New York Among Top 10 Cheapest States to Fly Domestic, NetCredit Finds
State-by-state analysis ties airfare to local wages, with Hawaii and New Jersey among the cheapest flight markets and Wyoming the most expensive.
New York is among the top 10 cheapest states to catch a domestic flight, according to a NetCredit analysis that ties airfares to local wages. The study compared the cost of a domestic ticket against the average local wage in each state, using wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It found that New York’s average fare runs about $377.87 per ticket, while residents would need to work roughly 9.75 hours at the state’s typical pay to cover the price of a standard domestic flight.
Hawaii and New Jersey topped the rankings as the cheapest flight markets, with typical tickets in Hawaii averaging about $287.79 and those in New Jersey at $308.70. The authors noted that the affordability of flights in these states reflects how much residents earn relative to the price of a ticket. “We compared the cost of domestic flights from each state and hub airport to the average local wage,” the study authors said, underscoring the wage-adjusted approach used in the rankings.
The wage-to-ticket metric shows New York residents must work about 9.75 hours to cover a typical domestic fare, placing the state in the upper tier of affordability when measured against local pay. By contrast, New Jersey residents require about 8.41 hours of work, and Hawaiians about 8.77 hours. Those figures illustrate how affordability varies not just by ticket price but by what residents earn locally, according to NetCredit’s method.
Wyoming sits at the other end of the spectrum, identified as the most expensive state for hopping a plane, with an average ticket price of about $611.73. The results suggest a meaningful gap between states where travelers can secure relatively cheap flights and those where air travel remains a heavier budget burden, even for domestic trips.
Beyond statewide averages, NetCredit also highlighted the performance of specific airports. Atlantic City International in New Jersey ranked fifth among the cheapest U.S. airports, with domestic flights averaging $167.88. Across the river, New York’s Long Island MacArthur Airport landed in 10th place on the list, where tickets round to roughly $285.80.
Orlando Sanford International Airport in Florida topped the list as the cheapest hub for domestic travel, with an average ticket price of $129.99. On the opposite end, Washington Dulles International Airport was identified as the most expensive hub, with an average ticket price of $509.23.
The findings arrive as travel insiders had warned that flights could become more expensive in 2025 than in recent years. Still, the study’s wage-adjusted framework provides a different lens on affordability, highlighting how local income shapes the real cost of air travel for residents in each state.
Travelers and industry observers noted that smart booking practices can influence price outcomes, though the NetCredit analysis emphasizes structural affordability rather than single-ticket bargains. The study’s authors indicated the work-hours metric can help households set expectations when planning domestic trips and budgeting for transportation costs in their state of residence.