Anyone who has driven through Boston, navigated the rotaries of the South Shore, or merged onto the Expressway at rush hour might question Massachusetts landing at the top of a national study.
SmartAsset’s 2026 best and worst states for drivers study ranked Massachusetts number one. Not because Massachusetts has the cheapest auto insurance. Not because Boston traffic is remotely tolerable. Because Massachusetts drivers can afford what driving costs them.
That distinction matters — and it contains a lesson that applies to drivers in every state.
The Metric That Put Massachusetts First
SmartAsset evaluated four factors: traffic fatalities per 100 million miles driven, share of interstate highways in good condition, gasoline costs relative to median household income, and auto insurance costs relative to median household income…