Why New Jersey ranks eighth for most stressful commutes

Not that you needed proof, but oh boy, do we have it.

Proof that your New Jersey commute is one big anxiety attack. Compare the Market did a study ranking U.S. states for how stressful their commutes are.

Before I tell you how high the Garden State ranks, here’s where you could have a commute more chill than The Dude in “The Big Lebowski.”

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States with the worst commutes

The least stressful state for commuting is Utah.

What helped is an average commute of only 22 minutes and a high rate (16%) of remote work. That’s followed by South Dakota and Nebraska.

Sure it’s stress-free; there’s hardly anyone living in those states!

Here in New Jersey, we live on top of each other and our roads are so crowded if you leave a safe distance between you and the car in front of you someone will surely fill it in.

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Average commute times in New Jersey

In the Garden State, our average commute time is 30.9 minutes. That’s one of the highest in the nation. And if it doesn’t sound that long remember that’s only the average.

Some of us have longer. Mine, for example, is about 45 minutes. No wonder I’m an anxious mess.

Commuting in New Jersey is stressful

This time of year is when my commute gets even more tense now that our deer are getting horny and jumping out in front of me on 195.

So, where do we rank for stressful commutes? 8th place!

I, too, was surprised it wasn’t higher. You don’t have to deal with traffic circles and Newark Airport’s cluster of highways to feel like Jersey might be the seventh circle of Hell for traffic nightmares.

But it turns out there are seven states more insane than ours.

According to the study, those are Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia, Louisiana, and New York is at No. 1 most stressful.

So it could be worse, but it could certainly be far better. But go easy on the Xanax, you’re driving.

Photo by Patrycja Olszak on Unsplash

Biggest NJ company layoffs announced in 2025

In the first quarter of 2025 alone, roughly a dozen New Jersey employers announced over 3,000 layoffs. By October, the number of layoffs announced was beyond 11,000.

Gallery Credit: Erin Vogt

NJ words that should be added to the dictionary

13 words submitted by Steve Trevelise's followers for inclusion in the Dictionary — because somebody's got to explain New Jersey to the rest of the country.

Gallery Credit: Steve Trevelise

Best Off-the-Beaten-Path Getaway Spots to Check Out This Summer in New Jersey

Here’s something to consider, New Jersey residents. If you still want to get away for a little bit this summer but can’t afford it, think about doing a staycation right here in the Garden State.

Sure, you can go to the Jersey Shore, the Wildwoods, Atlantic City, but those are big tourist spots. Consider checking out these 10 getaway spots “off the beaten path.”

Gallery Credit: Jen Ursillo

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.

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