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AMERICA'S DASHBOARDRank & Score Every US State
REAL DATA
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The Best States for Transportation (2026)

How people get around — and how long it takes — is a top factor in quality of life. Our transportation score combines mean commute time from Census ACS (35%, inverted — shorter commutes are better), percentage commuting by public transit (25%), vehicle miles traveled per capita from FHWA (20%, inverted — lower VMT indicates more walkable/transit-oriented areas), and work-from-home percentage (20%). Transportation carries a 7% weight in the composite. States with shorter commutes, higher transit usage, and more remote work flexibility score highest.

Weight7%
National Avg41.6
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Transportation Score by State

RankStateGradeTransportation ScoreOverall ScoreKey MetricsRegion
1Oregon
B
58.660.019.8 min commute · 3% transit · 15% WFHWest
2New York
B
58.356.829.3 min commute · 23.4% transit · 11.6% WFHNortheast
3Utah
A+
56.681.518.8 min commute · 1.8% transit · 14.1% WFHWest
4Washington
B
56.463.223.1 min commute · 4.6% transit · 15.5% WFHWest
5Massachusetts
B+
55.470.325.1 min commute · 7.6% transit · 14.6% WFHNortheast
6Colorado
B+
53.667.421.4 min commute · 2.1% transit · 16.5% WFHWest
7Alaska
D
52.639.317.7 min commute · 1.1% transit · 8.1% WFHWest
8Minnesota
A+
51.777.120.1 min commute · 2.5% transit · 13.6% WFHMidwest
9Arizona
C
50.744.321.9 min commute · 1.2% transit · 14.3% WFHWest
10New Jersey
B
50.665.127.1 min commute · 9% transit · 13.1% WFHNortheast
11Illinois
C+
50.150.525 min commute · 7% transit · 12.1% WFHMidwest
12South Dakota
A+
48.080.216 min commute · 0.4% transit · 8.5% WFHMidwest
13Montana
B+
47.770.816.8 min commute · 0.7% transit · 10.6% WFHWest
14Connecticut
A
47.273.523.1 min commute · 3.5% transit · 12.6% WFHNortheast
15Pennsylvania
B
47.258.223.6 min commute · 4.3% transit · 11.8% WFHNortheast
16Iowa
B+
47.168.717.8 min commute · 0.8% transit · 9.3% WFHMidwest
17Nebraska
A
46.974.517.4 min commute · 0.5% transit · 8.9% WFHMidwest
18Vermont
A+
46.177.520.2 min commute · 0.9% transit · 13.2% WFHNortheast
19Idaho
B+
45.769.219.1 min commute · 0.6% transit · 10.8% WFHWest
20California
C
45.742.925.2 min commute · 3.6% transit · 13.6% WFHWest
21Kansas
B
45.559.517.8 min commute · 0.4% transit · 9.5% WFHMidwest
22Wisconsin
B
44.263.719.9 min commute · 1.2% transit · 10.1% WFHMidwest
23Virginia
A
44.174.324 min commute · 3% transit · 14% WFHSouth
24Rhode Island
B+
43.569.322.9 min commute · 1.9% transit · 9.6% WFHNortheast
25Nevada
D
43.539.222.5 min commute · 2.5% transit · 9% WFHWest
26Maryland
B+
43.266.927.3 min commute · 5.5% transit · 14.7% WFHNortheast
27Hawaii
B
41.864.824.4 min commute · 4.3% transit · 8% WFHWest
28Maine
A
40.876.821.4 min commute · 0.4% transit · 12.3% WFHNortheast
29Ohio
C+
40.849.121.3 min commute · 1.2% transit · 9.8% WFHMidwest
30Delaware
C+
40.652.422.8 min commute · 1.7% transit · 11.6% WFHNortheast
31North Carolina
C+
40.453.521.9 min commute · 0.8% transit · 12.4% WFHSouth
32North Dakota
A
39.977.116.8 min commute · 0.5% transit · 6.3% WFHMidwest
33Wyoming
B+
39.968.216.6 min commute · 0.9% transit · 7.7% WFHWest
34Michigan
C
39.245.022 min commute · 1.1% transit · 10.2% WFHMidwest
35New Mexico
D
37.732.620.9 min commute · 0.7% transit · 9.6% WFHWest
36Texas
C
36.845.923.7 min commute · 1% transit · 11% WFHSouth
37New Hampshire
A+
35.986.623.4 min commute · 0.6% transit · 13.1% WFHNortheast
38Missouri
C+
35.648.721.4 min commute · 1% transit · 9.9% WFHMidwest
39Florida
C+
35.051.724.6 min commute · 1.3% transit · 11.9% WFHSouth
40Oklahoma
C
32.341.820.7 min commute · 0.3% transit · 7.4% WFHSouth
41Indiana
C+
31.749.622 min commute · 0.7% transit · 8.2% WFHMidwest
42Tennessee
C
31.745.323 min commute · 0.5% transit · 9.7% WFHSouth
43Georgia
C+
31.451.325 min commute · 1.5% transit · 12.3% WFHSouth
44Kentucky
D
31.038.022 min commute · 0.7% transit · 8% WFHSouth
45Arkansas
F
29.529.920.7 min commute · 0.3% transit · 6.7% WFHSouth
46South Carolina
C
27.143.223.4 min commute · 0.5% transit · 8.5% WFHSouth
47West Virginia
D
23.932.524.5 min commute · 0.7% transit · 6.9% WFHSouth
48Louisiana
F
23.525.224.4 min commute · 1% transit · 6.2% WFHSouth
49Alabama
C
20.139.423.7 min commute · 0.3% transit · 6.7% WFHSouth
50Mississippi
D
14.331.424.3 min commute · 0.3% transit · 4.5% WFHSouth

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best state for transportation in 2026?

Oregon ranks #1 for transportation in 2026, followed by New York and Utah, based on commute time, transit ridership, VMT, and remote work rates.

Which states have the worst transportation?

The states with the lowest transportation scores in 2026 are Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana, due to longer commutes, lower transit usage, and less remote work flexibility.

How is the transportation score calculated?

The transportation score combines Census ACS mean commute time (35%, inverted), transit commuting percentage (25%), FHWA vehicle miles traveled per capita (20%, inverted), and work-from-home percentage (20%). It carries a 7% weight.

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Data Sources

📎Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (Dec 2025)📎U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024📎FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, 2024📎America's Health Rankings, 2025📎WalletHub/NAEP, 2025📎U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024📎Cook Political Report, PVI 2024📎Tax Foundation, Facts & Figures 2025📎ALEC Rich States Poor States, 2025📎WalletHub Tax Burden Study, 2025📎U.S. Census Bureau / FHFA, 2025📎BEA Regional Price Parities, 2023📎EPA AirData, Median AQI by County 2024📎EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024📎FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, 2025📎U.S. Census Bureau, Net Domestic Migration 2024📎FCC / BroadbandNow, Broadband Access 2025📎National Park Service API, 2024📎USGS Protected Areas Database (PAD-US), 2024📎U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022📎U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023 (Commuting)📎FHWA Highway Statistics, 2023📎U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022📎EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024📎EIA Natural Gas Prices, 2024📎DOL National Database of Childcare Prices, 2023📎BEA Regional Price Parities (Food), 2023📎NCES Common Core of Data (CCD), 2023-24📎EDFacts ACGR Graduation Rates, 2021-22📎NCES School District Finance Survey (F-33), 2022-23📎BEA GDP by State (SAGDP9), 2023📎NASBO Fiscal Survey of States, FY2023📎Census Bureau State Government Finances, FY2022📎Pew Charitable Trusts Fiscal 50, FY2023📎Pew Charitable Trusts, FY2022📎S&P/Moody's via Ballotpedia, 2025📎Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES (May 2023)📎IRS Statistics of Income, Migration Data 2021-2022