By james art 
In the search for which state has the best commute, Wallethub compared all 50 states across 31 key factors, with the outcome unfortunately determining that Washington is the second-worst state to drive.
Washington posted a 48.8 overall score, coming off of Hawaii’s 42.5 score, to take away the title as the worst state to run.
“All 50 states were compared on categories related to owning and driving a car,” Kiro Newsradio reporter Heather Bosch said on the Seattle Morning News on Wednesday.
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Wallethub analyst Chip Lupo told Bosch that the high cost of vehicle ownership and maintenance is a big factor.
“It covers things like the average price of gas,” he said. “Washington is 48th there, 40th in car maintenance costs and 45th in total additional vehicle costs per driver,” which includes costs such as license fees.
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But that’s not all that pushes Washington to the bottom of the list. Lupo explained that the rate of car theft is very high, with Washington coming in at 49th. Washington also ranked dead last in the nation in total steal rate.
Only Colorado ranked lower than Washington for overall car theft rates. Oregon, Nevada and New Mexico rounded out the bottom five, while New Hampshire, Maine, West Virginia, Idaho and Vermont were ranked as having the lowest amount of car-related crime.
“Washington state also took heat for having bad roads,” Bosch said. “Road quality ranks 47th and the state ranks 40th for weather, which of course can affect your journey.”
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More positive findings for Washington’s transportation
One of the more positive findings about Washington is its rank for rush hour driving.
Washington D.C. ranked 35th for rush hour congestion, though the analysis was completed before Amazon’s return-to-office mandate. Washington also ranked first for the number of alternative fuel stations per capita.
Which countries are the best for driving?
The states with the highest overall driving scores were mostly dominated by Midwestern states. Bosch said Kansas came in at No. 1 because of the safety and quality of its roads. While Idaho, our neighbor to the east, ranked second in part due to its success in reducing traffic deaths. Indiana was third, Iowa and Oklahoma placed fourth and fifth respectively.
“Owning a car can really squeeze your wallet if you’re not in the right place,” Lupo explained. “In addition to having expensive gas, maintenance and insurance costs, some states can hurt you even more financially with excessive traffic jams that waste both your fuel and your productivity. The best countries to drive in are those that are relatively rural, with smaller populations, a low cost of living, well-maintained roads and safe motorists. “
Wallethub emphasized in its report that this study compares what it’s like to move in the specified state. This is not a list of the worst drivers.
“Because no matter where you live, your city, your state, it has the worst drivers,” he laughed.
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Contributed by Heather Bosch, Kiro Newsradio
Frank Sumrall is the Content Editor at Mynorthwest and producer of the Seattle Seahawks Podcast, The reset with Gee Scott. You can read his stories here And you can email him here.
Charlie Harger hosts Kiro Newaradio’s Seattle Morning News. You can read more of Charlie’s stories and comments here. Follow Charlie on X and email him here.