Data through April 2026
Cost to run · California · 35.3¢/kWh residential average
How much does it cost to run an air purifier in California?
$52/yr · median certified model
Electricity in California is genuinely expensive — 35.3¢/kWh, 87% above the national average — so the median certified air purifier costs about $52 a year, and efficiency differences between models turn into real money.
California sits at rank 50 of 51 — near the very top of the cost table for an air purifier. At local rates, certified models span $11 (Blueair 4612522000) to $173 (Fellowes Aeramax SV) per year — $162 of annual headroom that depends entirely on which unit you buy. For reference, the national extremes are North Dakota (12.3¢/kWh) and Hawaii (46.6¢/kWh); the same median air purifier would cost $18 and $69 a year there.
The cheapest air purifiers to run at California rates
| # | Model | kWh/yr | $/yr in CA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blueair 4612522000most efficient | 30 | $11 |
| 2 | AeroNova DH-JH01Amost efficient | 33 | $12 |
| 3 | AeroNova MK01Amost efficient | 33 | $12 |
| 4 | ALROCKET MK01Amost efficient | 33 | $12 |
| 5 | AROEVE MK01Amost efficient | 33 | $12 |
| 6 | BREEZOME MK01Amost efficient | 33 | $12 |
| 7 | Greenlite G-Pure-7Wmost efficient | 33 | $12 |
| 8 | KLOUDIC MK01Amost efficient | 33 | $12 |
| 9 | REEMKIZZ MK01Amost efficient | 33 | $12 |
| 10 | ALROCKET DH-JH020US-A00most efficient | 36 | $13 |
Price any model at California rates
Your rate, your numbers
- Per day
- 14¢
- Per month
- $4.35
- Per year
- $52
148 kWh/yr × 35.3¢/kWh = $52/yr
Prefilled with the median certified air purifier (148 kWh/yr). Every model page on this site carries its exact certified figure.
Questions, answered with the data
- How much does it cost to run an air purifier in California?
- About $52 a year for the median ENERGY STAR certified air purifier, at California's average residential rate of 35.3¢/kWh — that's $4.35 a month.
- Is electricity expensive in California?
- California's residential average of 35.3¢/kWh is 87% above the U.S. average of 18.8¢/kWh, ranking 50 of 51 jurisdictions (1 = cheapest).
- What's the cheapest air purifier to run in California?
- Among currently certified models, the Blueair 4612522000 costs the least at about $11 a year at California rates (30 kWh/yr).
- How does California compare with other states?
- The same median air purifier costs $18 a year in North Dakota (the cheapest state) and $69 in Hawaii (the priciest). California sits at $52.
Keep digging
- All certified air purifiers compared
- Air Purifiers costs in New York (rank 48 of 51)
- Air Purifiers costs in Connecticut (rank 49 of 51)
- Air Purifiers costs in Hawaii (rank 51 of 51)
- Running a clothes dryer in California
- Running a clothes washer in California
- Running a computer monitor in California
- Running a dehumidifier in California
Rate source: US EIA, average residential price of electricity, see methodology.