Smoking takes a toll on Pennsylvanians’ wallets, with a new report revealing that the habit costs the average smoker thousands each year, writes Ashley Adams for The Keystone.
Financial planning website WalletHub has found that a smoker in the state spends around $4,022 per year on smoking, which comes out to $193,070 over their lifetime.
The result put the Keystone State at No. 15 nationwide for the financial cost of smoking annually and over the course of a lifetime.
The report, titled The Real Cost of Smoking by State, looked at the average cost of a pack of cigarettes in each state and multiplied it by 365 days for the annual cost. The number was then multiplied by 48 for a lifetime amount. Currently the average cost for a pack of cigarettes in Pennsylvania is $11.02.
The report also shows that the monetary losses linked to smoking, including healthcare costs. Tobacco-related healthcare expenses averages $3,989 annually in Pennsylvania, totaling $191,452 over a lifetime.
Additionally, the report found that smoking can result in income loss, with several studies citing absenteeism, workplace bias, and health-related productivity declines as just some of the contributing factors.
Read more about the price of smoking in The Keystone.
Editor’s Note: This post first appeared on MONTCO Today in January 2025.
