The median cost of MRI of the Lower Back (Lumbar) in the United States is $2,351 cash pay, with prices typically ranging from $730 to $4,976 depending on the metro area. ProcedureRadar scans federally mandated hospital pricing files across 19 major US metros to show you exactly what 132 hospitals charge for this procedure. New York is currently the cheapest metro at $730, while Los Angeles is the most expensive at $4,976, a difference of 582%.
The national median cash price for MRI of the Lower Back (Lumbar) is $2,351 based on data from 132 hospitals across 19 US metros, sourced from federally mandated hospital price transparency files under 45 CFR Part 180. Prices range from $730 in New York to $4,976 in Los Angeles. Data is updated monthly.
By Kevin Monangai, Founder, ProcedureRadar.
Procedure overview pages exist because pricing for any given procedure is wildly different city to city. We rolled up published prices from more than 2,000 hospitals across the top 100 US metros into one view per procedure, so you can see how your area compares to the rest of the country. Same federal source, same monthly refresh, same plain-English translation we use everywhere.
19 metros, ranked by median price. Dot position is price; center bullseye is cheapest. Hover a dot to see the metro.
| Metro | State | Median Price | Hospitals Reporting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | GA | $2,555 | 5 |
| Boston | MA | $2,184 | 1 |
| Charlotte | NC | $1,670 | 11 |
| Chicago | IL | $3,999 | 19 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth | TX | $3,150 | 16 |
| Denver | CO | $1,584 | 3 |
| Detroit | MI | $1,900 | 4 |
| Houston | TX | $4,135 | 7 |
| Los Angeles | CA | $4,976 | 34 |
| Miami | FL | $3,457 | 3 |
| Minneapolis | MN | $2,452 | 1 |
| New Jersey | NJ | $1,665 | 8 |
| New York | NY | $730 | 3 |
| Philadelphia | PA | $2,351 | 1 |
| Phoenix | AZ | $4,740 | 5 |
| Portland | OR | $1,988 | 1 |
| Seattle | WA | $1,320 | 4 |
| St. Louis | MO | $1,795 | 5 |
| Washington DC | DC | $2,450 | 1 |
Sorted by cheapest median price. Click any metro to see every hospital and its full pricing breakdown.
Cash pay prices, nationwide. Every hospital here publishes its pricing under 45 CFR Part 180.
The questions patients ask us most, answered clearly.
Pricing for similar procedures, sourced from the same 132 hospitals.
Aggregate pricing sourced from hospital Machine-Readable Files across the United States.
Disclosure required by 45 CFR Part 180.
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