Living in Texas is synonymous with driving. Web-like highway interchanges are everywhere, parking is usually one of the first considerations when making plans and getting almost anywhere typically requires getting behind the wheel.
A new study from SmartAsset found that when compared to other states, being a driver in Texas is, well, just OK. The report from the financial technology company said the Lone Star State is the 26th-best of the 50 states for drivers.
It’s hard to get more average than that.
The study evaluated four factors to determine which states are best for drivers: traffic fatality rates, highway conditions, gas costs relative to income and car insurance costs relative to income.
Texas performed particularly well when it came to fuel costs. According to the study, Texans spend 3.47% of their weekly income on gasoline, ranking the state 11th best in the nation in that category.
Texas didn’t do as well in the safety category: the 1.2 traffic fatalities per 100,000 people are worse than 34 states.
Texas’ highways came in at the perfect median of 25th place. Sixty-five percent of interstate highways in Texas are in good condition, the study found.
Insurance costs were Texas’ worst metric. The study found that a Texas household spends an average of 2.05% of their weekly income on car insruance, the seventh-worst in the nation.
Texas shared its 26th-place spot with Colorado.
The study found that the best state for drivers is Massachusetts, followed by Minnesota, New Jersey, North Dakota and Utah. The worst state for drivers is Louisiana, according to the study. Mississippi, Hawaii, West Virginia and Montana didn’t trail far behind.