By using metrics available from Ookla’s Speedtest, you can see how your state stacks up against the rest in terms of average speed, value (cost per Mbps), promise (advertised speeds vs. speeds actually delivered), and connection quality. But just as HighSpeedInternet.com compiles information on Internet plans available in your area so you don’t have to, we’ve compiled the numbers on this data, too.

First, a disclaimer: differences in methodology mean that some numbers, such as average speed, might not match numbers we’ve published from other analytics firms like Akamai. Rather than focus on any discrepancies, we’re going to treat Ookla’s numbers as a complete data set. That said, the complete statistics are as follows.

Download speed in Mbps (national average 36.16) Cost per Mbps (national average $3.51) Promise Index (national average 93.26) Quality Score (national average 86.53)
Alabama 28.77 $3.99 93.35 86.71
Alaska 27.90 $8.07 95.54 N/A
Arizona 37.56 $2.94 89.93 N/A
Arkansas 24.87 $4.86 85.88 83.70
California 41.91 $3.30 96.17 85.74
Colorado 41.75 $3.07 81.24 84.98
Connecticut 34.26 $3.05 94.81 88.48
Delaware 41.13 $2.31 100.04 N/A
Florida 33.96 $3.44 97.04 86.01
Georgia 30.63 $3.80 93.82 87.44
Hawaii 32.73 $3.55 95.65 80.89
Idaho 24.82 $3.03 73.73 N/A
Illinois 31.55 $3.52 91.19 84.77
Indiana 27.73 $3.77 92.43 86.95
Iowa 29.23 $3.50 85.79 81.28
Kansas 44.89 $4.49 91.03 80.46
Kentucky 18.90 $3.73 93.36 83.83
Louisiana 32.33 $3.79 92.18 N/A
Maine 17.90 $4.93 83.07 86.91
Maryland 39.65 $3.23 96.23 88.21
Massachusetts 39.75 $2.91 96.10 87.16
Michigan 30.52 $3.52 94.09 85.75
Minnesota 28.06 $3.35 86.21 N/A
Mississippi 24.81 $3.62 87.57 N/A
Missouri 43.34 $3.69 88.22 85.81
Montana 25.54 $4.81 80.30 N/A
Nebraska 27.26 $3.55 89.04 N/A
Nevada 37.79 $4.06 90.25 87.07
New Hampshire 35.98 $3.49 95.32 N/A
New Jersey 41.00 $2.84 98.71 88.06
New Mexico 23.62 $4.19 80.82 N/A
New York 41.88 $3.12 98.35 86.07
North Carolina 23.91 $3.64 96.24 85.66
North Dakota 41.69 $2.85 79.65 N/A
Ohio 22.19 $3.60 94.86 86.09
Oklahoma 33.63 $3.95 90.58 86.41
Oregon 36.40 $3.07 90.46 88.31
Pennsylvania 32.83 $3.84 94.52 86.07
Rhode Island 42.30 $2.37 99.57 N/A
South Carolina 26.79 $3.77 92.23 83.85
South Dakota 35.86 $3.07 95.03 N/A
Tennessee 37.80 $3.38 93.04 88.57
Texas 41.36 $3.75 93.07 85.88
Utah 43.63 $3.27 86.27 N/A
Vermont 24.60 $7.16 82.57 50.07
Virginia 37.93 $3.31 94.60 87.00
Washington 47.16 $3.38 88.54 88.11
West Virginia 32.29 $4.13 81.45 N/A
Wisconsin 23.83 $3.74 94.23 87.96
Wyoming 30.43 $3.72 81.87 N/A

When sorted by speed, the results look like this:

And when sorted by value, we get:

Download speed in Mbps (national average 36.16) Cost per Mbps (national average $3.51) Promise Index (national average 93.26) Quality Score (national average 86.53)
Alaska 27.90 $8.07 95.54 N/A
Vermont 24.60 $7.16 82.57 50.07
Maine 17.90 $4.93 83.07 86.91
Arkansas 24.87 $4.86 85.88 83.70
Montana 25.54 $4.81 80.30 N/A
Kansas 44.89 $4.49 91.03 80.46
New Mexico 23.62 $4.19 80.82 N/A
West Virginia 32.29 $4.13 81.45 N/A
Nevada 37.79 $4.06 90.25 87.07
Alabama 28.77 $3.99 93.35 86.71
Oklahoma 33.63 $3.95 90.58 86.41
Pennsylvania 32.83 $3.84 94.52 86.07
Georgia 30.63 $3.80 93.82 87.44
Louisiana 32.33 $3.79 92.18 N/A
Indiana 27.73 $3.77 92.43 86.95
South Carolina 26.79 $3.77 92.23 83.85
Texas 41.36 $3.75 93.07 85.88
Wisconsin 23.83 $3.74 94.23 87.96
Kentucky 18.90 $3.73 93.36 83.83
Wyoming 30.43 $3.72 81.87 N/A
Missouri 43.34 $3.69 88.22 85.81
North Carolina 23.91 $3.64 96.24 85.66
Mississippi 24.81 $3.62 87.57 N/A
Ohio 22.19 $3.60 94.86 86.09
Hawaii 32.73 $3.55 95.65 80.89
Nebraska 27.26 $3.55 89.04 N/A
Illinois 31.55 $3.52 91.19 84.77
Michigan 30.52 $3.52 94.09 85.75
Iowa 29.23 $3.50 85.79 81.28
New Hampshire 35.98 $3.49 95.32 N/A
Florida 33.96 $3.44 97.04 86.01
Tennessee 37.80 $3.38 93.04 88.57
Washington 47.16 $3.38 88.54 88.11
Minnesota 28.06 $3.35 86.21 N/A
Virginia 37.93 $3.31 94.60 87.00
California 41.91 $3.30 96.17 85.74
Utah 43.63 $3.27 86.27 N/A
Maryland 39.65 $3.23 96.23 88.21
New York 41.88 $3.12 98.35 86.07
Colorado 41.75 $3.07 81.24 84.98
Oregon 36.40 $3.07 90.46 88.31
South Dakota 35.86 $3.07 95.03 N/A
Connecticut 34.26 $3.05 94.81 88.48
Idaho 24.82 $3.03 73.73 N/A
Arizona 37.56 $2.94 89.93 N/A
Massachusetts 39.75 $2.91 96.10 87.16
North Dakota 41.69 $2.85 79.65 N/A
New Jersey 41.00 $2.84 98.71 88.06
Rhode Island 42.30 $2.37 99.57 N/A
Delaware 41.13 $2.31 100.04 N/A

Beyond Numbers

The numbers themselves are interesting, but using the numbers to search for correlation is much more interesting. When looking for correlations, it helps to look for the states at the extreme end of one score. For example, the three states with the highest value are Delaware, Rhode Island, and New Jersey. These states are also ranked 1-3 promise index, and in the same order. But that connection doesn’t hold true for every state: Alaska ranks dead last in value, but 12th in promise index.

Vermont is dead last in connection quality among states that received a score; it was also 49th in value, 45th in speed, and 44th in promise index. However, Tennessee, which had the highest connection quality, was 25th in promise index, 19th in value, and 17th in speed. So rather than a correlation between connection quality and value, it looks as if Vermont just needs to step it up.

There’s plenty of correlation throughout the data, but not enough to imply causation. We can’t say that states with faster connections or better quality offer a better value. But what if we compare data from Ookla with data from other sources?

Cost of Living

This sounds promising, right? It would make at least some sense for states that are more expensive to live in to have a lower value score. Based on data from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, there’s at least some correlation. Alaska, which has the lowest Internet value, has the 4th highest cost of living. But Hawaii, which has the highest cost of living, offers better Internet value than Mississippi, which has the highest cost of living.

Population

Sorting the results based on 2014 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau offers no meaningful correlation. California and Utah, the first and 33rd most populous states, respectively, have nearly identical value scores.

Population Density

We know that rural areas with lower populations often have lower Internet speeds because the per capita infrastructure cost is too high. Again using U.S. Census Bureau data, we find that Alaska has the lowest population density and worst Internet value. New Jersey and Rhode Island are first and second in population density, and second and third in value, respectively.

That sounds like correlation so far. If we create 10-state blocks, so that states 1-10 have the highest population density, and states 41-50 have the lowest, we see these numbers:

1-10: $3.07
11-20: $3.56
21-30: $4.08
31-40: $3.78
41-50: $4.04

It’s so close to looking like correlation, but Vermont really skews the results for states 21-30. If we remove Vermont, the average for that block is $3.74, and we finally have a pattern. We told you Vermont had to up its game. Even so, we suspect this is the closest we’re going to get to finding causation, rather than correlation, between Internet cost and other factors.

Conclusions

Based on Ookla data, Delaware has the best Internet in the nation, and is the only state to deliver more speed than promised. Vermont has the worst Internet in the nation, with a quality score significantly lower than any other state. And population density is more closely correlated than speed or cost of living to Internet value.

How Does Your Plan Compare?

Does your Internet connection beat the state average for speed or value? If you’re not sure, it’s easy to find out. Ookla can test your speed and let you know. If you find out your plan is below average, why not look for a better one? And as we said at the beginning, you don’t have to do research to find out how many competitors are in your area, and how that affects pricing. Let us do that for you.

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