A new report has ranked California as the fourth-worst state in the U.S. for drivers, pointing to soaring gas prices, deteriorating road conditions, and chronic traffic congestion as major contributors.
The findings come from a WalletHub study, which evaluated all 50 states across four broad categories: cost of ownership and maintenance, traffic and infrastructure, safety, and access to vehicles and maintenance services. California earned an overall score of 47.67, placing it near the bottom of the national rankings.
The state performed particularly poorly in cost of ownership and maintenance, where it received a score of 50, reflecting the financial strain drivers face. Traffic and infrastructure also weighed heavily on the ranking, with a score of 38, while safety came in at 15. California’s strongest showing was in access to vehicles and maintenance, where it scored just 1, indicating comparatively strong availability of related services.
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Despite its low overall placement, the report did highlight a few bright spots. California was ranked as having the highest number of auto repair shops per capita in the country, suggesting relatively easy access to maintenance services. At the same time, it also ranked first for the highest gasoline prices nationwide, underscoring one of the most common complaints among drivers.
Those findings mirror sentiments frequently voiced by California motorists on social media, where frustration over fuel costs is often compounded by complaints about rough roads, frequent vehicle repairs, and accidents in heavily congested areas.
This aligns with frequent complaints from California drivers on social media, who cite not only fuel costs but also challenging road conditions, frequent repairs, and accidents in high-traffic areas.
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