Furnace replacement cost by state
What a gas furnace costs to replace in a 1,800 square foot home, sized for each state's climate. Most expensive first.
The cost difference between states is mostly size, not labour rates: a cold state needs a bigger furnace for the same house. The high-efficiency upgrade repays itself within eight years in 46 of the 51 states — the cold ones, where there is enough winter for the efficiency to work with.
| State | Installed | 96% pays back |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $5,500–$8,300 | 2.3 yrs |
| Colorado | $5,500–$8,300 | 4.1 yrs |
| Connecticut | $5,500–$8,300 | 3.2 yrs |
| Idaho | $5,500–$8,300 | 5.6 yrs |
| Illinois | $5,500–$8,300 | 3.4 yrs |
| Iowa | $5,500–$8,300 | 2.7 yrs |
| Maine | $5,500–$8,300 | 1.4 yrs |
| Massachusetts | $5,500–$8,300 | 2.4 yrs |
| Michigan | $5,500–$8,300 | 3.3 yrs |
| Minnesota | $5,500–$8,300 | 3.1 yrs |
| Montana | $5,500–$8,300 | 4.6 yrs |
| Nebraska | $5,500–$8,300 | 2.8 yrs |
| New Hampshire | $5,500–$8,300 | 2.8 yrs |
| New York | $5,500–$8,300 | 2.2 yrs |
| North Dakota | $5,500–$8,300 | 1.8 yrs |
| Ohio | $5,500–$8,300 | 3.3 yrs |
| Pennsylvania | $5,500–$8,300 | 2.6 yrs |
| Rhode Island | $5,500–$8,300 | 4.4 yrs |
| South Dakota | $5,500–$8,300 | 3.2 yrs |
| Utah | $5,500–$8,300 | 6.2 yrs |
| Vermont | $5,500–$8,300 | 1.8 yrs |
| Wisconsin | $5,500–$8,300 | 3.2 yrs |
| Wyoming | $5,500–$8,300 | 2.1 yrs |
| Delaware | $4,800–$7,200 | 2.8 yrs |
| District of Columbia | $4,800–$7,200 | 3.3 yrs |
| Indiana | $4,800–$7,200 | 3.2 yrs |
| Kansas | $4,800–$7,200 | 3.5 yrs |
| Kentucky | $4,800–$7,200 | 2.7 yrs |
| Maryland | $4,800–$7,200 | 3.8 yrs |
| Missouri | $4,800–$7,200 | 2.8 yrs |
| Nevada | $4,800–$7,200 | 6.4 yrs |
| New Jersey | $4,800–$7,200 | 4.7 yrs |
| New Mexico | $4,800–$7,200 | 7.7 yrs |
| Oklahoma | $4,800–$7,200 | 3.1 yrs |
| Oregon | $4,800–$7,200 | 4 yrs |
| Tennessee | $4,800–$7,200 | 5.8 yrs |
| Virginia | $4,800–$7,200 | 3.6 yrs |
| Washington | $4,800–$7,200 | 3.5 yrs |
| West Virginia | $4,800–$7,200 | 3.5 yrs |
| Alabama | $4,100–$6,100 | 6.5 yrs |
| Arizona | $4,100–$6,100 | 9 yrs |
| Arkansas | $4,100–$6,100 | 4.4 yrs |
| California | $4,100–$6,100 | 8.7 yrs |
| Georgia | $4,100–$6,100 | 4 yrs |
| Louisiana | $4,100–$6,100 | 10.6 yrs |
| Mississippi | $4,100–$6,100 | 6.1 yrs |
| North Carolina | $4,100–$6,100 | 3.8 yrs |
| South Carolina | $4,100–$6,100 | 6 yrs |
| Texas | $4,100–$6,100 | 6.6 yrs |
| Florida | $3,400–$5,000 | 25.9 yrs |
| Hawaii | $3,400–$5,000 | Never |
Standard 80% AFUE furnace, installed, as a ±20% range. A furnace is not the only option — a heat pump costs less to run in about half the country, depending on the local gap between gas and electricity prices.