- As annual costs for a car commute hover around $7,050 and public transit costs, on average, $600, Oklahoma City commuters could save $6,450 by leaving the car at home.
- However, as OKC has minimal public transit, most commuters (96%) use their car to get to work and for most errands, making the capital one of the most car-dependent cities in the U.S.
- Time-wise, commuters who drive to work save big: The 30 minutes they save every day, on average, add up to 5.4 days per year.
In a recent study from Point2Homes, 30 of the largest cities in the U.S. were examined to determine how much money renters could save by changing from driving to taking public transportation for their daily commute. Oklahoma City renters stand to make significant savings by adjusting their commute habits, with annual savings exceeding a month’s salary.
However, as a fairly car-dependent city, the time saved by driving may well be worth the cost. Indeed, around 96% of Oklahoma City commuters currently drive to work rather than taking public transport. This makes it one of the most car-dependent cities in the country.
But, as the cost of living creeps ever upwards, significant savings can be made for those willing to make the switch. The question is, how feasible is it for the average commuter to rely on public transport in Oklahoma City?
Saving Money: Oklahoma City Renters Can Save Almost $6,500 a Year by Taking Public Transport Instead of Driving
After adding up the costs of fuel, insurance, maintenance, and parking, it costs the average car commuter $7,050 a year to get to work throughout the year in Oklahoma City. This is a hefty amount, but it’s much lower compared to car commute costs in cities like San Francisco and New York City (around $11,000); San Diego, CA ($9,540); Los Angeles, CA and Boston, MA (nearly $9,300) and Philadelphia, PA ($9,135). In fact, this cost makes Oklahoma City the sixth-cheapest city to drive in of the 30 cities studied.
In comparison, commuters who use public transport in Oklahoma City spend $600 a year on average. This means Oklahoma City is the fifth cheapest city for public transport in the study. It also means renters who commute to work can save a potential $6,450, a significant chunk of cash.
Considering a renter’s average monthly salary is around $3,667 in Oklahoma City, commuters can enjoy a lot more cash in their pocket each month by ditching the car. Beyond taking a step away from being overly reliant on cars and reducing emissions in the city, switching to public transport can help renters gain a bit more financial freedom.
Saving Time: Oklahoma City Commuters Can Save 5.4 Days per Year by Driving to Work
However, there’s more to commuting than how much it costs. Many people drive for a good reason. Time is extremely important, and most people prefer to spend their free time at home or doing things, instead of commuting. For residents of Oklahoma City, the good news is that both car and public transport commute times are among the lowest of the 30 cities studied.
With car commute times of 49.7 minutes on average, Oklahoma City has the fifth-lowest commute time. Meanwhile, with an average public transport commute time of 80.4 minutes, Oklahoma City enjoys the second-lowest commute time of the cities studied.
Around 30 minutes each day doesn’t sound like much, but it adds up pretty quickly, resulting in five and a half days over a year. This puts Oklahoma City more or less in line with the national average, but for commuters in the city, it’s easy to see why many are tempted to stick to driving.
How Reliable Is Public Transport in Oklahoma City?
In studies, Oklahoma City performs fairly poorly in terms of walkability and public transportation options. It’s largely considered a car-dependent city, with most errands requiring a car to be completed efficiently. With a walk score of just 34 out of 100 and a bike score of only 40, per Walk Score, most amenities are out of walking distance from the majority of residential areas.
The city lacks bike lanes and offers minimal public transportation. The public transit that does exist is managed by Embark, which operates around 20 bus services as well as an inner-city streetcar line. Most routes serve inner city areas, though several commuter routes run in and out of suburban areas and nearby cities, such as Edmond, Norman, and Midwest City.
As such, the city as a whole scores fairly low, but there are some areas that actually enjoy reasonable public transport options and walkability. In particular, downtown and neighborhoods such as Paseo, Corridor South, and Mesta Park tend to score higher.
This makes public transport somewhat feasible for those living in the right areas, but trickier for those in neighborhoods that don’t have many routes. However, according to Embark, plans to improve services across the city are underway.
Methodology
Point2Homes.com is a real estate listing portal for rental homes across the United States. Part of Yardi Systems, Point2Homes covers housing trends and news through comprehensive studies that draw from internal data, public records, governmental sources, and online research.
- For this study, we took into consideration the 30 most populous U.S. cities, per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS 2023).
- Data about means of transportation to get to work, tenure by vehicles and commute time for the 30 largest U.S. cities were also sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS 2023).
- Data on fuel and maintenance costs was sourced from AAA, car insurance costs from Bankrate, and parking rates from Spothero.
- Data on the financial cost of public transit commuting in each city was sourced from APTA and local transit authority websites.
- The median income for the renter and owner households at the national level and also for the 30 cities used in the analysis were sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS 2023).
- Image credit: Felix Mizioznikov / Shutterstock.com
Fair use and redistribution
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