The search for a cheap flight is a daily struggle when you’re in trip-planning mode. It’s exciting, but it can also be exhausting. From small destinations with tiny airports to commercialized landmarks, it can be a real game of strategy. NetCredit, a lender company, ranked the least expensive airports for domestic flights in America, and a few East Coast states topped the charts: New Jersey (No. 2), Massachusetts (No. 9), and New York (No. 10). Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland, and Pennsylvania also cracked the top 13, coming in at No. 5, 11, 12, and 13, respectively. The evidence says that behind Hawaii, which scored No. 1, the Northeastern U.S. is the cheapest place to fly from in the country.
NetCredit collected its data from federal organizations, gathering the average flight prices per state using the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. To interpret how affordable this is for the general public, it used the U.S. Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics to decipher the average hours worked along with the local wages by state to compare to the average fares in each state.
Overall, NetCredit found that New Jersey’s average domestic fare was $308.70, whereas Massachusetts’ is $369.14, and New York’s is $377.87. Based on the hours worked to afford a ticket, New Jersey reigns supreme, with the least amount at 8.41 hours. Massachusetts sits at 9.24 hours, and New York at 9.75 hours. So whether you’re deciding between John F. Kennedy (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA), Newark (EWR), or Boston Logan (BOS), the flight prices won’t be your biggest concern.
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Why some of the most expensive states have the most affordable flights
Airplane flying past Manhattan – HASAN AKBAS/Shutterstock
Not everything in New Jersey, Massachusetts, and New York is glamorous. In fact, these three states are some of the most expensive to live in. According to Timeout, New York City in particular is one of the priciest cities in the world in 2025. Massachusetts and New Jersey are not far behind — based on the average price of household bills, these are the third- and fourth-most expensive states to live in 2024 (via Doxo).
This might be why the cheapest thing to do is get a plane ticket out — only kidding. Still, there is some irony. With a housing crisis and increased grocery prices, the major international travel hubs housed in the tri-state level out their competition. As these are also major stopping points for transcontinental flights, their airfares will naturally be lower because travelers have more options for flights.
These airports aren’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination. New Yorkers say they can’t stand the JFK airport’s inconvenient ride share pickup policy, and New Jersey residents find Newark Liberty International too busy around the holiday season. Heck, Massachusetts locals might find navigating Boston’s airport too confusing; however, if that’s the most of their worries, they could have it far, far worse. And if you don’t want to brave it at the big airports around the holidays, you’re in luck: The NetCredit study reveals that Atlantic City International in New Jersey and Long Island MacArthur, one of America’s best small airports in New York with great amenities to boot, are some of the most affordable airports in the country.
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Read the original article on Islands.