Which states have the highest cigarette prices?
FILE - Cartons of Philip Morris Marlboro brand cigarettes for sale in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. Photographer: Shelby Knowles/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Smokers in Minneapolis will pay some of the highest cigarette prices in the country after the City Council voted unanimously last week to impose a minimum retail price of $15 per pack to promote public health.
Increasing taxes on cigarettes is a "win-win," according to the American Lung Association, because it keeps kids from starting to smoke, helps adults to quit and provides funding for health programs.
"Every 10% increase in the price of cigarettes reduces consumption by about 4% among adults and about 7% among youth," the association states.
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Cost of a pack of cigarettes
The average cost of a pack of cigarettes in the United States in 2024 is $8.00, according to data from World Population Review. Most packs include 20 cigarettes.
Many states have strict minimum price laws per pack, and the cost goes up from there depending on federal, state and local taxes added.
The current federal cigarette tax is $1.01 per pack, according to the American Lung Association, and, as of January 2024, the average state cigarette tax was $1.93 per pack.
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States have continued to increase their cigarette taxes over the years. Here is a look at which states tax the heaviest and the lowest:
Cigarette taxes by state
States with the highest cigarette tax:
- New York ($5.35)
- District of Columbia ($4.50)
- Connecticut ($4.35)
- Rhode Island ($4.25)
- Maryland ($3.75)
States with the lowest cigarette tax:
- Missouri ($0.17)
- Georgia ($0.37)
- North Dakota ($0.44)
- North Carolina ($0.45)
- South Carolina ($0.57)
This story was reported from Detroit.