Driving isn’t just “driving.” Where you live decides how much it costs, how rough the roads feel, and how much time traffic steals.
WalletHub’s new Best & Worst States to Drive in 2026 list puts Kansas at No. 1 overall. Hawaii lands dead last at No. 50. Iowa, Indiana, Idaho, and Oklahoma fill out the top five. Colorado, New Hampshire, Montana, and Washington join Hawaii in the bottom five.
This isn’t an opinion ranking. WalletHub scores each state across cost of ownership, traffic and infrastructure, safety, and access to vehicles and maintenance. It uses 31 indicators, then weights them into an overall score. If your daily drive feels expensive or chaotic, one of those buckets is usually the culprit.
What this list really means for drivers
Start with money. A car payment hurts, but it’s only one slice of the bill. Fuel, tires, insurance, maintenance, and depreciation do the real damage. AAA’s latest Your Driving Costs study shows how fast those “non-payment” costs stack up, even before local factors like repair prices and insurance rates.
Then there’s time. WalletHub notes congestion still costs the average driver real money and real hours (its study cites $771 and 43 hours a year, based on INRIX data). That’s why the states with big-city gridlock take punches. INRIX’s newest U.S. scorecard calls out Chicago as the worst U.S. city for traffic, with 102 hours lost and an estimated $2,063 cost per driver in 2024, per the INRIX U.S. Traffic Scorecard release.
So, is this “news”? It is if you treat it like a cheat sheet for big decisions: moving, commuting, road-tripping, or buying your next daily driver. A state that ranks low on maintenance access and infrastructure will punish you with time, wear, and surprise bills.
If you live in a bottom-tier state, use the list as a warning label. Stay ahead on tires, brakes, and suspension wear, and plan extra time around the choke points. If you live in a top-tier state, enjoy the quiet win.
My Verdict
The best states to drive aren’t “more fun.” They’re less punishing. Use this ranking to spot the pain points, then plan around them—because traffic and ownership costs don’t care how much you love your ride.
