New study ranks roads in each state from worst to best

A new analysis by Moneygeek found that 1 in 10 U.S. roads are in poor condition, and in urban areas, 1 in 5 are in poor condition. To analyze the state of America’s roads, Moneygeek gathered data from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Census Bureau to determine which states have the best and worst roads.

Findings: The study weighed the amount each state spends on its roads, compared to the roads’ roughness.

• California and Rhode Island ranked the worst in road quality, with 44% and 41%, respectively, of their roads in poor condition.
• New Hampshire and Alabama had the best roads and spent some of the lowest amounts of money in the country per mile of road.
• “Our findings suggest that taxpayers are not necessarily getting their money’s worth. At best, they are getting just enough road investment to maintain the current condition of roads, but not enough to improve them,” the analysis reads.

Methodology: Moneygeek ranked each state on a 170-point international roughness index. The Federal Highway Administration states that a road with a roughness index of less than 95 is considered good condition, between 95 and 170 is fair and over 170 is in poor condition.

The analysis also ranks states based on the percentage of good vs. poor conditioned roads in the state, and how much each state spends on road maintenance.

Rankings: According to Moneygeek’s analysis, here are all 50 U.S. states ranked by road quality, listed from worst to best:

1. California.
2. Rhode Island.
3. Nebraska.
4. Wisconsin.
5. New York.
6. Hawaii.
7. Massachusetts.
8. Louisiana.
9. Michigan.
10. New Jersey.
11. Washington.
12. New Mexico.
13. Pennsylvania.
14. Iowa.
15. Texas.
16. Colorado.
17. Illinois.
18. Montana.
19. Ohio.
20. South Dakota.
21. Maryland.
22. Virginia.
23. Arkansas.
24. Oklahoma.
25. Mississippi.
26. Oregon.
27. Connecticut.
28. North Dakota.
29. South Carolina.
30. Indiana.
31. Idaho.
32. Delaware.
33. Arizona.
34. West Virginia.
35. Wyoming.
36. North Carolina.
37. Vermont.
38. Utah.
39. Maine.
40. Alaska.
41. Missouri.
42. Kentucky.
43. Nevada.
44. Kansas.
45. Tennessee.
46. Minnesota.
47. Florida.
48. Georgia.
49. Alabama.
50. New Hampshire.