Compare CPC benchmarks by industry, region, and campaign type.
October 2025 - September 2026
Benchmark observations based on the selected data
The main story: United States cost-per-click (CPC) for all industries ran consistently above the global benchmark across a 13‑month window, showing a noticeable Q4 spike and a late‑period decline that left July 2026 materially lower than the summer of 2025. Volatility was present but roughly in line with the baseline; standout months were November 2025 (the peak) and July 2026 (the trough).
This analysis is based on $3B worth of advertising data from our dataset, which provides strong directional benchmarks.
This analysis explores ad performance trends for All industries in United States compared to the global benchmark.
US CPC began at roughly $1.21 in July 2025 and finished at about $0.97 in July 2026 — a decline of roughly 20% from start to end. Across the period the median CPC averaged about $1.18 for the United States, versus a global baseline average near $1.05 — meaning US costs ran around 13% higher on average.
The highest US median CPC landed in November 2025 at approximately $1.45, and the low point was July 2026 at about $0.97. That produces a range near $0.48 (48 cents), which is roughly 41% of the average US CPC. Monthly moves included small month‑to‑month drift in mid‑2025, a sharp lift into November (+19% from October to November), a steep pullback into December (about −20% from November), a soft Q1 (January around $1.05), a rebound into March ($1.20), and a final drop into July 2026.
Volatility measured as average absolute monthly movement was about $0.09 for the United States, compared with roughly $0.10 for the global baseline — indicating fluctuation magnitude that is similar, if slightly more muted, than the baseline.
A clear seasonal rhythm appears: a late‑year spike around November 2025, followed by a December correction. Early Q1 showed softened CPCs (January at ~$1.05), then an upswing into March. The spring months settled in the $1.15–$1.20 band before the summer decline that produced the July 2026 trough. These patterns mirror typical industry timing where competition and bid pressure climb late in the calendar year and ease afterward, producing visible lifts and rebounds in CPC.
The United States remained above the global benchmark every month in the series. The gap generally sat in the low‑to‑mid teens percentage range — roughly 8% to 26% across months — averaging about a 13% premium to the baseline. The narrowest gap occurred in June 2026 (~8% above global), while the widest gap appeared in July 2026 (about 26% above global) as the baseline fell further. In trajectory terms, the global benchmark and US series both show a late‑year spike and subsequent correction, but the US maintained a consistently higher CPC level across the full window.
Understanding Facebook Ads cost-per-click benchmarks, CPC trends, CPM analysis, and country-specific ad costs for all industries in the United States helps frame industry ad performance and relative cost dynamics against global patterns.
Facebook advertising cost benchmarks
Cost Per Click (CPC) is the amount advertisers pay each time a user clicks on their Facebook ad. Ad costs vary across industries because of competition, audience demographics, and conversion value. For campaigns targeting United States, advertisers often face higher costs because of high competition and purchasing power. Campaign objectives affect costs because Facebook optimizes delivery for different goals. The data shows median values across multiple campaigns. Results can vary with ad quality, audience targeting, and campaign optimization.
A small share of campaigns has extremely high CPC values. Those outliers can inflate an average. The median is the midpoint across campaigns, so it better represents a typical result.
The data shows industry median benchmarks. Costs can vary with targeting, creative quality, and campaign optimization.
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The dataset includes over $3B in Facebook ad spend from thousands of ad accounts that use Superads to analyze and improve campaigns. Every data point is anonymized and aggregated. It does not expose an individual advertiser.
The dataset updates as new ad data is available.
Late November (Thanksgiving & Black Friday weekend), December (Christmas), Back-to-school (July–September), Summer travel season (Memorial Day onwards)
CPM and CPC may rise around Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Labor Day, especially in travel and entertainment. Black Friday/Thanksgiving weekend increases retail ad competition. December ad demand typically peaks, and retail campaigns may need larger budgets. Back-to-school promotions increase competition. Juneteenth may increase regional engagement.
CPC (Cost Per Click) is what you pay each time someone clicks on your ad, on any Facebook Ads placement. It's calculated by dividing your total spend by the number of clicks received. Facebook Ads lists Clicks, Link Clicks and Outbound Clicks separately. The former is the sum of all types of clicks (including, for example, clicks to your profile page, to a link or to a comment).
CPC varies by region, industry, and campaign objective. Use the filters to compare benchmarks that match your campaign. The US is one of the more expensive markets.
Audience targeting, industry competition, ad relevance score, and creative performance affect CPC. Low engagement or relevance can increase CPC.
CPC can increase with more competition in your target audience, seasonal trends such as holidays, lower ad relevance scores, or algorithm changes. Check whether your audience is too narrow or your creative is showing fatigue.
Mobile CPCs often run lower than desktop CPCs because there is more mobile inventory. Segment performance by placement to see where clicks come from.
For most businesses, conversion optimization produces better ROI than CPC alone. CPC optimization can suit awareness campaigns or content promotion when clicks are the goal.
Your specific audience targeting, creative quality, bidding strategy, and account history all influence your CPC. Industry averages provide a reference point, but your historical performance is a more reliable benchmark for setting expectations and measuring improvement.
Instagram CPCs are generally slightly higher because of purchase intent and advertiser competition. Results also depend on the audience and creative.
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