Best state to drive in? Kansas ranks in the top 10, but Wichita is another story

Kansans may live in one of the best states to drive in, but drivers in Wichita could use some work, according to two recent analyses.

Kansas was ranked the ninth best state to drive in a new WalletHub survey. Meanwhile last year, Wichita was ranked 34th for worst drivers in the country by city, according to an analysis from QuoteWizard by Lendingtree.

The best state to drive analysis from WalletHub ranked all 50 U.S. states from best to worst based on four factors: cost of ownership and maintenance, safety, traffic and infrastructure, and access to maintenance and vehicles.

Then, using 31 metrics each graded on a 100 point scale, the finance site determined the average score for each of the four factors and rated each state from best to worst.

The site ranked Iowa at No. 1 with a score of 62.61, and Hawaii at the lowest spot with a score of 40.28. Kansas ended at the No. 9 spot with a score of 59.60.

Kansas’ neighboring state, Oklahoma, got a score of 60.81 and ranked No. 4.

Here’s the full list of the top 10 best places to drive:

1. Iowa
2. Georgia
3. Ohio
4. Oklahoma
5. North Carolina
6. Idaho
7. Texas
8. Tennessee
9. Kansas
10. Indiana

According to the Federal Highway Administration, there are 3,312,705 registered motor vehicles on Kansas roads.

Wichita drivers

While the WalletHub analysis shows Kansas at one of the top spots, another study says Wichita drivers may need to brush up on the rules of the road.

According to a survey released July of last year by QuoteWizard, Wichita ranked 34th for the worst drivers by city.

QuoteWizard looked at citations, speeding tickets, drunk driving incidents and accidents in a number of major cities. With the No. 34 ranking, Wichita ranked 59th in accidents, 42nd in tickets for driving under the influence, 15th in speeding and 33rd in citations.

Kansas City beat Wichita in the competition of “worst drivers,” taking the 32nd-place ranking. Bakersfield, Calif., was ranked the No. 1 city with the worst drivers.

Here are the top 10 cities with the worst drivers:

1. Bakersfield, Calif.
2. Sacramento, Calif.
3. Baton Rouge, La.
4. Los Angeles, Calif.
5. San Fransisco, Calif.
6. San Diego, Calif.
7. Fresno, Calif.
8. Riverside, Calif.
9. Richmond, Calif.
10. Jacksonville, Fla.

Two Oklahoma cities made it to the list of the best drivers: Oklahoma City ranking fourth and Tulsa ranking fifth.

If you’re a Kansan looking to brush up on the rules of the road, take a look at the state’s driving manual here.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Bakersfield, Calif.

This story was originally published January 23, 2023 at 11:53 AM.

Lindsay Smith

The Wichita Eagle

Lindsay Smith is a suburban news reporter for the Wichita Eagle, covering the communities of Andover, Bel Aire, Derby, Haysville and Kechi. She has been on The Eagle staff since 2022 and was the service journalism reporter for three years. She has a degree in communications with an emphasis in journalism from Wichita State, where she was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Sunflower, for two years. You can reach her via email at lsmith@wichitaeagle.com.