Quality of Life
California vs New York: Commute Time
California has a shorter average commute than New York.
National Rankings
Where They Rank Nationally
See where both states fall among all 50 states for commute time.
California
#44 · 28.4 min
New York
#49 · 31.2 min
Best
Worst
10 Best States — Commute Time
Lower is better
#1
South Dakota
15.9 min
South Dakota
#2
North Dakota
16.2 min
North Dakota
#3
Wyoming
17.7 min
Wyoming
#4
Montana
17.9 min
Montana
#5
Nebraska
18.3 min
Nebraska
#6
Alaska
18.8 min
Alaska
#7
Kansas
19.1 min
Kansas
#8
Iowa
19.2 min
Iowa
#9
Idaho
21.2 min
Idaho
#10
New Mexico
21.7 min
New Mexico
Selected states
#44
California
28.4 min
California
#49
New York
31.2 min
New York
California ranks 44th and New York ranks 49th nationally for commute time.
Related context
Commute in Context
Commute time affects quality of life, gas costs, and real take-home pay.
What this means
California vs New York: Commute Time in context
California's commute time is 28.4 min, compared with 31.2 min in New York. Average commute time in minutes.
California
28.4 min
New York
31.2 min
Difference
2.8 minutes
People also ask
California vs New York Commute Time — common questions
QWhat is California's commute time?
California's commute time is 28.4 min.
QWhat is New York's commute time?
New York's commute time is 31.2 min.
QWhich state has a lower commute time — California or New York?
California has a shorter average commute than New York.
More comparisons: California vs New York
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Data source and freshness
Primary source
Data period
ACS 2023 estimates
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
State values or ratios calculated from ACS fields.