Reports Show California is One of the Worst States for Drivers

According to WalletHub, a personal finance website that always releases lists ranking states on different aspects of life and finances, California is one the of the worst states for drivers. They recently published their list of the 2025 Best and Worst States to Drive In, in which they highlighted the issues affecting different states and the drivers residing there. The ranking came based on scores that were given to each state. The scores were created based on a number of different categories and factors that contribute to things such as the affordability and quality of driving in the state. Some of the factors considered when weighing each category include but are not limited to the number of auto repair shops, car washes per capita, and the rates of car theft and larceny.

WalletHub also takes into consideration the price of gas, maintenance, and more.

One analyst reporter from WalletHub, Chip Lupo, gave a statement on their published list. He stated that they have to factor in everything they can give a number to. This means that gas prices, vehicle maintenance, insurance costs, average car payment amounts, and just about anything that puts a price tag on being a driver comes into play during their analysis.

Connected to the direct costs, they also factor in traffic. When considering the effects of traffic, they have to consider both the actual time lost in traffic, but also the amount of money burned in gas from sitting in extended traffic.

California ranked as the 45^th state for good driving.

Being so low on the list solidified that California is not an easy place to drive in. The state came in with the highest average gas prices and the largest stare of interstates (or simply freeways in California) that are plugged up by congestion during traffic hours. According to WalletHub’s findings, the state has an average of $4.45 per gallon gas prices. This is over a dollar more than the national average, which sits at around $3.13 per gallon.

Surprisingly, the state was on the lower end of the national average of car insurance. The national average came in around $2,068 and California’s average was much lower, being around $1,782. The state also has the benefit of having a large amount of access to maintenance facilities, which helped bring its ranking above some other states. California came in with a high ranking for car washes and auto shops per capita, being number one for each. Overall, the state has a good safety ranking as well, coming it at number 11.

According to WalletHub, the best state to drive in is Kansas.