Is electricity expensive in California?

California's residential average of 34.7¢/kWh is 89% above the U.S. average of 18.3¢/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 $10 a year at California rates (30 kWh/yr).

How does California compare with other states?

The same median air purifier costs $19 a year in Nevada (the cheapest state) and $78 in Hawaii (the priciest). California sits at $51.

Data through June 2026

Cost to run · California · 34.7¢/kWh residential average

How much does it cost to run an air purifier in California?

$51/yr · median certified model

Electricity in California is genuinely expensive — 34.7¢/kWh, 89% above the national average — so the median certified air purifier costs about $51 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 $10 (Blueair 4612522000) to $170 (Fellowes Aeramax SV) per year — $160 of annual headroom that depends entirely on which unit you buy. For reference, the national extremes are Nevada (13.1¢/kWh) and Hawaii (52.7¢/kWh); the same median air purifier would cost $19 and $78 a year there.

California

$51

US average

$27

Nevada

$19

Hawaii

$78

Median certified air purifier (148 kWh/yr) per year, at each rate

The cheapest air purifiers to run at California rates

Top 10 by certified kWh, priced at 34.7¢/kWh
#	Model	kWh/yr	$/yr in CA
1	Blueair 4612522000most efficient	30	$10
2	DREAME CVA10Bmost efficient	32	$11
3	AeroNova DH-JH01Amost efficient	33	$11
4	AeroNova MK01Amost efficient	33	$11
5	ALROCKET MK01Amost efficient	33	$11
6	AROEVE MK01Amost efficient	33	$11
7	BREEZOME MK01Amost efficient	33	$11
8	Greenlite G-Pure-7Wmost efficient	33	$11
9	KLOUDIC MK01Amost efficient	33	$11
10	REEMKIZZ MK01Amost efficient	33	$11

Price any model at California rates

Your rate, your numbers

Annual use (kWh)

Electricity rate

Per day: 14¢
Per month: $4.28
Per year: $51

148 kWh/yr × 34.7¢/kWh = $51/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 $51 a year for the median ENERGY STAR certified air purifier, at California's average residential rate of 34.7¢/kWh — that's $4.28 a month.
Is electricity expensive in California?: California's residential average of 34.7¢/kWh is 89% above the U.S. average of 18.3¢/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 $10 a year at California rates (30 kWh/yr).
How does California compare with other states?: The same median air purifier costs $19 a year in Nevada (the cheapest state) and $78 in Hawaii (the priciest). California sits at $51.

Keep digging

Rate source: US EIA, average residential price of electricity, see methodology.