WCRates

Workers' Comp Rates by State (2026)

Compare workers' comp costs across all states. Click on a state to see its class codes, filed figures where the state publishes them, requirements, and tips to lower your premium.

Coverage rules vary as much as the rates do. If you have no employees, start with workers' comp insurance for the self-employed — most states let a sole proprietor elect coverage rather than requiring it, but California licensing rules and Florida's construction statute are exceptions.

Hiring childcare at home? Domestic-worker triggers use different hour, wage, and household-staffing tests. Compare workers' comp insurance rules for a nanny across seven jurisdictions before work starts.

Filing dates reviewed against NCCI and state rating-bureau filings · most recent state review: 2026-10-12 — how we verify

Cheapest and Most Expensive States for Workers' Comp (2026)

Across the 47 U.S. jurisdictions rated on NCCI-style class codes, Indiana ranks as the cheapest state for workers’ compensation in 2026, with a cost index of 0.73, and California the most expensive at 1.34 (median state = 1.00) — a spread of roughly 1.8×. The index is a relative position from this site's model, not a price: this site no longer publishes modelled per-$100 averages. The state pages for New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Delaware carry those states' own filed per-class figures; the rest show the index. See the calibration measurement.

North Dakota, Ohio, Washington and Wyoming are deliberately absent from this ranking. Each is a monopolistic state fund that sets premium on its own basis rather than on an NCCI class-code rate per $100 of payroll, so no comparable figure exists to rank them against — a distinction most “cheapest states” lists get wrong.

All 47 ranked jurisdictions, with their cost index, are in the data table under the map below.

Every State, Every Class Code — Workers' Comp Cost, Visualized

Each tile is one state, shaded by its relative cost index — how its workers' comp cost level compares with the median state (1.00). California runs the highest at 1.34; Indiana the lowest at 0.73. The index ranks states; it is not a price. Select any state for its class codes and, where its regulator publishes them, its filed figures.

47 jurisdictions are indexed here. North Dakota, Ohio, Washington and Wyoming carry no index: each is a monopolistic state fund that sets premium on its own basis rather than on an NCCI class-code rate per $100 of payroll, so there is no comparable figure to shade or rank. Their tiles link to a page explaining what the fund actually charges on.

Scroll the map sideways for the eastern states, or jump to the ranked list of all 51 jurisdictions.

Alabama — cost index 1.01 (median state = 1.00)AL1.01Alaska — cost index 1.33 (median state = 1.00)AK1.33Arizona — cost index 0.86 (median state = 1.00)AZ0.86Arkansas — cost index 0.82 (median state = 1.00)AR0.82California — cost index 1.34 (median state = 1.00)CA1.34Colorado — cost index 0.83 (median state = 1.00)CO0.83Connecticut — cost index 1.14 (median state = 1.00)CT1.14Delaware — cost index 1.03 (median state = 1.00)DE1.03Florida — cost index 1.07 (median state = 1.00)FL1.07Georgia — cost index 0.98 (median state = 1.00)GA0.98Hawaii — cost index 1.20 (median state = 1.00)HI1.20Idaho — cost index 0.89 (median state = 1.00)ID0.89Illinois — cost index 1.12 (median state = 1.00)IL1.12Indiana — cost index 0.73 (median state = 1.00)IN0.73Iowa — cost index 0.95 (median state = 1.00)IA0.95Kansas — cost index 0.90 (median state = 1.00)KS0.90Kentucky — cost index 0.93 (median state = 1.00)KY0.93Louisiana — cost index 1.17 (median state = 1.00)LA1.17Maine — cost index 1.03 (median state = 1.00)ME1.03Maryland — cost index 0.98 (median state = 1.00)MD0.98Massachusetts — cost index 1.10 (median state = 1.00)MA1.10Michigan — cost index 1.05 (median state = 1.00)MI1.05Minnesota — cost index 1.01 (median state = 1.00)MN1.01Mississippi — cost index 0.91 (median state = 1.00)MS0.91Missouri — cost index 0.96 (median state = 1.00)MO0.96Montana — cost index 1.07 (median state = 1.00)MT1.07Nebraska — cost index 0.88 (median state = 1.00)NE0.88Nevada — cost index 0.97 (median state = 1.00)NV0.97New Hampshire — cost index 1.01 (median state = 1.00)NH1.01New Jersey — cost index 1.21 (median state = 1.00)NJ1.21New Mexico — cost index 0.92 (median state = 1.00)NM0.92New York — cost index 1.06 (median state = 1.00)NY1.06North Carolina — cost index 0.88 (median state = 1.00)NC0.88North Dakota — WSI, rated on the fund's own classification manual; no NCCI rate per $100 of payrollNDfundOhio — BWC, rated on the fund's own filed base rates; no NCCI rate per $100 of payrollOHfundOklahoma — cost index 1.10 (median state = 1.00)OK1.10Oregon — cost index 0.99 (median state = 1.00)OR0.99Pennsylvania — cost index 1.20 (median state = 1.00)PA1.20Rhode Island — cost index 1.04 (median state = 1.00)RI1.04South Carolina — cost index 0.93 (median state = 1.00)SC0.93South Dakota — cost index 0.83 (median state = 1.00)SD0.83Tennessee — cost index 0.89 (median state = 1.00)TN0.89Texas — cost index 0.74 (median state = 1.00)TX0.74Utah — cost index 0.79 (median state = 1.00)UT0.79Vermont — cost index 1.05 (median state = 1.00)VT1.05Virginia — cost index 0.78 (median state = 1.00)VA0.78Washington — L&I, rated per hour worked; no NCCI rate per $100 of payrollWAfundWest Virginia — cost index 1.00 (median state = 1.00)WV1.00Wisconsin — cost index 1.01 (median state = 1.00)WI1.01Wyoming — DWS, rated by NAICS industry class; no NCCI rate per $100 of payrollWYfundDistrict of Columbia — cost index 1.10 (median state = 1.00)DC1.10
Well below the median state (< 0.90)Below the median (0.90–0.97)Near the median (0.98–1.02)Above the median (1.03–1.09)Well above the median (≥ 1.10)State fund — not rated per $100 of NCCI payroll

Cost index = the state's modelled cost level ÷ the median of the 47 indexed jurisdictions (rebuilt 2026-10-12). It is a relative position, not a price, and it is not reconciled to filed state loss costs — see the calibration measurement and our rate disclaimer.

Rank all 51 jurisdictions, cheapest to most expensive
2026 workers' compensation relative cost index by U.S. state, ranked cheapest to most expensive, followed by the monopolistic state funds that carry no index.
RankStateCost indexFiled
1Indianaindependent0.73—
2Texasncci0.74—
3Virginiancci0.78—
4Utahncci0.79—
5Arkansasncci0.82—
6South Dakotancci0.83—
7Coloradoncci0.83—
8Arizonancci0.86—
9North Carolinaindependent0.88—
10Nebraskancci0.88—
11Tennesseencci0.89—
12Idahoncci0.89—
13Kansasncci0.90—
14Mississippincci0.91—
15New Mexiconcci0.92—
16South Carolinancci0.93—
17Kentuckyncci0.93—
18Iowancci0.95—
19Missourincci0.96—
20Nevadancci0.97—
21Marylandncci0.98—
22Georgiancci0.98—
23Oregonncci0.99—
24West Virginiancci1.00—
25Wisconsinindependent1.01Yes
26New Hampshirencci1.01—
27Minnesotaindependent1.01—
28Alabamancci1.01—
29Mainencci1.03—
30Delawareindependent1.03Yes
31Rhode Islandncci1.04—
32Vermontncci1.05—
33Michiganindependent1.05—
34New Yorkindependent1.06Yes
35Montanancci1.07—
36Floridancci1.07—
37Oklahomancci1.10—
38Massachusettsindependent1.10—
39District of Columbiancci1.10—
40Illinoisncci1.12—
41Connecticutncci1.14—
42Louisianancci1.17—
43Pennsylvaniaindependent1.20Yes
44Hawaiincci1.20—
45New Jerseyindependent1.21—
46Alaskancci1.33—
47Californiaindependent1.34—
—North DakotamonopolyNot rated per $100 of NCCI payroll — rated on the fund's own classification manual
—OhiomonopolyNot rated per $100 of NCCI payroll — rated on the fund's own filed base rates
—WashingtonmonopolyNot rated per $100 of NCCI payroll — rated per hour worked
—WyomingmonopolyNot rated per $100 of NCCI payroll — rated by NAICS industry class

Alabama

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

1.01

cost index

Alaska

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

1.33

cost index

Arizona

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.86

cost index

Arkansas

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.82

cost index

California

independent
Mandatory · WCIRB

1.34

cost index

Colorado

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.83

cost index

Connecticut

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

1.14

cost index

Delaware

independent
Mandatory · DCRB

1.03

cost index · filed figures

District of Columbia

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

1.10

cost index

Florida

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

1.07

cost index

Georgia

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.98

cost index

Hawaii

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

1.20

cost index

Idaho

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.89

cost index

Illinois

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

1.12

cost index

Indiana

independent
Mandatory · ICRB

0.73

cost index

Iowa

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.95

cost index

Kansas

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.90

cost index

Kentucky

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.93

cost index

Louisiana

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

1.17

cost index

Maine

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

1.03

cost index

Maryland

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.98

cost index

Massachusetts

independent
Mandatory · WCRIBMA

1.10

cost index

Michigan

independent
Mandatory · CAOM

1.05

cost index

Minnesota

independent
Mandatory · MWCIA

1.01

cost index

Mississippi

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.91

cost index

Missouri

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.96

cost index

Montana

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

1.07

cost index

Nebraska

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.88

cost index

Nevada

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.97

cost index

New Hampshire

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

1.01

cost index

New Jersey

independent
Mandatory · NJCRIB

1.21

cost index

New Mexico

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.92

cost index

New York

independent
Mandatory · NYCIRB

1.06

cost index · filed figures

North Carolina

independent
Mandatory · NCRB

0.88

cost index

North Dakota

monopoly
Mandatory · WSI

State fund

own rate basis

Ohio

monopoly
Mandatory · BWC

State fund

own rate basis

Oklahoma

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

1.10

cost index

Oregon

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.99

cost index

Pennsylvania

independent
Mandatory · PCRB

1.20

cost index · filed figures

Rhode Island

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

1.04

cost index

South Carolina

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.93

cost index

South Dakota

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.83

cost index

Tennessee

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.89

cost index

Texas

ncci
Optional · NCCI

0.74

cost index

Utah

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.79

cost index

Vermont

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

1.05

cost index

Virginia

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

0.78

cost index

Washington

monopoly
Mandatory · L&I

State fund

own rate basis

West Virginia

ncci
Mandatory · NCCI

1.00

cost index

Wisconsin

independent
Mandatory · WCRB

1.01

cost index · filed figures

Wyoming

monopoly
Mandatory · DWS

State fund

own rate basis