The map at Starlink.com covers 99.7% of U.S. households — but what it shows at your specific address matters more than any state-level statistic. Here is what each result actually means, why your neighbor can have it while you are on a waitlist, and what your options are either way.
Starlink’s coverage map operates on a geographic cell system — not a traditional coverage zone. Each cell covers roughly 15 miles in diameter and has a finite capacity for active subscribers. When that cell fills up, it shows as “Waitlist” or “Sold Out” for new orders — even if satellites are directly overhead and your neighbor is connected and happy. Coverage and capacity are two different things. The satellite can see your house. Whether Starlink can accept another customer in your cell is a separate question entirely. This distinction confuses a lot of people who check the map, see “available” for the town nearby but “waitlist” for their exact address, and assume something is wrong. Nothing is wrong — it just means the cell your property sits in is at a different capacity status than the one a mile away. The only check that matters is your precise street address.
These are the questions people are actually searching when they land on a page like this — answered straight, including the parts most guides leave vague.
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How do I check Starlink availability at my exact address? Go to starlink.com and enter your full street address including zip code · The result is specific to your property — a zip code alone is not precise enough · The check is free and instant · Your result may differ from a neighbor’s address two streets overThe check takes under a minute. Navigate to starlink.com, find the service address field (it is prominently placed on the homepage), and enter your complete street address with zip code. The system queries your precise latitude and longitude against its network capacity database and returns one of three statuses in real time. Do not rely on coverage maps from third-party sites — they often show regional availability data that is months out of date. The only accurate answer is what starlink.com tells you for your exact address at the moment you check. A neighbor’s status is not your status. A zip code result is not your result. Your precise address is the only check that counts.
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Is Starlink available in all 50 states? Yes — all 50 states including Alaska and Hawaii have Starlink coverage · The FCC reports 99.7% of U.S. households are within Starlink’s coverage footprint · Most addresses show immediate availability · A small number of dense urban cells and a few rural microareas may show a short wait or “coming soon”The coverage picture has changed substantially over the last few years. Waitlists that stretched 6–18 months in 2021–2022 have largely cleared. Starlink has crossed 10,400 satellites in active orbit, and the resulting density of coverage means that virtually every U.S. address can be reached by the signal. What varies is cell capacity — the number of customers that cell can simultaneously serve. Most rural U.S. addresses show immediate availability because subscriber density in those areas is lower. Some suburban and urban cells — particularly in high-adoption areas around Seattle, Denver, Portland, parts of California, and Colorado mountain communities — may still show waitlists because those cells filled up during the early high-demand years and capacity has not expanded to meet all pending orders.
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How much does Starlink cost per month at my address? Residential plans: $55/mo (100 Mbps), $85/mo (200 Mbps), $130/mo (Max up to 400 Mbps) · New customers who rent equipment pay an additional $10/mo kit fee · Buying hardware outright ($349) avoids the rental fee · Taxes add $5–$15/mo depending on your state · Always verify at checkout — pricing varies slightly by locationThe pricing structure changed in June 2026 and is the most important update for anyone comparing quotes they saw a few months ago. Monthly service prices rose $5–$10 across the board. For new customers who choose the rental path (no upfront equipment payment), there is now a $10/month kit fee that is added on top of the plan price — making the true entry cost $65/month before taxes, not $55. Buying the hardware outright for $349 eliminates the monthly rental fee and becomes the better financial deal after roughly 35 months. The entry kit (Standard 4) costs $349 and works with the 100 Mbps plan. The Standard 4 X kit, also $349, pairs with the 200 Mbps and Max plans. Regional hardware promotions do occasionally reduce this to as low as $89–$149 in certain areas — check what your specific address shows at checkout before assuming you will pay the standard $349.
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What does “Waitlist” or “Sold Out” actually mean — and how long is the wait? It means your local satellite cell is at subscriber capacity — not that coverage does not exist at your address · Waitlist = you can put down a $99 deposit to hold your place · Sold Out = similar situation, monitor and re-check · Wait times vary from weeks to months depending on how quickly SpaceX expands capacity in your cell · Rural areas typically clear faster than suburbanWhen your address returns a “Waitlist” or “Sold Out” status, it does not mean Starlink cannot reach you. The signal is there. What is not there is available capacity in your local network cell for another subscriber. SpaceX manages this through satellite launches that add capacity to congested cells, and through software updates that expand each cell’s subscriber ceiling. Rural areas on a waitlist tend to clear relatively quickly because there is less competition for new capacity as it opens up. Dense suburban cells — particularly those in early-adopter communities — can take longer. If you see a waitlist message, the $99 deposit secures your place in the queue and is fully refundable if you change your mind before activation. Your position in the queue is based on deposit date, not address. Re-check every few weeks — cell statuses do shift as SpaceX deploys new satellites.
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How fast will Starlink be at my specific address? Rural addresses with few neighbors on Starlink: typically 100–200+ Mbps · Suburban areas with moderate adoption: 60–120 Mbps · Dense urban or suburban cells with high Starlink adoption: 25–60 Mbps during peak evening hours · The speed app in your Starlink account shows estimated performance for your specific cell before you commitSpeed is not uniform across the country the way the plan tier numbers suggest. It is determined heavily by how many other subscribers share your satellite cell. This is why rural Starlink users consistently report faster real-world speeds than suburban ones — fewer people sharing the same bandwidth pool. A ranch outside of Bozeman with three Starlink neighbors in the cell might see 180–200 Mbps routinely. A house in a well-connected suburb outside of Portland might see 50–80 Mbps during peak evening hours. Both are on the same plan, paying the same price. If speed consistency matters for your use case — remote work, telehealth, video calls — the Residential Max plan at $130/month offers top network priority, meaning your traffic is deprioritized last when the cell is congested.
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Does my neighbor having Starlink mean I can get it too? Not necessarily — the cell system means two neighboring addresses can show different availability statuses · A neighbor who signed up earlier got in before the cell reached capacity · If your address shows waitlist and your neighbor is connected, you are in the same cell — their account is grandfathered in, yours is pending capacityThis is one of the most confusing parts of Starlink’s availability system, and it produces real frustration. Your neighbor got in when the cell still had open capacity. You are checking now, after it filled. The satellite can see both houses identically — the coverage is the same. But each new subscriber requires a capacity slot, and once those fill, the cell goes to waitlist for new accounts. SpaceX does not terminate existing subscribers to make room for new ones. Capacity expands through satellite launches and software upgrades that gradually increase the subscriber ceiling for each cell. When new capacity opens in your cell, waitlisted customers are activated in the order they placed their deposit. So your neighbor being on it means the infrastructure is proven to work at your location — just that the seat count needs to grow to include you.
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Can I get Starlink in an apartment or condo? Technically yes if you can mount a dish with a clear view of the sky · A balcony, rooftop (with permission), or an outdoor window ledge facing north can work · The FCC’s OTARD rules give you some legal protection to install antennas — but with limits for shared spaces · Ground-floor units without outdoor sky access usually cannot use StarlinkApartments present a real practical challenge. The dish needs a clear, unobstructed view of a significant portion of the sky — ideally the northern sky from roughly northeast to northwest. A balcony that faces south with a low railing and no overhanging structure above it can work well. A north-facing balcony with a roof overhang blocking most of the sky will not. The FCC’s OTARD (Over-the-Air Reception Device) rules protect your right to install satellite antennas in your exclusive-use area — your own balcony, patio, or exterior window — without landlord interference in most cases. Common areas like shared rooftops require landlord permission. Before ordering, use the Starlink app’s obstruction tool at every potential mounting spot to see exactly what percentage of required sky each location has. If you are renting, also check whether your lease has specific antenna restrictions.
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Should I check T-Mobile Home Internet before ordering Starlink? Yes — always check T-Mobile first · T-Mobile Home Internet costs $50/month with no equipment cost and no contract · Where T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage is strong, it often delivers comparable speeds at lower total cost than Starlink · In truly remote rural areas where cell signal is weak, Starlink is usually the clear winnerThis comparison step saves a meaningful amount of money for households within reasonable T-Mobile coverage. T-Mobile Home Internet requires zero equipment purchase, starts at $50/month, has no contract, and can be tried and returned at no cost if it underperforms. For a household choosing between $50/month on T-Mobile with no startup cost and $85–$95/month on Starlink with a $349 equipment investment, the math points to trying T-Mobile first. If T-Mobile’s signal at your specific address is adequate for your household’s internet needs, you can save $400–$600 per year while using a service that is already available and installed within days. Use T-Mobile’s coverage checker at their website and pay attention to the signal quality rating for your exact address, not just the presence of coverage in your zip code.
When you enter your address at starlink.com, one of these three responses comes back. Here is what each one actually means — and the right next move for each.
Your cell has open subscriber capacity and your address is clear to order immediately. The standard delivery window after ordering is 1–2 weeks for the equipment to arrive. Most rural U.S. addresses show this status. After receiving the kit, most people are online within 30–60 minutes using the Starlink app’s guided setup. This is the most common result for rural and lower-density addresses. If you see “Available,” the window is real — you do not need to rush, but availability can shift to Waitlist if your cell fills up before you order. There is no price advantage to waiting.
Your satellite coverage is fine — the cell is just at its subscriber limit for now. A $99 fully refundable deposit places you in the queue at your current position. Starlink notifies you by email when your turn comes and capacity opens. There is no published timeline — it depends on how fast SpaceX expands the cell’s capacity through satellite launches and software upgrades. Dense suburban cells can take months. Some rural cells clear in weeks. Do not pay anyone else to “speed up” your waitlist position — that is not how the system works and any service claiming to do it is a scam. Your deposit date is your queue position, period. While waiting, also check T-Mobile Home Internet as a practical bridge.
Starlink’s satellites do not yet provide consistent coverage density over your specific location, or regulatory approval for service in your area is pending. You can sign up for email updates without a deposit, and Starlink will notify you when your area transitions to available or waitlist status. Coming Soon is the least common status in the continental U.S. as of 2026 — it appears mainly in certain remote parts of New Mexico, West Virginia, and a handful of very rural pockets in other states. It is more common in U.S. territories and some locations in Alaska’s most remote regions. If your address shows Coming Soon, the Roam plan is an alternative that works immediately since it is not locked to a service address.
The check itself is simple. These steps help you get the most accurate result and avoid the common errors that produce a misleading answer.
Type starlink.com directly into your browser. Third-party comparison sites and coverage maps pull from data that can be weeks or months out of date. Starlink’s own site queries live network capacity in real time. Only the official site gives you an accurate, current answer.
Zip code checks return averages that can be wildly inaccurate because multiple satellite cells often overlap a single zip code. Your street address, including the unit number for apartments, pins your location to a specific cell with a specific capacity status. Two addresses on the same street can return different results.
Even if your address shows “Available,” install the Starlink app on your phone before placing the order and use the AR-based obstruction tool. Walk to every potential dish mounting location — roof edge, pole mount in the yard, outbuilding top — and let the tool map how much sky each spot has. This step prevents the most common post-purchase disappointment: ordering, setting up, and discovering the trees block too much signal where you live.
Before committing to the Starlink hardware cost, check T-Mobile’s website for Home Internet availability at your specific address. If T-Mobile’s signal at your house is strong and their home internet service is available, try it first — it costs nothing upfront, requires no contract, and can be returned if it underperforms. Only move to Starlink if T-Mobile cannot meet your needs at your location.
The checkout page now presents both the buy option ($349 one-time) and the rental option ($0 upfront + $10/month ongoing). Buying is the better long-term deal — you break even versus rental in roughly 35 months and own the equipment outright. Rental prevents a big upfront cost and is returnable if you cancel. Know which path fits your situation before you get to checkout, because the total monthly cost difference is significant: $85/month to buy your own hardware on the 200 Mbps plan versus $95/month to rent it.
Rural Starlink users frequently get better real-world speeds than the advertised plan maximums suggest — and often faster than suburban users on the same plan. The reason is subscriber density. Each satellite cell shares bandwidth among all active subscribers in that cell. In a sparsely populated rural cell with 20 active Starlink households, each household gets a generous share of available bandwidth. In a suburban cell with 200 active accounts, the same bandwidth is divided much more tightly. Remote farms, ranches, and rural communities regularly report consistent 150–200 Mbps downloads because their cells are simply not congested. If your rural address shows “Available,” you are in the group most likely to see the strongest performance.
Suburban Starlink customers generally see solid speeds during the day — 80–150 Mbps is common — but experience meaningful slowdowns during peak evening hours (roughly 7–10 PM) when a large portion of subscribers in the cell are simultaneously active. Speeds dropping to 30–60 Mbps during peak hours on a standard plan is a common report in well-saturated suburban cells. The Residential Max plan at $130/month helps here — it provides higher network priority, meaning your traffic is deprioritized last when the cell is busy. For most casual household use, suburban speeds are adequate even during peak periods. For remote workers doing video calls at 8 PM, the variation is more noticeable.
Urban addresses often sit in the highest-density Starlink cells, which means the most congestion-related speed variation and sometimes the longest waitlists. For urban households, cable and fiber alternatives are usually available and almost always deliver better price-per-speed value than Starlink — Starlink deliberately deprioritizes service in areas where wired broadband exists, reflecting its mission to serve underserved communities first. If you live in a city and already have cable delivering 300 Mbps for $60/month, Starlink at $130/month with variable speeds is not a better option. Where Starlink does make sense in urban settings: backup internet for a home office that cannot tolerate any downtime, or for apartment dwellers in buildings where the landlord has a monopoly arrangement with a single expensive ISP.
Prices updated after the June 2026 changes. Your total monthly cost depends on whether you buy or rent your equipment — and taxes vary by state.
| Plan | Service/mo | With Rental Kit Fee | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential 100 Mbps | $55/mo | $65/mo + taxes | Light household use, 1–2 people, seniors on email and streaming Entry |
| Residential 200 Mbps | $85/mo | $95/mo + taxes | Remote work, families, streaming + video calls Most Popular |
| Residential Max | $130/mo | $140/mo + taxes | Power users, best priority, consistent peak-hour speeds |
| Roam 100GB | $55/mo | N/A (buy hardware) | Travelers, weekend campers, seasonal use — any address |
| Roam Unlimited | $175/mo | N/A (buy hardware) | Full-time RVers, van lifers, digital nomads |
| Standby Mode Price Doubled | $10/mo | N/A | Keeping account active at low speed between uses — stationary only |
As of June 2026, new Starlink residential customers who choose the rental path (no upfront hardware purchase) are charged a $10/month kit fee on top of the service price. This fee was introduced without much fanfare and has not changed the headline plan prices displayed on most comparison sites — so the total you see advertised and the total you pay can differ. If you rent: add $10/month to every plan price shown above. If you buy the hardware outright ($349 for either Standard 4 or Standard 4 X kit), there is no monthly equipment fee. One important restriction: customers who rent hardware cannot pause their service — the pause feature is only available to customers who own their equipment. If you anticipate wanting to pause (seasonal users, travelers who come and go), buying the hardware makes significantly more sense.
The deposit is fully refundable at any time before activation. It is not a commitment to buy — it is a reservation that secures your place in the queue ahead of anyone who places a deposit after you. The only way to move ahead in line is to have placed the deposit earlier. There is no other mechanism to jump the queue. Your date of deposit is your permanent position. Place it now if you want Starlink, then review your decision again when the activation email arrives.
T-Mobile Home Internet requires no commitment, no hardware cost, and can be active within days of ordering. For many waitlisted addresses that have any T-Mobile 4G or 5G signal, it serves as an entirely adequate bridge — or even a permanent solution. At $50/month with no equipment outlay versus waiting for a Starlink slot that might take months, the practical choice for most households is to try T-Mobile now. If it works well enough, you can cancel the Starlink deposit later. If it does not, the Starlink deposit is still waiting and your queue position is intact.
The Roam plan is not locked to a service address. If your residential address is waitlisted, you can still order a Starlink Roam plan and activate it immediately — setting up the dish at your property as if it were a campsite. Roam speeds and network priority are slightly lower than Residential, and the plan costs more for what you get. But for a household that genuinely needs service now and cannot wait, Roam is a legal, functioning Starlink connection at your home today. You can later switch to a Residential plan when your cell capacity opens and your waitlist position is reached.
If cost is a barrier while you wait, check what federal and state broadband assistance is available at your location. The NTIA’s BEAD program has distributed $42.45 billion to state broadband offices for deployment in underserved areas. Some states are using this funding to provide Starlink equipment and service subsidies for income-qualifying rural households. Dial 211 and ask what internet assistance programs serve your county — the answer varies significantly by state. Your rural electric cooperative may also have a partnership or subsidy program for Starlink that is not widely advertised but available to members.
Find Starlink dealers, internet providers, and broadband assistance programs at your location.
- Check your exact address at starlink.com — not a zip code, not a coverage map, not a comparison site. The only accurate availability answer for your specific property comes from Starlink’s own address checker queried in real time. Everything else is an approximation that may be months stale.
- If it says Available, check for the obstruction first before placing the order. Download the Starlink app, walk your property, and use the AR sky-mapping tool at every potential dish mounting location. Ordering and then discovering your trees block too much signal is an avoidable frustration — the app tells you before you spend anything.
- If it says Waitlist, place the $99 refundable deposit now and try T-Mobile in parallel. The deposit secures your queue position without commitment. T-Mobile Home Internet at $50/month with no hardware cost gives you a usable connection while you wait. You can cancel either one at no cost if circumstances change.
- Decide between buying ($349 one-time) and renting ($10/month ongoing) before checkout. Customers who rent cannot pause their service — a significant restriction for seasonal travelers and rural households who lose power regularly during storms. The break-even point on buying versus renting is about 35 months. If you expect to keep the service for three or more years, buying is almost always the better financial decision.
- Check broadband assistance programs in your state before paying full price. Federal BEAD funding has reached all 50 states and is being actively distributed to rural households that qualify. Some states have implemented subsidy programs that significantly reduce equipment costs. A five-minute call to 211 or a check of your state’s broadband office website may reveal options that are not prominently advertised but genuinely reduce your first-year cost.
This article is for general informational purposes and does not represent a commercial relationship with Starlink, SpaceX, T-Mobile, or any internet service provider. Pricing, plans, availability statuses, and program details described reflect publicly available information and are subject to change without notice. Always verify current pricing and availability at starlink.com before purchasing. Broadband assistance program availability varies by state, county, and income level — contact your state broadband office or dial 211 for current information specific to your location.