Cars cost a lot of money. On top of the average $33,301 for a new car (~$555 per month), you have fuel, maintenance, licensing, registration, taxes, and insurance costs to consider. Fuel alone costs an average of $2,235 per year (assuming you drive 15,000 miles). Overall, choosing mass transit instead of your car every day can save you around $13,000 annually, or $1100 per month, on top of helping the environment.
This doesn’t even take into account the climate implications. Transportation accounted for 28% of U.S. emissions in 2022, 57% of which was attributed to single-family cars. So, what is often a more affordable, sustainable option to get to work? Public transportation.
Public transit has a huge number of benefits: It’s safer, quieter, healthier, more reliable and equitable, spurs the economy, provides jobs, and saves 37 million metric tons of carbon dioxide every year. Cities built around public transportation are often more livable, navigable, and can provide more autonomy for residents, too.
Unfortunately, nearly half of the U.S. population has no access to public transportation, and most mass transit users are located in large metro areas. Ridership also hasn’t recovered from massive pandemic drops. But where are the cities with the best public transportation?
In this Rent. article, we’ll discover the 10 best cities for public transportation in the U.S. Let’s catch a ride and discover which may be right for you.
1. New York, NY
- Transit Score: 88
- Average Rent Price (1-bedroom): $5,421
New York City’s public transportation is a reflection of the city’s soul — chaotic, diverse and always on the go.
You can’t talk about New York’s public transit without mentioning its subway (“the train”). Simply put, the NYC subway is the lifeblood of the city. Nearly everyone rides it. There are 472 stations connecting four boroughs, connecting nearly everyone and providing unmatched accessibility. In fact, the NYC subway system has only a few dozen fewer stations than the combined total of all other U.S. subway systems. This extensive network is a major reason for its high Transit Score; subways are the most climate-friendly, efficient, and reliable mode of public transportation.
The city’s bus network is vast, too, with 333 total bus routes serving basically the entire metro area.
People make full use of this world-class public transportation. In 2023, more than 1.1 billion people rode the subway and 340 million took the bus. This doesn’t even account for the ferries or iconic yellow cabs. Still, ridership is just 66% of what it was pre-pandemic, which is in line with most other metros.
What sets New York’s transit system apart is its blend of culture, convenience, and reliability. It’s a system built to meet riders where they are, ensuring the city keeps moving smoothly every day.
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2. San Francisco, CA
- Transit Score: 77
- Average Rent Price (1-bedroom): $3,540
San Francisco knows how to get people around. SF has had public transportation for over 150 years, dating back to the nation’s first cable cars (they were invented in SF, after all). Today, these cars are a symbol of the bayside city and still serve its historic downtown core, providing a nostalgic yet practical way to navigate the steep hills and scenic streets.
Apart from the cable car, the “Muni” operates buses and light rail throughout the metro, serving over 450,000 riders every week. For regional destinations like Oakland and San Jose, BART trains are your go-to.
San Francisco has become a poster child of celebrating history and embracing the future, without losing sight of its people. Everything is compact and built with pedestrians in mind, making it easy for residents to thrive without ever touching a car. You can easily walk to a museum, see a national park, and grab some coffee in the Tenderloin, all on foot. This navigability has been intentional and is a priority in the years to come.
By prioritizing human-scale city planning, cities with the best public transportation are often also the most walkable and bikeable. San Francisco is a great example of this in action.
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3. Boston, MA
- Transit Score: 72
- Average Rent Price (1-bedroom): $4,061
A city of scholars, sports fans, and wicked accents, Boston is a place where the past is always present. Nowhere is that more evident than in its public transportation system. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (the “T”) operates the oldest subway system in the country, in addition to an interconnected network of trains, buses, ferries, and trolleys. And it’s always improving.
Over 171 bus routes and 153 train and subway stations link most of the metro area, including Cambridge, Quincy, Newton, and more. The five train/subway lines are separated by color (Green, Orange, Blue, Red, Silver), with Green the oldest and largest. For longer distance trips, Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor is just one connection away.
Boston is a historic city full of character and charm. So grab a CharlieCard, hop on the T, and let the city unfold before you, one station at a time.
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4. Jersey City, NJ
- Transit Score: 71
- Average Rent Price (1-bedroom): $3,790
Directly adjacent to New York City, Jersey City is a haven for commuters. Nearly half of Jersey City residents commute by public transit every day, which makes sense given the proximity to NYC and the wide variety of options available. PATH train lines connect directly to Newark and New York, and are by far the most popular option. Within Jersey City, you have the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail and plenty of bus lines. Passenger ferries are also available but are less popular.
On top of trains, light rail, ferries, and buses, Via rideshare offers on-demand rides anywhere in Jersey City, be it for errands, commuting, or seeing a friend.
Public transportation in New Jersey is unique in that most cities in the state don’t operate their own networks. Instead, they’re served by the statewide New Jersey Transit (NJT), which is the largest commuter rail transit system in the country. This arrangement provides a truly regional network of accessible transit, all under one agency. Most transportation outside of Jersey City or Newark is via train along one of 12 different routes.
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5. Washington, DC
- Transit Score: 69
- Average Rent Price (1-bedroom): $2,472
Washington D.C. is a lively city where politics, culture, and history converge. Its diverse population—lobbyists, politicians, students, and workers—are all connected by one thing: the Metro.
The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA, or Metro) handles most of the region’s public transportation, including train (Metrorail) and bus (Metrobus). Metrorail is the region’s subway system and connects DC with neighboring cities throughout the National Capital Region (aka the DMV). Metrobus has over 300 routes within DC proper. Lastly, the DC Streetcar serves a single, 2.2 mile route along H Street and Benning Road.
Around 400,000 people use the Metro every day, which is far below pre-pandemic levels but a steady increase from last year. Metro actually had the third-highest ridership in the country in 2022, with nearly 100 million passengers.
One of the reasons for its high ridership may be because driving by car is often impractical. Motorcades, emergency vehicles, and the nation’s second-worst traffic all make cars very inefficient in DC. This is also due to rapid growth in the past 20 years and old, insufficient infrastructure that can’t handle the demand. Thankfully, its public transportation helps ease congestion, and improvements are always in the works.
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6. Philadelphia, PA
- Transit Score: 67
- Average Rent Price (1-bedroom): $1,800
With the sixth-best public transportation in the U.S., Philadelphia is an icon of the Rust Belt and a beacon for the future. Historic landmarks, brick-laid streets, gritty industry, and rich history all collide to create a unique and welcoming city.
Philly’s public transportation is operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA). SEPTA’s subway lines, the Broad Street Line (“Subway”) and the Market-Frankford Line (“El”), are the system’s two main pillars. The Subway line takes you from the stadiums up to Fern Rock, while the El stretches from Frankford all the way to 69th Street.
Then there’s the Regional Rail, a collection of train lines that stretch beyond the city, reaching into the farthest corners of the Philadelphia metropolitan area. SEPTA also operates more than 120 bus routes that stretch into the suburbs and into New Jersey. Eight old-school trolley lines and the new Philly PHLASH round out the city’s mass transit.
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7. Newark, NJ
- Transit Score: 65
- Average Rent Price (1-bedroom): $2,562
Newark is the seventh-best city for public transportation in the country and largest city in New Jersey. The city is best known as a transportation hub, but is also home to famous educational and cultural institutions like Rutgers University and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. You get a great mix of old and new in Newark.
It’s easy to get around Gateway City without a car. You can take the Newark Light Rail to the north to see Branch Brook Park, take PATH into Manhattan, ride one of dozens of bus routes, or connect to one of 12 train lines that can take you anywhere in the state. Most connections go through Newark Penn Station, which is getting a much-needed upgrade.
Importantly, while it is certainly the most popular, PATH only runs from Newark to New York City and is wholly separate from NJTransit. NJTransit offers separate options throughout the state and into Pennsylvania and New York, mostly via train.
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8. Chicago, IL
- Transit Score: 65
- Average Rent Price (1-bedroom): $2,202
Chicago is a city of neighborhoods, each with its own flavor and vibe, just like its residents. Deep-dish pizza joints, classic sports teams, iconic skyscrapers, and glitzy waterfronts collide to create a steely city with plenty of character.
Operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and known as the “L”, it’s easy to get around the Windy City on one of eight subway lines or 129 bus routes. You can also head further out via the Metra train or Pace bus, connecting Chicago with suburbs as far out as Elburn and Kenosha. Pulse provides rapid transit along a few popular routes, providing an easier option for daily commuters.
Aggressive efforts to modernize L stations, upgrade tracks, and create community hubs around stations have largely been successful, with further improvements on deck.
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9. Seattle, WA
- Transit Score: 60
- Average Rent Price (1-bedroom): $2,311
Tucked away in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle is known for its rain, technology, and coffee. But despite its rapid growth and fast-paced industry, the city retains a laid-back, eco-conscious culture that prioritizes quality of life.
Seattle is undergoing the largest public transit expansion in the nation, primarily focused on its “Link” light rail. The city recently completed a major milestone of its ST2 phase, which is the second in three major Link expansions to be completed by 2041-2044.
The project comes with a significant cost: $46 billion over the next 22 years, and a total of $65 billion since voters first signed off on light rail construction in 1996. While there have been delays and budget challenges, the expansion is still moving forward.
In addition to the growing light rail system, buses and streetcars get people where they need to go. The nation’s largest ferry network also connects Seattle and the entire Puget Sound to many neighboring islands, including the beautiful San Juans.
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10. Arlington, VA
- Transit Score: 59
- Average Rent Price (1-bedroom): $2,677
Arlington is the tenth-best city for public transportation in the U.S. Known for its historic landmarks and beautiful parks, Arlington is closely tied to neighbor Washington, D.C. As such, they share the same subway system, called the Metro. Metrorail lines run throughout the greater DMV, connecting Arlington to the capital and beyond. This makes commuting around the region a breeze.
Arlington operates its own bus network, though, called ART, which offers more local routes. Any routes connecting downtown can link up with the longer-distance Virginia Railway Express, which can take you all the way to Fredericksburg to the south and Manassas to the west.
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Final thoughts
New York, San Francisco, and Boston have the best public transportation in the U.S. Residents in these cities can rely on fast, frequent transit to get to most places in the area. Cities lower down on this list provide some transit, but often don’t serve the entire region.
It’s important to note that most U.S. cities lack strong public transit systems, and only a few have light rail or trains. This can make it impossible or unrealistic for you to rely on public transportation for regular commutes. But instead of focusing on transit improvements, many cities are expanding highways, which can actually worsen traffic. There’s already a $176 billion backlog in transit funding, and it’s growing.
However, there’s growing momentum around the need for better public transportation. As more people push for greener, more accessible cities, we could see significant investments in transit that will make commuting easier and more sustainable in the future.
Methodology
Data gathered from Walk Score, which measures areas from least to most transit-friendly on a scale from 0-100. To calculate a Transit Score for a city, Walk Score aggregates the relative usefulness of hundreds of routes using three “usefulness” metrics: distance to nearest stop, frequency of service, and type of transit. Points are added, normalized, and weighted logarithmically.
All data source October 2024.
