Spectrum Internet speeds are no mystery here at Reviews.org. According to our proprietary speed test data, the average Spectrum download speed is 216.73Mbps and the average Spectrum upload speed is 19.43Mbps. While that’s a far cry from Spectrum’s promised maximum speeds of 500Mbps+ advertised on the base level plan, we found that Spectrum is still the fifth-fastest internet provider in the U.S.

Why the difference in speeds? Spectrum has many customers who signed up months or years ago when plans were slower, and a Wi-Fi connection over a router tends to not hit max speeds anyway. You usually need to connect your computer or device to your router via a wired Ethernet cable to hit the max possible speeds, and most people don’t do that.

Interestingly, none of the cities with the fastest Spectrum speeds are major metropolises—they’re all relatively modest cities or even small towns (though it’s worth noting that Mabelvale is annexed to Little Rock, and Garden City and Dupo are suburbs of Detroit and St. Louis, respectively).

Our speed data also shows that Spectrum Internet is particularly fast in multiple cities in Michigan and Oregon, making those some of the better states if you’re a Spectrum customer.

Spectrum’s overall average download speed is 216.73Mbps, so not every city gets an average download speed as good as that of Summerton, South Carolina. Still, 217ishMbps is nothing to sneeze at: It can accommodate a couple of heavy internet users (or a few light ones) just fine.

Not sure if you’re getting fast enough internet speeds from Spectrum? You may find other options in your area. Run a search with your zip code below.

You can also look over our guides to other internet options compared against Spectrum.

• Spectrum Internet vs. Google Fiber
• Spectrum vs. AT&T
• Spectrum Internet vs. T-Mobile 5G Home Internet
• Spectrum Internet vs. Verizon Fios
• Spectrum Internet vs. Frontier

I typically recommend a plan with around 300–400Mbps internet speeds, but Spectrum’s minimum speed is 500Mbps. Ergo, most Spectrum users should go for one of the 500Mbps plans—the Internet Premier plan or the Spectrum Premier w/Spectrum Advanced WiFi. The two plans are materially the same; the Advanced WiFi plan just comes with some upgraded equipment.

For most, 500Mbps is the perfect speed for a smooth online experience. With 500Mbps, you can download an episode of What If? in about 30 seconds or a massive game like Hogwarts Legacy in around 20 minutes.

In most cases, I recommend signing up for Spectrum’s Internet Premier plan. It’s the cheapest option, and the 500Mbps speed should be more than enough for most household internet activities. The Advanced WiFi plan also provides 500Mbps but is more expensive because of the accompanying equipment. Its defining feature is its ability to cover a significant square footage, making it best for a large smart home setup, which many people don’t possess.

However, Spectrum Internet plan speeds don’t stop at 500Mbps. With Spectrum, you can go up to 1,000Mbps.

You can do almost anything with 1,000Mbps: Stream 4K movies on multiple TVs, invest in several state-of-the-art security cameras, or have an entire family reunion over Zoom.

While 1,000Mbps is quite a luxurious speed. It’s also unnecessary in most cases. For a house of average homebodies with several devices apiece, 500Mbps ought to be just fine.