WalletHub ranks North Carolina among top 10 states for drivers in 2026

A new study from WalletHub ranked North Carolina among the top 10 best states for drivingin 2026. The study on driving compared all 50 states across several metrics, grading each on cost of ownership and maintenance; traffic and infrastructure; safety; and access to vehicles and maintenance. Each of

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What is the story about?

A new study from WalletHub ranked North Carolina among the top 10 best states for drivingin 2026.

The study on driving compared all 50 states across several metrics, grading each on cost of ownership and maintenance; traffic and infrastructure; safety; and access to vehicles and maintenance. Each of the weighted scores was combined to give each state a numbered score out of 100 possible points.

WalletHub is a personal finance company that provides consumers with tools to improve credit scores, compare credit card offers and personal loans and gain a "holistic picture" of their financial health. The company also conducts studies, including recent studies covered by the Citizen Times that placed North Carolina in the top 10 state economies countrywide,

ranked the best and worst states to live in, measured how gambling-addicted the state was and more.

Here's why North Carolina is among the top 10, plus the top and bottom states in the nation and more.

Is North Carolina a good state for drivers?

In total, North Carolina ranked No. 9 in the nation for drivers, with a total score of 60.71 out of 100 possible points. Contributing to the state's overall ranking were individual rankings of No. 6 in cost of ownership and maintenance, No. 31 in traffic and infrastructure, No. 28 in safety and No. 10 in access to vehicles and maintenance.

Best states for car owners

Factors included in the "cost of vehicle ownership and maintenance" category were average gas prices, average annual car insurance premium, auto-maintenance costs and total extra vehicle operating costs per driver. The top 10 states in the category included:

No. 1 - Tennessee
No. 2 - Vermont
No. 3 - Alabama
No. 4 - West Virginia
No. 5 - South Dakota
No. 6 - North Carolina
No. 7 - Iowa
No. 8 - Kansas
No. 9 - Nebraska
No. 10 - Indiana

Best states for vehicles and maintenance

Factors included in the "access to vehicles and maintenance" category were car dealerships, auto-repair shops, car washes, gas stations, alternative fuel stations and parking lots and garages per capita. The full top 10 list in the category included: