Prairie State Wire

Illinois ranked seventh among the 50 states in a new analysis by the insurance comparison platform QuoteWizard of pothole-related complaints.

The Prairie State scored a 48 in the study’s search index average. The state of Washington came in first with a score of 66, while Wyoming had the fewest pothole complaints with a score of 2.

The QuoteWizard analysis measured Google search statistics dating back to 2004 about pothole-related complaints and repairs for each of the 50 states. Illinois finished in the top 10 despite having one of the highest gas tax rates in the nation. 

Nationwide, pothole-related damage to vehicles costs drivers nearly $3 billion annually, according to the report. The average repair bill for pothole damage, which may include alignment problems, tire damage or harm to shocks and struts, is $306, AAA reports.

Potholes form mainly during the winter and spring, when temperatures fluctuate and the cycle of freezing and melting leads to the cracking of pavement and potholes.

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Which States Have the Most Pothole Complaints?

Rank	State	Search Index Average
1	Washington	66
2	Indiana	65
3	Michigan	54
4	Nebraska	52
5	Ohio	51
6	Massachusetts	50
7	Illinois	48
8	Tennessee	47
9	Pennsylvania	46
10	New York	46
11	New Jersey	44
12	South Carolina	44
13	Vermont	43
14	Rhode Island	40
15	Virginia	39
16	Kentucky	39
17	Maryland	36
18	South Dakota	33
19	California	31
20	Georgia	28
21	Minnesota	28
22	North Dakota	28
23	Missouri	28
24	Hawaii	25
25	Colorado	23
26	Texas	23
27	West Virginia	22
28	Connecticut	22
29	Montana	21
30	Delaware	21
31	Oregon	21
32	Wisconsin	20
33	New Hampshire	19
34	Louisiana	19
35	Florida	19
36	Idaho	19
37	Mississippi	17
38	Alaska	17
39	Kansas	17
40	Oklahoma	17
41	North Carolina	17
42	Iowa	16
43	Maine	16
44	Alabama	15
45	New Mexico	14
46	Arizona	13
47	Utah	12
48	Arkansas	11
49	Nevada	11
50	Wyoming	2

Source: QuoteWizard