Solar Cost Calculator
See what a home solar system costs in your state, based on prices real homeowners paid.
The prices here aren’t list prices or sales estimates. They come from Berkeley Lab’s Tracking the Sun, a record of installed US solar systems and what the owners paid. For your state, the tool takes the median price per watt, adjusts it for your system size and shows a typical price with a range.
Where a state has too few recent records, the tool uses the national figure and says so. Add a battery, extra work or incentives to see a total.
Loading the calculator...
Planning estimates only. Your roof, equipment, utility rules and weather change the real numbers, so get a written quote before you buy. Data as of October 2026.
How this calculator works
Price per watt is the median of home installs from 2024 and 2025 in your state, or in the whole US if your state has too few. Bigger systems cost less per watt, so the tool scales the figure for your size using the same data. A system under 4 kW costs about 19% more per watt than a 6 to 8 kW one, and a system of 14 kW or more costs about 23% less.
The range is the middle 60% of installs. One in five cost less, and one in five cost more. The battery price is the median installed price per kWh of recorded home batteries.
The tool leaves extra work to you, because it varies too much to guess. A roof repair, a main panel upgrade or a long trench for a ground mount can each add thousands of dollars. Ask your installer to price them.
Incentives
The incentive field starts at zero. The federal 30% credit for homeowners (Section 25D) isn’t available for solar systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. Some states, utilities and cities still offer rebates or tax breaks. Enter the ones you qualify for to see your net price.
The data covers systems that homeowners bought. Leases and power purchase agreements are priced differently and aren’t included.
Solar cost by state
Here is the price of a typical 8 kW system in each state with enough recent installs to give a reliable figure. The table is built from the same data as the calculator.
| State | Price per watt | Typical 8 kW system | Middle range | Installs in the data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $3.06 | $24,500 | $17,800 to $29,900 | 11,761 |
| Texas | $3.10 | $24,800 | $19,900 to $31,600 | 808 |
| Delaware | $3.38 | $27,000 | $19,700 to $42,000 | 1,548 |
| Arizona | $3.49 | $27,900 | $19,600 to $39,600 | 9,242 |
| New York | $3.97 | $31,700 | $26,500 to $44,500 | 916 |
| New Mexico | $4.10 | $32,800 | $27,500 to $43,300 | 250 |
| Connecticut | $4.26 | $34,100 | $25,100 to $43,800 | 1,397 |
| Massachusetts | $4.29 | $34,300 | $27,700 to $44,200 | 156 |
| Colorado | $4.51 | $36,100 | $26,200 to $42,200 | 684 |
All other states: too few recent installs are on record to give a reliable state figure, so use the national median of $3.31 per watt, about $26,500 for this size ($19,100 to $34,700). The national figure comes from 25,966 installs in 2024–2025.
Where the numbers come from
- IRS, Residential Clean Energy Credit, for the end date of the Section 25D credit.
- Berkeley Lab, Tracking the Sun (public data file of 28 July 2026, installs through 2025), data as of July 2026.
Questions
How much does a solar panel system cost?
It depends on your state and the system size. The table above shows the price of a typical 8 kW system in states with enough data, and the calculator shows yours. Get at least three written quotes before you decide.
Why do solar quotes vary so much?
Equipment brand, roof type, how much roof work is needed, the installer’s overhead and financing fees all change the price. Two quotes for the same size system can be thousands of dollars apart.
Does the federal tax credit still apply?
The 30% federal credit for homeowners isn’t available for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. A lease or power purchase agreement is different, because the company that owns the system may qualify for business credits. Ask how that shows up in your price.
Does the price include a battery?
Only if you tick the battery box. A battery adds its own cost per kWh on top of the solar price.
Is a loan more expensive than paying cash?
Often. Solar loans can carry dealer fees that are built into the price. Ask every installer for the cash price as well as the loan price, and compare them.
Why does my state use the national price?
Some states don’t have enough recent installs in the data to give a reliable figure. The tool says when it uses the national median.
More solar tools
Want a real price for your home?
Send one short form and get quotes from solar companies that work in your area.