Our annual effort to evaluate the state of broadband across the country shows notable improvements in U.S. broadband access and performance. 48 states now offer affordable broadband to at least half their residents, making high-speed internet more accessible than ever.
Our analysis, using millions of consumer speed tests and FCC availability data, highlights major gains in download speeds and internet quality, with New Hampshire leading in speeds and New York and Washington excelling in low latency.
Despite this progress, challenges remain in rural states like Alaska and Hawaii, where high latency and limited access persist, highlighting the ongoing need to close the digital divide.
Why It Matters
Access to reliable, high-speed broadband is essential for modern life. From remote work and online education to healthcare and entertainment, the quality of your internet connection directly affects the opportunities you have access to. This report provides crucial insights into which states are leading in broadband access and performance, and which are still falling behind.
By identifying these disparities, we aim to spotlight areas that need improvement, helping to drive policy decisions and infrastructure investments, like the upcoming Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment (BEAD) grants, that will ultimately close the digital divide and ensure that all Americans, regardless of location, have access to affordable, high-quality internet.
Key Findings
- Widespread Improvements in Access to Affordable Broadband: In 2024, 48 states have over 50% of their population with access to broadband plans costing $60 or less per month. In our analysis from 2023, only one state (Wyoming) had over 50%. The District of Columbia leads with 99.7% of its population having access to low-priced broadband, while Alaska remains the most underserved, with only 1.7% of residents having access to affordable plans.
- Latency Improvements: States like New York (7.19 ms) and Washington (7.87 ms) now boast some of the lowest latency in the nation, crucial for real-time applications like gaming and video conferencing. On the other end of the spectrum, Hawaii and Alaska continue to struggle, with median round trip times exceeding 60 milliseconds, highlighting geographic challenges in these areas.
- New Jersey emerged as the most improved state, climbing to the top spot with a +60% increase in access to low-priced broadband (from 28.9% last year to 97.7% this year). It now leads the nation in overall broadband quality, setting a new standard for high-speed and affordable internet.
- Montana experienced the biggest decline, dropping significantly in rankings due to stagnation in affordable broadband availability and slow download speeds, placing it among the bottom 10 states. This highlights the state’s growing digital divide as other states make strides in expanding access.
10 Best States for Broadband
- New Jersey
- Maryland
- Connecticut
- Massachusetts
- Rhode Island
- New York
- California
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Virginia
10 Worst States for Broadband
- Kansas
- Missouri
- Alabama
- Wisconsin
- West Virginia
- Idaho
- Wyoming
- Iowa
- Montana
- Alaska
Why the Best States?
New Jersey ranked first and excels in all categories, including perfect scores in latency and upload speed. Its population also enjoys widespread access to affordable broadband, with 97.7% of residents able to access low-priced broadband plans.
Maryland and Connecticut follow closely, both benefiting from excellent latency, fast speeds, and near-universal access to broadband services. Maryland also ranks highly in fiber-optic access, with over 60% of the population covered.
Massachusetts and Rhode Island round out the top five, with strong performances in all quality categories. Massachusetts sees high access to low-priced broadband but struggles slightly with latency.
Why the Worst States?
The bottom 10 states continue to face significant challenges in providing quality internet access. Alaska, which ranks last, struggles with extremely limited affordable broadband access (just 1.7% of residents), along with high latency and slow speeds. Montana and Iowa also remain in the bottom due to limited availability of low-priced broadband, slow download speeds, and high round trip times, all of which contribute to a poor overall internet experience.
Wyoming and West Virginia face a combination of high latency and low speeds, coupled with poor fiber-optic access, further hindering their broadband rankings. These states still have large rural areas where high-quality broadband infrastructure remains underdeveloped, leaving many residents without fast or affordable options.
Despite some small improvements, states like Missouri, Alabama, and Wisconsin also suffer from limited access to fiber-optic services and sluggish download speeds, which prevent them from keeping up with the best-performing states. Kansas and Idaho face similar issues, where both affordability and quality metrics are well below the national median, making it harder for residents to benefit from modern, reliable internet access.
#1
New Jersey
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
97.8%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
97.7%
-
Median Download Speed:
112.2 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
26.1 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
8.1 ms
-
122
#2
Maryland
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
96.4%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
95.0%
-
Median Download Speed:
111.1 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
24.4 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
9.7 ms
-
135
#3
Connecticut
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
97.3%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
97.2%
-
Median Download Speed:
113.8 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
23.3 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
14.1 ms
-
77
#4
Massachusetts
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
98.4%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
97.2%
-
Median Download Speed:
106.0 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
23.5 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
12.5 ms
-
104
#5
Rhode Island
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
96.5%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
96.3%
-
Median Download Speed:
85.7 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
20.3 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
12.2 ms
-
36
#6
New York
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
94.0%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
91.7%
-
Median Download Speed:
99.1 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
21.1 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
7.2 ms
-
219
#7
California
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
94.1%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
90.5%
-
Median Download Speed:
93.1 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
19.7 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
9.8 ms
-
395
#8
District of Columbia
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
99.7%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
99.7%
-
Median Download Speed:
64.2 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
15.7 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
14.6 ms
-
68
#9
Florida
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
91.8%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
89.8%
-
Median Download Speed:
108.5 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
22.1 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
13.6 ms
-
231
#10
Virginia
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
87.9%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
80.1%
-
Median Download Speed:
101.8 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
26.8 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
8.6 ms
-
202
#11
New Hampshire
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
93.9%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
91.5%
-
Median Download Speed:
117.2 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
23.2 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
17.6 ms
-
69
#12
Texas
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
92.7%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
81.8%
-
Median Download Speed:
100.5 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
22.4 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
11.9 ms
-
536
#13
Delaware
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
89.4%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
88.2%
-
Median Download Speed:
94.3 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
23.4 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
12.6 ms
-
50
#14
Colorado
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
91.5%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
84.6%
-
Median Download Speed:
95.3 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
20.9 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
8.6 ms
-
255
#15
Illinois
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
91.6%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
83.1%
-
Median Download Speed:
91.9 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
21.6 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
8.1 ms
-
342
#16
Utah
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
92.7%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
87.3%
-
Median Download Speed:
98.8 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
23.1 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
19.0 ms
-
149
#17
Pennsylvania
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
93.1%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
92.3%
-
Median Download Speed:
92.6 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
21.7 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
19.8 ms
-
225
#18
Washington
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
88.6%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
85.1%
-
Median Download Speed:
74.8 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
18.5 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
7.9 ms
-
253
#19
North Dakota
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
98.4%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
67.5%
-
Median Download Speed:
102.7 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
46.9 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
29.8 ms
-
92
#20
Nevada
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
97.0%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
89.4%
-
Median Download Speed:
86.2 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
19.5 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
20.6 ms
-
138
#21
Oregon
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
88.4%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
84.1%
-
Median Download Speed:
92.1 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
20.8 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
18.9 ms
-
232
#22
Oklahoma
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
89.4%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
73.7%
-
Median Download Speed:
92.0 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
21.3 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
17.7 ms
-
215
#23
South Carolina
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
90.6%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
85.0%
-
Median Download Speed:
113.9 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
19.1 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
26.6 ms
-
138
#24
Tennessee
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
91.2%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
86.9%
-
Median Download Speed:
92.7 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
19.5 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
35.1 ms
-
198
#25
Hawaii
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
93.2%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
93.2%
-
Median Download Speed:
88.0 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
11.4 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
63.0 ms
-
44
#26
Georgia
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
87.0%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
82.0%
-
Median Download Speed:
87.4 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
20.2 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
21.5 ms
-
235
#27
Indiana
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
91.2%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
81.2%
-
Median Download Speed:
92.3 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
19.8 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
26.1 ms
-
261
#28
South Dakota
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
91.8%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
59.7%
-
Median Download Speed:
99.8 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
28.9 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
32.1 ms
-
117
#29
Nebraska
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
90.7%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
72.9%
-
Median Download Speed:
88.8 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
22.3 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
32.3 ms
-
179
#30
Ohio
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
91.1%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
85.6%
-
Median Download Speed:
92.1 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
11.7 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
30.9 ms
-
279
#31
Michigan
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
89.5%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
81.9%
-
Median Download Speed:
89.8 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
16.0 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
25.4 ms
-
261
#32
Arkansas
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
82.5%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
66.7%
-
Median Download Speed:
96.5 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
25.3 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
22.8 ms
-
167
#33
Vermont
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
80.7%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
73.2%
-
Median Download Speed:
88.3 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
22.8 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
22.0 ms
-
70
#34
Minnesota
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
87.4%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
74.5%
-
Median Download Speed:
86.2 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
19.5 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
31.8 ms
-
266
#35
Arizona
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
92.7%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
82.3%
-
Median Download Speed:
57.9 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
15.0 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
22.6 ms
-
190
#36
Kentucky
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
82.5%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
74.2%
-
Median Download Speed:
102.1 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
17.7 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
35.7 ms
-
193
#37
New Mexico
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
85.4%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
77.9%
-
Median Download Speed:
76.8 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
18.7 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
22.1 ms
-
146
#38
North Carolina
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
85.8%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
82.0%
-
Median Download Speed:
88.0 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
13.2 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
27.3 ms
-
192
#39
Mississippi
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
79.0%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
72.3%
-
Median Download Speed:
88.1 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
23.7 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
29.3 ms
-
126
#40
Maine
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
85.8%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
82.8%
-
Median Download Speed:
93.4 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
11.7 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
32.7 ms
-
74
#41
Louisiana
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
81.6%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
76.6%
-
Median Download Speed:
85.9 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
18.0 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
23.4 ms
-
132
#42
Kansas
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
91.4%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
76.4%
-
Median Download Speed:
43.7 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
13.4 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
28.6 ms
-
225
#43
Missouri
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
85.3%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
68.7%
-
Median Download Speed:
87.4 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
16.8 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
28.5 ms
-
276
#44
Alabama
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
77.6%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
71.0%
-
Median Download Speed:
90.9 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
19.5 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
31.7 ms
-
160
#45
Wisconsin
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
78.3%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
69.6%
-
Median Download Speed:
93.1 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
11.5 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
18.9 ms
-
229
#46
West Virginia
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
71.0%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
62.6%
-
Median Download Speed:
106.4 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
21.8 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
27.0 ms
-
98
#47
Idaho
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
82.3%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
69.8%
-
Median Download Speed:
75.4 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
13.1 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
59.2 ms
-
159
#48
Wyoming
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
79.1%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
61.0%
-
Median Download Speed:
89.7 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
14.8 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
42.4 ms
-
90
#49
Iowa
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
79.3%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
46.0%
-
Median Download Speed:
72.8 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
21.6 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
26.4 ms
-
429
#50
Montana
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
72.9%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
49.7%
-
Median Download Speed:
76.5 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
11.0 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
45.4 ms
-
124
#51
Alaska
-
Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband:
68.5%
-
Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband:
1.7%
-
Median Download Speed:
36.8 Mbps
-
Median Upload Speed:
12.6 Mbps
-
Median Round Trip Time:
62.0 ms
-
74
Methodology
We score each state based on several weighted categories:
- Access to Wired or Fixed Wireless Broadband (35%)
- Access to Wired Low-Priced Broadband (30%)
- Median Round Trip Time (RTT) (10%)
- Median Download Speed (10%)
- Median Upload Speed (10%)
- Access to Fiber-Optic Service (5%)
Our quality analysis uses data from over 122 million speed tests taken from May 1st to August 31st, 2024. Each state is scored based on its performance relative to national percentiles. For example, the national 65th percentile in download speed is 109.7Mbps, which represents a score of 100. RTT and upload speeds are similarly scored.
Access:
To assess internet access, we look at three metrics: access to wired or fixed wireless broadband internet, access to low-priced broadband internet, and access to fiber-optic service.
The first two access metrics are the most highly weighted elements in our methodology (making up 65% of the total score) because they both serve as a prerequisite for anything else. If broadband internet is only available to a select few, or if it is so cost prohibitive that only a few can use it, then the quality would be of considerably less importance.
We also consider access to fiber-optic service because it is the fastest and most reliable internet technology available today.
Quality:
To assess internet quality, we analyzed download speed, upload speed, and round trip time, which is a measure of latency. Depending on what you use the internet for, any one of those three metrics could be the most important thing to you. People who play a lot of online competitive video games may consider latency to be the most important, a live streamer or business owner might prioritize upload speed, while an everyday user who mostly uses the internet for watching streaming services could be most interested in download speeds. You can use our bandwidth calculator to find out what’s right for you.
We analyzed over 122 million speed tests from the M-Labs NDT Data Set between May 1st and August 31st, 2024 for their upload speed, download speed, and round trip time.
Scoring:
Each state receives a score from 0 to 100 for each of the six categories, and the scores are then weighted and added together to get a final score from 0 to 100.
The three access categories are percentages that already range from 0 to 100, so those were not modified for their score.
The three quality categories were scored by defining the national 65th percentile speed as 100 points and defining the national 35th percentile speed as 0 points, creating a range of speeds around the national median. Each state is then scored based on where its median falls in that national range.
This 2024 report highlights continued improvements in broadband availability but also underscores the significant regional differences in internet quality across the U.S.
