Idaho in bottom third for cost of vehicle operation
You’re a conscientious 40-year old male with a clean driving record. Your daily commute is 12 miles each way, and you make the trip comfortably in a 2012 Honda Accord.
To protect yourself and your car, you carry a $500 deductible on collision car insurance, with liability limits of $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident, and $50,000 in property damage liability coverage.
Where will you get the best bargain for your transportation dollar?
New Hampshire.
Based on a formula that factors in miles driven, cost of gasoline and insurance and income, drivers in the Granite State spend less on transportation than in any other state. The calculations by CarInsurance.com, New Hampshire’s “misery index" is 4.4 percent, compared with the national average of 7.0 percent.
Idaho and Oregon drivers rank in the top third for least spent, at 6.2 percent. Washington and Utah drivers are better at 5.1 and 5.7 percent respectively. Idaho’s other neighbors come in higher:
Nevada, 7.1 percent
Wyoming, 9.1 percent, and
Montana, 9.7 percent
Idaho drivers travel an estimated 13,985 miles annually and pay an average of $1,936 per year for gasoline. The per capita income of $47,282 is lower than Wyoming, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington, translating to higher vehicle operating costs. They also spend less ($1,006) per year for car insurance than in surrounding states. The national average is $1,479.
The average cost of insurance is highest among Pacific Northwest states in Nevada, where drivers pay $2,065 annually.
For a complete list of transportation costs, see “The 10 most miserable states for drivers."
Published 9-21-2012