DC Residents Pay Highest Internet Costs in the U.S.

• January 23rd 2014

by Lark Turner

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If you are in DC and online, you are likely paying a premium for the privilege.

The most recent figures from the WhiteFence Index, a monthly survey of utilities and home services in major cities, reveals that DC residents pay the highest rate in the country when it comes to high speed internet. In October 2013, city residents shelled out an average of more than $60 a month to get online. Other major cities hovered closer to the $40 mark. Internet costs in DC were also the most expensive in DC for June, July, August and September, too, but average rates didn’t breach the $60 mark until October. (Ironically, the internet service at the UrbanTurf office is moving at a snail’s pace today.)

Overall, DC residents paid about $258 a month, on average, for utilities and other essentials. That’s higher than the $246.26 average across the other major cities WhiteFence studied. We’re more average when it comes to other utilities like television, natural gas and phone services. At first glance our electricity looks cheap — until you remember that October was pretty seasonable and notice that cities with higher electricity costs are in the warmest parts of the country.

Being at the top of the heap in internet costs is nothing to be proud of, especially considering Americans are already paying way too much for high speed service. Maybe that’s why local groups started seeking a better solution a few years ago.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/dc_utilities_carry_above-average_cost/8031.