Cord Cutting Study Reveals Which States That Save the Most

New Study from UtilityRates.com sheds light on why 50 Million Cable Subscribers Dropped Cable Service since 2010

HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES, June 9, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Starting in 2010, the price for no-frills, basic cable TV service in the U.S. has gone up by 38%. Right now, the price in some states averages about $84 per month. And in the last round of fee hikes, 6 of the 9 major cable companies raised the broadcast TV fees on their cable bills in 2024 by 12.8%; or about $21.48. For consumers struggling to pay higher utility rates, rising cable TV bills have many reaching for their wire cutters. Roughly 50 million customers, over half of all cable subscribers from the industry peak in 2010, have cut their cable TV service in favor of internet streaming services.

Video streaming services like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Disney Plus and others offer viewers a huge library of programming choices at competitive subscription rates. Plus, in 2023 about 26 million (about 20%) of these households hooked up TV antennas to receive digital broadcast TV channels for free. Many of these being channels carried by local cable providers

Researchers at UtilityRates.com have been following the evolving TV/video eco-system since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, many home consumers don't fully understand how cutting the cable TV cord can save them money and open up new TV/video viewing options. To help consumers get more control over their monthly expenses, our researchers compared broadband and basic cable TV rates for each state to find the average savings for dropping cable TV service. They then ranked those states where consumers could save the most, where they could save the least, and where savings ran about average.

The UtilityRates.com study results showed that dropping basic cable saves an average of about 36% or $44. States like Georgia and Texas can save 40% or about $48. Similarly, Ohio and Pennsylvania can save about 30%; around $36. Delaware did somewhat better at 48.29% and got the highest savings of $75.34. However, the District of Columbia fared the worst with only 2.32% savings, or a paltry $2.81.

Consumers can also see how much they can save in their state at the UtilityRates.com Resource Page.

Key findings

1. The average monthly cable & internet bill in 2023 was $121.80.
2. In 2024, broadband internet service (>35 megabits per second) cost $77.39 per month, about 63% of an average monthly cable & internet bill.
3. Consumers who cut their basic cable TV and kept their broadband connection saved an average of $44.42 (36%). Cutting expanded services pushed savings even higher.
4. Consumers can use their savings to pay for streaming subscriptions. The popular ones cost a fraction of the average amount saved.

Why Cable TV Rates Are Going Up
While many cable TV subscribers still tune in to watch premium channels (HBO, Cinemas, STARZ, Paramount+, etc), their cable TV providers must pay local over-the-air television networks for re-transmitting their broadcasts to cable TV viewers. Cable providers pass this cost to their customers. However, prices are not uniform. In fact, basic cable service is often regulated by local governments who make franchise agreements with only one cable TV provider. As a result, that local cable provider operates as a de facto monopoly in most towns.

Other cable TV service costs include cable converter box rental charges for accessing different channels. And like other utility companies, Cable providers also pass the expense of infrastructure upgrades to carry ultra high definition TV channels. Roughly 44% of U.S. homes now have one 4K ultra high definition TV but rarely do cable providers support it at the basic service level.

However, internet video streaming relies mainly on your computer's broadband connection to send HD quality programming. Video streams can be run on cell phone or tablet apps or via specific streaming devices. Most 4K TVs come with internet streaming software built into them. Streaming subscription tiers vary by the amount of commercial interruptions. Both Amazon and Disney Plus offer basic subscriptions for under $15 per month. That's about less than one third lower than the average savings from cutting basic cable TV.

Researchers further identified cost trends that consumers thinking about cutting their cable TV need to watch for:
* Broadband internet prices will likely rise the fastest where high demand and high population tend to drive costs: the northeast corridor states and California.
* States with lower broadband costs per month tend to see some of the best savings in cable cord cutting. Almost all of the top 20 cheapest broadband states were in the upper midwest and northwest.
* Keep your cable broadband internet to watch a wide array of programs from internet sites. As more streaming companies enter the market, look for the competition for subscribers to affect pricing.
* Viewers wanting local TV channels can install a discreet TV antenna to pick up local broadcasts for free. The new ATSC 3.0 standard for 4K UHD TVs may become mandatory for TV stations by 2030.

UtilityRates.com is a website operated by Electricity Ratings, LLC.

Electricity Ratings, LLC operates a network of energy shopping websites serving 17 states and 56 utilities, providing our energy comparison and ratings service to over 80 million customers. We provide our customers with the power to choose the best providers through our consumer reviews platform which provides a reliable, unbiased source of valuable consumer insight. And we back that up by offering in-depth energy company service analysis, personalized recommendations, and practical advice. Our mission is to help consumers harness the power of information to find, compare, and buy electricity and energy services from the best providers.

Vernon Trollinger
UtilityRates.com
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