Is it cheaper to live in Raleigh or Houston for monthly utilities?

Raleigh, NC is approximately 14% cheaper than Houston, TX in average monthly utilities ($318/mo vs $370/mo), saving approximately $52 per month or $624 annually.

How do residential electric rates compare between Raleigh and Houston?

Residential electricity in Raleigh is $0.128 per kWh served by Duke Energy Progress, compared to $0.152 per kWh in Houston served by CenterPoint Energy (REP Choice).

What is the average water and sewer bill in Raleigh compared to Houston?

In Raleigh, the minimum water and sewer base meter charge is $27.70/month with Tier 1 volumetric water priced at $3.35 per 1,000 gallons. In Houston, baseline fixed meter fees are $32.00/month with Tier 1 water at $4.10 per 1,000 gallons.

How do weather and climate affect seasonal utility bills in Raleigh vs Houston?

Raleigh experiences 1820 Cooling Degree Days (CDD) with a peak summer AC cost spike of 42%, whereas Houston records 3380 CDD with a summer spike of 65%. Heating Degree Days (HDD) are 3100 in Raleigh versus 1320 in Houston.

Raleigh, NC vs Houston, TX Utility Costs Comparison (2026)

Interactive Simulation

Household Sizing Simulator

Select your home type to adjust estimated monthly consumption for Raleigh and Houston.

Raleigh Est.

$318/mo

Power:$129

Water & Sewer:$80

Gas & Trash:$97

Projected Variance

-$52/mo

Raleigh saves your household roughly $624 per year at this consumption tier.

Houston Est.

$370/mo

Power:$145

Water & Sewer:$94

Gas & Trash:$96

Head-to-Head Utility Tariff Breakdown

Direct comparison of published rates, electric tariffs, and municipal meter charges.

EIA-861 Calibrated

Utility Component	Raleigh, NC	Houston, TX
⚡ Residential Electric Rate ($/kWh)	$0.128 / kWh	$0.152 / kWh
Electric Monthly Customer Base Fee	$14.00/mo	$8.50/mo
Electric Provider & Market Structure	Duke Energy Progress Regulated Monopoly Utility	CenterPoint Energy (REP Choice) Deregulated REP Market
♨️ Natural Gas Rate ($/Therm)	$1.25 / Therm	$1.12 / Therm
Natural Gas Fixed Customer Charge	$15.00/mo	$17.50/mo
💧 Water Base Meter Charge (5/8" - 3/4")	$14.20/mo	$17.20/mo
Water Tier 1 Volumetric (per 1,000 gal)	$3.35	$4.10
Water Tier 2 Conservation (per 1,000 gal)	$5.40	$6.80
Wastewater / Sewer Rates	Base: $13.50/mo Volumetric: $5.30/1k gal	Base: $14.80/mo Volumetric: $6.20/1k gal
🗑️ Curbside Solid Waste & Recycling	$26.00/mo	$28.00/mo
Stormwater Drainage Clean Water Fee	$6.20/mo	$9.50/mo
Initial Move-in Deposit / Connection Fee	Deposit: $100 – $220 Turn-on: $20.00	Deposit: $150 – $350 (REP-specific) Turn-on: $30.00

Climate & Seasonal HVAC Load Drivers

NOAA degree-day data dictating peak air conditioning and heating power spikes.

NOAA 1991–2020 Normals

Climate Indicator	Raleigh, NC	Houston, TX
☀️ Cooling Degree Days (CDD)	1,820 CDD	3,380 CDD
❄️ Heating Degree Days (HDD)	3,100 HDD	1,320 HDD
Peak Summer AC Bill Volatility	+42% Summer Spike	+65% Summer Spike
Regional Climate Summary	Four distinct seasons with warm summers requiring AC and moderate winters.	Tropical coastal moisture creates extreme dehumidification load from May through October.

Clean Energy & Solar Economics

Rooftop solar irradiance and net metering rules to mitigate high utility bills.

NREL Solar Data

Solar Component	Raleigh, NC	Houston, TX
☀️ Daily Peak Sun Hours	4.6 hrs/day	4.8 hrs/day
Net Metering / Export Compensation	Duke Energy Progress Solar Rider (Bridge Rate) with monthly time-of-use netting and 80% property tax exemption.	CenterPoint territory with retail electric provider solar buyback plans and battery peak export incentives.
City Solar Calculator	Raleigh Solar Estimator →	Houston Solar Estimator →

🏙️ Raleigh Official Estimator

Raleigh, NC Utility Calculator

Access the interactive multi-utility calculator, municipal moving checklists, and verified billing schedules for Raleigh.

ZIP: raleigh Open Raleigh Hub →

🏙️ Houston Official Estimator

Houston, TX Utility Calculator

Access the interactive multi-utility calculator, municipal moving checklists, and verified billing schedules for Houston.

ZIP: houston Open Houston Hub →

Common Inquiries

Frequently Asked Questions: Raleigh vs Houston

Direct answers to key cost of living and utility comparison questions.

Is it cheaper to live in Raleigh or Houston for utilities? ▼

Raleigh, NC is approximately 14% cheaper than Houston, TX in overall monthly utility bills ($318/mo vs $370/mo). A typical household saves around $52 per month or $624 annually.

How do residential electric rates compare per kilowatt-hour? ▼

Residential electricity in Raleigh costs $0.128 per kWh supplied by Duke Energy Progress, compared to $0.152 per kWh in Houston served by CenterPoint Energy (REP Choice). For a home consuming 1,000 kWh per month, this rate difference accounts for $24.00 in monthly energy charges before fixed customer meter charges.

What is the water and sewer rate difference between Raleigh and Houston? ▼

In Raleigh, the minimum fixed water meter charge is $14.20/mo plus $13.50/mo sewer baseline. In Houston, the base water fee is $17.20/mo with $14.80/mo sewer baseline. Volumetric Tier 1 water is $3.35/1k gal in Raleigh versus $4.10/1k gal in Houston.

How does weather and climate impact summer and winter power bills? ▼

Raleigh logs 1,820 Cooling Degree Days with a 42% summer AC bill surge. Conversely, Houston records 3,380 CDD with a 65% summer surge. Heating Degree Days measure 3,100 in Raleigh versus 1,320 in Houston.

Related Metro Comparisons

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📍 Popular Comparisons for Raleigh

Raleigh vs Charlotte, NC $318 vs $312 → Raleigh vs New York City, NY $318 vs $440 → Raleigh vs Los Angeles, CA $318 vs $395 → Raleigh vs Chicago, IL $318 vs $365 →

📍 Popular Comparisons for Houston

Houston vs San Antonio, TX $370 vs $310 → Houston vs Dallas, TX $370 vs $355 → Houston vs New York City, NY $370 vs $440 → Houston vs Los Angeles, CA $370 vs $395 →

Raleigh, NC vs Houston, TX

Raleigh

Houston

Executive Summary & Citability Passage