As U.S. gasoline prices hit a record average of $4.43 a gallon on Friday, some commuters may feel the budget squeeze worse than others.
With gas prices, location matters: The difference in gas spending for drivers commuting to work in America’s largest cities can be as high as $651 per year per driver, according to a recent study by Clever, an online real estate brokerage service.
The most expensive market to drive to work in is Riverside, California, with an average annual gas cost of $1,225. By comparison, the cheapest city is New Orleans, with an average cost of $574.
Here are the 15 most expensive metropolitan areas for commuters, based on the average price of gasoline:
- Riverside, California: $1,225
- Phoenix: $1,224
- Los Angeles: $1,211
- Atlanta: $1,180
- San Diego: $1,156
- Houston: $1,080
- San Francisco: $1,077
- Chicago: $1,058
- Dallas: $1,055
- Sacramento, California: $1,039
- Nashville, TN: $1,019
- Seattle: $1,001
- Detroit: $989
- Birmingham, Alabama: $924
- Washington D.C.: $903
Using government data, the study calculated the price of gasoline in the 50 most populous metropolitan areas in the United States by dividing the average distance to work by the average gasoline consumption over all light vehicles – 22.9 miles per gallon – then multiplied by average gas mileage. price per gallon in March.
The average annual gas cost for travel between all metropolitan areas is $867. It should be noted that this amount does not include gas costs for all trips, only commuting.
According to 2019 data, the total annual fuel cost for driving is approximately $2,100 per household, which averages 3.3% of the total driver’s budget. However, that number could be higher now, with rising gasoline prices.
Factors that affect the cost of travel can vary from city to city, even within the same state. These include urban sprawl, the availability of public transportation, and the cost of gas in a given area, as it is generally cheaper in towns near oil refineries.
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