Chicago Ranked Among Cities With Most Expensive Commutes

The average annual commuting cost in Chicago is $8,033, an average of $32 a day, according to the website Autoinsurance.org

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Commuting has long been costly for the hundreds of thousands who head downtown Chicago daily. But it's especially the case currently, with the rising cost of gas prices. And now many employees are having to shell out money after working from home during the majority of the pandemic.

But there's a bit of good news: commuting in Chicago is no doubt expensive, but it could be worse.

Chicago came in at 10th place on a list of cities with the most expensive commute, according to an analysis by the website Autoinsurance.org

The average annual commuting cost in Chicago is $8,033, an average of $32 a day. Those who drive spend an average of 35 minutes just to get to the city, according to the analysis.

On average, the typical Chicago worker earns about $54,316 yearly, which comes out to $28 dollars an hour. With an estimated 39 hours of work a week, analysis say commuting with that salary can "can take a toll on your mood and energy, impacting your opportunity costs."

Aside from Chicago, all the other cities on the list are either on the East or West coasts. The annual cost in Fremont, California, which has the nation's most expensive commute, is $15,005, close to double the amount it costs Chicago commuters.

The cities with the most expensive commute are listed below, along with the annual cost and travel time to work:

  • Fremont, California - $15,005 - 36.4 minutes
  • San Francisco, California - $13,015 - 34.7 minutes
  • Jersey City, New Jersey - $10,602 - 37.8 minutes
  • Arlington, Virginia - $10,385 - 29.7 minutes
  • New York, New York - $10,275 - 41.7 minutes
  • San Jose, California - $9,813 - 31.7 minutes
  • Seattle, Washington - $9,790 - 28.4 minutes
  • Irvine, California - $9,526 - 24.0 minutes
  • Oakland, California - $9,176 - 34.4 minutes
  • Chicago, Illinois - $8,033 - 34.7 minutes

Commuting may cost a lot in Chicago and the other cities listed above, that's not the case everywhere in the U.S., especially in places where the annual commute is less than $4,000 and the travel time isn't nearly as long.

According to a ranking of the cities with the least expensive commutes, the cheapest was Lubbock, Texas, where the annual cost is $2,874 followed by Laredo, Texas, at $3,200. Travel times range between 16.2 and 23.5 minutes, compared to the most expensive cities which have travel times between 24 and 41.7 minutes.

The cities with the least expensive commutes, along with annual cost and travel time are listed below:

  • Lubbock, Texas - $2,874 - 16.2 minutes
  • Laredo, Texas - $3,200 - 20.7 minutes
  • Tulsa, Oklahoma - $3,241 - 18.6 minutes
  • Wichita, Kansas - $3,417 - 19 minutes
  • Corpus Christi, Texas - $3,447 - 19.8 minutes
  • Norfolk, Virginia - $3,449 - 22 minutes
  • El Paso, Texas - $3,635 - 23.5 minutes
  • Memphis, Tennessee - $3,743 - 22.2 minutes
  • Tucson, Arizona - $3,843 - 22.7 minutes
  • Cleveland, Ohio - $3,853 - 23.2 minutes
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