The Fastest and Slowest States for Internet

📶 Florida ranks #3 among states with fastest internet speeds

State of Florida– HighSpeedInternet.com’s internet speed test shows the national average internet speed in 2023 is 171.30Mbps.

However, Wi-Fi speeds are not equal across every state. While many parts of the country have ample access to gigabit fiber speeds and affordable 5G connections, other areas suffer from the effects of the digital divide of limited infrastructure and few provider options. You can look for a faster internet provider in your area, but sometimes you just can’t get the internet speed you need.

They ranked each state (and Washington, D.C.) by the fastest average internet speeds.

The average U.S. internet speed in 2023

Internet speeds around the country keep getting faster every year. According to the speed test data, this year’s average nationwide internet speed is 44% faster compared to 2022, when the average speed was 119.03Mbps.

Internet speeds have been on a steady incline for years, and speeds really ramped up since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Internet providers have diversified plan options and ramped up efforts to expand fiber-optic networks, making it possible to now offer plans capable of eye-popping max speeds: 1Gbps, 2Gbps, and even 5Gbps.

Many Americans still get modest speeds

It’s worth noting that only a small minority of internet customers actually spring for higher priced gigabit offerings.

Just look at the numbers in the speed test. America’s median speed (meaning the number that sits in the middle of the entire batch of speed tests) is just 90.96Mbps. That’s a significant drop compared to the average of 171.30Mbps.

The disparity between the two figures suggests that the majority of internet users still order relatively modest internet packages with speeds of 200Mbps or below, usually due to factors like price and availability.

TOP 5 FASTEST STATES:

Connecticut
New Jersey
Florida
Delaware
New Hampshire

TOP 5 SLOWEST STATES:

Alaska
West Virginia
Montana
Idaho
New Mexico

FLORIDA INTERNET SPEED STATS:

2023 national rank: #3 fastest in the U.S.
Median download speed: 115.58 Mbps
Average download speed: 185.24 Mbps
Year-over-year change in median: +0.29 Mbps
2022 national rank: #7 fastest in the U.S.

KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS YEAR’S REPORT:

The national average internet speed in 2023 is 171.30 Mbps — 44% faster compared to 2022, when the average speed was 119.03 Mbps.
Seven of the top 10 fastest states this year are located in New England or the New York Tri-State area. Two of the states (Florida and South Carolina) are also on the East Coast, just farther south.
Unlike many of its New England neighbors, Vermont has some of the slowest internet speeds in the country. But the Green Mountain State managed to see the biggest improvement in internet speed over the past year, thanks to government initiatives.
The states with the slowest speeds are mostly rural with relatively low population density—a reminder that America’s digital divide comes into stark focus in remote parts of the country.

Check out the full report for the complete state rankings, more stats and context, as well as our methodology.