How much Americans spend a year on average on their commute

REVEALED: Commuters spend up to $5,000 a year getting to work – with those in North Dakota paying the most and West Virginians forking out just $2,000

  • The data revealed average cost of the annual commute in every American state 
  • Cost varied widely depending on what state you are in, thanks to several factors 
  • North Dakota had the most expensive commute, with West Virginia the cheapest 

Americans are spending as much as $5,000 on their daily commutes every year, a new data map has revealed.

The stats were compiled using government data and firm HowMuch.net added together the cost of gas, maintenance, public transportation, and other expenses.

However, the annual cost of commuting varies widely depending on what state you live in. 

North Dakota had the most expensive commute, costing on average $5,059.113.

On the other end of the scale, West Virginia had the cheapest, with people spending $2,003.812 on their annual commute.  

This map reveals the annual cost of commuting for Americans in every state in the country

The data has revealed the average annual cost of commuting for Americans in every state (stock photo)

The data has revealed the average annual cost of commuting for Americans in every state (stock photo)

The other four most expensive states for annual commutes are Wyoming at $4,393.43, New York at $3,710.714, Minnesota at $3,660.545 and Michigan at $3,631.39.

The four cheapest after West Virginia are Mississippi at $2,141.443, Alabama at $2,178.24, Kentucky at $2,200.035 and Tennessee at $2,222.31. 

While the type of transportation is a major factor in the overall cost of commuting, other factors such as commute time were major contributors.  

For example, Washington, D.C., for example, has,the largest number of workers who choose environmentally-friendly transportation options but is still ranked 33rd in transportation spending. 

A reason for this is because DC has the second-longest commute time in the country.  

New York is a similar story as, despite nearly 47 per cent of residents choosing environmentally-friendly transportation, it has the third-highest average commute cost. 

The cost of gas, maintenance, public transportation, and other expenses were added together (stock photo)

The cost of gas, maintenance, public transportation, and other expenses were added together (stock photo)

This is likely due to the city having the longest average commute in the US. 

Environmentally-friendly methods allow commuters to reduce costs per-person by spreading out the cost of each ride to multiple people. 

HowMuch.net used data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis and U.S. Census Bureau, which demonstrates how much adults spend on transportation in all 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk