What Does A Pack Of Cigarettes Cost In Each State Now?

Last summer, we checked the price of cigarettes state by state and in D.C. Here's how prices have increased and decreased since then.

51. West Virginia (last year $4.74): $4.84 = +2%
50. New Hampshire ($5.87): $4.86 = -20%
49. Tennessee ($5.56): $4.91 = -13%
48. North Dakota ($4.91): $5.03 = +2%
47. Idaho ($4.99): $5.11 +2%
46. North Carolina ($5.51): $5.14 = -7%
45. Alabama ($5.27): $5.18 = -2%
44. Colorado ($5.96): $5.19 = -15%
43. Wyoming ($5.50): $5.21 = -6%
42. Oklahoma ($6.19): $5.24 = -18%
41. Virginia ($5.55): $5.43 = -2%
40. Mississippi ($5.75): $5.55 = -4%
39. Indiana ($5.50): $5.56 = +1%
38. Ohio ($6.22): $5.67 -10%
37. Oregon ($5.59): $5.74 +3%
36. Missouri ($5.58): $5.87 +5%
35. Georgia ($5.29): $5.93 = +12%
34. Minnesota ($6.53): $5.96 = +10%
33. Nebraska ($5.55): $5.99 = +8%
32. Nevada ($5.93): $6.04 = +2%
31. Delaware ($6.00): $6.10 = +2%
30. Montana ($5.99): $6.12 = +2%
29. South Carolina ($5.42): $6.25 = +15%
28. Florida ($6.08): $6.29 = +3%
27. California ($5.19): $6.45 = +24%
26. Kansas ($6.00): $6.47 = + 8%
25-24. Louisiana($4.82), Michigan ($6.90): $6.50 = +35%, -6%
23. Maryland ($6.70): $6.53 = -3%
22. Kentucky ($4.97): $6.56 = +32%
21. New Mexico ($6.88): $6.69 = -3%
20. South Dakota ($6.03): $6.82 = +13%
19. Utah ($7.22): $6.88 = – 5%
18. Texas ($6.07) $6.89 = +14%
17. Pennsylvania ($6.80): $6.93 = +2%
16. Maine ($7.97): $6.97 = -14%
15. Arkansas ($5.96): $7.10 = +19%
14. Arizona ($6.87): $7.46 = +9%
13. Iowa ($6.00): $7.52 = +25 %
12. Vermont ($8.23) $7.60 = -8%
11. Wisconsin ($8.11): $7.98 = -2%
10. New Jersey ($8.35): $8.00 = -4%
9. Rhode Island ($8.60): $8.16 = -5%
8. Washington D.C. ($7.99): $8.27 = +4%
7. Massachusetts ($8.30): $8.49 = +2%
6. Connecticut ($8.25): $8.85 = +7%
5. Washington ($9.89): $8.98 = -10%
4. Alaska ($9.14): $9.39 = +3% *
3. Hawaii ($9.73) = +5%
2. Illinois ($9.67): $10.25 = +6%
1. New York ($11.90): $12.50 = +5%

Methodology: As we did last year: a gas station was rung up in the most populous city in every state and asked for the price of a pack of Marlboro Reds with tax. All told, 84 separate numbers were dialed. Six stations refused to give cigarette prices over the phone as per store policy. Three clerks in New Mexico refused to believe that I was at least 18 years old and so wouldn't give me cigarette prices (not sure whether it’s a legal issue or they didn’t like my tone). One clerk in Massachusetts cursed at me, apparently under the impression I was a competitor trying to undercut his business.