Summary

San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose is the most EV-friendly metro area and St. Louis, MO is the least EV-friendly Vermont is the most EV-friendly state overall, while Mississippi is the least The national average is one EV charger for every 2,280 U.S. residents For Level 3 fast chargers, there is one for every 11,602 U.S. residents

Electric vehicle market share has more than doubled in the past 2 years, rising from 2.7 percent in early 2021 to 6.4 percent at the end of 2022. That means tens of thousands more EVs on the road today, with thousands more joining them every month. While many of these electric cars will be charged primarily at their owner’s homes, they will also put increasing demands on the 146,000 electric vehicle charging stations that make up the U.S charging network. Public charging access will be particularly important for new EV owners living in apartments, condominiums, and other multifamily housing units.

iSeeCars analyzed the national EV charging infrastructure to determine which cities and states offer the best and worst electric vehicle charging support for EV owners looking to plug into public chargers. The analysis looks at both Level 2 and Level 3 chargers (also known as DC fast chargers), and also evaluates the Tesla and non-Tesla networks separately, to see where cities and states rank based on how many residents each EV charging station must potentially serve. In this study these numbers reflect how many plugs (or charging ports) are available.

“Many drivers are on the verge of making their first EV purchase,” said Karl Brauer, Executive Analyst at iSeeCars. “Consumers looking to switch from gasoline to electric power should consider their local charging equipment options to understand how many potential electric vehicle owners they may be competing with, both today and in the near future.”

Which Cities offer the Best and Worst Overall Electric Vehicle Charging Support?

“Five of the top 10 EV-friendly cities are located in California, which isn’t really surprising, but who knew Denver was the most EV-friendly city outside California?” said Brauer. “It’s also interesting to see that the 10th ranked most EV-friendly market, Seattle-Tacoma, has nearly 3 times as many residents competing for each EV charger as the top-ranked market, San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose.”

On the flipside, Texas has 3 of the top 10 least EV-friendly cities in the nation, though St. Louis ranks the worst, Birmingham, Alabama, is the second worst, and Indianapolis lands at number three.

Below is the full list of the top 50 cities in the U.S., ranked from most to least EV friendly. The national average is 1 EV charger for every 2,280 residents, or less than half the number of residents per charger compared to the worst city, St. Louis, Missouri, at 5,787 residents per charger. These numbers include the Tesla Supercharger Network along with the ChargePoint, EVgo, and Electrify America EV charging networks. While Tesla uses its own charging plug, most of the rest use the Combined Charging System, or CCS, connector.

Which States Are the Most and Least EV Friendly?

Is California the most EV-friendly state? No, Vermont is, with only 703 residents per charger. California comes in at number two, with 881 residents per charger. Massachusetts, Colorado and Rhode Island round out the top 5 states.

Mississippi is the least EV-friendly state, with 9,275 residents per charger – more than 10 times the residents per charger compared to number one Vermont. The rankings for all 50 states are in the table below.

Best and Worst Cities for Level 3 Fast Charging

While any EV charger can save an electric vehicle limping along on its last few miles of range, only Level 3 fast charging locations provide a truly useful charging experience and the functionality needed for midday errand running or road trip charging, offering a charge rate comparable to fueling a gasoline vehicle. Level 3 charging solutions (also known as DC fast charging) feature heavy duty cables and require a 480-volt high power source, allowing them to restore 80 percent of an EV’s battery level in less than 30 minutes. Compared to the 12-20 miles of range added during an hour of charging on a 240-volt, 50-amp home wallbox, charging EVs at a Level 3 charger adds 200+ miles in one hour.

The national average is one Level 3 fast charger for every 11,602 residents. In terms of useful public charging options, these cities are the best and worst locations for quickly replenishing an electric vehicle.

California once again offers the best EV infrastructure for fast charging needs, with the top 5 cities all located in the Golden State. Louisville, Kentucky, is the worst city for Level 3 chargers, averaging just one charger for every 35,648 residents. That’s a far cry from top-ranked Fresno-Visalia, at 2,444 residents per fast charger. The top 50 cities for Level 3 fast charging support are listed below.

The Best and Worst States for Level 3 Fast Charging

Looking at Level 3 charging at the state level, we see (surprise!) California in the top spot, offering one Level 3 fast charger for every 4,449 residents. At the opposite end of the list is last-place Kentucky, with one Level 3 fast charger for every 40,651 residents. The full ranking of all 50 states, by Level 3 charging support, is listed in the second table.

Most and Least EV-Friendly Cities for Non-Tesla Drivers

So far we’ve lumped all electric vehicle chargers together, but non-Tesla EV drivers don’t have access to Tesla’s Supercharger Network, at least not yet (that is scheduled to change at the end of 2024, though our data suggests it won’t help much). Non-Tesla electric vehicle drivers need to consider which cities are the most EV friendly for them, and we’ve listed the best and worst metro areas below, along with a full top 50 ranking in the second table.

Most and Least EV-Friendly States for Non-Tesla Drivers

Here’s the same data at the state level, showing which states offer the best EV infrastructure for non-Tesla drivers. The 10 best and worst are listed first, followed by the full ranking of all 50 states.

Best and Worst Cities for Non-Tesla Drivers Seeking Level 3 Fast Charging

Non-Tesla drivers seeking a quick charge are facing the least competition in Oklahoma City, followed by four California metro areas. Louisville, Kentucky, again shows up in last place, this time for having only one non-Tesla Level 3 fast charger for every 196,063 residents. The second table shows a full list of the top 50 U.S. markets, ranked by non-Tesla Level 3 chargers.

Best and Worst States for Level 3 Charging for Non-Tesla Drivers

At the state level, non-Tesla drivers have the lowest per-capita competition for fast charging in Oklahoma, at 6,848 residents per non-Tesla Level 3 charger. Mississippi is the worst state for non-Tesla Level 3 charging infrastructure, with one fast charger for every 226,158 residents. All 50 states are ranked in the second table.

Best and Worst Cities and States for Tesla Drivers

The next few tables show the most EV-friendly cities and states for Tesla drivers.