The nine worst U.S. cities to own a car
The number of Americans driving to work alone is on the rise, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. With the increase in drivers comes traffic, which means more time and money spent idling in cars. Some cities are better tooled to deal with the mass of drivers, managing to keep traffic delays and congestion to a minimum. Other cities are tooled with walkable streets and reliable mass transit options, making car ownership less necessary.
We considered these and other factors to find the worst cities to own a car. Specifically, we looked at hours spent in traffic per year for the average driver, the annual cost of traffic for the average driver, the rate of motor vehicle theft, the number of repair shops and parking garages per driver, the commuter stress index and the non-driving options a resident has for getting around. (See our methodology section for more information on how we created our final ranking.)
Cities on the coasts. The nine cities that make the list are all on or close to the coasts. This makes sense, as many of the largest cities in the country are located on the coasts. Plus, on the East Coast in particular, these cities tend to be older, which means they weren’t built to treat car traffic.
Smirk and bear it. Traffic can get pretty bad. However, in some cities getting around by car is just about the only option you have if you want to leave your house. As a result, some cities with terrible traffic, such as Los Angeles, didn’t make the list.
9. Seattle, Washington
Seattle has pretty bad traffic. Commuters here very likely aren’t astonished to hear the average driver spends sixty three hours per year in traffic. And coupled with the traffic is the high number of motor vehicle thefts. Seattle has the fourth-highest rate of motor vehicle thefts per 1,000 residents in the country.
8. Fresh York, Fresh York
Fresh York is the uncommon American city where public transportation is usually your best bet for getting from point A to point B. All that accessibility makes car ownership unnecessary here. For Fresh Yorkers who do drive, the traffic is not pleasant. Fresh York drivers spend $1,700 per year, on average, waiting in traffic. That’s the third-highest cost in our explore.
7. Anaheim, California
Anaheim commuters are well-acquainted with traffic. Anaheim (and the rest of the Los Angeles metro area) ranks third in average hours per year spent in traffic, very first for commuter stress index and fifth for annual cost of idling in traffic. Anaheim only ranks seventh because Walkability.com gives the city a forty six out of one hundred for non-driving options. That’s the lowest score in our top Ten, meaning, while possessing a car here is a anguish, not wielding one makes getting around a real fight.
6. Portland, Oregon
Of all the cities in our top Ten, Portland is the least onerous for the driving commuter. Commuters driving around the Portland metro area can be appreciative that, on average, they spent only fifty two hours per year in traffic. That traffic still costs each driver about $1,200. However, drivers in Portland looking for a parking garage may be out of luck. Portland has the second-lowest number of parking garages per driver in our examine, and if you are looking to get your car immobilized, Portland ranks in the bottom thirteen for repair shops per capita.
Five. Arlington, Virginia
As previously mentioned, the Washington, D.C. metro area has the worst traffic in the country. Unluckily for the residents of Arlington, they are a part of that metro area. They face the same brutal eighty two hours per year spent in traffic, on average. It costs Arlington residents $1,834 per year, on average, waiting in that traffic. For residents of Arlington, a car is more of a necessity than it is for people living in D.C., which is why it ranks lower in our probe.
Four. Oakland, California
One argument against car ownership in Oakland is the crime. In 2014, there were almost 6,400 motor vehicle thefts in the city of Oakland, or fifteen auto thefts per 1,000 residents. That’s the highest rate in the country. The average Oakland driver can also expect to spend seventy eight hours per year in traffic. On the plus side, if something goes wrong with your wheels in Oakland, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get it motionless. There are more than six repair shops per Ten,000 drivers in Oakland – the highest rate in the top Ten.
Trio. Washington, D.C.
The District and the surrounding metro area sees some of the worst traffic in the country. The average D.C. commuter spends eighty two hours per year in traffic. Depending on how you slice it, that’s either two working weeks or almost three-and-a-half days of doing nothing but wiggling your knuckle at your fellow drivers. That traffic is equal to an annual cost of $1,834 per commuter.
Two. San Francisco, California
The “City by the Bay” grabs the 2nd spot for worst places to own a car. Being stuck in traffic costs the average commuter in San Francisco $1,600 per year. That cost includes both the value of the time spent in traffic and the cost of gas. San Francisco is also one of the ten worst cities for motor vehicle thefts per resident, another reason to forgo car ownership.
The nine worst U
The nine worst U.S. cities to own a car
The number of Americans driving to work alone is on the rise, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. With the increase in drivers comes traffic, which means more time and money spent idling in cars. Some cities are better tooled to deal with the mass of drivers, managing to keep traffic delays and congestion to a minimum. Other cities are tooled with walkable streets and reliable mass transit options, making car ownership less necessary.
We considered these and other factors to find the worst cities to own a car. Specifically, we looked at hours spent in traffic per year for the average driver, the annual cost of traffic for the average driver, the rate of motor vehicle theft, the number of repair shops and parking garages per driver, the commuter stress index and the non-driving options a resident has for getting around. (See our methodology section for more information on how we created our final ranking.)
Cities on the coasts. The nine cities that make the list are all on or close to the coasts. This makes sense, as many of the largest cities in the country are located on the coasts. Plus, on the East Coast in particular, these cities tend to be older, which means they weren’t built to treat car traffic.
Sneer and bear it. Traffic can get pretty bad. However, in some cities getting around by car is just about the only option you have if you want to leave your house. As a result, some cities with terrible traffic, such as Los Angeles, didn’t make the list.
9. Seattle, Washington
Seattle has pretty bad traffic. Commuters here most likely aren’t astonished to hear the average driver spends sixty three hours per year in traffic. And coupled with the traffic is the high number of motor vehicle thefts. Seattle has the fourth-highest rate of motor vehicle thefts per 1,000 residents in the country.
8. Fresh York, Fresh York
Fresh York is the uncommon American city where public transportation is usually your best bet for getting from point A to point B. All that accessibility makes car ownership unnecessary here. For Fresh Yorkers who do drive, the traffic is not pleasant. Fresh York drivers spend $1,700 per year, on average, waiting in traffic. That’s the third-highest cost in our explore.
7. Anaheim, California
Anaheim commuters are well-acquainted with traffic. Anaheim (and the rest of the Los Angeles metro area) ranks third in average hours per year spent in traffic, very first for commuter stress index and fifth for annual cost of idling in traffic. Anaheim only ranks seventh because Walkability.com gives the city a forty six out of one hundred for non-driving options. That’s the lowest score in our top Ten, meaning, while wielding a car here is a ache, not possessing one makes getting around a real fight.
6. Portland, Oregon
Of all the cities in our top Ten, Portland is the least onerous for the driving commuter. Commuters driving around the Portland metro area can be appreciative that, on average, they spent only fifty two hours per year in traffic. That traffic still costs each driver about $1,200. However, drivers in Portland looking for a parking garage may be out of luck. Portland has the second-lowest number of parking garages per driver in our examine, and if you are looking to get your car stationary, Portland ranks in the bottom thirteen for repair shops per capita.
Five. Arlington, Virginia
As previously mentioned, the Washington, D.C. metro area has the worst traffic in the country. Unluckily for the residents of Arlington, they are a part of that metro area. They face the same brutal eighty two hours per year spent in traffic, on average. It costs Arlington residents $1,834 per year, on average, waiting in that traffic. For residents of Arlington, a car is more of a necessity than it is for people living in D.C., which is why it ranks lower in our probe.
Four. Oakland, California
One argument against car ownership in Oakland is the crime. In 2014, there were almost 6,400 motor vehicle thefts in the city of Oakland, or fifteen auto thefts per 1,000 residents. That’s the highest rate in the country. The average Oakland driver can also expect to spend seventy eight hours per year in traffic. On the plus side, if something goes wrong with your wheels in Oakland, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get it motionless. There are more than six repair shops per Ten,000 drivers in Oakland – the highest rate in the top Ten.
Trio. Washington, D.C.
The District and the surrounding metro area sees some of the worst traffic in the country. The average D.C. commuter spends eighty two hours per year in traffic. Depending on how you slice it, that’s either two working weeks or almost three-and-a-half days of doing nothing but jiggling your knuckle at your fellow drivers. That traffic is equal to an annual cost of $1,834 per commuter.
Two. San Francisco, California
The “City by the Bay” grabs the 2nd spot for worst places to own a car. Being stuck in traffic costs the average commuter in San Francisco $1,600 per year. That cost includes both the value of the time spent in traffic and the cost of gas. San Francisco is also one of the ten worst cities for motor vehicle thefts per resident, another reason to forgo car ownership.
The nine worst U
The nine worst U.S. cities to own a car
The number of Americans driving to work alone is on the rise, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. With the increase in drivers comes traffic, which means more time and money spent idling in cars. Some cities are better tooled to deal with the mass of drivers, managing to keep traffic delays and congestion to a minimum. Other cities are tooled with walkable streets and reliable mass transit options, making car ownership less necessary.
We considered these and other factors to find the worst cities to own a car. Specifically, we looked at hours spent in traffic per year for the average driver, the annual cost of traffic for the average driver, the rate of motor vehicle theft, the number of repair shops and parking garages per driver, the commuter stress index and the non-driving options a resident has for getting around. (See our methodology section for more information on how we created our final ranking.)
Cities on the coasts. The nine cities that make the list are all on or close to the coasts. This makes sense, as many of the largest cities in the country are located on the coasts. Plus, on the East Coast in particular, these cities tend to be older, which means they weren’t built to treat car traffic.
Smirk and bear it. Traffic can get pretty bad. However, in some cities getting around by car is just about the only option you have if you want to leave your house. As a result, some cities with terrible traffic, such as Los Angeles, didn’t make the list.
9. Seattle, Washington
Seattle has pretty bad traffic. Commuters here most likely aren’t astonished to hear the average driver spends sixty three hours per year in traffic. And coupled with the traffic is the high number of motor vehicle thefts. Seattle has the fourth-highest rate of motor vehicle thefts per 1,000 residents in the country.
8. Fresh York, Fresh York
Fresh York is the uncommon American city where public transportation is usually your best bet for getting from point A to point B. All that accessibility makes car ownership unnecessary here. For Fresh Yorkers who do drive, the traffic is not pleasant. Fresh York drivers spend $1,700 per year, on average, waiting in traffic. That’s the third-highest cost in our investigate.
7. Anaheim, California
Anaheim commuters are well-acquainted with traffic. Anaheim (and the rest of the Los Angeles metro area) ranks third in average hours per year spent in traffic, very first for commuter stress index and fifth for annual cost of idling in traffic. Anaheim only ranks seventh because Walkability.com gives the city a forty six out of one hundred for non-driving options. That’s the lowest score in our top Ten, meaning, while possessing a car here is a ache, not wielding one makes getting around a real fight.
6. Portland, Oregon
Of all the cities in our top Ten, Portland is the least onerous for the driving commuter. Commuters driving around the Portland metro area can be grateful that, on average, they spent only fifty two hours per year in traffic. That traffic still costs each driver about $1,200. However, drivers in Portland looking for a parking garage may be out of luck. Portland has the second-lowest number of parking garages per driver in our probe, and if you are looking to get your car immobilized, Portland ranks in the bottom thirteen for repair shops per capita.
Five. Arlington, Virginia
As previously mentioned, the Washington, D.C. metro area has the worst traffic in the country. Unluckily for the residents of Arlington, they are a part of that metro area. They face the same brutal eighty two hours per year spent in traffic, on average. It costs Arlington residents $1,834 per year, on average, waiting in that traffic. For residents of Arlington, a car is more of a necessity than it is for people living in D.C., which is why it ranks lower in our probe.
Four. Oakland, California
One argument against car ownership in Oakland is the crime. In 2014, there were almost 6,400 motor vehicle thefts in the city of Oakland, or fifteen auto thefts per 1,000 residents. That’s the highest rate in the country. The average Oakland driver can also expect to spend seventy eight hours per year in traffic. On the plus side, if something goes wrong with your wheels in Oakland, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get it immobile. There are more than six repair shops per Ten,000 drivers in Oakland – the highest rate in the top Ten.
Three. Washington, D.C.
The District and the surrounding metro area sees some of the worst traffic in the country. The average D.C. commuter spends eighty two hours per year in traffic. Depending on how you slice it, that’s either two working weeks or almost three-and-a-half days of doing nothing but jiggling your knuckle at your fellow drivers. That traffic is equal to an annual cost of $1,834 per commuter.
Two. San Francisco, California
The “City by the Bay” grabs the 2nd spot for worst places to own a car. Being stuck in traffic costs the average commuter in San Francisco $1,600 per year. That cost includes both the value of the time spent in traffic and the cost of gas. San Francisco is also one of the ten worst cities for motor vehicle thefts per resident, another reason to forgo car ownership.