Overall, Nevada ranked high in bridge quality, public transit usage, road quality, and commute time.

Throughout history, transportation has played a key role in the development of the American economy, determining where and when growth happens. This comprehensive subcategory is broken down into four metrics: commute time, road quality, bridge quality and public transit usage. Some metrics may be more significant in some states than in others - such as the importance of public transit in urban areas and the quality of roads in rural regions - but each of the four metrics carried an equal weight in determining the Best States for transportation.

Bridge Quality
This is a measure of the percentage of bridges that were considered structurally deficient in each state in 2017, according to data from the Department of Transportation. On average, nearly one in 11 American bridges were deficient, but in Nevada and Texas, fewer than 2% of bridges were structurally deficient.

Road Quality
This metric measures the percentage of major roads considered to be in poor condition in 2017 in each state, according to data from the Federal Highway Adminstration. On average, nearly one in four roads in the U.S. - from rural freeways to urban interstates - were in poor condition.

Public Transit Usage
This metric measures the average miles traveled on public transportation by one state resident in 2016. With an average of about 1 mile traveled per person, Mississippi's public transit system earned the state the bottom slot, and with about 42 miles per person, New York was No. 1. Because the public transportation system in Washington, D.C., serves a significant part of the Maryland and Virginia populations, 75 percent of the District's data was divided between the two states.

Commute Time

This measure ranks the average travel time for workers over 16 who did not work at home in 2017, according to estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The average American worker commutes about 27 minutes each way. Those in North Dakota have the fastest commutes, averaging about 17 minutes, while workers from New York, Maryland and New Jersey travel more than 30 minutes to work.