Where should rideshare drivers work?
There are over 1.7 million rideshare drivers throughout the United States, with Americans taking 14 million trips per day — and that's just using Uber. Turning your car into a money-making machine can be a lucrative side hustle, whether as a rideshare driver or grocery and takeout delivery driver.[1]
But some places are better suited for vehicle business success than others. We looked at the 50 most populous U.S. cities to find the best environment for rideshare drivers. We analyzed four areas:
- Car insurance increase for rideshare drivers: The Zebra tracks insurance policy costs when adding rideshare driver protection.
- Average gas price by state**:** AAA tracks gas prices. These are as of mid-March 2023 when the national average gas price per gallon was $3.466.[2]
- Average annual earnings for gig delivery workers: AdvisorSmith gathered earnings for gig delivery drivers.[3]
- Cost of living index by city**:** A cost of living index compares the average expenses across different geographic areas. The Numbeo cost of living index uses New York City as a baseline (100). An index number below that is less expensive than New York.[4]
So where are the best cities to become a rideshare driver? Check out our results below.
Methodology
The Zebra pulled four data points to analyze the top 50 MSAs (by population) in the U.S. related to rideshare drivers:
- Car insurance increase for rideshare drivers (The Zebra)
- Average gas price by state (AAA)
- Average annual earnings for gig delivery workers (AdvisorSmith)
- Cost of living index by city (Numbeo)
MSA data was used where applicable, and we sometimes substituted city or state data as necessary.