table of content

How Much Does A Billboard Ad Cost? 2024 Pricing

Billboard Advertising Costs in New York ranges from $4,000 to $25,000/month, and in Los Angeles Billboard Prices range from $3,000 to $25,000/month. In Chicago, Billboards will cost from $3,000 to $15,000; San Francisco billboards’ cost ranges from $3,000 to $12,000; and in Philadelphia billboards cost from $1,500 to $12,000/month.  If you are looking for “Billboard Advertising near Me”, DASH TWO can find that pricing for you.

Billboard Advertising Cost

BillboardsBillboard Prices
New York Billboard Cost$4,000 to $25,000/month
Los Angeles Billboard Cost$3,000 to $25,000/month
Chicago Billboards Cost$3,000 to $15,000/month
San Francisco Billboards Cost$3,000 to $12,000/month
Philadelphia Billboards Cost$1,500 to $12,000/month

How Much Does It Cost to Rent a Billboard?

Billboard rentals are almost always quoted on a 4-week as opposed to a 1-month period. If an out of home advertising company quotes you $1,500 for a year contract, it means 13 4-week periods for $1,500/period.

In addition to the monthly billboard rental cost, a billboard advertising client must pay a production fee for the vinyl. A good rule of thumb is that the production fee will be 50 cents per square foot for the vinyl. The production fee will be $450 for a 14′ by 48′ billboard, $250 for a 10.5’ by 36′ billboard, and $64 for an 8′ by 16′ poster.

Impressions – The Basis for Billboard Advertising Cost

Geopath is a not-for-profit organization that uses data, technology and media research to compute the weekly impressions received by billboard ads. Out of home advertising companies pay Geopath for the ratings. Geopath impressions derive from a complete formula that factors in:

  • The position of the billboard in relation to the road
  • Traffic volumes
  • The number of people in each car

Not every out of home advertising company is a Geopath subscriber, but most large out of home advertising companies are.

The typical billboard sells for a CPM, or cost per thousand impressions, of $5.21, according to PJ SOLOMON. A freeway billboard that gets 400,000 impressions in a 4-week period will be priced at $2,000/period. A billboard on a country road with only 30,000 impressions a month will rent for only $600/period. You can usually get impressions data from your billboard company to verify what sort of CPM you are paying.

Get a Quote on a Billboard Advertising Now.

    Billboard Location

    The area of a city for the Billboard location can also affect the pricing as well. For instance, a billboard located on Sunset Blvd. will range from $15,000 to $35,000, and billboard at the heart of the Sunset Strip will range from $25,000 to as high as $55,000. In Los Angeles, when aiming for the trendy fashion market, billboards on Melrose and Fairfax can range from $9,000 to $15,000. And the famous Hollywood Blvd. will have billboard costs from $7,000 to $13,000.

    For New York City, digital billboards in Times Square typically will have a smaller duration of about 2 weeks but range from $10,000 to $22,000, and billboards in the popular SoHo District of Manhattan can cost about $18,000 to $30,000 Freeway billboards cost more to rent than state highway billboards, because more traffic equals more impressions.

    State highway digital billboard cost more to rent than secondary road billboards. More traffic equals more impressions.

    How Much Does a Billboard Ad Cost

    Los Angeles Area Billboard Prices
    LocationPrices
    Sunset Blvd$15,000 to $35,000
    Sunset Strip$25,000 to as high as $55,000
    Melrose$9,000 to $15,000
    Fairfax$9,000 to $15,000
    Hollywood Blvd$7,000 to $13,000
    Times Square$10,000 to $22,000
    SoHo district of Manhattan$18,000 to $30,000

    Billboard Sizes

    A bigger billboard size is easier to see than a small billboard size. A 14′ by 48′ billboard has 77% more square feet than a 10.5′ by 36′ billboard. As an example, the Thirty Seconds to Mars 14′ by 48′ billboard shown here is 77% larger than the Elohim 10.5′ by 36′ billboard also shown

    Billboard Advertising
    30 Seconds to Mars 14′ x 48′ Billboard

    A larger surface area logically means that a billboard is more likely to be seen and can be rented for more, but the relationship isn’t linear. It does not mean that a 77% larger billboard will exactly be 77% more expensive.

    And consider a double-stacked 10.6′ by 36′ billboard a couple miles away where each face rents for $400/month. The larger board is worth more than the smaller double-stacked boards.
    It should come as no surprise that the double-stacked 10.6′ by 36′ billboards get about 28% fewer impressions per period than the single 14′ by 48′ billboard.

    Elohim 10.5′ by 36′ Billboard

    A small 8′ by 16′ poster will rent for even less.
    These posters in rural Indiana rent for approximately $500/month.

    Billboard Lighting

    Billboard Advertising at NightA billboard with lighting goes for a 25% premium over a billboard without lighting because the billboard will be available to many more viewers at night. Lighting means more impressions. Casinos and all-night restaurants are especially interested in billboards that are lit all night. Cracker Barrel and some retail stores sometimes ask billboard companies to turn off the lights on a billboard prior to store closing times, so they don’t have customers pulling up to the establishment as they shut down for the night.

    Billboard Visibility

    how-much-does-billboard-advertising-visibilityA right-hand read, that is, a billboard on the right side of the road, will be more expensive than a left-hand read. Why? A right-hand read billboard is closer to the car driving past and easier to see than a billboard a driver reads across several lanes of traffic. Take a look at this billboard in downtown Indianapolis. The right-hand read rents for $4,100/month.
    how-much-does-billboard-advertising-visibility-2The left-hand read on this same road rents for $3,000/month. It’s a great, high-traffic location, but you look at the board across four lanes of traffic.

    A setback billboard that is more than 600′ from the freeway will rent for much less than a billboard that is right against the freeway because it gets fewer impressions.

    Most billboards are within 45′ of the grade of the road, which makes them easy to see. A billboard that is extremely tall – 80′ or 100′ feet above the road – will be cheaper because it will get fewer impressions. People won’t crane their necks just to see what’s on a sign.

    how-much-does-billboard-advertising-visibility-3

    Trees can ruin visibility. This billboard has a public service ad that is probably free because the trees next to the road have blocked the view to the billboard.

    Billboard Competition

    A billboard in an area with lots of other nearby billboards will sell at a steep discount. About 1,500 feet is the average setback between billboards in many cities. Some cities have no minimum setback or only a 500-foot setback between billboards. An area with lots of billboards very close together will have lower rates than an area with few billboards.

    how-much-does-billboard-advertising-competitionTake this 10′ by 48′ billboard on a highway outside Indianapolis. The billboard has excellent, long reads in both directions. The billboard rents for only $300/month.

    There are numerous other billboards in the vicinity, many of which are vacant or running public service ads. The availability of plenty of competition has driven down the price.

    Look at these billboards packed together along a rural stretch of freeway in Nevada.

    how-much-does-billboard-advertising-competition-2-1

    They rent for $300/month. If there weren’t so many, you could expect rents for be $750-$1,500.

    Production of Billboard

    how much does a billboard cost

    Billboards don’t just cost money to rent; they also cost money to produce.

    The production of the billboard can range from $250-$750 depending on what type of material is being printed along with what size the billboard is.

    A 14’ by 48′ 7-oz vinyl billboard can cost around $400.

    Now that you know the variables that go into the pricing of a billboard, you can feel confident in setting your budget. You can also further discuss the details with DASH TWO by contacting us today.

    Guns N' Roses - Sunset

    10 Replies Added

    1. Thank you for explaining all this in so much detail. I’m a small business owner and I’ve been thinking about investing in billboard advertising. Obviously, I have a limited budget and I’m not looking at anything too expensive, so it’s nice to know that there are affordable options for smaller businesses. I can’t imagine paying tens of thousands of dollars a month for a billboard.

    2. Choosing the right location for your billboard is key. It’s not only the matter of paying more. You also have to think about your target audience and timing, what other advertisements are in the vicinity of your billboard. You don’t want to risk becoming an Internet meme if the ad placement turns out to be unfortunate.

    3. It’s pretty cool how you can actually calculate impressions received by a billboard. I had no idea they can do that. But it makes sense. Those billboard prices can’t come out of thin air. Personally, I’m more familiar with Internet advertising. And I’ve never heard the term CPM used outside of that context. The more you know.

    4. Great article Rodolfo, I am a billboard owner (14 x 48) And I am having trouble marketing my billboard at 4624 Jimmy Carter Blvd. in Norcross GA 30093. More than 30,000 cars passed by every day. I know it should be taller for one thing, it compromises my Western facing sign, however the Eastern facing side is less than 300 feet from a traffic light at the intersection of JCB and Britt Rd. I have offered it for less than $1000 per month with no takers. If you’re an avid computer user you might have Google Earth, you can fly there and see the billboard clearly. I have considered putting a new vinyl on that advertises …… Yes, we speak Spanish / Sí, hablamos español.I don’t want to put my advertising shoe in my mouth and insult the mostly Latino population in the area. There is also a presence of Korean and other Asian homes and businesses in the area; not to mention that I don’t speak Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese or any other language however, I know people who can translate for me in just about all of the languages I just mentioned.

      Thank you,
      Matt Dewhurst
      Dewhurst Enterprises
      2382 Mount Vernon Rd.
      Atlanta, GA 30338

    5. Thank you for your article. I am a new owner of a billboard. Ive been researching for about 6 months on how to get it up and running. This is the best article yet.
      Thank you
      Maureen Smith
      Hawley Pa

    6. This article provides a good overview of the factors that can impact the cost of renting a billboard, including the rental fee, production cost, and impressions. It’s important to note that prices can vary greatly depending on location, size, and demand

    7. I would like to know if you have a chart that is more generic with overall LED billboard costs 14×48 from many suppliers over the past 10 years & projected forward for the next 5 years?

    8. I enjoyed reading this. Thank you. Digital billboards offer the advantage of flexible pricing based on factors like location, size, and visibility. Their dynamic nature allows advertisers to maximize impressions and target specific audiences effectively. With the ability to display eye-catching visuals and adapt to different conditions, digital billboards offer a cost-effective and impactful solution for billboard advertising campaigns.

    Submit your comment

    Your email address will not be published.

    FIND OUT HOW WE CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS.

    get in touch