Commuting costs include more than fuel or a transit fare. U.S. transportation spending averaged $13,318 per consumer unit in 2024, while AAA estimated that owning and operating a selected new vehicle cost $12,297 per year. These figures cover different populations and purposes, but together they show why the cost of getting to work depends on vehicle ownership, mileage, and travel mode.
Contents
- Household transportation spending
- The ownership cost behind a car commute
- Annual and per-mile vehicle costs
- Fuel, maintenance, insurance, and depreciation
- Commute time and travel modes
- Mileage rates and reimbursement benchmarks
- How to interpret these statistics
Household transportation spending
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported average transportation spending of $13,318 for a U.S. consumer unit in 2024. The comparable averages were $13,174 in 2023, $12,295 in 2022, and $10,961 in 2021. These are household consumer-unit averages, not the dollar cost of one worker’s commute.
The year-to-year changes reported by the BLS show how quickly the category moved during this period:
| Comparison period | Change in transportation spending |
|---|---|
| 2021–2022 | 12.2% |
| 2022–2023 | 7.1% |
| 2023–2024 | 1.1% |
The BLS also reported average vehicle-purchase net outlays of $5,337 in 2024, compared with $5,539 in 2023, $4,496 in 2022, and $4,828 in 2021. Average spending on other vehicle expenses was $4,206 in 2024. The transportation category therefore includes purchase-related and operating expenses, rather than only the recurring cost of traveling to a workplace.
Source: Consumer expenditures in 2024, BLS, measurement years 2021–2024. Dollar amounts are nominal unless stated otherwise.
The ownership cost behind a car commute
AAA estimated average annual ownership and operating costs of $12,297 for a new vehicle in its 2024 study. That equals $1,024.71 per month. AAA said the result was $115 higher than its 2023 figure. The sales-weighted average manufacturer suggested retail price of the new vehicles in the study was $38,883.
Ownership costs remain significant even when a vehicle is not being driven. AAA reported average annual depreciation of $4,680 and an average annual finance charge of $1,332 for the new vehicles included in the 2024 study. Depreciation is a cost of using an owned vehicle even though it does not appear as a fuel or repair payment during each commute.
These AAA results describe selected new vehicles and the study’s assumptions. They are useful context for the cost structure of car commuting, but they are not a nationwide average for every driver or a direct estimate of one worker’s commute.
Source: AAA Your Driving Costs: The Price of New Car Ownership Continues to Climb, AAA, 2024 study.
Annual and per-mile vehicle costs
AAA’s 2024 weighted-average operating costs were 14.90 cents per mile for fuel and 10.13 cents per mile for maintenance. Combined, the weighted-average total operating cost was 25.03 cents per mile. The study also reported weighted-average annual costs of $1,715 for full-coverage insurance, $815 for license, registration, and taxes, and $8,541 for ownership.
Annual mileage changes the effective cost per mile because ownership expenses are spread across more or fewer miles. AAA’s weighted-average totals illustrate that relationship:
| Annual mileage | Total annual vehicle cost | Cost per mile |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000 miles | $10,642 | $1.0642 |
| 15,000 miles | $12,297 | $0.8198 |
| 20,000 miles | $14,016 | $0.7008 |
At 15,000 miles per year, AAA estimated $10,557 for a medium-sedan gas model, or $0.704 per mile. The medium-sedan electric model cost $12,527, or $0.835 per mile, while the medium-sedan hybrid model cost $9,476, or $0.632 per mile. For compact SUVs, the gas model cost $10,656, or $0.710 per mile; the electric model cost $12,581, or $0.839 per mile.
The per-mile figures are study estimates at stated annual mileage. They should not be treated as a universal commuting rate, especially for a driver with a different vehicle age, purchase price, mileage level, insurance premium, or maintenance pattern.
Source: Your Driving Costs 2024, AAA, 2024 study; 15,000 miles per year unless otherwise noted.
Fuel, maintenance, insurance, and depreciation
Vehicle type changes the mix of commuting expenses. For a medium sedan driven 15,000 miles in AAA’s 2024 study, annual fuel costs were $613.33 for electric, $1,881 for gas, and $1,184 for hybrid models. Maintenance costs were $1,138 for electric, $1,634 for gas, and $1,419 for hybrid models.
The same comparison shows why a lower fuel bill does not necessarily produce the lowest total cost. Medium-sedan depreciation was $6,198 for the electric model, $3,768 for the gas model, and $3,576 for the hybrid model. Full-coverage insurance was $2,053 for electric, $1,583 for gas, and $1,545 for hybrid models.
For compact SUVs driven 15,000 miles, AAA reported fuel costs of $729 for electric, $1,904 for gas, and $1,512 for hybrid models. Maintenance costs were $1,072 for electric, $1,630 for gas, and $1,471 for hybrid models. Depreciation was $6,441 for electric, $3,683 for gas, and $3,616 for hybrid models. Full-coverage insurance was $1,945 for electric, $1,723 for gas, and $1,747 for hybrid models.
The pattern is specific to the selected 2024 models and AAA’s assumptions. It shows the importance of looking at the complete ownership profile rather than comparing fuel prices alone.
Commute time and travel modes
The Census Bureau reported that the U.S. mean one-way travel time to work was 27.2 minutes in 2024, up from 26.8 minutes in 2023. In 2024, 9.3% of U.S. workers had a one-way travel time of 60 minutes or more, compared with 8.9% in 2023.
Driving alone remained the most common reported commute mode: 69.2% of U.S. workers drove alone to work in both 2024 and 2023. Public transportation accounted for 3.7% in 2024, compared with 3.5% in 2023.
These figures describe time and mode shares, not dollar costs. They provide context for why commuting expenses vary: a longer trip can involve more miles and operating costs, while a different mode may shift the expense toward fares or other categories. The statistics do not quantify the cost of any particular worker’s journey.
Source: United States Commuting At A Glance: American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, Census Bureau, 2023 and 2024 ACS 1-year estimates.
Mileage rates and reimbursement benchmarks
The IRS standard mileage rate is a reimbursement benchmark for eligible business driving, not a direct measure of a worker’s home-to-work commuting cost. For 2026, the business rate was 72.5 cents per mile from January 1 through June 30 and 76 cents per mile from July 1 through December 31. The rate was 70 cents per mile in 2025, 67 cents in 2024, and 65.5 cents in 2023.
For medical or military moving use, the IRS rate was 23.5 cents per mile from July 1 through December 31, 2026. That separate rate should not be confused with the business standard mileage rate.
| Period or use | IRS rate |
|---|---|
| Business, 2023 | 65.5 cents per mile |
| Business, 2024 | 67 cents per mile |
| Business, 2025 | 70 cents per mile |
| Business, Jan. 1–June 30, 2026 | 72.5 cents per mile |
| Business, July 1–Dec. 31, 2026 | 76 cents per mile |
| Medical or military moving, July 1–Dec. 31, 2026 | 23.5 cents per mile |
Source: Standard mileage rates, IRS, periods shown above.
How to interpret these statistics
The figures answer different questions. BLS transportation spending covers household transportation categories beyond work commuting. AAA measures selected new-vehicle ownership and operation at stated annual mileage assumptions. Census ACS estimates describe workers’ commute times and modes, not dollar costs. IRS mileage rates are administrative reimbursement benchmarks for specified uses.
For that reason, the statistics should be read as cost context rather than combined into one national price for commuting. A household’s transportation spending may include vehicle purchases and uses unrelated to work. A new vehicle’s depreciation and financing profile may differ sharply from that of an older paid-off car. A mileage rate may also exceed or fall below a particular driver’s actual cash outlays while still serving its intended reimbursement purpose.
Dates, geography, units, and study assumptions matter throughout: the BLS and Census figures describe the United States; AAA’s results concern selected new 2024 models; and the IRS figures apply to the periods and uses specified above. All dollar amounts in the cited statistics are nominal unless the source states otherwise.