What Is the Cheapest (And Most Expensive) State for Smokers?
Smoke 'em if you got 'em -- and by "em," we mean big bills in your wallet.
WalletHub has created a list of the states where it is cheapest for smokers, as well as the states where it will bang quite a dent in your wallet.
In addition to the average cost of a pack of smokes in each state, several other factors were taken into consideration, including healthcare costs per smoker, financial opportunity lost per smoker, income lost per smoker and insurance costs per smoker.
It should also be noted that WalletHub "assumed an adult who smokes one pack of cigarettes per day beginning at age 18, when a person can legally purchase tobacco products in the U.S. We also assumed a lifespan thereafter of 51 years, taking into account that 69 is the average age at which a smoker dies."
Kentucky is the cheapest state and leads a top five dominated by southern states. The total cost per smoker in the Bluegrass State is slightly more than $22,000 annually and $1.13 million over the course of a lifetime. Conversely, New York is the priciest state -- it runs a smoker more than $45,000 each year and $2.3 million per lifetime, the leader among a top five heavy on northeastern states.
Cheapest States for Smokers (Annually/Lifetime)
- Kentucky - $22,285 / $1,136,524
- North Carolina - $22,576 / $1,151,396
- Georgia - $22,654 / $1,155,351
- Mississippi - $23,223 / $1,184,371
- Tennessee - $23,461 / $1,196,502
- Alabama - $23,466 / $1,196,752
- North Daokta - $23,467 / $1,196,831
- South Carolina - $23,586 / $1,202,904
- Missouri - $23,606 / $1,203,893
- Idaho - $24,595 / $1,254,347
Most Expensive States for Smokers (Annually/Lifetime)
- New York - $45,353 / $2,313,025
- Massachusetts - $43,082 / $2,197,197
- Connecticut - $42,808 / $2,183,204
- Rhode Island - $40,468 / $2,063,847
- Alaska - $40,315 / $2,056,066
- Hawaii - $40,168 / $2,048,587
- Vermont - $37,570 / $1,916,093
- Minnesota - $37,349 / $1,904,792
- Washington, D.C. - $37,137 / $1,894,010
- California - $36,534 / $1,863,218