Electricity Cost in California
The residential electricity rate in California is 32.54¢ per kilowatt-hour (kWh), ranking #50 cheapest among all 51 US states. The national average is 17.92¢/kWh, making California 82% above average.
32.54¢
Residential
#50
Price Rank
50.8%
Renewable
| Residential Rate | 32.54¢/kWh |
| Commercial Rate | 26.36¢/kWh |
| Industrial Rate | 21.62¢/kWh |
| US Average (Residential) | 17.92¢/kWh |
This answer pulls from the EIA Open Data API and State Electricity Profiles, the authoritative federal source for U.S. state-level electricity rates and generation mix. The headline number above is the direct answer; what follows is the additional context most readers need to use the answer for a real decision rather than just a fact lookup.
A practical caveat: the headline answer above reflects the most recent the EIA Open Data API and State Electricity Profiles vintage; underlying data is often revised for months after first publication, and the right reference for any specific decision is whichever vintage is current at the time of the decision. The as-of date is stamped on every page.
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2026.