Driving is the primary mode of transportation in the United States. People rely on private vehicles to get to work, school, stores, and vacation destinations, and the US is more reliant on private cars than many other countries.
When you average the amount driven by Americans, across all age groups and genders, the result comes to 13,476 miles per year, per driver. However, this figure does not reflect the differences in accumulated miles between genders, across seasons, and across age groups.
Average Miles per Year by Sex and Age Group
According to the US Department of Transportation (DOT), men on average drive 550 miles a month more than women. The most recent DOT statistics show men of all ages driving an average of 1,400 miles per month, and women driving an average of 850 miles per month.
The difference in miles driven by males and females cuts across all age groups; (all numbers below are averages):
Ages 16-19: males drive 8,206 miles; females drive 6,873 miles.
Ages 20-34: males drive 17,975 miles; females drive 12,004 miles.
Ages 35-54: males drive 18,858 miles; females drive 11,464 miles.
Ages 55-64: males drive 15,859 miles; females drive 7,780 miles.
Ages 65+: males drive 10,304 miles; females drive 4,785 miles.
The additional miles driven by men is one factor in the higher auto insurance rates seen for male drivers: more miles on the road increases the likelihood of an accident, and this increases insurance rates.
States with the Highest and Lowest Miles per Year
Wyoming tops the list of most miles driven per year, with an average of 21,821 miles per driver. Georgia comes in second with an average of 18,920 miles per year, and Oklahoma is a close third at 18,891 miles. The residents of Arkansas have the lowest average miles driven per year at 9,915.
Fairly obviously, densely populated states such as California, Florida, and New York have below-average rates of miles driven per year: California 14,435 miles; Florida 11,836 miles; New York 11,871 miles.
Other US Driving Trends and Statistics
The majority of states report an increase in the average number of miles driven per year by their residents - meaning that driving is if anything, more important now than it used to be. However, teenagers are typically delaying obtaining their first driver’s license, resulting in fewer teens on the road. At the other end of the spectrum, senior citizens are keeping their driver’s licenses and driving their cars for longer than in previous decades.
Many auto insurance companies offer low mileage discounts to drivers who travel less than average. These lower premiums usually require the driver to drive no more than 5,000 to 10,000 miles per year and can account for 3-20% in insurance savings.
