This North Carolina city ranks as the nation’s best place for drivers. Yes, seriously

A North Carolina city was named the nation’s best place for drivers — again.

Yes, you read that right.

Raleigh ranks as the No. 1 place to drive in the United States, reclaiming the top spot after it fell to No. 2 last year.

And it’s not the only North Carolina city to receive a nod for being driver-friendly.

Greensboro landed at No. 4 in the most recent rankings, which considered places with the best conditions for those behind the wheel across 30 metrics, according to results published Oct. 8.

To create the list, personal finance website WalletHub said it studied 100 large cities across the country. Using data from the U.S. government and other sources, it scored each place in four condensed categories: cost of ownership and maintenance; traffic and infrastructure; access to vehicles and maintenance; and safety.

What makes the 2 cities good for drivers?

Raleigh’s top spot might come as a surprise to drivers who have been stuck in congestion on Capital Boulevard or Wade Avenue. But the latest honor comes after the city also reigned supreme on WalletHub lists in 2021 and 2022. Since then, the neighboring town of Cary was found to have some of the nation’s best drivers , McClatchy News reported.

In the most recent rankings, Raleigh made its biggest mark in the cost category, a measure of how much drivers pay to buy and keep their cars.

“Raleigh, NC, is the best city to drive in, largely because it’s an inexpensive city,” WalletHub wrote in its report. “It ranks as the seventh-cheapest city when it comes to the average cost for a new car and the average parking rate. It’s also the seventh-cheapest when it comes to extra vehicle operating costs such as damage from improperly-maintained roadways or lost time and wasted gas due to congestion.”

When it comes to safety, WalletHub said Raleigh’s seat belt use was one of the highest in the country. And even though the city didn’t perform as well in the traffic and infrastructure category — ranking No. 33 — results show Raleigh drivers face some of the lowest congestion on their commutes and some of the best road maintenance.

Meanwhile, Greensboro earned a top spot on the list after it received the nation’s most favorable score for car costs.

Outside of the top 10, here’s how other North Carolina cities fared:

• Winston-Salem at No. 12
• Durham at No. 15
• Charlotte at No. 31

Nationwide, here are the places that rounded out the top five most driver-friendly cities:

• Boise, Idaho, at No. 2
• Corpus Christi, Texas, at No. 3
• Jacksonville, Florida, at No. 5

This NC town ranks among nation’s best small cities. What makes it ‘outshine the rest’?

These 6 NC cities rank among the friendliest in the South. ‘You won’t meet a stranger’