Prices and rates · Guide
How Much Does a Billboard Cost? (2026 Prices)
By Gabie Research · Updated Oct 8, 2026 · 8 min read
Short answer
A billboard usually costs $1,200 to $3,300 per four weeks at the median, depending on market size, based on AdQuick's 2025–26 deal data. Small-town boards can rent for $250. Top-market bulletins can pass $30,000, and Times Square screens run more. Digital ads cost 30% to 50% more than static. Bulletin CPMs run about $3 to $10.
- Median price per four weeks: $3,300 in the top 10 markets and $1,200 in markets ranked 101 and up (AdQuick, 2025–26).
- Billboards are priced per four weeks, not per month. There are 13 four-week periods in a year.
- Digital ads cost about 30% to 50% more than a static face in the same spot.
- Bulletin CPMs run $3 to $10, below TV ($24 to $49) and newspapers ($40 to $54).
- Static ads add printing and posting. A 14' x 48' vinyl costs about $1,000 to $2,000 to print.
A billboard usually costs $1,200 to $3,300 per four weeks at the median. Smaller markets sit at the low end and the top 10 markets at the high end. That comes from what buyers actually paid on AdQuick from July 2025 to June 2026 (AdQuick). A rural poster can rent for a few hundred dollars. A premium city bulletin can pass $30,000.
Prices swing a lot because every board is different. The road, the traffic, the size and the market all move the rate. This guide shows real ranges, what drives them and what they mean if you own the boards.
How much does a billboard cost by market size?
Market size is the biggest single factor. AdQuick published what advertisers paid on its marketplace over 12 months. These are deal prices, not rate cards.
| Market (by DMA rank) | Median per 4 weeks | Typical range (middle half) | Typical CPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top 10 markets (1–10) | $3,300 | $1,800 – $6,100 | $1.50 – $3.75 |
| Large markets (11–50) | $2,200 | $1,350 – $3,500 | $1.50 – $2.75 |
| Mid-size markets (51–100) | $1,400 | $750 – $2,300 | $1.50 – $3.75 |
| Smaller markets (101+) | $1,200 | $800 – $1,950 | $1.75 – $5.00 |
Source: AdQuick, static billboards, July 2025 to June 2026. AdQuick notes the data includes large multi-market buys.
A DMA is a TV market, ranked by size. New York is number 1. Jackson, Tennessee, ranks 157th in total local ad spend (OAAA).
Blip, a digital billboard seller, gives wider planning ranges by city size (Blip):
| Market size | Population | Price per month |
|---|---|---|
| Rural or small town | Under 100,000 | $250 – $1,500 |
| Small city | 100,000 – 250,000 | $500 – $3,000 |
| Mid-size market | 250,000 – 500,000 | $1,000 – $8,000 |
| Major metro | 500,000 – 2 million | $5,000 – $25,000 |
| Top-tier urban | Over 2 million | $15,000 – $100,000+ |
The two sources don't match. AdQuick shows medians from real deals, with volume buys mixed in. Blip shows list-style ranges, top to bottom. Use the medians to set a budget. Use the ranges to see how high a market can go.
How much does a billboard cost in big cities?
City prices run higher, and the best faces run much higher. AdQuick gives these planning ranges for a static bulletin (AdQuick):
| Market | Static bulletin per 4 weeks |
|---|---|
| New York City metro | $5,000 – $25,000+ |
| Los Angeles | $3,000 – $20,000+ |
| Chicago | $2,500 – $15,000 |
| Miami and South Florida | $2,500 – $15,000 |
| Dallas, Houston, Atlanta | $2,000 – $12,000 |
| Philadelphia | $2,000 – $10,000 |
| Phoenix, Nashville, Denver, Austin | $1,500 – $9,000 |
| Rural and small markets | $250 – $1,500 |
Even inside one city, rates vary by road. A downtown face near a stadium costs more than one on a side street. Ask for the traffic count and the impressions for each face.
How much does a highway billboard cost?
Highway bulletins are priced on traffic. On a busy urban freeway, AdQuick says a face can run $5,000 to $15,000. That is per four weeks. An interstate face outside a smaller city often costs $1,000 to $3,000.
A highway board reaches many people, so its CPM is often low. Drivers pass at speed, though. Keep the ad to a few big words. See billboard sizes for how big letters need to be.
How much does a small-town billboard cost?
Small markets are the cheapest place to buy. Blip puts rural and small-town boards at $250 to $1,500 a month. AdQuick's deal data shows a median of $1,200 per four weeks in markets ranked 101 and up.
A small-town board is cheap, but it still reaches the whole town. Local buyers matter most here. Local ads made up 65% of out of home sales in 2025 (OAAA).
How much does each billboard format cost?
Bigger faces cost more. So do digital screens in good spots. AdQuick gives these ranges for 2026 (AdQuick):
| Format | Typical cost per 4 weeks | Typical CPM | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Static bulletin (14' x 48') | $1,500 – $30,000 | $2 – $9 | Highways, long runs |
| Static poster | $750 – $4,000 | $2 – $7 | Local roads |
| Digital billboard (shared loop) | $3,500 – $25,000 | $5 – $18 | Short promos, events |
| Spectacular (Times Square) | $30,000 – $100,000+ | $15 – $25+ | Big brand moments |
For Times Square, AdQuick reports $10,000 to $22,000 for two weeks on a shared digital slot. Full takeovers can pass $50,000 to $100,000 a month. Always ask what share of the screen a quote covers.
See billboard sizes for the size of each format.
Why are billboards priced per four weeks?
Most operators sell in four-week periods, not calendar months. AdQuick says prices are almost always quoted per four-week cycle. Clear Channel says poster ads usually run four weeks (Clear Channel Outdoor).
A year has 13 four-week periods, not 12. So a four-week rate is a bit lower than a true monthly rate.
- Four-week to monthly: multiply by 13, then divide by 12.
- Example: $1,200 per four weeks is $15,600 a year, or $1,300 a month.
The four-week rate converter does this for you.
Flights can be long. Lamar rents bulletins for 4 to 52 weeks and posters for 4 to 26 weeks (Lamar 10-K).
What drives the price of a billboard?
Clear Channel Outdoor lists the factors in its annual report. They are location, demand, competition, size, occupancy, lighting, market reach and ratings points (Clear Channel Outdoor 10-K). Here is what each one means for a buyer.
- Location and traffic. More cars and walkers mean more people see the ad. A busy interstate costs more than a county road.
- Market size. The same board costs more in a big city than in a small town.
- Size and format. A bulletin costs more than a poster. A digital face costs more than a static one in the same spot.
- Demand and season. AdQuick names the fourth quarter and summer as peak times.
- Flight length. AdQuick says buys of 13 weeks or more often get 10% to 20% off.
- Lighting. A lit board shows the ad at night too.
- Open space. When a market is full, rates climb. When boards sit empty, sellers deal.
What is a billboard CPM?
CPM is the cost per thousand impressions. An impression is one chance for one person to see the ad. CPM lets you compare boards of any size and price.
CPM = cost ÷ impressions x 1,000
Say a board costs $2,000 per four weeks and gets 400,000 impressions. The CPM is $5. Try the CPM calculator with your own numbers.
Billboards are cheap per impression. Solomon Partners compared media costs in June 2025. OAAA reprinted the chart (OAAA).
| Media | CPM |
|---|---|
| Billboard bulletins | $3 – $10 |
| Posters | $3 – $9 ($13 for digital) |
| Radio | $4 – $8 |
| Social media | $2 – $8 |
| Podcasts | $18 – $25 |
| Streaming video | $23 – $34 |
| Broadcast TV (not prime time) | $24 – $27 |
| Broadcast TV (prime time) | $45 – $49 |
| Newspapers | $40 – $54 |
CPM ranges differ by source. AdQuick's deal data shows static CPMs of $1.50 to $5.00. Its planning guide says $6 to $10 for standard spots. Blip says $3 to $10. The low deal CPMs include big volume buys.
What else does an advertiser pay for?
The media rate is not the whole bill for a static board. You also pay to make and hang the ad. AdQuick gives these costs (AdQuick):
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Vinyl printing | $1.50 – $3.00 per square foot |
| Printing a 14' x 48' bulletin (672 square feet) | About $1,000 – $2,000 |
| Posting (install) | $200 – $1,000 each time |
| Design | Varies with the work |
Digital boards have no printing or posting. You upload a file. That is one reason digital costs more per four weeks.
How much does a digital billboard ad cost?
On a digital face, you buy a share of the screen. Lamar's digital ads rotate about every 6 to 8 seconds (Lamar 10-K). AdQuick gives an example of an 8- to 10-second spot in a 60- to 90-second loop. That share of the loop is your share of voice.
AdQuick and Blip both say digital costs 30% to 50% more. That compares it with a static face in the same spot. Some sellers also sell by the play. Blip lets buyers set small daily budgets and pay per play.
See digital billboard cost for what it costs to build one and how loops are sold.
What does this mean if you own billboards?
Advertiser prices are your revenue. Here is what the big public operators earn per board. These are our own sums from their reports.
| Operator | Figure | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Lamar | About $1,050 per display per month | All billboard revenue ÷ about 159,300 displays, 2025 |
| Lamar | About $730 per static display per month | Static share of revenue ÷ static displays |
| Lamar | About $10,000 per digital display per month | 33% of billboard revenue ÷ about 5,500 digital boards |
| OUTFRONT | $3,344 per display per month | Reported "yield," Q2 2026 |
Sources: Lamar 10-K, Billboard Insider. OUTFRONT sells mostly in big cities, so its yield runs higher.
Digital can change a face's math. Lamar's CEO gave an example. Before, a face earned $3,000 a month. As a digital face, it can earn $15,000 to $18,000 (Nareit).
If you set rates for your own faces, these steps help.
- Price per four weeks. Buyers compare that way.
- Know your CPM. Show impressions with your rate, so buyers can compare you to other media.
- Check local comps. Compare each face with faces of the same size in the same market.
- Set a floor. Decide how far below card a rep can go.
- Reward long flights. A 13-week buy fills your calendar and cuts selling time.
- Watch empty faces. An empty face earns nothing. Read about billboard occupancy.
For a full rate card, see the billboard rate card guide. For what owners keep after costs, see how much billboard owners make.
Questions people ask
How much does a billboard cost per month?
Most billboards are priced per four weeks. AdQuick's 2025–26 deal data shows a median of $1,200 to $3,300 per four weeks, by market size. Rural boards start near $250, and premium city faces reach five figures.
How much does a billboard cost per day?
Divide the four-week price by 28. A $1,200 board works out to about $43 a day. Most operators still sell in four-week blocks, not single days.
Is a digital billboard more expensive than a static one?
Usually yes. AdQuick and Blip both say digital costs 30% to 50% more than a static face in the same spot. You share the screen with other ads, but you pay nothing for printing.
How much does a Times Square billboard cost?
It depends on the screen. AdQuick reports $10,000 to $22,000 for two weeks on a shared digital slot. Full takeovers of flagship screens can pass $50,000 to $100,000 a month.
Do I pay extra for printing and install?
For static boards, yes. AdQuick puts vinyl printing at $1.50 to $3.00 per square foot. A 14' x 48' bulletin is 672 square feet, so that is about $1,000 to $2,000. Posting adds $200 to $1,000 each time.
What is a good CPM for a billboard?
Solomon Partners puts bulletin CPMs at $3 to $10 and posters at $3 to $9. That is lower than TV, streaming, podcasts and newspapers.
Sources
- 01How much is billboard advertising? (reviewed September 2026; marketplace transactions July 2025 to June 2026) · AdQuick · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 02How Much Does a Billboard Cost? 2026 Pricing Guide · AdQuick · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 03How much does a billboard cost? · Blip · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 04Political Primer: OOH Delivers Value and Effectiveness 2026 (Solomon Partners 2025 Major Media CPM Comparison, slide 27) · OAAA · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 052025 OOH Facts & Figures: Ad Spend Performance (April 2026) · OAAA · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 06Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025 · Lamar Advertising Company (SEC filing) · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 07Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025 · Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings (SEC filing) · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 08Posters and Junior Posters · Clear Channel Outdoor · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 09Billboard Expansion, Strategic Acquisitions Drive Lamar's Success (April 22, 2025) · Nareit · accessed Oct 8, 2026
- 10OUTFRONT Revenue Up 14% in 2Q 2026 (August 6, 2026) · Billboard Insider · accessed Oct 8, 2026
Billboard operations and sales research
The Gabie team studies how billboard companies price, sell and run their boards. Every number we publish links to its source.
Published Oct 8, 2026 · Updated Oct 8, 2026 · How we check facts