Modesto ranks as one of worst places for commuters. Only 1 California metro topped it
A new online ranking says Modesto not only is one of the worst commuter cities in California, but is in the top three places to avoid in the United States if you don’t like the drive to work.
Hire a Helper, a moving service provider, says only other California metro area with a worse commute is Stockton.
Here’s why the two are among the worst-rated commuter areas, according to the service’s methodology:
Cities grouped by size
Only metropolitan areas with a population of 100,000 or more were included in Hire a Helper’s study.
The Modesto area, including Ceres, Turlock and Riverbank, and the Stockton area, including Lodi, Tracy and Manteca, are considered midsize metros, with populations between 350,000 and 999,999.
Stockton is in second place for midsize locations you should avoid if you hate commuting. It got a 92.3% composite score based on factors including average commute time, population density and the diversity of times people leave for work.
Modesto follows in third with a 90.5% composite score.
Comparing all population size groups together, Stockton and Modesto move down only one respective rank. They earned third and fourth worst cities for commuting, out of all U.S. metro areas with 100,000 to more than 1 million residents, according to the ranking.
How Modesto scores on the scale
The average one-way, in-county commute time for Modesto and surrounding suburbs is 31.4 minutes, according to Hire a Helper.
A 2020 Stanislaus County Commuter Study showed one-in-four residents work outside the county, half of which travel to the Bay Area. The average commute time for these drivers is 100 minutes.
Modesto has a population density of 369.6 people per square mile, according to the Hire a Helper ranking.
The area has an above-average level of diversity of times that people leave for work, meaning people leave for work at times spread out across the day.
Over 87% of Modesto-area workers commute using private transportation, the ranking says.
Stockton outranks Modesto
Stockton-area commuters face an average 27.4-minute commute time.
Over 85% of worker commute using private transportation and 95.7% of households have access to a vehicle.
The Stockton area has a population density of 567 people per square mile and its residents also leave for work at different times throughout the day.
How the Central Valley compares
Port St. Lucie, Florida, was ranked the No. 1 city in the nation to avoid if you hate commuting.
With a composite score of 93.6%, Port St. Lucie has a lower in-county commute time than both Stockton and Modesto, but more people leave for work around the same time, causing more congestion.
Overall, California ranks eighth in the list of states to avoid if you don’t want to commute. Florida is No. 1.
Generally speaking, both state ranks below average for diversity of times people leave for work.
What do you want to know about life in Modesto? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@modbee.com.
