The cost of smoking isn’t just measured in the incalculable cost in lives, but it can also burn a nasty hole through your wallet. Tobacco use while accounting for nearly half a million deaths in the U.S. is the leading cause of lung cancer, according to the American Lung Association. Even those around tobacco smokers aren’t safe from its harmful effects. Since 1964, smoking-related illnesses have claimed 20 million lives in the U.S., 2.5 million of which belonged to nonsmokers who developed diseases merely from secondhand-smoke exposure.
However, the economic and societal costs of smoking are just as huge. Every year, Americans spend more than $300 billion, which includes both medical care and lost productivity. Unfortunately, some people will have to pay significantly more depending on the state in which they live.
The message is primarily targeted at the estimated 36.5 million tobacco users in the U.S. to kick the dangerous habit, for this reason WalletHub analyzed the true per-person cost of smoking in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
WalletHub calculated the potential monetary losses — including the lifetime and annual costs of a cigarette pack per day, health care expenditures, income losses and other costs — brought on by smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.
They calculated the potential monetary losses — including both the lifetime and annual cost of only one cigarette pack per day, health care expenditures, income losses and other costs — including costs brought on by smoking and those exposed to secondhand smoke. we have included the complete ranking and analysis, plus insight from a panel of experts and a full description of the WalletHub methodology.
Arizona is ranked 35th overall in the table below the interactive map. The line below reflects the life time cost to a smoker in Arizona and the full table is available at https://wallethub.com/edu/the-financial-cost-of-smoking-by-state/9520/. It is no Surprise that the state withe the lowest annual cost is Kentucky while the lowest life time cost belongs to North Dakota.
WalletHub calculated the potential monetary losses — including the lifetime and annual costs of a cigarette pack per day, health care expenditures, income losses and other costs — brought on by smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.
The Best and Worst:
States with the Lowest Smoking Costs | States with the Highest Smoking Costs | |||
1 | Kentucky | 42 | California | |
2 | Georgia | 43 | Vermont | |
3 | North Carolina | 44 | District of Columbia | |
4 | Mississippi | 45 | Minnesota | |
5 | North Dakota | 46 | Alaska | |
6 | Tennessee | 47 | Hawaii | |
7 | Alabama | 48 | Rhode Island | |
8 | South Carolina | 49 | Connecticut | |
9 | Missouri | 50 | Massachusetts | |
10 | Idaho | 51 | New York |
The numbers in the (parenthesis ) indicates the state rank for the category.
Rank | State | Lifetime Cost | Out of Pocket | Opportunity | Heatlh care | Income Loss | Cost Per |
35 | Arizona | $1,621,614 | $131,794 (36) |
$1,107,130 (36) |
$161,825 (27) |
$209,467 (21) |
$11,398 (24 |
Interactive Map by State Costs Over a Lifetime.
Table of Annual Cost per state with rankings, Table of Lifetime per Smoker at WalletHub site.
Overall Rank* | State | Per Smoker | Out-of-Pocket | Opportunity | Health-Care Per Smoker | Income Loss per Smoker | Costs per Smoker |
Category Rank | (Rank) | (Rank) | (Rank) | (Rank) | (Rank) | ||
1 | Kentucky | $22,453 | $1,741 | $14,626 | $2,315 | $3,585 | $187 |
-4 | -4 | -2 | -5 | -4 | |||
2 | Georgia | $22,675 | $1,705 | $14,319 | $2,338 | $4,083 | $230 |
-3 | -3 | -3 | -20 | -28 | |||
3 | North Carolina | $22,789 | $1,694 | $14,227 | $2,781 | $3,860 | $227 |
-2 | -2 | -11 | -11 | -27 | |||
4 | Mississippi | $23,226 | $1,843 | $15,484 | $2,414 | $3,242 | $242 |
-10 | -10 | -7 | -1 | -33 | |||
5 | North Dakota | $23,357 | $1,650 | $13,859 | $2,896 | $4,729 | $223 |
-1 | -1 | -14 | -33 | -23 | |||
6 | Tennessee | $23,486 | $1,825 | $15,331 | $2,394 | $3,726 | $211 |
-7 | -7 | -6 | -8 | -16 | |||
7 | Alabama | $23,492 | $1,843 | $15,484 | $2,348 | $3,581 | $236 |
-10 | -10 | -4 | -4 | -30 | |||
8 | South Carolina | $23,581 | $1,814 | $15,239 | $2,543 | $3,752 | $233 |
-6 | -6 | -8 | -9 | -29 | |||
9 | Missouri | $23,698 | $1,763 | $14,810 | $2,941 | $3,967 | $217 |
-5 | -5 | -17 | -15 | -21 | |||
10 | Idaho | $24,480 | $1,854 | $15,576 | $2,909 | $3,934 | $206 |
-13 | -13 | -15 | -14 | -11 | |||
11 | Nebraska | $25,170 | $1,836 | $15,423 | $3,308 | $4,351 | $253 |
-8 | -8 | -31 | -26 | -34 | |||
12 | West Virginia | $25,293 | $2,015 | $16,925 | $2,772 | $3,412 | $170 |
-16 | -16 | -9 | -3 | -1 | |||
13 | Wyoming | $25,348 | $1,843 | $15,484 | $3,073 | $4,731 | $216 |
-10 | -10 | -24 | -34 | -18 | |||
14 | Indiana | $25,530 | $1,971 | $16,557 | $2,773 | $4,035 | $194 |
-15 | -15 | -10 | -16 | -9 | |||
15 | Arkansas | $25,712 | $2,110 | $17,722 | $2,277 | $3,387 | $216 |
-19 | -19 | -1 | -2 | -19 | |||
16 | Virginia | $25,979 | $1,840 | $15,453 | $3,157 | $5,292 | $237 |
-9 | -9 | -26 | -43 | -32 | |||
17 | Oklahoma | $26,012 | $2,026 | $17,017 | $2,831 | $3,843 | $295 |
-17 | -17 | -13 | -10 | -44 | |||
18 | Colorado | $26,164 | $1,909 | $16,036 | $2,947 | $5,002 | $271 |
-14 | -14 | -18 | -39 | -39 | |||
19 | Louisiana | $26,223 | $2,121 | $17,814 | $2,350 | $3,652 | $286 |
-21 | -21 | -5 | -6 | -43 | |||
20 | Oregon | $27,240 | $2,099 | $17,630 | $3,062 | $4,262 | $187 |
-18 | -18 | -23 | -24 | -5 | |||
21 | Montana | $27,344 | $2,157 | $18,121 | $2,979 | $3,870 | $217 |
-24 | -24 | -19 | -12 | -20 | |||
22 | Kansas | $27,541 | $2,124 | $17,845 | $3,013 | $4,286 | $274 |
-22 | -22 | -21 | -25 | -41 | |||
23 | Iowa | $27,646 | $2,110 | $17,722 | $3,234 | $4,366 | $214 |
-19 | -19 | -30 | -27 | -17 | |||
24 | Ohio | $28,028 | $2,234 | $18,765 | $2,805 | $4,054 | $171 |
-27 | -27 | -12 | -17 | -2 | |||
25 | Florida | $28,029 | $2,154 | $18,090 | $3,514 | $3,912 | $358 |
-23 | -23 | -33 | -13 | -50 | |||
26 | Texas | $28,826 | $2,230 | $18,734 | $3,124 | $4,378 | $359 |
-26 | -26 | -25 | -29 | -51 | |||
27 | New Mexico | $29,328 | $2,365 | $19,869 | $3,216 | $3,654 | $224 |
-31 | -31 | -29 | -7 | -25 | |||
28 | South Dakota | $29,454 | $2,325 | $19,531 | $3,213 | $4,166 | $219 |
-30 | -30 | -28 | -22 | -22 | |||
29 | Delaware | $29,570 | $2,168 | $18,213 | $4,114 | $4,881 | $193 |
-25 | -25 | -43 | -37 | -8 | |||
30 | Nevada | $29,725 | $2,369 | $19,899 | $3,010 | $4,248 | $199 |
-32 | -32 | -20 | -23 | -10 | |||
31 | Utah | $30,156 | $2,321 | $19,501 | $3,014 | $5,001 | $318 |
-29 | -29 | -22 | -38 | -49 | |||
32 | Michigan | $30,857 | $2,519 | $21,157 | $2,929 | $4,064 | $189 |
-35 | -35 | -16 | -18 | -6 | |||
33 | New Hampshire | $30,883 | $2,274 | $19,102 | $3,819 | $5,479 | $209 |
-28 | -28 | -38 | -44 | -13 | |||
34 | Maine | $31,343 | $2,475 | $20,789 | $3,826 | $4,066 | $187 |
-34 | -34 | -39 | -19 | -3 | |||
35 | Arizona | $31,796 | $2,584 | $21,708 | $3,173 | $4,107 | $223 |
-36 | -36 | -27 | -21 | -24 | |||
36 | Wisconsin | $33,242 | $2,679 | $22,506 | $3,497 | $4,369 | $192 |
-37 | -37 | -32 | -28 | -7 | |||
37 | Maryland | $33,412 | $2,424 | $20,359 | $4,289 | $6,085 | $255 |
-33 | -33 | -46 | -51 | -35 | |||
38 | Pennsylvania | $34,229 | $2,778 | $23,333 | $3,518 | $4,392 | $208 |
-39 | -39 | -34 | -30 | -12 | |||
39 | Illinois | $34,611 | $2,778 | $23,333 | $3,527 | $4,736 | $237 |
-39 | -39 | -35 | -35 | -31 | |||
40 | New Jersey | $35,898 | $2,716 | $22,812 | $4,206 | $5,896 | $268 |
-38 | -38 | -45 | -49 | -37 | |||
41 | Washington | $36,402 | $2,920 | $24,529 | $3,699 | $5,028 | $225 |
-43 | -43 | -37 | -40 | -26 | |||
42 | California | $36,845 | $2,909 | $24,437 | $4,094 | $5,103 | $301 |
-42 | -42 | -42 | -42 | -47 | |||
43 | Vermont | $37,303 | $3,037 | $25,510 | $4,057 | $4,488 | $210 |
-45 | -45 | -41 | -31 | -15 | |||
44 | District of Columbia | $37,579 | $2,829 | $23,763 | $4,887 | $5,835 | $266 |
-41 | -41 | -48 | -48 | -36 | |||
45 | Minnesota | $37,643 | $3,015 | $25,326 | $3,975 | $5,057 | $269 |
-44 | -44 | -40 | -41 | -38 | |||
46 | Alaska | $40,386 | $3,194 | $26,829 | $4,197 | $5,956 | $210 |
-46 | -46 | -44 | -50 | -14 | |||
47 | Hawaii | $40,542 | $3,285 | $27,595 | $3,632 | $5,758 | $271 |
-47 | -47 | -36 | -47 | -40 | |||
48 | Rhode Island | $42,499 | $3,431 | $28,822 | $5,278 | $4,671 | $297 |
-50 | -50 | -49 | -32 | -45 | |||
49 | Connecticut | $42,920 | $3,343 | $28,086 | $5,446 | $5,740 | $304 |
-48 | -48 | -50 | -46 | -48 | |||
50 | Massachusetts | $43,319 | $3,376 | $28,362 | $5,607 | $5,676 | $298 |
-49 | -49 | -51 | -45 | -46 | |||
51 | New York | $45,694 | $3,811 | $32,011 | $4,729 | $4,859 | $284 |
-51 | -51 | -47 | -36 | -42 |