US Internet Speeds by State 2026
By SpeedTestHQ Research · Updated April 27, 2026
Average measured download and upload speeds across all 50 states, ranked fastest to slowest. Based on wired Ethernet speed tests from SpeedTestHQ users. Updated 2026-04-27.
Ranked by average download speed
| Rank | State | Abbr | Avg Download | Avg Upload | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New Jersey | NJ | 245 Mbps | 28 Mbps | New Jersey speeds |
| 2 | Maryland | MD | 238 Mbps | 26 Mbps | Maryland speeds |
| 3 | Delaware | DE | 233 Mbps | 25 Mbps | Delaware speeds |
| 4 | Connecticut | CT | 230 Mbps | 27 Mbps | Connecticut speeds |
| 5 | Massachusetts | MA | 228 Mbps | 25 Mbps | Massachusetts speeds |
| 6 | Virginia | VA | 225 Mbps | 22 Mbps | Virginia speeds |
| 7 | Rhode Island | RI | 222 Mbps | 24 Mbps | Rhode Island speeds |
| 8 | New York | NY | 218 Mbps | 21 Mbps | New York speeds |
| 9 | California | CA | 215 Mbps | 20 Mbps | California speeds |
| 10 | Washington | WA | 210 Mbps | 19 Mbps | Washington speeds |
| 11 | Colorado | CO | 207 Mbps | 19 Mbps | Colorado speeds |
| 12 | New Hampshire | NH | 205 Mbps | 19 Mbps | New Hampshire speeds |
| 13 | Utah | UT | 205 Mbps | 18 Mbps | Utah speeds |
| 14 | Georgia | GA | 203 Mbps | 18 Mbps | Georgia speeds |
| 15 | Florida | FL | 200 Mbps | 17 Mbps | Florida speeds |
| 16 | Texas | TX | 198 Mbps | 17 Mbps | Texas speeds |
| 17 | Minnesota | MN | 196 Mbps | 18 Mbps | Minnesota speeds |
| 18 | Oregon | OR | 194 Mbps | 18 Mbps | Oregon speeds |
| 19 | Illinois | IL | 192 Mbps | 17 Mbps | Illinois speeds |
| 20 | Nevada | NV | 190 Mbps | 16 Mbps | Nevada speeds |
| 21 | North Carolina | NC | 188 Mbps | 16 Mbps | North Carolina speeds |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | PA | 186 Mbps | 18 Mbps | Pennsylvania speeds |
| 23 | Tennessee | TN | 183 Mbps | 15 Mbps | Tennessee speeds |
| 24 | Ohio | OH | 181 Mbps | 16 Mbps | Ohio speeds |
| 25 | Michigan | MI | 178 Mbps | 15 Mbps | Michigan speeds |
| 26 | Arizona | AZ | 177 Mbps | 15 Mbps | Arizona speeds |
| 27 | Indiana | IN | 175 Mbps | 14 Mbps | Indiana speeds |
| 28 | Wisconsin | WI | 173 Mbps | 15 Mbps | Wisconsin speeds |
| 29 | Hawaii | HI | 172 Mbps | 15 Mbps | Hawaii speeds |
| 30 | Missouri | MO | 170 Mbps | 14 Mbps | Missouri speeds |
| 31 | South Carolina | SC | 168 Mbps | 14 Mbps | South Carolina speeds |
| 32 | Alabama | AL | 165 Mbps | 13 Mbps | Alabama speeds |
| 33 | Louisiana | LA | 163 Mbps | 13 Mbps | Louisiana speeds |
| 34 | Oklahoma | OK | 160 Mbps | 13 Mbps | Oklahoma speeds |
| 35 | Kentucky | KY | 158 Mbps | 13 Mbps | Kentucky speeds |
| 36 | Iowa | IA | 156 Mbps | 14 Mbps | Iowa speeds |
| 37 | Idaho | ID | 155 Mbps | 13 Mbps | Idaho speeds |
| 38 | Maine | ME | 155 Mbps | 14 Mbps | Maine speeds |
| 39 | Kansas | KS | 154 Mbps | 13 Mbps | Kansas speeds |
| 40 | Nebraska | NE | 152 Mbps | 13 Mbps | Nebraska speeds |
| 41 | Arkansas | AR | 148 Mbps | 12 Mbps | Arkansas speeds |
| 42 | Vermont | VT | 148 Mbps | 13 Mbps | Vermont speeds |
| 43 | New Mexico | NM | 145 Mbps | 12 Mbps | New Mexico speeds |
| 44 | South Dakota | SD | 130 Mbps | 11 Mbps | South Dakota speeds |
| 45 | North Dakota | ND | 128 Mbps | 11 Mbps | North Dakota speeds |
| 46 | West Virginia | WV | 120 Mbps | 10 Mbps | West Virginia speeds |
| 47 | Mississippi | MS | 118 Mbps | 10 Mbps | Mississippi speeds |
| 48 | Montana | MT | 115 Mbps | 10 Mbps | Montana speeds |
| 49 | Wyoming | WY | 112 Mbps | 10 Mbps | Wyoming speeds |
| 50 | Alaska | AK | 105 Mbps | 9 Mbps | Alaska speeds |
Key findings
- Northeast leads: New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Connecticut rank in the top 5, driven by dense fiber infrastructure from Verizon Fios, Frontier, and Optimum.
- Southeast improving: Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee have seen the largest year-over-year gains as AT&T Fiber expands into suburban markets.
- Rural gap persists: West Virginia, Mississippi, Montana, and Wyoming average below 125 Mbps download — states where cable and DSL still dominate.
- Upload asymmetry: States dominated by cable ISPs (Xfinity, Spectrum, Cox) show upload averages of 10–25 Mbps despite high download averages. Fiber-dense states average 18–28 Mbps upload.
Methodology
Speeds represent the median wired Ethernet test result from SpeedTestHQ users, sampled across a rolling 90-day window. Mobile and Wi-Fi tests are excluded. Tests are attributed to the state of the selected server, cross-referenced with IP geolocation. Results represent what users actually get, not what is advertised.
Run your own speed test to compare your line against your state's average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which US state has the fastest average internet speed?
New Jersey ranks #1 with an average download speed of 245 Mbps, followed by Maryland (238 Mbps) and Delaware (233 Mbps). All three are in the northeastern US and benefit from Verizon Fios' dense fiber-to-the-home coverage, which lifts state averages significantly above cable-dominated markets. Connecticut (230 Mbps) and Massachusetts (228 Mbps) round out the top five.
Which states have the slowest internet speeds?
Alaska ranks last at 105 Mbps average download, followed by Wyoming (112 Mbps), Montana (115 Mbps), Mississippi (118 Mbps), and West Virginia (120 Mbps). These states combine large rural geographies with low fiber penetration — most residents are served by cable, DSL, or fixed wireless rather than FTTH. Upload speeds in these states average just 9–10 Mbps, reflecting the cable and DSL infrastructure that dominates their markets.
Why do northeastern states consistently rank highest for internet speed?
The Northeast leads because Verizon Fios deployed fiber-to-the-home across New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and Massachusetts earlier and more densely than any other region. Fiber delivers symmetric gigabit speeds that lift state medians far above cable averages. Dense suburban populations also make fiber deployment economically viable at a scale that sparsely populated states cannot replicate without federal subsidy.
Why is upload speed so low across all states compared to download?
Upload asymmetry is a direct consequence of cable architecture dominating most US markets. Even top-ranked New Jersey averages only 28 Mbps upload against 245 Mbps download — because a significant share of residents are on Xfinity or Spectrum cable plans that cap upload at 28 Mbps regardless of download tier. States with higher fiber penetration show modestly better upload averages, but the nationwide cable installed base keeps the gap wide.