Michigan Road Trip? Don't Do It, Study Says

If you’re planning a road trip, the best bang for your travel dollars isn’t in Michigan, according to a new study by WalletHub, a personal finance website. (Photo by NikoMC via Flickr)

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A new study by the personal finance website WalletHub shows Michigan is the ninth-worst state for summer road trips.

About 85 percent of Americans plan a summer getaway, and 90 percent of them will be traveling by car.

Using 20 key metrics, WalletHub compared the 50 U.S. states to identify the states that offer frugally minded road travelers the most fun for the least cost. The data set ranges from average gas prices to the quality of roads to the number of attractions.

Here’s how Michigan ranked:

• 30th – Number of Attractions
• 28th – Average Gas Prices
• 33rd – Number of Nightlife Options per 100,000 Residents
• 18th – Vehicle Miles Traveled per Capita
• 37th – Car Thefts per 100,000 Residents
• 44th – Number of Scenic Byways
• 18th – Number of Fatalities per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled

The 10 best states for road trips were:

1. Oregon
2. Nevada
3. Minnesota
4. Washington
5. Ohio
6. Utah
7. Wyoming
8. Colorado
9. North Carolina
10. Idaho

Joining Michigan at the bottom of the list were No. 41 New Jersey, No. 43 Rhode Island, No. 44 Arkansas, No. 45 Oklahoma, No. 46 South Dakota, No. 47 Mississippi, No. 48 Delaware, No. 59 North Dakota and No. 50 Connecticut.