Comparing Energy Costs in Cities Around the Country

"Energy costs are an important factor to consider when choosing a home to buy or rent, yet they’re rarely included among statistics reflecting housing affordability," according to an article by Taylor Marr.

In an effort to reverse that neglect, Marr provides a list of the ten highest and lowest cities in terms of how much residents pay for energy relative to their housing costs. In some parts of the country, reports Marr, energy costs "can add more than 50 percent to annual housing costs…"

High energy costs are more common in the Rust Belt. The three metropolitan with the highest energy costs relative to their housing costs are Cleveland, Rochester, and Cincinnati. Meanwhile, the three metropolitan areas with the lowest energy costs relative to their housing costs are San Francisco, San Jose, and Orange County—all in California.

The high housing costs of California metropolitan areas obviously distort the comparison. Cleveland residents pay $3,500 a year in energy costs, while San Francisco residents pay $1,300 in annual energy costs, according to the data used for the article. Cleveland residents only pay $6,600 in annual housing costs, however, while San Francisco residents pay $58,000.