This headline should not come as a suprise for those of us that live and work in New York and New Jersey. 84% of Americans drive to work daily and we’re behind the wheel a half hour longer each day compared to the 1980’s.
Sitting in traffic is not only bad for the economy and your schedule, but it’s also taking a toll on our happiness, health, and wallets. While commutes are generally getting longer nationwide, there are, however, some bright spots on the map. Across the country, there are glimmers of hope for improvement as people take advantage of options like flexible work schedules and alternative methods of getting to work.
Esurance analyzed all 50 states to find the ones making the biggest strides in improving commuter experiences. The composite indexing method, validated by a transportation expert, uses several factors to identify the states making progress and those that are stuck in the breakdown lane. Looking at the time people spend commuting, how they commute, how safe they are on the road, and their overall work-related happiness and well-being.
Overall Rating:
New York – 47 out of 50
New Jersey – 49 out of 50
| Overall highest-scoring states | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska |
| 2 | Utah |
| 3 | Montana |
| 4 | South Dakota |
| 5 | Wyoming |
| 6 | Idaho |
| 7 | Wisconsin |
| 8 | Hawaii |
| 9 | Colorado |
| 10 | Minnesota |
| Overall lowest-scoring states | |
|---|---|
| 41 | New Hampshire |
| 42 | Alabama |
| 43 | Connecticut |
| 44 | Maryland |
| 45 | Rhode Island |
| 46 | Tennessee |
| 47 | New York |
| 48 | South Carolina |
| 49 | New Jersey |
| 50 | Delaware |
Best States for Commuting Experience
Greatest improvements in commuting time:
New York – 37 out of 50
New Jersey – 40 out of 50
| Most-improved commute times | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming |
| 2 | Montana |
| 3 | West Virginia |
| 4 | Alaska |
| 5 | Louisiana |
| Least-improved commute times | |
|---|---|
| 46 | Massachusetts |
| 47 | North Dakota |
| 48 | Oregon |
| 49 | Delaware |
| 50 | Vermont |
Most improved use of alternative transportation:
New York – 29 out of 50
New Jersey – 41 out of 50
| Most-improved for alternative method | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Hawaii |
| 2 | Massachusetts |
| 3 | Colorado |
| 4 | Virginia |
| 5 | North Dakota |
| Least-improved for alternative method | |
|---|---|
| 46 | Missouri |
| 47 | Wyoming |
| 48 | Maine |
| 49 | Mississippi |
| 50 | Alabama |
Safety and well-being best scores:
New York – 5 out of 50
New Jersey – 9 out of 50
| Highest scores for safety | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Minnesota |
| 2 | Hawaii |
| 3 | Illinois |
| 4 | Washington |
| 5 | New York |
| Lowest scores for safety | |
|---|---|
| 46 | Arizona |
| 47 | Kentucky |
| 48 | Louisiana |
| 49 | South Carolina |
| 50 | Florida |
Workplace happiness and well-being best scores:
New York – 34 out of 50
New Jersey – 26 out of 50
| Highest scores for happiness | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska |
| 2 | North Dakota |
| 3 | Minnesota |
| 4 | Utah |
| 5 | Montana |
| Lowest scores for happiness | |
|---|---|
| 46 | West Virginia |
| 47 | Ohio |
| 48 | Alabama |
| 49 | Kentucky |
| 50 | Louisiana |
For a full version of the study Download the full graphs and overall rankings here.
How is your commute???
Written by Seth Goldstein / Seth@NYNJ.COM / © NYNJ MEDIA
