DC Metro Is Most Affordable Public Transit In US: Report

WASHINGTON, DC — Here's a surprising claim: a new report says that the D.C. Metro system is one of the most affordable transit systems in the United States, and the most affordable among major cities. But there's one major caveat: it's not because Metro is cheap, but rather because our area is rich enough to afford it.

A study by ValuePenguin, a consumer spending advice website, claims that D.C. is the most affordable place to get public transit in the country, but bases that entirely on the proportion of income necessary to ride regularly in the city. Since the D.C. area ranks high in terms of average income of residents, it tops the list -- not surprisingly, in second place is San Francisco, another area with high incomes.

The average resident spends 1.85 percent of their income on transit in D.C., compared to 2.16 percent in San Francisco and 3.62 percent in New York, which was 8th on the list of major cities. In dead last was Los Angeles, where commuters spend 8.69 percent of their income on public transit.

That's not to say that the D.C. Metro is a particularly expensive service. Commuters in New York, for example, pay $116.50 for a 30-day pass, whereas the price is $81 in D.C. But many people critical of Metro would argue that the service New Yorkers get for that extra $35.50 is miles beyond anything that the struggling Metro system could hope to provide.

You can view the full rankings and methodology on ValuePenguin's website.

Image via WMATA