Regional cost data · 51 markets

Exterior Paint cost by state

What exterior house paint costs per gallon of exterior paint, across all 50 states and DC. The US baseline is $52, but the spread from the cheapest market to the priciest is about 61% — so where you live changes the budget more than almost any other single factor.

Reviewed by The CostToUpgrade Estimating Desk Last reviewed August 2026 How we estimate

US national average

$52

per gallon of exterior paint

Most expensive: $70HI
Least expensive: $44MS
Top-to-bottom spread: 61%

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Planning estimates, not quotes. Confirm locally.

Cost by region

Regional averages smooth out single-state noise and show the broad pattern.

Northeast

$58

+12% vs national · 9 states

Midwest

$49

-5% vs national · 12 states

South

$48

-7% vs national · 17 states

West

$56

+7% vs national · 13 states

What that means for a real project

National-average pricing applied to common project sizes:

Project size	US average range
One room 3 gal	$137 – $175
Small house 10 gal	$458 – $582
Whole exterior 18 gal	$824 – $1,048

Every state, ranked

All 50 states plus DC. The typical-project column applies each state's unit price to a 10 gal job.

Exterior Paint cost per gallon of exterior paint by US state
State	Region	Unit price	vs US avg	10 gal project
Alabama	South	$45	-14%	$394–$501
Alaska	West	$67	+28%	$586–$746
Arizona	West	$50	-3%	$444–$565
Arkansas	South	$44	-15%	$389–$495
California	West	$68	+30%	$595–$757
Colorado	West	$54	+4%	$476–$606
Connecticut	Northeast	$60	+16%	$531–$676
Delaware	South	$53	+2%	$467–$594
District of Columbia	South	$63	+22%	$558–$711
Florida	South	$50	-4%	$439–$559
Georgia	South	$47	-10%	$412–$524
Hawaii	West	$70	+35%	$618–$786
Idaho	West	$49	-5%	$435–$553
Illinois	Midwest	$56	+8%	$494–$629
Indiana	Midwest	$48	-7%	$426–$542
Iowa	Midwest	$48	-8%	$421–$536
Kansas	Midwest	$46	-11%	$407–$518
Kentucky	South	$46	-12%	$403–$513
Louisiana	South	$46	-12%	$403–$513
Maine	Northeast	$54	+3%	$471–$600
Maryland	South	$56	+7%	$490–$623
Massachusetts	Northeast	$63	+21%	$554–$705
Michigan	Midwest	$49	-5%	$435–$553
Minnesota	Midwest	$53	+2%	$467–$594
Mississippi	South	$44	-16%	$384–$489
Missouri	Midwest	$47	-10%	$412–$524
Montana	West	$50	-4%	$439–$559
Nebraska	Midwest	$47	-10%	$412–$524
Nevada	West	$54	+3%	$471–$600
New Hampshire	Northeast	$55	+6%	$485–$617
New Jersey	Northeast	$60	+15%	$526–$670
New Mexico	West	$47	-9%	$416–$530
New York	Northeast	$64	+24%	$567–$722
North Carolina	South	$46	-11%	$407–$518
North Dakota	Midwest	$49	-6%	$430–$548
Ohio	Midwest	$49	-6%	$430–$548
Oklahoma	South	$45	-14%	$394–$501
Oregon	West	$56	+8%	$494–$629
Pennsylvania	Northeast	$53	+2%	$467–$594
Rhode Island	Northeast	$59	+13%	$517–$658
South Carolina	South	$46	-12%	$403–$513
South Dakota	Midwest	$47	-10%	$412–$524
Tennessee	South	$46	-11%	$407–$518
Texas	South	$48	-7%	$426–$542
Utah	West	$51	-2%	$448–$571
Vermont	Northeast	$55	+5%	$481–$612
Virginia	South	$51	-2%	$448–$571
Washington	West	$58	+12%	$513–$652
West Virginia	South	$47	-10%	$412–$524
Wisconsin	Midwest	$50	-3%	$444–$565
Wyoming	West	$48	-7%	$426–$542

Unit prices are the national baseline scaled by each state's relative construction cost index. Project totals apply a ±12% band to reflect normal quote variation.

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How we build these numbers

We start from a US national baseline of $52 per gallon of exterior paint and multiply it by each state's relative construction cost index, where 1.00 is the national average. Those indices are directional — they capture broad differences in trade wages, material freight, and permitting overhead, not street-level pricing.

The ±12% band on every figure is deliberate. It reflects the range we would expect between a competitive bid and a premium one for the same scope in the same market. If a quote lands far outside that band in either direction, the scope is probably different from what you think it is — that is worth a conversation before it is worth a signature.

Full detail on sources, review cadence, and what these estimates deliberately exclude is on our methodology page.

Exterior Paint cost by state: FAQ

How much does exterior house paint cost on average in the US?

The national baseline we use is $52 per gallon of exterior paint. Applied to a typical small house project of 10 gal, that works out to roughly $458–$582 in materials at the unit shown. Labor, delivery, tax, and site prep sit on top unless the unit label says "installed."

Which states are most and least expensive for exterior house paint?

The five priciest markets in our index are Hawaii, California, Alaska, New York, District of Columbia — Hawaii runs about $70 per gallon of exterior paint. The five cheapest are Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, South Carolina, with Mississippi near $44. Top to bottom that is a spread of roughly 61%, which is why a national average alone is a poor budgeting tool.

Why does the same project cost so much more in some states?

Four things move the number: prevailing wage rates for the trades, freight distance from the nearest supplier or plant, permitting and inspection overhead, and local demand. Labor is usually the biggest lever — in high-wage metros it can be well over half the installed price. Freight matters most for heavy, low-value materials like concrete, gravel, and block, where hauling costs rival the material itself.

Are these numbers quotes?

No. They are directional planning figures built from a national baseline and a relative state cost index, and they are deliberately shown as ranges. Use them to sanity-check a bid or set a budget, not to negotiate a contract. Two contractors in the same ZIP code can legitimately differ by 20–30% based on crew size, backlog, and scope assumptions.

How do I get a number for my specific project?

Run the Exterior Paint Calculator with your own dimensions and your local unit price. The calculator does the quantity math exactly; this page just tells you what unit price is realistic where you live. Together they give you a defensible budget before you call anyone.