Nanny State

The Best and Worst States To Be a Smoker

Tobacco is the most taxed consumer product in the U.S., and those taxes largely dictate cigarette prices.

Reem Ibrahim | From the August/September 2026 issue

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A smoker landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City would have to pay $19 for a pack of Marlboros. If that same smoker drove a few hundred miles south to North Carolina, he would pay less than half that price.

The same product could have vastly different prices depending on where in the country you are. The difference has little to do with the cigarettes themselves. It is almost entirely the result of tax policy.

Tobacco is the most highly taxed consumer product in the United States. Cigarettes are taxed at the federal, state, and local levels. On average nationwide, taxes make up nearly half of the retail price. In New York and Washington, D.C., more than 60 percent of what consumers pay is due to taxes.

According to data collated by the Tax Foundation, Chicago imposes the highest combined tax burden on cigarettes in the........

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