ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - If you’re in the fortunate position of being able to choose when and if you want to return to the office, you may want to know how much your commute would cost you.
Online mortgage broker LendingTree found that the average commuter in St. Louis spends $4,867 a year by driving to and from work five days a week – the national average is $5,679. St. Louis ranks 57th among the largest cities in the U.S.
The study found that St. Louisans have an average commute of 48 minutes each way, for a daily commute cost of $19. It also says the median income in St. Louis is $46,756, the average employee works 39 hours per week and has an hourly wage of $25.
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Here's where a few other nearby cities ranked on the list (annual cost):
Chicago - 12, $8,060
Nashville - 46, $5,161
Kansas City - 68, $4,440
Cincinnati - 51, $5,005
Indianapolis - 73, $4,340
To calculate the cost of commuting researchers factored in gas prices, tolls, vehicle maintenance, parking passes and fees, and vehicle depreciation.
Here are some other key findings from the study:
• Full-time workers across the largest U.S. cities lose nearly an hour daily to commuting. The average round-trip commute in the 100 largest cities is 52 minutes, equating to an average annual opportunity cost of $5,679.
• Fremont, Calif., has the costliest commute by far. The average round-trip commute time here is 73 minutes (third-longest time among the 100 cities), which equals an average annual opportunity cost of $15,065 — nearly $2,000 higher than the next city. San Francisco and Jersey City, N.J., take the next two spots.
• Tulsa, Okla., has the shortest — and least costly — commute. The average round-trip commute here is 37 minutes, or an average annual opportunity cost of $3,255 — roughly $11,800 a year less than in Fremont. Toledo, Ohio, and Wichita, Kan., take the next two spots.
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