WASHINGTON — Iowa is the best state for driving, according to WalletHub’s ranking of the best and worst states to drive in for 2023.
The worst — the island state of Hawaii.
WalletHub compared the 50 states across four dimensions:
- Cost of ownership and maintenance.
- Traffic and infrastructure.
- Safety.
- Access to vehicles and maintenance.
WalletHub evaluated those dimensions using 31 relevant metrics with their corresponding weights, according to a news release.
Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the best for drivers.
WalletHub determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the scores to rank-order the states.
The top 10 best states, according to WalletHub were:
1. Iowa
2. Georgia
3. Ohio
4. Oklahoma
5. North Carolina
6. Idaho
7. Texas
8. Tennessee
9. Kansas
10. Indiana
On the other hand, WalletHub ranked the following states as the worst:
41. California
42. Michigan
43. New Hampshire
44. Nevada
45. Missouri
46. Maryland
47. Rhode Island
48. Delaware
49. Washington
50. Hawaii
“Congestion cost the average U.S. driver $869 in wasted time during 2022, with an average of 51 hours spent sitting in traffic,” according to WalletHub. “The U.S. also has eight out of the world’s 25 worst cities for traffic, and 19 of the worst 25 in North America.”
Congestion isn’t the only concern. Safety and maintenance were also taken into consideration.
The World Economic Forum only places the U.S. at rank 17 of 141 when it comes to road quality. Road conditions are inconsistent across the country. To identify the states with the most positive driving experiences, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 31 key indicators of a positive commute. Our data set ranges from average gas prices to rush-hour traffic congestion to road quality.
The Trucker News Staff produces engaging content for not only TheTrucker.com, but also The Trucker Newspaper, which has been serving the trucking industry for more than 30 years. With a focus on drivers, the Trucker News Staff aims to provide relevant, objective content pertaining to the trucking segment of the transportation industry. The Trucker News Staff is based in Little Rock, Arkansas.
