5 States With the Most Expensive Cigarettes in the US

2. District of Columbia

Average Retail Price per Pack: $10.42

In 2018, the District of Columbia Council voted 10 to 2 to increase the tax collected on cigarettes from $2.5 per pack to $4.5, making the nation’s capital one of the most expensive places to be a smoker. The District projected higher cigarette taxes would bring in $12 million over the next four years.

While the high tax rate was hailed as a way to discourage smoking, it also encouraged the black market and sent customers outside the city, as smokers can now drive only a few miles away to buy cheaper cigarettes in Maryland or Virginia. A pack of cigarettes in Virginia goes for an average of $5.73.