How Much Is a Carton of Cigarettes in 2026? By State

If you are asking how much is a carton of cigarettes, the honest answer is about $100 on average in the United States, and anywhere from roughly $80 to roughly $148 depending on the state. This guide builds that range from the latest state price table, shows every state, explains why the gap exists and turns the carton price into a yearly cost and a savings target.

The short answer: roughly $100 per carton, from about $80 to about $148

A carton is ten packs of 20 cigarettes. The most recent state-by-state table from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids puts the average retail price of a pack, with all taxes, at $10.15 across the states. Multiply by ten and a carton averages about $101.50. That is an estimate built from average pack prices, not a quote from a store shelf.

The spread is wide. Missouri has the lowest average pack price in the table at $8.01, or about $80.10 per carton. New York has the highest at $14.83, or about $148.30. Washington, DC sits just below New York at $14.03 per pack. Source: the CTFK table of state cigarette tax rates and retail prices, which was printed on 9/18/2026.

If you want the single-pack version of this question, our guide on how much a pack of cigarettes costs in 2026 covers it. This page stays with cartons, state differences and what the habit adds up to over a year.

Estimated carton price in every state

The table below takes each jurisdiction’s average retail price per pack from the CTFK table and multiplies it by ten. The last column shows the state excise tax per pack, which explains most of the gap between states. Prices include federal and statewide excise and sales taxes, but not purely local taxes (New York City’s $1.50 per pack tax is already counted in the New York figure).

Read the carton column as a planning estimate. CTFK says its pack prices are based on The Tax Burden on Tobacco (2024 edition) plus reports of state tax increases since, and are adjusted for retailer discounts, promotions and coupons. A few states raised their tax recently (Hawaii on 1/1/2026, Maine on 1/5/2026 and Utah on 7/1/2026, per the same table), so shelf prices in those states can move faster than a statistical table.

Why a carton costs so much more in some states

Excise tax is the biggest lever. The CTFK table lists an average state cigarette tax of $2.06 per pack, plus the federal tax of $1.01 per pack, which was last increased on 4/1/2009. State rates run from $0.17 per pack in Missouri (last raised 10/1/1993) to $5.35 in New York (last raised 9/1/2023). That is a $5.18 difference per pack, or $51.80 per carton, from tax alone.

Sales tax adds to the gap. Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no state sales tax, according to the table’s notes, while Minnesota and DC apply a per-pack sales tax at the wholesale level. Alabama, Georgia and Missouri do not apply sales tax to the part of the price that is the state’s cigarette excise tax. These rules are why two states with similar excise rates can still land at different shelf prices.

For the international picture, see how tax share of the pack compares in our article on cigarette tax by country and the share of the pack. For how many adults smoke in each state, see smoking rates by state in 2026.

Cheapest and most expensive states for a carton

Five lowest-priced states

1. Missouri: $8.01 per pack, about $80.10 per carton, state tax $0.17 per pack
2. Alabama: $8.34 per pack, about $83.40 per carton, state tax $0.675 per pack
3. South Carolina: $8.43 per pack, about $84.30 per carton, state tax $0.57 per pack
4. Mississippi: $8.58 per pack, about $85.80 per carton, state tax $0.68 per pack
5. North Dakota: $8.71 per pack, about $87.10 per carton, state tax $0.44 per pack

Five highest-priced jurisdictions

1. New York: $14.83 per pack, about $148.30 per carton, state tax $5.35 per pack
2. Washington, DC: $14.03 per pack, about $140.30 per carton, state tax $4.50 per pack
3. Rhode Island: $13.72 per pack, about $137.20 per carton, state tax $4.50 per pack
4. Connecticut: $13.63 per pack, about $136.30 per carton, state tax $4.35 per pack
5. Maryland: $13.47 per pack, about $134.70 per carton, state tax $5.00 per pack

The difference between the top and bottom of the list is $68.20 per carton. At a pack a day, that is $2,489.30 a year between New York and Missouri, using the table’s own averages. Cheaper does not mean cheap: even the lowest-priced state in the table has an average pack price above $8.

Brands, discount packs and tribal or military stores

The CTFK table gives one average price per state. It does not break out premium and discount brands, and we did not find a dated, sourced carton price list by brand, so this guide does not publish one. The practical rule: the state tax is the same per pack whatever the brand, so a discount brand typically costs less than a premium brand in the same state. The average already reflects retailer discounts and promotions, but your own receipt is the number that matters.

The table notes one fact worth stating plainly. Total national pack sales include cigarettes sold with federal but not state taxes collected, for example sales to Indian Tribes and to military bases. That is a description of how the tax data are compiled. It is not advice on where to buy, and prices in those settings are not covered by the state averages above.

What a carton adds up to over a year

A pack-a-day smoker goes through a carton every ten days, or 36.5 cartons a year. At the national average of $10.15 per pack, that is $3,704.75 a year. A carton a week, for people who smoke more than a pack a day, is 52 cartons and about $5,278.00 a year at the same average.

Your own number depends on your state and your brand, which is why we suggest working it out from a real receipt. Our article on how much you spend on cigarettes a week walks through the weekly version, and the true cost of smoking per year by country puts the figure beside other countries.

How the money adds up if you stop

These figures are simple multiplication of the national average price. They do not include interest, price rises or the other costs of smoking such as smoking-caused health costs and lost productivity, which the same CTFK table estimates at $51.52 per pack sold nationally (in 2018 dollars). The savings column is the part you control.

Many people find a number on a screen more motivating than a number in a spreadsheet. In iQuit, the money dashboard tracks what you have not spent, supports multiple currencies and lets you set savings goals, so you can watch the total grow. The app is free on Google Play and the App Store.

Methodology and what this page does not claim

All pack prices, state tax rates, dates of last increase and the national averages come from the single CTFK table linked above. We opened the PDF directly (file header and print date 9/18/2026 confirmed), parsed every row with a script, checked all 51 jurisdictions against the PDF and multiplied the pack price by ten to estimate a carton. Three limits apply:

• Estimate, not a quote. A real carton price depends on brand, retailer, local taxes and promotions. CTFK says purely local taxes (other than New York City’s) are not included.
• Data vintage. The price column rests on 2024 tax data adjusted for later tax increases. A state that raised its tax after the table was compiled may already be higher.
• No retailer prices. We did not use prices read from store websites or search snippets, because they are not dated or comparable.

The 2026 in the title refers to the year of this guide. The price data are labeled with the date shown on the source table (printed 9/18/2026).

Free help if the carton price is your reason to quit

Cost is one of the most common reasons people start thinking about quitting, and a good reason. If you are ready to try, the US government’s Smokefree.gov offers a free quit plan builder, the SmokefreeTXT text-message program and the quitSTART app. Our overview of smoking cessation statistics for 2026 explains what the numbers say about the odds, and nothing in this guide replaces advice from your doctor or pharmacist about medication.

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