Solar Panel Installation Cost by City (2026)

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Residential solar panel installation including panels, inverter, mounting, and permits. Pricing varies meaningfully by city — coastal metros run 30-60% above the national average while affordable Sun Belt and Midwest markets run 5-20% below.

National avg
$18,500
Budget
$8,000
High-end
$35,000
43 cities covered
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Cost breakdown — national average solar panel installation

Solar panels
40%
$7,400
Inverter & electrical
15%
$2,800
Mounting hardware
10%
$1,900
Labor
20%
$3,700
Permits & interconnection
$1,500
Monitoring system
$1,300

Most and least expensive cities

Most expensive

  1. 1.San Francisco, CA$29,200
  2. 2.San Jose, CA$28,100
  3. 3.New York, NY$27,600
  4. 4.Brooklyn, NY$26,300
  5. 5.Los Angeles, CA$25,300

Least expensive

  1. 1.Augusta, GA$15,200
  2. 2.El Paso, TX$15,200
  3. 3.Rochester, NY$16,300
  4. 4.Tucson, AZ$16,300
  5. 5.Columbus, OH$16,500

All 43 cities

New York

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New York, NY
Avg: $27,600 · $10,700–$60,000
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Brooklyn, NY
Avg: $26,300 · $10,200–$57,200
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Buffalo, NY
Avg: $17,000 · $6,600–$37,000
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Rochester, NY
Avg: $16,300 · $6,300–$35,400

California

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Los Angeles, CA
Avg: $25,300 · $9,900–$55,100
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San Diego, CA
Avg: $23,700 · $9,200–$51,500
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San Jose, CA
Avg: $28,100 · $10,900–$61,200
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San Francisco, CA
Avg: $29,200 · $11,400–$63,600
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Sacramento, CA
Avg: $21,800 · $8,500–$47,500

Illinois

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Chicago, IL
Avg: $22,000 · $8,600–$47,900
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Aurora, IL
Avg: $20,000 · $7,800–$43,500
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Naperville, IL
Avg: $22,600 · $8,800–$49,100

Texas

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Houston, TX
Avg: $17,900 · $7,000–$39,000
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San Antonio, TX
Avg: $16,600 · $6,500–$36,200
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Dallas, TX
Avg: $18,700 · $7,300–$40,700
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Austin, TX
Avg: $20,200 · $7,800–$43,900
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Fort Worth, TX
Avg: $18,100 · $7,100–$39,400
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El Paso, TX
Avg: $15,200 · $5,900–$33,000

Arizona

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Phoenix, AZ
Avg: $17,600 · $6,800–$38,200
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Tucson, AZ
Avg: $16,300 · $6,300–$35,400
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Scottsdale, AZ
Avg: $20,700 · $8,100–$45,100

Pennsylvania

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Philadelphia, PA
Avg: $21,100 · $8,200–$45,900

Florida

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Jacksonville, FL
Avg: $17,600 · $6,800–$38,200
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Miami, FL
Avg: $20,700 · $8,100–$45,100
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Tampa, FL
Avg: $19,400 · $7,600–$42,300
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Orlando, FL
Avg: $18,900 · $7,300–$41,100
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Fort Lauderdale, FL
Avg: $21,300 · $8,300–$46,300

Ohio

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Columbus, OH
Avg: $16,500 · $6,400–$35,800

North Carolina

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Charlotte, NC
Avg: $17,200 · $6,700–$37,400

Washington

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Seattle, WA
Avg: $22,600 · $8,800–$49,100

Colorado

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Denver, CO
Avg: $20,000 · $7,800–$43,500
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Colorado Springs, CO
Avg: $18,500 · $7,200–$40,200
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Aurora, CO
Avg: $19,200 · $7,500–$41,900

Massachusetts

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Boston, MA
Avg: $25,000 · $9,700–$54,300

Tennessee

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Nashville, TN
Avg: $17,800 · $6,900–$38,600

Oregon

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Portland, OR
Avg: $21,300 · $8,300–$46,300

Michigan

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Detroit, MI
Avg: $16,800 · $6,600–$36,600

Georgia

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Atlanta, GA
Avg: $18,100 · $7,100–$39,400
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Augusta, GA
Avg: $15,200 · $5,900–$33,000
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Savannah, GA
Avg: $16,600 · $6,500–$36,200
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Marietta, GA
Avg: $18,900 · $7,300–$41,100

Minnesota

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Minneapolis, MN
Avg: $19,400 · $7,600–$42,300

Virginia

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Richmond, VA
Avg: $17,400 · $6,800–$37,800

Frequently asked questions

Residential solar installation averages $18,500 nationally in 2026 for an 8 kW system before incentives. Smaller 5-6 kW systems start near $12,000; larger 12-15 kW systems reach $25,000-$35,000. Battery storage adds $10,000-$18,000. Federal solar tax credit (30%) plus state/utility incentives offset 35-50% of cost.