Taking Ubers is getting expensive across the nation but a half-hour ride in certain states and cities is going to do far more damage to your wallet than in others, according to a new analysis.
Net Credit collected the average price of a 30-minute ride in an Uber in locations across the U.S., and found ride-share passengers in Washington state are paying the most, with a half-hour drive costing on average $53.46.
On the other side of the list is Indiana, where the average half-hour ride in an Uber will cost around $30.35.
Other states with less expensive rides include Texas at $30.96, Utah at $30.71, and Oklahoma at $31.54.
But a ride in plenty of other states is going to cost upwards of $40. The average price of a half-hour Uber ride in California, Oregon, Wyoming, Montana, Louisiana, Alabama, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York are all at least $40, and rides in several other states — South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arkansas, and Nevada — will cost just under that mark.
When it comes to individual cities, Seattle tops the list as the most expensive city for a half-hour Uber ride.
In Seattle a half-hour ride costs almost $60, according to the analysis.
The nine next most expensive cities for Ubers aren’t necessarily each the sprawling, wildly expensive, cities one might expect. Those are Cheyenne, Reno, New York City, San Diego, Baton Rouge, Newark, Anchorage, San Jose, and Portland.
The cheapest overall city for Uber for a half-hour ride is Indianapolis where it’ll cost around $28.33.
Following Indianapolis, the most affordable cities for taking an Uber are Fort Worth, Tucson, Mesa, Omaha, Miami, Oklahoma City, Raleigh, Houston, and Memphis.
According to Net Credit, the price of Uber rides increased by 7.2 percent across the country in 2024.
Net Credit noted that part of what may be driving down prices in Indianapolis is the appearance of a competitor, inDrive, which allows riders to propose a price for their ride, and drivers can counter-bid for a higher fee.
“We’re giving both the driver and passenger the freedom to kind of choose their own adventure,” Adam Warner, the company’s head of U.S. operations, told Net Credit. “So you get to select the driver. Are you willing to wait 10 minutes for this person to pick you up in a Tesla Model Y, or are you comfortable with the Chevy Malibu that’s only two minutes away to pick you up?”
Net Credit also worked out which city’s Uber costs were the most and least expensive relative to the average wages of its residents.
The city with the most affordable Uber rides — relative to its residents’ average hourly wage — is Washington, D.C., where a 30-minute trip will still cost riders 106.5 percent of their average hourly wage.
Following the nation’s capital, the most affordable cities for Ubering relative to residents’ average hourly wages include San Jose, San Francisco, Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Stamford, Raleigh, Boston, Mesa, and Baltimore.
The least affordable city was determined to be Cheyenne, Wyoming, where a ride is 224 percent of a resident’s average hourly wage. Reno, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Jackson, Seattle, Fresno, Las Vegas, Augusta, and Buffalo made up the rest of the list.
