US water rates rise 62% in a decade, study finds

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 7 Oct, 16:24 · Archive

US households are paying 62% more for drinking water than a decade ago, outpacing inflation and income growth.

US households are paying 62% more for drinking water than a decade ago, according to a new study by Food & Water Watch, a Washington DC-based non-profit. The analysis examined 2025 billing data from the 500 largest community water systems in the US, which together serve about 155 million people, roughly 45% of the country's population. Americans paid an average of $531 per year for household water in 2025, though costs vary significantly by state.

The price increases have outpaced inflation, grocery prices and household income growth. According to the study's co-author, for-profit water corporations, federal cuts and the climate crisis are driving the rises.

How it is being reported

• Americans are paying 62% more for water than a decade ago, study findsAmericans paid an average of $531 per year for household water in 2025, although people in some states pay far more, according to a new study.CBS News · 7 Oct, 16:07
• US households pay 62% more for water than they did a decade ago, study findsFor-profit water corporations, federal cuts and climate crisis are ‘supercharging water rate hikes’, study co-author says US households are paying 62% more for drinking water than they did a decade ago – outpacing inflation, grocery prices and household incomes, according to a new study. Food & Water Watch, a Washington DC-based non-profit, analyzed 2025 billing data from the 500 largest community water systems in the US, which together serve about 155 million people, or 45% of the country’s population. The analysis compared current rates with data from a similar Food & Water Watch survey…Guardian World · 6 Oct, 10:00

In this story: Food & Water Watch · United States

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