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MIAMI, FL-Smoking doesn’t just damage your health — it can also take a serious toll on your finances. Tobacco use is responsible for nearly half a million deaths in the U.S. each year and remains the leading cause of lung cancer, according to the American Lung Association. Even people who don’t smoke are put at risk. Since 1964, smoking-related diseases have claimed more than 20 million lives in the U.S., including 2.5 million nonsmokers who became ill solely from exposure to secondhand smoke.
The economic and social impacts are equally staggering. Each year, smoking costs the U.S. over $600 billion in medical expenses and lost productivity.
To help encourage the roughly 49.2 million tobacco users in the U.S. to break the habit, WalletHub analyzed the per-person cost of smoking across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The study examined potential lifetime and annual financial losses — from the annual cost of a cigarette pack per day to health care expenditures, income losses and other costs — associated with smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.
The Real Cost of Smoking by State
| Overall Rank* | State | Total Cost per Smoker | Out-of-Pocket Cost (Rank) |
Financial Opportunity Cost (Rank) |
Health-Care Cost per Smoker (Rank) |
Income Loss per Smoker (Rank) |
Other Costs per Smoker (Rank) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $5,863,664 | $244,229 (3) |
$4,278,112 (3) |
$404,097 (1) |
$918,320 (1) |
$18,907 (13) |
| 2 | Maryland | $5,843,123 | $248,258 (2) |
$4,348,698 (2) |
$347,813 (5) |
$878,273 (2) |
$20,081 (9) |
| 3 | New York | $5,788,994 | $254,916 (1) |
$4,465,318 (1) |
$319,581 (7) |
$730,754 (16) |
$18,424 (17) |
| 4 | Connecticut | $5,505,490 | $231,965 (5) |
$4,063,286 (5) |
$379,656 (3) |
$810,086 (9) |
$20,498 (8) |
| 5 | Rhode Island | $5,473,821 | $235,294 (4) |
$4,121,596 (4) |
$349,877 (4) |
$746,254 (15) |
$20,801 (7) |
| 6 | Massachusetts | $5,360,623 | $219,701 (6) |
$3,848,459 (6) |
$395,805 (2) |
$875,586 (3) |
$21,072 (4) |
| 7 | Hawaii | $5,076,818 | $212,518 (8) |
$3,722,633 (8) |
$272,429 (13) |
$849,459 (5) |
$19,780 (11) |
| 8 | Washington | $5,055,862 | $212,518 (8) |
$3,722,633 (8) |
$281,704 (11) |
$820,385 (8) |
$18,623 (15) |
| 9 | Alaska | $5,054,561 | $216,722 (7) |
$3,796,287 (7) |
$257,456 (15) |
$771,863 (13) |
$12,232 (48) |
| 10 | New Jersey | $5,001,299 | $204,984 (15) |
$3,590,668 (15) |
$313,639 (9) |
$873,072 (4) |
$18,936 (12) |
| 11 | Minnesota | $4,970,415 | $211,992 (10) |
$3,713,426 (10) |
$269,629 (14) |
$756,484 (14) |
$18,884 (14) |
| 12 | California | $4,927,317 | $205,159 (14) |
$3,593,737 (14) |
$275,120 (12) |
$832,326 (6) |
$20,975 (6) |
| 13 | Illinois | $4,866,125 | $210,065 (11) |
$3,679,667 (11) |
$254,200 (16) |
$705,905 (18) |
$16,288 (24) |
| 14 | Vermont | $4,854,202 | $208,663 (12) |
$3,655,116 (12) |
$301,255 (10) |
$674,127 (20) |
$15,041 (34) |
| 15 | Pennsylvania | $4,772,877 | $207,787 (13) |
$3,639,771 (13) |
$253,926 (17) |
$657,340 (23) |
$14,053 (39) |
| 16 | Colorado | $4,544,655 | $190,092 (17) |
$3,329,807 (17) |
$204,765 (29) |
$798,941 (10) |
$21,051 (5) |
| 17 | Oregon | $4,536,385 | $195,523 (16) |
$3,424,945 (16) |
$207,242 (26) |
$694,881 (19) |
$13,794 (41) |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $4,380,404 | $187,990 (18) |
$3,292,980 (18) |
$232,615 (19) |
$653,789 (25) |
$13,031 (43) |
| 19 | Arizona | $4,344,685 | $187,289 (19) |
$3,280,704 (19) |
$197,661 (32) |
$664,174 (21) |
$14,856 (36) |
| 20 | Utah | $4,302,697 | $178,003 (22) |
$3,118,050 (22) |
$191,207 (38) |
$792,720 (11) |
$22,717 (2) |
| 21 | Maine | $4,285,254 | $184,310 (20) |
$3,228,532 (20) |
$240,186 (18) |
$620,119 (34) |
$12,107 (49) |
| 22 | New Hampshire | $4,213,301 | $163,637 (31) |
$2,866,396 (31) |
$340,011 (6) |
$826,226 (7) |
$17,031 (20) |
| 23 | Delaware | $4,166,742 | $168,367 (25) |
$2,949,258 (25) |
$317,837 (8) |
$715,867 (17) |
$15,413 (31) |
| 24 | New Mexico | $4,136,897 | $182,558 (21) |
$3,197,843 (21) |
$204,836 (28) |
$536,760 (46) |
$14,900 (35) |
| 25 | Michigan | $4,089,365 | $175,726 (23) |
$3,078,154 (23) |
$208,208 (25) |
$614,727 (36) |
$12,550 (46) |
| 26 | Nevada | $4,048,991 | $173,098 (24) |
$3,032,120 (24) |
$177,944 (41) |
$652,847 (26) |
$12,983 (44) |
| 27 | Virginia | $3,956,144 | $159,607 (34) |
$2,795,811 (34) |
$199,033 (30) |
$786,015 (12) |
$15,677 (29) |
| 28 | Texas | $3,942,385 | $165,739 (29) |
$2,903,224 (29) |
$191,846 (37) |
$659,163 (22) |
$22,413 (3) |
| 29 | South Dakota | $3,941,799 | $167,666 (27) |
$2,936,982 (27) |
$195,212 (33) |
$625,717 (33) |
$16,221 (25) |
| 30 | Ohio | $3,934,642 | $168,017 (26) |
$2,943,120 (26) |
$209,641 (24) |
$602,035 (40) |
$11,828 (50) |
| 31 | Kansas | $3,859,556 | $164,162 (30) |
$2,875,603 (30) |
$177,007 (44) |
$627,601 (32) |
$15,183 (32) |
| 32 | Montana | $3,810,625 | $161,534 (33) |
$2,829,569 (33) |
$198,953 (31) |
$604,126 (38) |
$16,443 (23) |
| 33 | Florida | $3,807,428 | $158,906 (35) |
$2,783,535 (35) |
$222,105 (20) |
$619,583 (35) |
$23,299 (1) |
| 34 | Oklahoma | $3,754,342 | $162,235 (32) |
$2,841,845 (32) |
$182,122 (40) |
$549,530 (44) |
$18,611 (16) |
| 35 | Arkansas | $3,749,850 | $166,090 (28) |
$2,909,362 (28) |
$151,908 (50) |
$507,799 (49) |
$14,692 (37) |
| 36 | Iowa | $3,688,757 | $153,826 (37) |
$2,694,535 (37) |
$194,416 (34) |
$631,990 (31) |
$13,990 (40) |
| 37 | Wyoming | $3,660,455 | $150,146 (42) |
$2,630,087 (42) |
$217,951 (21) |
$646,402 (28) |
$15,868 (27) |
| 38 | Nebraska | $3,653,703 | $149,971 (43) |
$2,627,019 (43) |
$211,175 (23) |
$647,870 (27) |
$17,668 (18) |
| 39 | Idaho | $3,644,076 | $151,548 (40) |
$2,654,639 (40) |
$177,606 (43) |
$644,855 (30) |
$15,427 (30) |
| 40 | Indiana | $3,631,378 | $152,249 (39) |
$2,666,915 (39) |
$193,992 (35) |
$605,241 (37) |
$12,982 (45) |
| 41 | Louisiana | $3,587,495 | $155,402 (36) |
$2,722,156 (36) |
$171,398 (45) |
$518,599 (48) |
$19,940 (10) |
| 42 | Georgia | $3,574,943 | $148,394 (46) |
$2,599,398 (46) |
$164,741 (46) |
$645,097 (29) |
$17,312 (19) |
| 43 | North Dakota | $3,556,248 | $144,365 (49) |
$2,528,812 (49) |
$212,244 (22) |
$656,199 (24) |
$14,628 (38) |
| 44 | South Carolina | $3,528,443 | $148,920 (44) |
$2,608,605 (44) |
$177,809 (42) |
$577,308 (43) |
$15,802 (28) |
| 45 | West Virginia | $3,512,274 | $153,300 (38) |
$2,685,329 (38) |
$163,233 (48) |
$500,403 (50) |
$10,009 (51) |
| 46 | Kentucky | $3,505,557 | $151,198 (41) |
$2,648,501 (41) |
$154,177 (49) |
$539,283 (45) |
$12,398 (47) |
| 47 | Tennessee | $3,468,310 | $147,869 (47) |
$2,590,191 (47) |
$137,425 (51) |
$579,718 (42) |
$13,107 (42) |
| 48 | Alabama | $3,467,538 | $148,570 (45) |
$2,602,467 (45) |
$164,694 (47) |
$535,913 (47) |
$15,895 (26) |
| 49 | Missouri | $3,422,674 | $140,686 (50) |
$2,464,364 (50) |
$207,052 (27) |
$595,469 (41) |
$15,104 (33) |
| 50 | North Carolina | $3,392,439 | $139,284 (51) |
$2,439,813 (51) |
$192,490 (36) |
$603,971 (39) |
$16,882 (21) |
| 51 | Mississippi | $3,384,149 | $145,942 (48) |
$2,556,433 (48) |
$190,457 (39) |
$474,466 (51) |
$16,853 |
Media Release/Diana Polk/WalletHub
