Census ACS 2023 · 51 states
States Where Most Workers Drive Alone
Driving alone is the dominant commuting method in the United States, with roughly 76% of workers commuting by car without a passenger. States in the South and Midwest have the highest rates of solo driving — Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee typically exceed 83% — reflecting limited public transit, sprawling suburban development, and car-centric infrastructure. The prevalence of solo driving has enormous implications for traffic congestion, carbon emissions, road maintenance costs, and public health. Each solo driver contributes to peak-hour congestion that costs the average American over $1,000 per year in wasted time and fuel. States with the highest solo driving rates tend to invest heavily in highway infrastructure while underinvesting in transit alternatives. The remote work trend is the most significant recent shift in commuting patterns, reducing solo driving in some states, but for most workers — especially those in essential, service, and manufacturing jobs — the solo car commute remains the only practical option.
Key Findings
- 1New York leads with a drive alone rate of 22.4%, followed by District of Columbia (22.3%) and New Jersey (8.5%).
- 2The gap between #1 New York and #51 Mississippi (0.3%) is 22.1 percentage points.
- 3The national median across all states is 1.0% (Michigan at the midpoint).
- 4The top 10 states are: New York, District of Columbia, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Illinois, Maryland, Hawaii, Washington, Pennsylvania, Connecticut.
Full Ranking: States Where Most Workers Drive Alone
Source: Census ACS 2023 5-Year Estimates
| # | State | Drive Alone % | Avg Commute | WFH Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | 0.9% | 18.5 | 8.5% |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 1.2% | 22.2 | 11.6% |
| 3 | West Virginia | 0.6% | 26.6 | 8.0% |
| 4 | Washington | 4.0% | 27 | 17.7% |
| 5 | Virginia | 2.6% | 27.6 | 16.2% |
| 6 | Vermont | 0.9% | 23.4 | 15.0% |
| 7 | Utah | 1.7% | 22 | 16.0% |
| 8 | Texas | 1.0% | 26.7 | 12.8% |
| 9 | Tennessee | 0.5% | 25.7 | 11.4% |
| 10 | South Dakota | 0.5% | 17.6 | 9.3% |
| 11 | South Carolina | 0.4% | 25.6 | 10.0% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1.9% | 25.5 | 11.4% |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 3.9% | 26.6 | 13.8% |
| 14 | Oregon | 2.6% | 23.2 | 17.0% |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 0.3% | 22.4 | 8.5% |
| 16 | Ohio | 1.1% | 23.6 | 11.5% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 0.4% | 18 | 7.3% |
| 18 | North Carolina | 0.7% | 25.1 | 14.5% |
| 19 | New York | 22.4% | 32.8 | 13.3% |
| 20 | New Mexico | 0.7% | 23.2 | 11.0% |
| 21 | New Jersey | 8.5% | 30.9 | 15.0% |
| 22 | New Hampshire | 0.6% | 26.8 | 15.1% |
| 23 | Nevada | 2.4% | 24.8 | 10.5% |
| 24 | Nebraska | 0.5% | 19.1 | 10.0% |
| 25 | Montana | 0.6% | 19.2 | 11.6% |
| 26 | Missouri | 0.9% | 23.7 | 11.6% |
| 27 | Mississippi | 0.3% | 25.6 | 5.3% |
| 28 | Minnesota | 2.1% | 23.1 | 15.8% |
| 29 | Michigan | 1.0% | 24.4 | 12.0% |
| 30 | Massachusetts | 7.0% | 29.3 | 16.7% |
| 31 | Maryland | 4.9% | 31.5 | 17.2% |
| 32 | Maine | 0.5% | 24.4 | 14.1% |
| 33 | Louisiana | 0.9% | 25.8 | 7.2% |
| 34 | Kentucky | 0.7% | 24 | 9.1% |
| 35 | Kansas | 0.4% | 19.8 | 10.7% |
| 36 | Iowa | 0.7% | 19.8 | 10.4% |
| 37 | Indiana | 0.7% | 24 | 9.6% |
| 38 | Illinois | 6.4% | 28.1 | 14.0% |
| 39 | Idaho | 0.6% | 21.6 | 12.2% |
| 40 | Hawaii | 4.1% | 26.4 | 8.8% |
| 41 | Georgia | 1.3% | 28.3 | 14.2% |
| 42 | Florida | 1.2% | 28 | 13.9% |
| 43 | District of Columbia | 22.3% | 30.3 | 29.4% |
| 44 | Delaware | 1.8% | 26.1 | 13.3% |
| 45 | Connecticut | 3.4% | 26.6 | 14.4% |
| 46 | Colorado | 1.9% | 25.5 | 18.8% |
| 47 | California | 3.2% | 29 | 15.5% |
| 48 | Arkansas | 0.3% | 22.3 | 7.8% |
| 49 | Arizona | 1.2% | 25.5 | 16.5% |
| 50 | Alaska | 1.0% | 19.5 | 8.8% |
| 51 | Alabama | 0.3% | 25.4 | 7.8% |
Methodology
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
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Frequently Asked Questions
New York has the highest drive alone rate at 22.4%, according to Census ACS 2023 data. District of Columbia and New Jersey round out the top three.
Mississippi has the lowest drive alone rate at 0.3%. Arkansas is second-lowest at 0.3%.
The median across all 51 states is 1.0%. Note that the national median and the state-level median are calculated differently — the state median represents the midpoint when all states are ranked.
This data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-Year estimates published by the US Census Bureau. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides the most comprehensive demographic data available between decennial censuses.
Rankings are based on the latest available Census ACS data (currently 2023 5-Year estimates). The Census Bureau releases new ACS data annually, typically in September. Our data was last updated on April 12, 2026.
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.