The 5 Best and Worst Cities for Commuting, According to Clever

Clever Real Estate’s 2022 report on commuting is critical to understanding the pushback from employees on return-to-work policies

By Zayvelle Williamson

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More and more companies are preparing for a return to in-person work, but employees are generally not as enthused about those plans. This is due in no small part to the fact that the costs of commuting have increased substantially since onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Clever Real Estate’s 2022 report on the best and worst commuter cities, the average US worker spends almost 240 hours annually on their commute (an increase of 20 percent since 2019) and nearly $8,500 (an increase of more than 30 percent since 2019). Higher gas and vehicle prices, increased costs for vehicle maintenance and car insurance—all these factors and more have contributed to the overall cost of commuting, Clever reported.

Fortunately, Clever’s breakdown of the five best and worst cities for commuting makes it easy for companies to find their region’s ranking and determine how much they would really be asking of employees by requiring them to return to the office.