A major North Carolina city has topped a list of the best cities to drive in. Yes, somehow that is true. And as a former resident of that city and frequent visitor, I have questions. But it’s not just that. Two other North Carolina cities also made the top 10 of this list. Apparently, we have it better than we all think! Though as many people as I see running red lights on a daily basis in Charlotte I’d have to challenge that.
Here in North Carolina, like most American, we rely heavily on cars are our main form of transportation. In fact, 87% of Americans’ daily trips are in their own personal vehicles. That’s a lot of time in the car and probably a lot of time in traffic. Drivers annually spend an average of 15 days on the road. That’s a staggering fact. But back to this study/ranking. It was conducted by our friends at WalletHub. To determine the best places to drive WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 30 key indicators of driver-friendliness. The data set ranges from average gas prices to annual hours in traffic congestion per auto commuter to auto-repair shops per capita.
Keep reading to see the top 10 including the three North Carolina cities ranked the best to drive in. You can also see where the rest of the NC cities ranked. View the full study and methodology here.
10. Orlando, FL
Total Score: 62.28
Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 37
Traffic & Infrastructure: 2
Safety: 88
Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 1
9. Garland, TX
Total Score: 62.66
Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 17
Traffic & Infrastructure: 58
Safety: 31
Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 23
8. Arlington, TX
Total Score: 62.67
Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 15
Traffic & Infrastructure: 61
Safety: 25
Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 22
7. Jacksonville, FL
Total Score: 62.91
Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 1
Traffic & Infrastructure: 15
Safety: 75
Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 42
6. Lincoln, NE
Total Score: 63.86
Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 8
Traffic & Infrastructure: 41
Safety: 14
Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 85
5. Winston-Salem, NC
Total Score: 64.05
Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 2
Traffic & Infrastructure: 20
Safety: 29
Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 90
4. Greensboro, NC
(Photo: Raynor Garey/Getty Images)
Total Score: 64.37
Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 3
Traffic & Infrastructure: 24
Safety: 58
Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 30
3. Corpus Christi, TX
Total Score: 64.78
Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 19
Traffic & Infrastructure: 12
Safety: 11
Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 84
2. Plano, TX
Total Score: 65.99
Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 7
Traffic & Infrastructure: 37
Safety: 10
Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 32
1. Raleigh, NC
Total Score: 66.96
Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 5
Traffic & Infrastructure: 27
Safety: 6
Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 43
26. Charlotte, NC
Total Score: 59.41
Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 24
Traffic & Infrastructure: 45
Safety: 51
Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 35
Durham, NC
Total Score: 58.94
Cost of Ownership & Maintenance: 16
Traffic & Infrastructure: 51
Safety: 57
Access to Vehicles & Maintenance: 86
