- Cost in Florida
- $38 a year
- Capacity
- 25 pints/day
- Pump
- Not published
3 picks that fit
How we pick- Cost in Florida
- $51 a year
- Capacity
- 35 pints/day
- Pump
- Not published
- Cost in Florida
- $71 a year
- Capacity
- 50 pints/day
- Pump
- Not published
How we pick. One pick per level, from the top of its ENERGY STAR range: 25–30 pints when damp, 35–40 when very damp, and 45–50 when wet. Each is sold by a store we link to. The lowest yearly energy use wins, then the higher efficiency. Stores never pay for a place.
Month by month
Nine Florida weather stations, month by month
Each cell is the month’s normal dew point, the temperature the air must cool to before water condenses out of it. In January, it runs from 42°F in Tallahassee to 62°F in Key West. From June to September, all nine sit at 65°F or above.
- Dry, 55°F or less
- Sticky, 56–64°F
- Becoming oppressive, 65°F and up
- Humid months a year
| Station | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pensacola8 humid months | 43 | 46 | 51 | 58 | 65 | 72 | 74 | 74 | 69 | 60 | 51 | 46 |
| Tallahassee7 humid months | 42 | 44 | 49 | 55 | 62 | 70 | 72 | 73 | 68 | 59 | 50 | 45 |
| Jacksonville8 humid months | 45 | 47 | 51 | 57 | 64 | 71 | 73 | 73 | 71 | 63 | 54 | 49 |
| Orlando11 humid months | 51 | 53 | 55 | 60 | 65 | 71 | 73 | 74 | 72 | 66 | 59 | 55 |
| Tampa12 humid months | 52 | 54 | 56 | 61 | 66 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 72 | 66 | 59 | 55 |
| Fort Myers12 humid months | 54 | 56 | 58 | 62 | 66 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 73 | 68 | 61 | 58 |
| West Palm Beach12 humid months | 57 | 59 | 60 | 63 | 68 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 69 | 63 | 60 |
| Miami12 humid months | 59 | 60 | 61 | 64 | 68 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 70 | 65 | 62 |
| Key West12 humid months | 62 | 63 | 65 | 67 | 71 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 75 | 72 | 67 | 65 |
A humid month is one where outdoor air, brought to 65°F, tops 60% humidity. Across all 22 NOAA stations in Florida, the median is 11 humid months a year, the most in the lower 48. Every state is in our study, and each city above opens in the humidity tool.
Dew point: NOAA hourly normals, 1991-2020, read Oct 5, 2026. Scale: National Weather Service, Dew Point vs Humidity, read Oct 5, 2026.
Homes here
How Florida homes are cooled
Florida homes mostly cool through ducts: 90% use central air, against 67% nationwide. Few run a dehumidifier. Each figure sits next to the U.S. one.
-
Use central air
90%
U.S. 67%
-
Use any air conditioning
96%
U.S. 89%
-
Use room units
11%
U.S. 26%
Window, wall, ductless, or portable
-
Use a dehumidifier
8%
U.S. 17%
-
Have a basement
Not published
Held back by the EIA as too uncertain. U.S. 30%
Out of all homes. Apartments and mobile homes weren’t asked.
-
Average floor area
1,623sq ft
U.S. 1,818 sq ft
Shares are of occupied primary homes, areas are averages per home. U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS), state data, state tables published March 2023, read Oct 6, 2026. The EIA notes that gaps between states may not be statistically significant.
Three levels of damp
1,623 sq ft, by how damp it is
The tiles use the average Florida home, 1,623 sq ft in the EIA’s 2020 survey. Each cost applies the average home electricity price in Florida to the median EPA yearly energy of the certified portables in the range.
Damp · 50–75% humidity
20–30 pints a day
$43 a year at the median, 285 kWh
157 modelsVery damp · 75–90% humidity
25–40 pints a day
$52 a year at the median, 343 kWh
125 modelsWet · 90–100% humidity
30–50 pints a day
$76 a year at the median, 507 kWh
243 models
Sizes: ENERGY STAR sizing table, read Oct 5, 2026. Models and energy: EPA list of Oct 15, 2026.
Running cost here
What it costs to run in Florida
Florida pays 18% less than the U.S. average for home electricity. Each row uses the EPA’s yearly estimate for a typical certified portable of its range.
Home price, July 2026
15.03¢a kWh
15th lowest of the 50 states and DC. U.S. average: 18.31¢.
| Range | Florida | U.S. average | 11 years here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damp20–30 pints | $43 | $52 | $473 |
| Very damp25–40 pints | $52 | $63 | $572 |
| Wet30–50 pints | $76 | $93 | $836 |
By the EPA’s yearly estimates, the thriftiest certified 45–50 pint model uses 438 kWh, and a typical one of the 156 uses 520. In Florida, that gap is worth $12 a year, or $132 over 11 years.
Energy: EPA list of Oct 15, 2026. Prices: EIA, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A, July 2026, applied to a full year. Lifetime: Department of Energy estimate for a portable, Jun 13, 2016.
Questions
What people ask before buying
Do I need a dehumidifier in Florida?
Not in every home. The outdoor air is humid in 11 months out of 12, at the median of 22 NOAA stations. But 96% of Florida homes use air conditioning, and the EPA lists air conditioners next to dehumidifiers as ways to lower humidity.
So let a hygrometer decide. The EPA says to keep indoor humidity below 60%, ideally 30–50%. If a room stays above 60%, or smells musty, a dehumidifier is the next step. In 2020, 8% of Florida homes used one, against 17% nationwide.
NOAA hourly normals, 1991-2020 · EIA, Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2020 · EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home, updated Feb 18, 2026Portable or whole-house in Florida?
ENERGY STAR suggests a whole-house unit if you live in a humid climate and have central air. It adds that such a unit brings the most to fairly well sealed houses that read above 55% in every room.
Central air is the rule here: 90% of Florida homes use it, against 67% nationwide. A hygrometer in several rooms checks the 55%. The whole-house guide ranks the ducted units.
Only one room damp? With central air, ENERGY STAR also suggests an A/C vent in that space, so the system dries it too.
ENERGY STAR, Dehumidifiers buying guidance, read Oct 5, 2026 · EIA, Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2020What should I do after a hurricane or a flood?
Dry the house quickly. Wood, drywall, carpet, and furniture left wet for more than 24 hours can grow mold, the EPA warns. With power, it suggests fans and dehumidifiers, after you’ve gently cleaned all visible mold at least once.
Warm, humid outdoor air slows the drying. In that case, and if you have power, the EPA suggests closing doors and windows and running fans, dehumidifiers, or air conditioners. Don’t use an HVAC system that flood water reached. Most HVAC systems can’t dry a flooded home alone, the EPA adds, and drying usually takes days to weeks.
On generator power, keep the generator outside, at least 20 feet from the house.
EPA, Flood Cleanup: Protect Indoor Air and Your Health, updated Mar 18, 2026What does it cost to run a dehumidifier in Florida?
From $43 to $76 a year, by size, at the EPA medians and the July 2026 Florida price. The same units come to $52 to $93 at the U.S. average.
Those are the EPA’s standard yearly estimates. In a state with 11 humid months, a unit may run longer, so your bill can top them.
EPA list, Oct 15, 2026 · EIA, July 2026What humidity should a Florida home be?
Below 60%, ideally 30–50%, as the EPA says for any home. Florida’s air makes that harder to hold.
In Miami, the August dew point averages 74°F. Brought to 75°F without drying, that air would read about 98% humidity. The dew point calculator works it out for your own readings.
EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home, updated Feb 18, 2026 · NOAA hourly normals, 1991-2020 · National Weather Service, vapor pressure formula, read Oct 5, 2026Before you order
Check before you buy
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Related
Other guides
Humidity and cost by stateStudyRunning cost in FloridaToolWhole-house dehumidifierGuideDehumidifier for moldGuide
Data: U.S. EPA certified dehumidifiers list (updated Oct 15, 2026, checked Oct 16, 2026); U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A (July 2026); NOAA hourly climate normals (1991-2020); EIA, Residential Energy Consumption Survey (2020). How we compare · Report an error