The 2025 U.S. Flight Cost Index: The Least Expensive Airports and States for Domestic Flights
Have you noticed the changes in domestic air travel over recent months?
The boarding pattern of U.S. domestic flights has changed, with domestic travelers obliged to bring REAL ID-compliant proof of identity, such as a passport or most types of U.S. driver’s licenses. More positively, the process of getting refunds for delayed flights has become easier, thanks to the implementation of the ‘Final Rule’ since 2024.
On balance, American travel patterns have remained steady, with domestic travel up by 3% year-on-year. But travelers have plenty of plans to get around over the coming months. And they have good reason to do so: not only are visits from outside the U.S. down by up to 14% this year, according to the U.S. Travel Association, meaning quieter airports, but the average price of a domestic flight has fallen in 41 states, according to our latest research.
To help consumers make informed decisions, online lender NetCredit used government statistics to compare the average domestic flight costs from states and U.S. hub airports in 2024 to their equivalents in 2023. We also compared them to local average wages to find which states and airports are not only the cheapest, but the most affordable, for domestic flights.
What we did
We retrieved average fare data on each designated hub airport from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics and calculated state averages by aggregating data from all hub airports in each state. Then, we compared the average fares in 2024 to those in 2023 to calculate the change in domestic flights by state and airport. To assess affordability, we calculated the number of hours of work needed at the average local wage (Bureau of Labor) to afford the average domestic flight fare in each state. For airport affordability, we used that metropolitan area’s average salary.
Key findings
- Hawaii is the cheapest state from which to fly around the U.S., with the average flight costing $287.79.
- The state with the biggest fall in domestic flight costs is West Virginia, where prices fell by $74.93 on average between 2023 and 2024.
- The airport with the cheapest average domestic flights is Orlando Sanford International, Florida ($129.99).
- New Jersey remains the most affordable state to fly domestically, with the average flight costing the equivalent of 8.41 hours’ work at the average local wage.
Hawaii and New Jersey offer America’s cheapest domestic flights
First, we looked at the average price of domestic flights in each state and hub airport, using the latest available figures (from 2024). We found that the three cheapest states remain the same as the previous year: Hawaii (average flight $287.79), New Jersey ($308.70) and Florida ($325.25). In the case of Hawaii and Florida, the average flight has even gotten a few dollars cheaper.
Rhode Island is a new entry to the ten cheapest states, rising six places as the average domestic flight fell to $342.28 from $398.09. Google Flights data suggests that Providence, R.I., was one of the most sought-after destinations in the summer of 2025.
However, the airports with the best domestic pricing are firmly in Florida (four of the cheapest ten airports) and Hawaii (three out of ten). Indeed, the three hub airports with domestic flights averaging under $150 are all in Florida: Orlando Sanford International ($129.99), St Pete-Clearwater International ($132.18) and Punta Gorda Airport ($142.09). The only public airline that flies from Orlando Sanford to domestic locations is Allegiant Air.
Wyoming is the most expensive state from which to fly domestically — its only hub airport, Jackson Hole, is the nation’s most expensive airport with tickets averaging $611.73. Jackson Hole is in the most expensive area of Wyoming and is both a luxury ski town and residence to the super wealthy. The airport is the only commercial airport positioned within a U.S. national park and was recently treated to a luxury renovation to feel more like a home than a commercial enterprise.
West Virginia sees fastest falling flight costs
Next, we looked at how the average flight cost from each state and hub airport has changed over 12 months. Three states have seen an average reduction of over $50 per flight: West Virginia (-$74.93), North Dakota (-$66.11) and Rhode Island (-$55.81). These lead a broad charge of 41 states where flight prices have fallen overall, including 29 with a price reduction of double figures.
West Virginia was previously the most expensive state for domestic flights, but is now cheaper than Alabama, Alaska and Wyoming due to the $74.93 drop in prices. Over the past year, low-cost carrier Breeze Airways has announced a range of new domestic routes from West Virginia International Yeager, which was previously America’s priciest airport for domestic flights.
That spot has now been taken by Jackson Hole, Wyo., where flights now average $611.73 (see above). Yeager has also been leapfrogged by Ted Stevens Anchorage and Fairbanks in Alaska and Huntsville International-Carl T Jones Field in Alabama. The average prices at the two Alaskan airports have risen by $58.11 and $44.26, respectively — the two highest price increases of any airport.
The airport where prices have fallen the most is Florida’s Key West International, where the average ticket dropped by $86.06 between 2023 and 2024. The airport with the second-highest drop in prices is McAllen International, Texas (-$78.67). McAllen was found to be the city with the lowest cost of living towards the end of 2024.
Massachusetts among states with best wage-to-flight-price ratio
Finally, we compared the cost of domestic flights from each state and hub airport to the average local wage. New Jersey and Hawaii remain the easiest places to book flights, costing the equivalent of 8.41 and 8.77 hours’ work at the average salary across the respective states. However, these are also the two cheapest states for domestic flights in absolute terms.
By contrast, Massachusetts stands out as having appropriately priced ticketing — despite being only the ninth cheapest, it has become the third most affordable state. The average flight here costs the equivalent of 9.24 hours of work, down from 10.90 hours the previous year.
However, of the ten individual airports where domestic flights are most affordable when compared to the average wage in the surrounding metropolitan area, three are in Florida, with two each in California and Hawaii, and none in Massachusetts. There are three airports where the average ticket costs less than the equivalent of five hours’ work at the local wage, of which the most affordable is St. Pete-Clearwater International, FL (4.27 hours).
Would-be travelers need to work nearly five times as long near Jackson Medgar Wiley Evers International, Miss. (19.75 hours) and South Bend International, Ind. (19.71 hours). With flights averaging $510.84, Jackson Medgar Wiley Evers is America’s ninth most expensive airport. Meanwhile, Mississippi has both the lowest median annual pay among workers who’ve remained in the same job for more than a year and the second-lowest median wage growth in the country.
How to save money on domestic flights
When taking a domestic flight, you might not have much choice of which local airport to use. However, in addition to using the information above to help inform your decision, you can take the following steps to save money and keep your domestic flight ticket affordable:
- Time your booking. In the majority of states, it’s cheapest to book a flight between 30 to 40 days in advance on average. However, in some states it may be less expensive to book earlier or later.
- Consider one-way flights. For domestic travel, it can work out to switch providers between the outward and return legs of your journey. It could even work out cheaper to fly one way and take the train or bus the other.
- Bring the right ID. It is now a requirement to carry a ‘Real ID’ for domestic flights. If you bring an ineligible ID, and the TSA is unable to verify your identity, you could lose the whole value of your ticket. Check that your ID is Real ID-ready on the TSA website.
America has so many places and cultures under one roof — and by maximizing your travel budget, you can have a lot of fun seeing it.
Methodology
We retrieved average fare data on each designated hub airport from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics and calculated state averages by aggregating data from all hub airports in each state.
We compared the average fares in 2024 to 2023 to calculate the price change in domestic flights by state and airport.
To assess affordability, we calculated the number of hours (at the average local wage) needed to work to afford the average domestic flight fare in each state. For airport affordability, we used that metropolitan area’s average wage. Wages were sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Data is correct as of July 2025.
DISCLAIMER: This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, tax or legal advice.
