With car sales up 9% in the first quarter of 2021, in part due to fear of public transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2021's Best and Worst Cities to Drive in.
To determine the most driver-friendly places in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 30 key metrics. The data set ranges from average gas prices to annual hours in traffic congestion per auto commuter to auto-repair shops per capita.
| Best Cities for Driving | Worst Cities for Driving |
| 1. Raleigh, NC | 91. San Bernardino, CA |
| 2. Lincoln, NE | 92. Washington, DC |
| 3. Greensboro, NC | 93. Baltimore, MD |
| 4. Winston-Salem, NC | 94. Los Angeles, CA |
| 5. Corpus Christi, TX | 95. Chicago, IL |
| 6. Boise, ID | 96. New York, NY |
| 7. Jacksonville, FL | 97. Philadelphia, PA |
| 8. Scottsdale, AZ | 98. San Francisco, CA |
| 9. Tampa, FL | 99. Detroit, MI |
| 10. Austin, TX | 100. Oakland, CA |
Best vs. Worst
- Chula Vista, California, has the lowest traffic fatality rate (per 100,000 residents), 2.55, which is 7.8 times lower than in Memphis, Tennessee, the city with the highest at 19.97.
- Irvine, California, has the fewest car thefts (per 1,000 residents), 0.56, which is 20.7 times fewer than in Oakland, California, the city with the most at 11.61.
- San Antonio has the lowest average gas price, $2.66 per gallon, which is 1.7 times lower than in San Francisco, the city with the highest at $4.40 per gallon.
- Hialeah, Florida, has the lowest average parking rate, $0.90 per two hours, which is 38.7 times lower than in Boston, the city with the highest at $34.80 per two hours.
To view the full report and your city's rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-cities-to-drive-in/13964