges averaged over volume, which inflates summer per-unit prices.
- Prices are state averages across utilities and rate structures; individual utility rates differ.
- Conversion: EIA’s average heat content of about 1,036 Btu per cubic foot means one Mcf is about 10.36 therms.
Sources
- US Energy Information Administration, Natural Gas Prices: Residential, by state.
The HVAC Brief is an independent trade publication. We do not sell equipment, take manufacturer advertising, or accept payment for placement in our research. Corrections welcome.
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