Braces cost by state
Estimated typical prices for braces in every state, from $4,350 in Arkansas to $5,550 in California for metal braces.
These are estimates, not surveyed state averages. We scale national price ranges by each state's 2024 price level from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. Prices inside a state vary too: cities usually cost more than rural areas.
Map: typical price of metal braces by state
Estimates for metal braces, the middle of the national range scaled by each state's price level. Select a state to open the calculator; every figure is also in the table below.
Estimated braces cost in each state
| State | Price level (US = 100) | Metal braces, typical | Metal braces, range | Clear aligners, typical | Ceramic, typical | Lingual, typical |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 88.8 | $4,450 | $2,650 to $6,200 | $4,900 | $5,350 | $8,000 |
| Alaska | 102.4 | $5,100 | $3,050 to $7,150 | $5,650 | $6,150 | $9,200 |
| Arizona | 100.7 | $5,050 | $3,000 to $7,050 | $5,550 | $6,050 | $9,050 |
| Arkansas | 86.9 | $4,350 | $2,600 to $6,100 | $4,800 | $5,200 | $7,800 |
| California | 110.7 | $5,550 | $3,300 to $7,750 | $6,100 | $6,650 | $9,950 |
| Colorado | 103.1 | $5,150 | $3,100 to $7,200 | $5,650 | $6,200 | $9,300 |
| Connecticut | 103.6 | $5,200 | $3,100 to $7,250 | $5,700 | $6,200 | $9,300 |
| Delaware | 99.8 | $5,000 | $3,000 to $7,000 | $5,500 | $6,000 | $9,000 |
| District of Columbia | 109.9 | $5,500 | $3,300 to $7,700 | $6,050 | $6,600 | $9,900 |
| Florida | 103.4 | $5,150 | $3,100 to $7,250 | $5,700 | $6,200 | $9,300 |
| Georgia | 96.3 | $4,800 | $2,900 to $6,750 | $5,300 | $5,800 | $8,650 |
| Hawaii | 110.0 | $5,500 | $3,300 to $7,700 | $6,050 | $6,600 | $9,900 |
| Idaho | 95.5 | $4,800 | $2,850 to $6,700 | $5,250 | $5,750 | $8,600 |
| Illinois | 100.0 | $5,000 | $3,000 to $7,000 | $5,500 | $6,000 | $9,000 |
| Indiana | 93.3 | $4,650 | $2,800 to $6,550 | $5,150 | $5,600 | $8,400 |
| Iowa | 87.8 | $4,400 | $2,650 to $6,150 | $4,850 | $5,250 | $7,900 |
| Kansas | 90.1 | $4,500 | $2,700 to $6,300 | $4,950 | $5,400 | $8,100 |
| Kentucky | 90.2 | $4,500 | $2,700 to $6,300 | $4,950 | $5,400 | $8,100 |
| Louisiana | 88.2 | $4,400 | $2,650 to $6,150 | $4,850 | $5,300 | $7,950 |
| Maine | 97.0 | $4,850 | $2,900 to $6,800 | $5,350 | $5,800 | $8,750 |
| Maryland | 105.0 | $5,250 | $3,150 to $7,350 | $5,800 | $6,300 | $9,450 |
| Massachusetts | 105.8 | $5,300 | $3,150 to $7,400 | $5,800 | $6,350 | $9,500 |
| Michigan | 96.2 | $4,800 | $2,900 to $6,750 | $5,300 | $5,750 | $8,650 |
| Minnesota | 98.6 | $4,950 | $2,950 to $6,900 | $5,400 | $5,900 | $8,850 |
| Mississippi | 87.0 | $4,350 | $2,600 to $6,100 | $4,800 | $5,200 | $7,850 |
| Missouri | 90.8 | $4,550 | $2,700 to $6,350 | $5,000 | $5,450 | $8,150 |
| Montana | 94.6 | $4,750 | $2,850 to $6,600 | $5,200 | $5,700 | $8,500 |
| Nebraska | 90.1 | $4,500 | $2,700 to $6,300 | $4,950 | $5,400 | $8,100 |
| Nevada | 100.0 | $5,000 | $3,000 to $7,000 | $5,500 | $6,000 | $9,000 |
| New Hampshire | 104.2 | $5,200 | $3,150 to $7,300 | $5,750 | $6,250 | $9,400 |
| New Jersey | 108.8 | $5,450 | $3,250 to $7,600 | $6,000 | $6,550 | $9,800 |
| New Mexico | 92.2 | $4,600 | $2,750 to $6,450 | $5,050 | $5,550 | $8,300 |
| New York | 107.9 | $5,400 | $3,250 to $7,550 | $5,950 | $6,450 | $9,700 |
| North Carolina | 94.3 | $4,700 | $2,850 to $6,600 | $5,200 | $5,650 | $8,500 |
| North Dakota | 89.0 | $4,450 | $2,650 to $6,250 | $4,900 | $5,350 | $8,000 |
| Ohio | 92.8 | $4,650 | $2,800 to $6,500 | $5,100 | $5,550 | $8,350 |
| Oklahoma | 87.8 | $4,400 | $2,650 to $6,150 | $4,850 | $5,250 | $7,900 |
| Oregon | 103.4 | $5,150 | $3,100 to $7,250 | $5,700 | $6,200 | $9,300 |
| Pennsylvania | 97.6 | $4,900 | $2,950 to $6,850 | $5,350 | $5,850 | $8,800 |
| Rhode Island | 102.3 | $5,100 | $3,050 to $7,150 | $5,650 | $6,150 | $9,200 |
| South Carolina | 93.7 | $4,700 | $2,800 to $6,550 | $5,150 | $5,600 | $8,450 |
| South Dakota | 88.6 | $4,450 | $2,650 to $6,200 | $4,850 | $5,300 | $7,950 |
| Tennessee | 91.9 | $4,600 | $2,750 to $6,450 | $5,050 | $5,500 | $8,250 |
| Texas | 97.1 | $4,850 | $2,900 to $6,800 | $5,350 | $5,850 | $8,750 |
| Utah | 98.9 | $4,950 | $2,950 to $6,900 | $5,450 | $5,950 | $8,900 |
| Vermont | 98.0 | $4,900 | $2,950 to $6,850 | $5,400 | $5,900 | $8,800 |
| Virginia | 101.1 | $5,050 | $3,050 to $7,100 | $5,550 | $6,050 | $9,100 |
| Washington | 107.0 | $5,350 | $3,200 to $7,500 | $5,900 | $6,400 | $9,650 |
| West Virginia | 89.5 | $4,500 | $2,700 to $6,250 | $4,900 | $5,350 | $8,050 |
| Wisconsin | 94.1 | $4,700 | $2,800 to $6,600 | $5,200 | $5,650 | $8,450 |
| Wyoming | 92.7 | $4,650 | $2,800 to $6,500 | $5,100 | $5,550 | $8,350 |
How to use these estimates
Use the table to judge whether a quote is in the usual territory for your state, not as a price list. The typical figure is the middle of the national range for each type, scaled by your state's price level; the range for metal braces shows the low and high ends scaled the same way. Your own price depends on your case, how long treatment takes and the practice (AAO). For a figure that reflects your case, insurance and payment plan, open the calculator with your state selected.
Most and least expensive states
Highest estimated prices
- California: $5,550
- Hawaii: $5,500
- District of Columbia: $5,500
- New Jersey: $5,450
- New York: $5,400
Lowest estimated prices
- Arkansas: $4,350
- Mississippi: $4,350
- Oklahoma: $4,400
- Iowa: $4,400
- Louisiana: $4,400
Other types of treatment
The table includes typical estimates for all four main types. The gaps between them are the same in every state in percentage terms, because every type is scaled by the same price level: in any state, typical lingual braces are about 80% more than metal, using CareCredit's 2022 ranges (CareCredit). For more on each type, see metal, ceramic, lingual and Invisalign.
Cities, towns and rural areas
A state figure is an average over very different places. Price levels inside a state can differ a lot: in Texas, for example, the 2024 price level was 97.9 in metropolitan areas and 87.8 outside them (BEA via FRED). If orthodontic fees follow local costs, a quote in a big city may sit above our state figure and one in a small town below it. Two or three quotes tell you more about your local market than any state average.
How our estimates compare with other sources
Other publishers estimate state prices too. Pearl, for example, adjusts ADA fee survey data for state cost of living, and its state rankings differ from ours because it adjusts in its own way (Pearl). None of these figures is a survey of what patients in each state actually paid. That's what our share what you paid survey is building, and reader-reported prices will be added here as they come in.
What else differs by state
- Medicaid rules. Every state must cover medically necessary braces for children under 21, but states decide how to measure medical necessity (National Health Law Program). Adult coverage varies (Healthline). See does Medicaid cover braces.
- Public program fees. What a state program pays orthodontists varies; South Carolina's children's program, for example, pays $2,400 for comprehensive treatment (SC DPH).
- Not by state: HSA and FSA limits are federal, so the 2025 health FSA limit of $3,300 applies everywhere (IRS Publication 969).
Why prices differ between states
An orthodontist's fee covers rent, staff wages, lab work and equipment. All of those cost more where general prices are higher, so fees tend to follow the local cost of living. That's the assumption behind this table. It won't capture a state where competition between orthodontists is unusually strong or weak.
Want real local prices? Reader-reported prices are being collected on share what you paid and will be added here as they come in.
Questions people ask
Which state has the most expensive braces?
On our estimates, the highest typical prices are in states with the highest overall price levels, led by California, DC and Hawaii. Other publishers adjust national data differently and can rank states differently.
Which state has the cheapest braces?
On our estimates, Arkansas and Mississippi, the states with the lowest price levels in 2024 BEA data.
How are these state prices calculated?
We take the national price range for each type of treatment and multiply it by the state's 2024 Regional Price Parity from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, then round to the nearest $50. They are estimates, not surveyed averages.
Are braces cheaper in rural areas?
General prices usually are. In Texas, for example, the 2024 price level was 97.9 in metropolitan areas and 87.8 outside them (BEA via FRED). If orthodontic fees follow local costs, quotes in smaller towns may be lower, but compare at least two written quotes.
Does Medicaid coverage for braces differ by state?
Yes. Every state must cover medically necessary orthodontic treatment for children under 21, but each state decides how to measure medical necessity, and adult coverage varies.
How much are braces in my state?
Find your state in the table for typical estimates for metal braces, ceramic braces, lingual braces and clear aligners, or open the calculator with your state selected for an estimate that includes your case, insurance and payment plan.
Sources
- Average costs of orthodontics procedures by service (CareCredit data). Becker's Dental Review. October 21, 2022.
- Regional Price Parities by state, 2024 (all items). U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, via FRED. Released February 19, 2026.
Figures are national averages or ranges from these sources. Estimates from our calculator are a model, explained on how we get our numbers.