In spite of the ever-increasing traffic around the Charlotte region, and the I-77 Tolls being ranked one of the worst highway projects in America, our state is still one of the best places to go for a drive in the country.
Financial analyst website WalletHub.com has just ranked the Tar Heel state 2018’s 5th Best State To Drive In.
“To identify the states with the most positive driving experiences, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 23 key indicators of a positive commute. Our data set ranges from average gas prices to share of rush-hour traffic congestion to road quality,” according to the site.
Best & Worst Driving States
Overall Rank (1 = Best) |
State | Total Score | ‘Cost of Ownership & Maintenance’ Rank | ‘Traffic & Infrastructure’ Rank | ‘Safety’ Rank | ‘Access to Vehicles & Maintenance’ Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Texas | 63.68 | 12 | 21 | 23 | 2 |
2 | Kansas | 63.56 | 16 | 2 | 27 | 32 |
3 | Nebraska | 63.09 | 20 | 1 | 29 | 31 |
4 | Iowa | 62.48 | 19 | 8 | 25 | 19 |
5 | North Carolina | 61.72 | 3 | 23 | 26 | 11 |
6 | Oregon | 60.86 | 8 | 17 | 21 | 25 |
7 | Georgia | 60.70 | 2 | 30 | 30 | 8 |
8 | Alabama | 60.53 | 1 | 13 | 46 | 23 |
9 | Arkansas | 59.77 | 9 | 7 | 39 | 33 |
10 | Illinois | 59.36 | 37 | 34 | 5 | 5 |
11 | Minnesota | 58.89 | 29 | 27 | 8 | 22 |
12 | Idaho | 58.52 | 25 | 5 | 32 | 41 |
13 | Virginia | 58.33 | 5 | 36 | 19 | 13 |
14 | Oklahoma | 58.31 | 30 | 11 | 24 | 28 |
15 | Indiana | 58.25 | 4 | 19 | 40 | 15 |
16 | Arizona | 58.23 | 7 | 16 | 37 | 30 |
17 | Kentucky | 58.06 | 22 | 22 | 15 | 29 |
18 | Tennessee | 57.75 | 11 | 20 | 35 | 18 |
19 | Florida | 57.35 | 33 | 29 | 33 | 3 |
20 | South Dakota | 57.02 | 13 | 10 | 38 | 39 |
21 | North Dakota | 56.37 | 23 | 4 | 45 | 44 |
22 | Ohio | 55.94 | 17 | 32 | 42 | 7 |
23 | Montana | 55.91 | 18 | 3 | 49 | 40 |
24 | Wisconsin | 55.89 | 31 | 28 | 22 | 16 |
25 | West Virginia | 55.61 | 14 | 40 | 9 | 38 |
26 | Utah | 55.40 | 15 | 15 | 41 | 36 |
27 | Louisiana | 55.16 | 36 | 26 | 12 | 27 |
28 | Missouri | 54.70 | 10 | 25 | 47 | 14 |
29 | Mississippi | 54.53 | 24 | 12 | 44 | 34 |
30 | South Carolina | 54.33 | 6 | 18 | 48 | 26 |
31 | Wyoming | 54.04 | 21 | 9 | 43 | 47 |
32 | Colorado | 53.24 | 32 | 31 | 28 | 20 |
33 | New Mexico | 52.74 | 27 | 6 | 50 | 42 |
34 | Pennsylvania | 52.61 | 44 | 38 | 14 | 6 |
35 | Maine | 51.75 | 34 | 37 | 10 | 35 |
36 | Nevada | 51.70 | 39 | 14 | 31 | 48 |
37 | New Hampshire | 51.42 | 26 | 43 | 13 | 37 |
38 | Vermont | 51.39 | 38 | 33 | 11 | 45 |
39 | Delaware | 50.74 | 28 | 35 | 20 | 49 |
40 | Michigan | 50.13 | 46 | 41 | 7 | 10 |
41 | New York | 49.99 | 48 | 47 | 1 | 4 |
42 | New Jersey | 49.56 | 42 | 49 | 6 | 12 |
43 | Rhode Island | 49.49 | 41 | 44 | 2 | 46 |
44 | Massachusetts | 49.19 | 40 | 50 | 4 | 9 |
45 | Alaska | 48.69 | 43 | 24 | 17 | 50 |
46 | Connecticut | 48.67 | 47 | 45 | 3 | 24 |
47 | California | 48.60 | 49 | 42 | 18 | 1 |
48 | Maryland | 48.31 | 35 | 48 | 16 | 21 |
49 | Washington | 44.08 | 45 | 39 | 36 | 17 |
50 | Hawaii | 31.83 | 50 | 46 | 34 | 43 |
North Carolina also ranked;
- 21st in Share of Rush-Hour Traffic Congestion
- 13th in Car Theft Rate
- 11th in Auto-Repair Shops per Capita
- 14th in Avg. Gas Prices
- 8th in Auto-Maintenance Costs
- 13th in Road Quality
- 10th in Car Dealerships per Capita
Do you agree with the ranking?Â
Do you think North Carolina should be higher or lower?