If you live in Pa., your internet bill is probably bigger than in other populous states

It can be hard to gauge whether you’re paying too much for home internet.

A new U.S. News & World Report study, however, sheds some light on how much Pennsylvanians are spending to stay connected.

Residents of the Keystone State pay $110 a month on average for internet, according to a survey of consumers in the five most populated states. The report found Pennsylvania residents pay more on average than residents of the four other states — California, Texas, Florida, and New York.

When Pennsylvanians sign up for an internet plan, a time when providers often offer promotions, they pay $83 on average, according to the survey. Of residents of the other four states, only New Yorkers reported paying more at sign-up.

» READ MORE: How to improve your home WiFi without calling customer service, according to Comcast experts

Reliable home internet has become even more essential in recent years, given the increase in remote and hybrid work since the pandemic. At the same time, internet costs have increased, as has the price of just about everything else, including necessities like groceries.

But according to the U.S. News report, the majority of Pennsylvanians are faring OK.

While more than half of the 500 Pennsylvania respondents said it’s difficult to pay their monthly internet bills, 71% said they haven’t needed to cut back on expenses to do so. Those findings are in line with what residents of the other four states said.

The survey did not specify respondents’ geographic locations within each state.

In each of the five states, more than a quarter of consumers did not know what download speeds were included in their internet plan. Higher download speeds typically cost more.

About 16% of Pennsylvanians report paying for a 500 Mbps plan, according to the survey.

» READ MORE: Why Comcast Xfinity just made your internet faster at no extra cost

Most households only need about 200 Mbps, James Willcox, senior electronics editor for Consumer Reports, told The Inquirer in March. If you’re unsure how much your home needs, you can use Consumer Reports’ “How Much Internet Speed Do You Need?” calculator.

Any consumer can check the current speed of their internet by logging onto their internet provider’s account management website, calling their provider, or doing a speed test at speedtest.net.

More than 80% of respondents in all five states wanted Congress to bring back the Affordable Connectivity Program, which gave low-income consumers a $30 a month subsidy for internet. That program lapsed in June.

It’s not yet clear how many people can no longer afford internet without the program. Providers have rolled out savings plans to help these customers stay online.