Which State Has the Best Value for Internet

by Will Smith | May 27, 2015 | Uncategorized | 0 

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. [zipfinder] Photo Credit: Nick Aldwin/Flikr