The study evaluated 30 driver-related metrics including traffic congestion, accident likelihood, vehicle ownership costs, and road quality. The results place Philadelphia firmly at the bottom of the ranking, revealing that the city struggles with multiple transportation and infrastructure challenges simultaneously.
Although large coastal cities are often blamed for their gridlocks and parking nightmares, Philadelphia’s low performance appears to cut across a wider range of factors. The findings are especially significant considering the size of the study, which took into account data from cities with widely varying geographies, infrastructures, and urban policies.
In a list where cities like Raleigh, Boise, and Corpus Christi stood out for positive road conditions and affordability, Philadelphia’s placement highlights deep-rooted issues that go beyond rush-hour delays.
Poor Scores Across Safety, Costs, and Congestion
The study grouped its evaluation criteria into four broad categories: cost of ownership and maintenance, traffic infrastructure, access to vehicles and maintenance, and safety. Philadelphia received particularly low marks in categories related to accident likelihood and traffic congestion, signaling that day-to-day driving poses real risks and inconveniences for local residents.
Vehicle-related costs were another major sticking point. The price of gas and new vehicles in Philadelphia contributed to the city’s unfavorable standing. Alongside those financial burdens, poor road conditions added further frustration, reducing the ease and reliability of personal transportation.
The report also drew attention to high car theft rates, which have continued to be an issue in several parts of the city. These multiple low scores suggest that it isn’t a single failing dragging Philadelphia down—but a combination of economic, infrastructural, and public safety challenges that create a difficult environment for drivers.
Ranked Below New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles
Despite their reputations for frustrating drivers, New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago did not come in at the bottom of the list. Those cities landed just behind Philadelphia in the rankings, with Oakland and Washington, D.C. also appearing high on the “worst” list.
Specifically, Oakland followed Philadelphia in second place, while Washington, D.C. and New York occupied third and fourth respectively. Chicago rounded out the top five. This reshuffling of expected names indicates that Philadelphia’s problems are more than just comparable—they’re consistently worse by the study’s 30-point scale.
Other large cities like San Francisco, Detroit, and Los Angeles filled out the rest of the bottom ten. San Jose and Baltimore also appeared, pointing to a pattern of East and West Coast urban centers struggling to support driver needs on multiple fronts.
A Stark Contrast With Best-Performing Cities
On the opposite end of the spectrum, smaller cities in the South and Midwest ranked highest for driver satisfaction. According to Supercar Blondie, Raleigh topped the list as the best city to drive in, thanks to relatively low costs and good road conditions.
Boise came in second, followed by Corpus Christi and Greensboro. Florida cities also performed well, with Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa all earning places in the top ten. The study credited these cities with accessible infrastructure, better-than-average safety ratings, and lower ownership costs.
The contrast between the top and bottom rankings reveals a geographic split, but more importantly, it underscores how multifaceted the driving experience is across the country. While cities like Philadelphia are contending with overlapping problems, others are succeeding by maintaining affordable and efficient urban planning.
