Data report · Updated October 2026
Men's haircut prices by state: from $15 in West Virginia to $42 in Delaware
State averages from booking-platform data, regional barbershop prices, affordability rankings and federal price indexes in one place.
The average men's haircut costs about $29 in the US, according to StyleSeat stylist data, with state averages running from $15 in West Virginia to $42 in Delaware[1]. SQUIRE's 2026 barbershop data puts the national average cut at $43, from $35 in the Midwest to $45 in the West[2].
$29
Average men's haircut in the US, StyleSeat stylist data (page updated 2026)[1]
$42
Highest state average: Delaware[1]
$15
Lowest state average: West Virginia[1]
$43
Average barbershop cut, SQUIRE data May 2025 to April 2026[2]
3.7%
Rise in the haircut price index, September 2025 to September 2026[3]
By Jessica Hamilton, Editor · Published · Updated · Free to reuse with credit (CC BY 4.0)
Key findings
- StyleSeat puts the average men's haircut at about $29 nationwide, with a typical range of $15 to $42[1].
- Delaware has the highest state average in StyleSeat's table at $42, followed by California, Illinois and Washington at $40 each[1].
- West Virginia has the lowest state average at $15, and Iowa and Montana follow at $20[1].
- Across more than 7,000 US barbershops, SQUIRE found an average cut price of $45 in the West, $40 in the Northeast and South, and $35 in the Midwest from May 2025 to April 2026[2].
- Relative to income, hair care costs the most in Arkansas (1.63% of median monthly household income) and the least in Virginia (0.89%), according to WalletHub's July 2026 data[4].
- Households in the Northeast spent $548 on personal care services in 2024, compared with $425 in the South[5].
- The federal price index for haircuts and other personal care services rose 48.4% from September 2016 to September 2026, faster than the 39.6% rise in overall consumer prices (menhaircuts.net calculation)[3][6].
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What is the average price of a men's haircut in each state?
No government agency publishes an average haircut price for each state. The most complete state-by-state list we could verify comes from StyleSeat, a booking platform for barbers and stylists. It reports an average men's haircut price of about $29 across the United States, "according to data gathered from our stylists," and says a typical appointment costs anywhere from $15 to $42[1].
StyleSeat lists an average cost per appointment for all 50 states. The page was last updated in August 2026, but it does not say which months the prices were collected or how many appointments sit behind each state figure[1]. Treat small gaps between states as noise and larger gaps as a real signal.
The full table below reproduces StyleSeat's state averages as published. For what drives the spread inside a single town, see our 2026 haircut price guide.
| State | Average price | State | Average price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $29 | Montana | $20 |
| Alaska | $32 | Nebraska | $28 |
| Arizona | $31 | Nevada | $30 |
| Arkansas | $26 | New Hampshire | $25 |
| California | $40 | New Jersey | $30 |
| Colorado | $35 | New Mexico | $26 |
| Connecticut | $29 | New York | $28 |
| Delaware | $42 | North Carolina | $27 |
| Florida | $29 | North Dakota | $22 |
| Georgia | $33 | Ohio | $29 |
| Hawaii | $29 | Oklahoma | $30 |
| Idaho | $25 | Oregon | $30 |
| Illinois | $40 | Pennsylvania | $28 |
| Indiana | $25 | Rhode Island | $22 |
| Iowa | $20 | South Carolina | $29 |
| Kansas | $24 | South Dakota | $29 |
| Kentucky | $28 | Tennessee | $30 |
| Louisiana | $31 | Texas | $31 |
| Maine | $37 | Utah | $22 |
| Maryland | $36 | Vermont | $29 |
| Massachusetts | $37 | Virginia | $33 |
| Michigan | $32 | Washington | $40 |
| Minnesota | $34 | West Virginia | $15 |
| Mississippi | $24 | Wisconsin | $26 |
| Missouri | $34 | Wyoming | $26 |
Which states have the most expensive men's haircuts?
Delaware tops StyleSeat's list with an average of $42 per appointment. California, Illinois and Washington tie for second at $40, and Maine and Massachusetts follow at $37[1].
The top of the list is a mix of high-cost coastal states and a few that might surprise people. Missouri and Minnesota both average $34, a dollar above Georgia and Virginia at $33[1]. Some state figures likely rest on a modest number of stylists, so a single busy, higher-priced shop can move a small state's average.
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Delaware | $42 |
| California | $40 |
| Illinois | $40 |
| Washington | $40 |
| Maine | $37 |
| Massachusetts | $37 |
| Maryland | $36 |
| Colorado | $35 |
| Minnesota | $34 |
| Missouri | $34 |
Which states have the cheapest men's haircuts?
West Virginia has the lowest average in StyleSeat's table at $15, well below every other state. Iowa and Montana come next at $20, then North Dakota, Rhode Island and Utah at $22[1].
Most of the lower-priced states are rural or have a lower cost of living, but not all. Rhode Island sits at $22 even though its neighbors Massachusetts and Connecticut average $37 and $29[1]. That kind of gap is a reminder that platform averages reflect the shops that use the platform, not every barber in the state.
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| West Virginia | $15 |
| Iowa | $20 |
| Montana | $20 |
| North Dakota | $22 |
| Rhode Island | $22 |
| Utah | $22 |
| Kansas | $24 |
| Mississippi | $24 |
How much does a barbershop haircut cost in each US region?
SQUIRE, a booking and payments platform built for barbershops, published regional prices in its State of Barbershops 2026 report. It covers May 2025 through April 2026, more than 7,000 US shops and 13.9 million appointments[2]. The national average cut was $43[2].
By region, the West led at $45, the Northeast and South were tied at $40, and the Midwest was lowest at $35[2]. SQUIRE says its average cut price excludes tax and tip but includes fees a shop owner adds, such as card surcharges[2].
SQUIRE's averages run higher than StyleSeat's because the two platforms serve different businesses. SQUIRE's figures come from barbershops that use its booking software, while StyleSeat's figure covers independent stylists and barbers across all kinds of settings.
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| West | $45 |
| Northeast | $40 |
| South | $40 |
| Midwest | $35 |
| Region | Average cut price | Average tip | Retention rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| West | $45 | 21% | 40.60% |
| Northeast | $40 | 20% | 47.04% |
| South | $40 | 23% | 44.99% |
| Midwest | $35 | 23% | 48.77% |
In which states do haircuts cost the most relative to income?
A $30 haircut means something different in a state where incomes are low. WalletHub ranked all 50 states by adding the price of a men's barbershop haircut and a women's salon visit, then dividing by median monthly household income. It used Council for Community and Economic Research price data and Census income data collected as of July 2, 2026, and assumed one visit per month for each service[4].
Arkansas ranked first. One men's barbershop haircut plus one women's shampoo, trim and blow-dry cost an average of $82.66 there, or 1.63% of median monthly household income[4]. WalletHub notes Arkansas is the ninth-most expensive state for men's haircuts in its price data[4]. Virginia ranked last at 0.89%[4].
| Rank | State | Share of monthly income |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | 1.63% |
| 2 | North Carolina | 1.61% |
| 3 | Mississippi | 1.58% |
| 4 | New Mexico | 1.55% |
| 5 | Florida | 1.51% |
| 6 | Kentucky | 1.51% |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 1.51% |
| 8 | California | 1.51% |
| 46 | Nebraska | 1.05% |
| 47 | Utah | 0.98% |
| 48 | Minnesota | 0.98% |
| 49 | New Jersey | 0.97% |
| 50 | Virginia | 0.89% |
How much do households in each region spend on personal care services?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not track haircut prices by state, but its Consumer Expenditure Survey does report what households spend on personal care services. That category covers haircuts, salon and barber services and similar paid services, for every member of the household.
In 2024, the average US household spent $479 on personal care services[5]. Spending was highest in the Northeast at $548 and the West at $542, lower in the Midwest at $455, and lowest in the South at $425[5]. Urban households spent $500 on average[5].
The regional order lines up with SQUIRE's barbershop prices: the West and Northeast pay more, and the Midwest pays less. The South is the exception. SQUIRE's Southern shops charge as much as the Northeast's, yet Southern households spend the least on personal care services overall[2][5].
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Northeast | $548 |
| West | $542 |
| All US | $479 |
| Midwest | $455 |
| South | $425 |
Why can a city cost far more than its state average?
State averages hide big city-level differences. StyleSeat gives New York, New York as an example of a high cost-of-living city with an average men's haircut price of $118, against $26 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin[1].
The same page lists New York State's average as $28[1]. Both figures can be true at once if most of the state's appointments in the data come from outside Manhattan, but the gap shows how much a state number depends on which shops are counted. If you live in a large city, the regional figures from SQUIRE or a local price check will usually tell you more than a statewide average.
How fast are haircut prices rising?
The Consumer Price Index tracks price changes rather than price levels. The index for haircuts and other personal care services stood at 229.752 in September 2026, up from 221.470 a year earlier, a 3.7% rise (menhaircuts.net calculation)[3]. Overall consumer prices rose by the same 3.7% over that year[6].
Over a longer stretch, haircut prices have outpaced inflation. From September 2016 to September 2026 the haircut index rose 48.4%, compared with 39.6% for all items (menhaircuts.net calculation)[3][6]. The haircut index rose 5.0% or more a year in the September readings for 2020, 2021 and 2022[3].
BLS publishes this index only for the US as a whole, so it can tell you how fast prices are moving but not which states are rising fastest. October 2025 data are missing because of the 2025 lapse in federal appropriations[3].
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 1.9% |
| 2018 | 2.6% |
| 2019 | 2.8% |
| 2020 | 5% |
| 2021 | 5% |
| 2022 | 5.1% |
| 2023 | 4.8% |
| 2024 | 4.8% |
| 2025 | 4.6% |
| 2026 | 3.7% |
How do these figures compare with our 2026 price guide?
Our 2026 haircut price guide gives editorial price bands: about $18 to $28 at budget chains, $25 to $45 at neighborhood barbershops and $45 to $80 at upscale shops. Those bands are our own ranges rather than survey results.
The sourced numbers on this page sit inside them. StyleSeat's $29 national average and SQUIRE's $35 to $45 regional barbershop averages both fall in the neighborhood-barbershop band[1][2]. Every state average in StyleSeat's table except West Virginia's $15 also falls between $18 and $45[1].
Frequently asked questions
What is the average price of a men's haircut in the US?
Which state has the most expensive men's haircuts?
Which state has the cheapest men's haircuts?
How much is a men's haircut in California?
How much is a men's haircut in New York?
Are haircut prices going up in 2026?
Where do haircuts cost the most compared with income?
Methodology and limitations
State averages come from StyleSeat's men's haircut price page (updated August 31, 2026), which reports the average cost per appointment from its stylists for all 50 states. Regional barbershop prices, tips and retention come from SQUIRE's State of Barbershops 2026 report (data May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026). Affordability rankings come from WalletHub (data as of July 2, 2026, using C2ER prices and Census income). Household spending by region is from the BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2024 calendar year. Price trends are from the BLS Consumer Price Index series CUUR0000SEGC01 and CUUR0000SA0; the percent changes are menhaircuts.net calculations from the published September index values. All sources were opened and checked on October 15, 2026.
Limitations
StyleSeat does not publish its collection period, sample size per state or method, so state averages are best read as rough guides; New York's $28 state average and $118 New York City figure show how much the mix of shops matters. SQUIRE and StyleSeat both report only on businesses that use their software. WalletHub's ranking combines a men's and a women's service and adjusts for income, so it measures affordability rather than price. BLS spending data cover all personal care services for every household member, not men's haircuts alone, and the CPI is a national index of price change, not a price level. None of these sources is a census of every barbershop in a state.
Every figure on this page links to its source. Numbers are reported as published; any menhaircuts.net calculation is labelled and shows its inputs. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will check it.
Sources
- Men's Haircut Prices: How Much Will It Cost You?, StyleSeat (2026). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- The State of Barbershops 2026: SQUIRE Barber Trends & Insights Report, SQUIRE (2026). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- CPI-U: Haircuts and other personal care services in U.S. city average (CUUR0000SEGC01), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- States Where People Spend the Most & Least on Hair Care, WalletHub (2026). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Consumer Expenditure Survey: Personal care services by region of residence and type of area, 2024 (series CXUPERSSERVLB0101M, LB1102M to LB1105M, LB1902M), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- CPI-U: All items in U.S. city average (CUUR0000SA0), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (2026). Accessed October 15, 2026.
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This report, its charts and its infographic are free to reuse under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Credit menhaircuts.net with a link to this page.
Cite this report (APA)
Hamilton, J. (2026, October 15). Men's Haircut Prices by State 2026: Averages by State. menhaircuts.net. https://menhaircuts.net/stats/mens-haircut-prices-by-state/
Link to this report
<a href="https://menhaircuts.net/stats/mens-haircut-prices-by-state/">Men's Haircut Prices by State 2026: Averages by State</a> (menhaircuts.net, CC BY 4.0)Share the headline number
$29: Average men's haircut in the US, StyleSeat stylist data (page updated 2026) (StyleSeat, via menhaircuts.net/stats/mens-haircut-prices-by-state/)
Download the charts and infographic
- States with the highest average men's haircut price (PNG)
- States with the lowest average men's haircut price (PNG)
- Average barbershop haircut price by region, May 2025 to April 2026 (PNG)
- Average household spending on personal care services by region, 2024 (PNG)
- Annual change in the haircut price index, September to September (PNG)
- Infographic: Men's Haircut Prices by State 2026 (PNG, 1000 x 1500)
Related data
- $43Average barbershop haircut, SQUIRE data May 2025 to April 2026Barbershop vs Salon vs Chain Prices 2026
- $21,130Lifetime haircut cost at $43 a cut, 7 cuts a year and a 20% tip (menhaircuts.net calculation)Lifetime Cost of Men's Haircuts 2026
- 78%Haircut customers who always or often tip (Pew, 2023)Barber Tipping Statistics 2026
- $38,210Median annual wage for barbers, May 2025Barber Salary by State 2026
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