How Far Apart Are Solar Prices in California, Texas, Florida, and Ohio?
Summary
EnergySage's September 2026 state data puts price per watt between $2.12 in Florida and $2.61 in Ohio, and the average system total between $21,093 in California and $33,217 in Ohio. The totals don't line up with the per-watt ranking because the typical system size varies so much, from 8.38 kW in California to 14.5 kW in Florida.
Four states side by side
All figures are before incentives and come from recent quotes on the EnergySage Marketplace.
| State | Price per watt | Average size | Average total | Payback | Average electric bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $2.52 | 8.38 kW | $21,093 | 7.73 years | $366/mo |
| Texas | $2.25 | 12.91 kW | $29,087 | 12.92 years | $234/mo |
| Florida | $2.12 | 14.5 kW | $30,729 | 9.79 years | $276/mo |
| Ohio | $2.61 | 12.74 kW | $33,217 | 11.96 years | $232/mo |
The national average is $2.60 per watt, or $31,135 for 12 kW (updated June 30, 2026). California has the smallest and cheapest average system yet the shortest payback, and it has the highest average electric bill of the four. Texas is cheap per watt, but low bills stretch its payback to almost 13 years.
Using the table on a real quote
Compare per-watt price before the total. A 10 kW Texas quote at $28,000 works out to $2.80/W, 55 cents above the state average of $2.25.
The EnergySage state pages say the federal tax credit for solar buyers expired at the end of 2025. The state table on EnergySage's national page does not match the Texas and Florida state pages (it lists Florida at $34,082), so the figures above come from the state pages, updated September 11 (California, Ohio) and September 18 (Texas, Florida).
Sources
- EnergySage — Cost of solar panels in California (updated 2026-09-11)
- EnergySage — Cost of solar panels in Texas (updated 2026-09-18)
- EnergySage — Cost of solar panels in Florida (updated 2026-09-18)
- EnergySage — Cost of solar panels in Ohio (updated 2026-09-11)
- EnergySage — Solar panel cost, national (updated 2026-06-30)
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