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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.
Transportation Score by State
Key Takeaways
- 1Alaska leads the nation in transportation with a score of 69.6, 0.4 points ahead of #2 Oregon. The top 3 is rounded out by Utah at 64.9.
- 2The West dominates: 6 of the top 10 states are in the West. Alaska, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Colorado, Montana lead the way for the region.
- 3The gap between #1 and #50 is 42.9 points — a moderate spread across states. The median score of 52.8 indicates a fairly even distribution with room for improvement in the lower half.
- 4The bottom 5 — South Carolina, Louisiana, West Virginia, Alabama, Mississippi — are concentrated in the South, with 5 of 5 from that region. Mississippi ranks last with a score of 26.7, signaling persistent challenges in transportation.
- 5Despite ranking #1 in transportation, Alaska sits at #41 overall — a notable divergence that shows category leadership doesn't always translate to top composite scores. This gap suggests Alaska has room to improve in other areas to climb the overall rankings.
The best state for transportation in 2026 is Alaska with a transport score of 69.6/100, followed by Oregon (69.2) and Utah (64.9). See the full rankings below.
| Rank | State | Grade | Transportation Score | Overall Score | Key Metrics | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | A+ | 69.6 | 42.1 | 17.7 min commute · 1.1% transit · 8.1% WFH | West |
| 2 | Oregon | A+ | 69.2 | 58.1 | 19.8 min commute · 3% transit · 15% WFH | West |
| 3 | Utah | A+ | 64.9 | 79.3 | 18.8 min commute · 1.8% transit · 14.1% WFH | West |
| 4 | Washington | A+ | 64.0 | 61.4 | 23.1 min commute · 4.6% transit · 15.5% WFH | West |
| 5 | Colorado | A+ | 63.0 | 66.2 | 21.4 min commute · 2.1% transit · 16.5% WFH | West |
| 6 | Massachusetts | A | 62.6 | 72.8 | 25.1 min commute · 7.6% transit · 14.6% WFH | Northeast |
| 7 | Minnesota | A | 61.1 | 76.7 | 20.1 min commute · 2.5% transit · 13.6% WFH | Midwest |
| 8 | Montana | A | 60.5 | 71.1 | 16.8 min commute · 0.7% transit · 10.6% WFH | West |
| 9 | New York | A | 60.5 | 58.4 | 29.3 min commute · 23.4% transit · 11.6% WFH | Northeast |
| 10 | Vermont | A | 59.4 | 79.6 | 20.2 min commute · 0.9% transit · 13.2% WFH | Northeast |
| 11 | Arizona | B+ | 59.4 | 44.7 | 21.9 min commute · 1.2% transit · 14.3% WFH | West |
| 12 | South Dakota | B+ | 56.7 | 81.8 | 16 min commute · 0.4% transit · 8.5% WFH | Midwest |
| 13 | Idaho | B+ | 56.5 | 70.7 | 19.1 min commute · 0.6% transit · 10.8% WFH | West |
| 14 | Illinois | B+ | 56.5 | 52.0 | 25 min commute · 7% transit · 12.1% WFH | Midwest |
| 15 | Iowa | B+ | 56.4 | 69.5 | 17.8 min commute · 0.8% transit · 9.3% WFH | Midwest |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | B+ | 56.0 | 60.3 | 23.6 min commute · 4.3% transit · 11.8% WFH | Northeast |
| 17 | Nebraska | B+ | 55.5 | 74.9 | 17.4 min commute · 0.5% transit · 8.9% WFH | Midwest |
| 18 | Hawaii | B+ | 54.9 | 63.2 | 24.4 min commute · 4.3% transit · 8% WFH | West |
| 19 | Connecticut | B | 54.8 | 73.5 | 23.1 min commute · 3.5% transit · 12.6% WFH | Northeast |
| 20 | Wisconsin | B | 54.5 | 65.2 | 19.9 min commute · 1.2% transit · 10.1% WFH | Midwest |
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| 21 | Kansas | B | 54.5 | 59.3 | 17.8 min commute · 0.4% transit · 9.5% WFH | Midwest |
| 22 | New Jersey | B | 54.4 | 65.9 | 27.1 min commute · 9% transit · 13.1% WFH | Northeast |
| 23 | Nevada | B | 53.3 | 40.3 | 22.5 min commute · 2.5% transit · 9% WFH | West |
| 24 | California | B | 53.0 | 42.9 | 25.2 min commute · 3.6% transit · 13.6% WFH | West |
| 25 | Maine | B | 52.8 | 77.3 | 21.4 min commute · 0.4% transit · 12.3% WFH | Northeast |
| 26 | Rhode Island | B | 52.8 | 69.8 | 22.9 min commute · 1.9% transit · 9.6% WFH | Northeast |
| 27 | Virginia | C+ | 52.1 | 74.9 | 24 min commute · 3% transit · 14% WFH | South |
| 28 | Wyoming | C+ | 52.0 | 69.4 | 16.6 min commute · 0.9% transit · 7.7% WFH | West |
| 29 | Ohio | C+ | 50.6 | 49.1 | 21.3 min commute · 1.2% transit · 9.8% WFH | Midwest |
| 30 | North Dakota | C+ | 50.3 | 76.6 | 16.8 min commute · 0.5% transit · 6.3% WFH | Midwest |
| 31 | North Carolina | C+ | 49.8 | 53.7 | 21.9 min commute · 0.8% transit · 12.4% WFH | South |
| 32 | Delaware | C+ | 49.6 | 52.3 | 22.8 min commute · 1.7% transit · 11.6% WFH | Northeast |
| 33 | Michigan | C+ | 49.2 | 47.7 | 22 min commute · 1.1% transit · 10.2% WFH | Midwest |
| 34 | Maryland | C+ | 48.5 | 67.7 | 27.3 min commute · 5.5% transit · 14.7% WFH | Northeast |
| 35 | New Mexico | C | 48.2 | 33.1 | 20.9 min commute · 0.7% transit · 9.6% WFH | West |
| 36 | Missouri | C | 46.3 | 49.3 | 21.4 min commute · 1% transit · 9.9% WFH | Midwest |
| 37 | Texas | C | 46.0 | 45.8 | 23.7 min commute · 1% transit · 11% WFH | South |
| 38 | New Hampshire | C | 45.1 | 87.8 | 23.4 min commute · 0.6% transit · 13.1% WFH | Northeast |
| 39 | Florida | C | 44.9 | 52.8 | 24.6 min commute · 1.3% transit · 11.9% WFH | South |
| 40 | Oklahoma | C | 43.6 | 41.5 | 20.7 min commute · 0.3% transit · 7.4% WFH | South |
| 41 | Indiana | C | 43.2 | 50.7 | 22 min commute · 0.7% transit · 8.2% WFH | Midwest |
| 42 | Kentucky | C | 42.3 | 38.4 | 22 min commute · 0.7% transit · 8% WFH | South |
| 43 | Tennessee | D | 41.6 | 46.8 | 23 min commute · 0.5% transit · 9.7% WFH | South |
| 44 | Arkansas | D | 40.6 | 30.9 | 20.7 min commute · 0.3% transit · 6.7% WFH | South |
| 45 | Georgia | D | 40.5 | 51.5 | 25 min commute · 1.5% transit · 12.3% WFH | South |
| 46 | South Carolina | D | 38.9 | 44.0 | 23.4 min commute · 0.5% transit · 8.5% WFH | South |
| 47 | Louisiana | D | 34.9 | 25.9 | 24.4 min commute · 1% transit · 6.2% WFH | South |
| 48 | West Virginia | D | 34.7 | 34.4 | 24.5 min commute · 0.7% transit · 6.9% WFH | South |
| 49 | Alabama | F | 31.5 | 38.9 | 23.7 min commute · 0.3% transit · 6.7% WFH | South |
| 50 | Mississippi | F | 26.7 | 31.5 | 24.3 min commute · 0.3% transit · 4.5% WFH | South |
Top 10 States for Transportation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best state for transportation in 2026?
Alaska ranks #1 for transportation in 2026, followed by Oregon 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 West Virginia, 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