With the economic costs of smoking totaling more than $600 billion per year, the personal-finance company WalletHub today released its report on The Real Cost of Smoking by State.
The site calculated the potential monetary losses — including the lifetime and annual costs of a pack of cigarettes per day, health care expenditures, income losses and other costs — brought on by smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.
North Carolina was found to be the cheapest state overall to have the habit of smoking.
The Financial Cost of Smoking in North Carolina (1=Highest, 25=Avg.):
- Overall rank for North Carolina: 50th
- Out-of-Pocket Cost per Smoker – $139,284 (Rank: 50th)
- Financial-Opportunity Cost per Smoker – $2,439,813 (Rank: 50th)
- Health-Care Cost per Smoker – $192,490 (Rank: 36th)
- Income Loss per Smoker – $603,971 (Rank: 39th)
- Other Costs per Smoker – $16,882 (Rank: 31st)
- Total Cost Over Lifetime per Smoker: $3,392,439
- Total Cost per Year per Smoker: $70,676
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) |
