The US Parking Report – Best & Worst US Cities

The Best and Worst Cities in the US for Parking in 2024.

Traveling in an unfamiliar city can bring all kinds of stress, from navigating directions to getting to grips with different speed regulations. There’s also the grueling task of finding a parking spot that isn’t going to cost a fortune and will keep your vehicle secure.

We want to explore the best parking options in popular US cities, by looking into the most affordable and secure car parks. We will also explore accessible parking with amenities such as valet parking, EV charging and the top-rated options for each city.

By using a reliable parking source, we will be able to delve into popular US cities to find reliable parking for drivers. So, buckle your seatbelts as we commence the best and worst cities in the US for parking.

Before we start, we would like to remind you that here at Zutobi, we have built an all-in-one app with everything you need for your Driving Theory Prep.

The Cities with the Best Availability for Parking

To make your scouring for a parking spot a little easier, we delved into available car parks for each below US city.

We have ranked each city on 8 important factors ranging from car park amenities to customer reviews and the ever-important pricing. A full list of factors included in the ranking can be found in the methodology. Cities were ranked based on a normalized score calculated by combining their scores on each of our 8 factors.

1 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Car Parks Score: 8.27/10

Topping the list for car park availability now is Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Situated along Lake Michigan’s shores, Milwaukee is renowned for its iconic breweries and the Major League Brewers. The city is a hotspot for tourists, making transport and secure parking crucial. Milwaukee shines with its accessible parking options, boasting 23 wheelchair-accessible parks and 15 covered car parks for added security during your exploration. Furthermore, the city maintains its reputation for parking affordability, offering rates as low as $4 for 3 hours of parking. A

1 – Oakland, California

Car Parks Score: 8.27/10

Sharing the top spot for the best car park availability is Oakland, California, the bustling city and county seat of Alameda County. Oakland impresses with 28 self-parking car parks and 20 wheelchair-accessible car parks, alongside a notable selection of ‘excellent’ rated car parks (0.29 per mi²), ensuring convenience and accessibility for all visitors.

2 – Minneapolis, Minnesota

Car Parks Score: 7.67/10

Securing the second position is Minneapolis, Minnesota. This city is known for its vibrant arts scene, numerous lakes, and extensive park system. Minneapolis offers ample parking solutions, reflecting its commitment to accommodating the influx of tourists and residents alike, with a focus on accessibility and ease of parking.

3 – Baltimore, Maryland

Car Parks Score: 7.4/10

Tied for third place in the best car park availability are Baltimore, Maryland, and Cleveland, Ohio. Baltimore, with its rich history and cultural heritage, ensures visitors have access to convenient parking options. The city caters to the needs of drivers with a variety of parking facilities, highlighting its efforts to provide a welcoming atmosphere for tourists and locals.

3 – Cleveland, Ohio

Car Parks Score: 7.4/10

Cleveland, Ohio, stands alongside Baltimore in the third spot. Known for its contributions to music history and its bustling metropolitan area, Cleveland offers a range of parking facilities to meet the needs of its visitors. The city focuses on both accessibility and security, emphasizing its dedication to enhancing the visitor experience through efficient car park availability.

The Cities with the Most Accessible Car Parks

Wheelchair accessibility is essential for some customers and makes a roadtrip much easier for people with disabilities. Here are the cities with the most accessible wheelchair access car parks:

1 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Number of Wheelchair Accessible Car Parks: 30

Milwaukee, Wisconsin now leads with the highest number of wheelchair accessible car parks among our surveyed cities, boasting a total of 30 accessible parks.

2 – Oakland, California

Number of Wheelchair Accessible Car Parks: 25

In second place for wheelchair accessibility is Oakland, California, with the city offering 25 wheelchair accessible car parks.

3 – Atlanta, Georgia

Number of Wheelchair Accessible Car Parks: 24

Tied for third in having the highest number of wheelchair accessible car parks are Atlanta, Georgia, and Washington, D.C., each with a total of 24 in the city.

3 – Washington, District of Columbia

Number of Wheelchair Accessible Car Parks: 24

Sharing the third position with Atlanta, Washington, D.C., provides 24 wheelchair accessible car parks, showcasing the city’s commitment to accessibility.

The Cities with the Most EV Charging Car Parks

The revelation of electric vehicles has allowed drivers to make a greener choice when it comes to their CO2 footprint. But how are communities responding to a greater amount of EVs on the road? We wanted to find the cities with the most EV charging car parks:

1 – Chicago, Illinois

Number of EV Charging Car Parks: 14

Chicago continues to lead with the highest number of EV Charging facility car parks within its city limits. Now, a total of 14 car parks are EV charging friendly, indicating an improvement in the city’s infrastructure to support electric vehicles.

2 – Baltimore, Maryland

Number of EV Charging Car Parks: 8

Stepping up to the second position for its number of EV charging car parks is Baltimore, Maryland. The city now has a total of 8 car parks that are EV charging friendly, showcasing its commitment to sustainable transportation options.

3 – Los Angeles, California

Number of EV Charging Car Parks: 7

Los Angeles now holds the third spot in the ranking for EV charging car parks, with a total of 7 in the city. Although it has moved down a position, Los Angeles remains committed to enhancing its EV charging facilities for electric vehicle owners.

The Cities with the Most Valet Car Parks

Car park valeting allows shoppers and visitors a service to fit in with their lifestyle, a convenient hand car wash and valeting operation located within the car park of their local shopping center or store. Here are the cities with the most valet parking:

1 – New York City, New York

Number of Valet Car Parks: 30

New York City, New York, now leads with the highest number of valet car parks, boasting a total of 30 in the city. The city’s numerous shopping centers, entertainment venues, and dining establishments frequently offer valet parking services to cater to the convenience of their visitors.

2 – San Francisco, California

Number of Valet Car Parks: 22

San Francisco, California, holds the second position with an increased total of 22 valet car parks. The city’s multitude of shopping malls and restaurants continues to provide valet parking, enhancing the convenience for shoppers and diners.

3 – Washington, District of Columbia

Number of Valet Car Parks: 18

Washington, D.C., remains in the top three but with a slight decrease, now offering 18 valet car parks. The capital city’s numerous venues with valet services underscore its commitment to providing accessible and convenient parking solutions for residents and visitors alike.

The Cities with the Most Covered Car Parks

Security is a huge concern for many drivers, especially when visiting a city for the first time. Car parks that are covered tend to attract less thieves, while also protecting your vehicle from bad weather. These are the cities with the most covered car parks:

1 – Washington, District of Columbia

Number of Covered Car Parks: 29

Washington, D.C., now ranks at the top for the highest number of covered garages for car parking within the city, with a total of 29 car parks. Visitors can have peace of mind knowing their vehicle is protected while they explore the capital’s landmarks and attractions.

1 – Chicago, Illinois

Number of Covered Car Parks: 29

Sharing the top spot with Washington, D.C., Chicago, Illinois, also boasts 29 covered car parks. The Windy City ensures visitors and residents alike can enjoy the city’s offerings without worrying about the safety of their vehicles.

2 – Boston, Massachusetts

Number of Covered Car Parks: 28

Boston, Massachusetts, slightly trails behind with a total of 28 covered car parks, making it the city with the second-best availability of covered parking facilities. This ensures that visitors to the city can comfortably enjoy Boston’s rich history and culture, knowing their vehicles are securely parked.

3 – New York City, New York

Number of Covered Car Parks: 27

New York City, New York, now ranks third, with a total of 27 covered car parks. Despite a slight decrease in its ranking, NYC continues to provide ample covered parking options, ensuring that tourists and locals can enjoy the city’s vibrant life with added peace of mind regarding vehicle safety.

The Cities with the Most Uncovered Lot Car Parks

Some cities had more uncovered parking than others. These are the cities with the most uncovered lot parking:

1 – Raleigh, North Carolina

Number of Uncovered Lot Car Parks: 26

Raleigh, North Carolina now leads with the most uncovered lot parking, offering a total of 26 car parks. 

2 – El Paso, Texas

Number of Uncovered Lot Car Parks: 25

El Paso, Texas, steps up with a total of 25 uncovered lot car parks.

3 – Cincinnati, Ohio

Number of Uncovered Lot Car Parks: 24

Cincinnati, Ohio, comes in third, boasting a total of 24 uncovered lot car parks. 

The Cities with the Most Top-Rated Car Parks

Some people prefer not to skimp on parking spots, to make sure their cars are secure and out of reach from thieves, and rightly so. We want to delve into the top-rated car parks from visitors who have used the car parks before and were satisfied.

1 – Boston, Massachusetts

Total ‘Excellent’ Car Parks per mi²: 0.58

Boston, Massachusetts, continues to lead with the highest number of top-rated car parks among our list of US cities. This cultural hub, known for its rich history and attraction to tourists nationwide and internationally, now has 28 car parks rated ‘excellent’. This achievement is even more notable considering its compact size, equating to 0.58 excellent car parks per square mile.

2 – Jersey City, New Jersey

Total ‘Excellent’ Car Parks per mi²: 0.44

Jersey City, New Jersey, maintains its position with even better top-rated car park availability. Known for its historical points of interest and abundance of activities, Jersey City now boasts 24 car parks rated ‘excellent’, translating to 0.44 per square mile..

3 – Oakland, California

Total ‘Excellent’ Car Parks per mi²: 0.43

Oakland, California, enters the rankings with its top-rated car parks, marking itself as a city with excellent parking facilities. With a total of 24 car parks rated ‘excellent’, and considering its size, Oakland achieves an impressive density of 0.43 excellent car parks per square mile. 

The Cheapest Cities for Parking

Everybody knows that running a car isn’t cheap, so why would you want to splash the cash on expensive car parking? There are plenty of affordable car parks in each city, but which cities have the cheapest price for a three-hour stay? Here are our results:

1 – Cleveland, Ohio

Lowest Price for 3 Hours of Parking: $1.50

Cleveland, Ohio, continues to offer the cheapest price for three hours of car parking, with rates remaining at just $1.50. As the third-largest city in Ohio and one of the cheapest metropolitan areas to live in, Cleveland’s affordability extends to its parking, providing great value for residents and visitors alike.

2 – Tulsa, Oklahoma

Lowest Price for 3 Hours of Parking: $1.63

Tulsa, Oklahoma, emerges as the second cheapest city for parking, with a low rate of $1.63 for three hours. Tulsa’s cost of living, which is lower than many U.S. cities, reflects in its affordable parking rates, making it an economical choice for drivers.

3 – Houston, Texas

Lowest Price for 3 Hours of Parking: $2.00

Houston, Texas, ties for third place, offering parking at just $2 for three hours. Known for its expansive metropolitan area and being an economic hub, Houston combines affordability with convenience, presenting a compelling option for parking.

3 – El Paso, Texas

Lowest Price for 3 Hours of Parking: $2.00

Sharing the third spot with Houston, El Paso, Texas, also provides very affordable parking options, with the lowest rate being $2 for three hours. Despite its size and significance, El Paso maintains a low cost of living, which is reflected in its competitively priced parking facilities.

The Most Expensive Cities for Parking

Some cities are going to cost more for parking, particularly if it’s a tourist hotspot or the cost of living for residents in the city is higher. So, on the flip side, here are the most expensive cities for parking:

1 – Boston, Massachusetts

Lowest Price for 3 Hours of Parking: $20

Taking the lead as the priciest city for car parking on our list is Boston, Massachusetts. Known for its significant cultural heritage and high living costs, parking in Boston is now the most expensive, with the lowest fee for three hours reaching $20. 

2 – New York City, New York

Lowest Price for 3 Hours of Parking: $17

New York City, famous for its high accommodation, restaurant, and transport costs, now ranks second in terms of parking expenses. The cheapest price for three hours of parking has adjusted to $17. 

3 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Lowest Price for 3 Hours of Parking: $15

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, enters the rankings with its parking fees, positioning it as one of the more expensive cities for car parking. The city’s rich historical significance and vibrant culture are matched by its parking costs, with the lowest rate for a three-hour stay set at $15.

3 – San Francisco, California

Lowest Price for 3 Hours of Parking: $15

Sharing the third spot with Philadelphia, San Francisco, California, is also listed among the cities with higher parking fees. Given its status as a tech hub and tourist destination, coupled with a high cost of living, San Francisco presents a parking fee of $15 for three hours, mirroring Philadelphia’s rate and highlighting the premium cost of parking in major US cities.

The Cities with the Least Accessible Car Parks

These cities, unfortunately, failed to provide car parks for those using a wheelchair. These are the cities with the least amount of accessible car parks: Omaha, Long Beach, Kansas City, Tucson, Fort Worth, Scottsdale, Santa Ana, Glendale, Colorado Springs, Toledo, Baton Rouge, Norfolk, Reno, and Jacksonville.

The Cities with the Least EV Charging Car Parks

Some cities failed to provide car parks with electric vehicle charging facilities. These are the cities with the least EV charging car parks: Omaha, Long Beach, Kansas City, Tucson, Fort Worth, Scottsdale, Santa Ana, Glendale, Colorado Springs, Toledo, Baton Rouge, Norfolk, Reno, Jacksonville, Hialeah, Tampa, Riverside, Lexington, Buffalo, Richmond, Oklahoma City, El Paso, and Tulsa.

The Cities with the Least Valet Car Parks

These cities had the lowest amount of valet car parks in the area: Omaha, Long Beach, Kansas City, Tucson, Fort Worth, Scottsdale, Santa Ana, Glendale, Colorado Springs, Toledo, Baton Rouge, Norfolk, Reno, Jacksonville, Tampa, Riverside, Lexington, Buffalo, El Paso, Tulsa, Charlotte, Orlando, St. Louis, Memphis, Cincinnati, and Raleigh, which all had 0 valet parking options.

The Cities with the Least Covered Car Parks

We will now look into the cities with the least covered car parks in the area.

These cities with the least covered car parks: Omaha, Kansas City, Tucson, Scottsdale, Santa Ana, Glendale, Colorado Springs, Toledo, Baton Rouge, Norfolk, Reno, Jacksonville, Riverside, Buffalo, and Richmond.

The Cities with the Least Uncovered Lot Car Parks

These cities had the lowest number of uncovered lot car parks:

These cities had the lowest number of uncovered lot car parks: Glendale, Toledo, Baton Rouge, Norfolk, Reno, Jacksonville, Hialeah, Long Beach, Washington, Tucson, Santa Ana, Tampa, Lexington, and Sacramento, along with Chicago.

Methodology

We started by taking a list of World Population Review’s Largest Cities in the US.

After collecting a list of cities, we used SpotHero to find parking for each city, removing any cities that didn’t have parking data available. Using the website filters, we were able to find the cheapest parking listed. Using the generic time frame of 8.30 am to 11.30 am, we were able to find parking prices. This data is accurate as of 28/09/2023.

We then used the website filters to find out which amenities were available for the city’s car parks. We repeated this process for every city until we had a full set of data for each city.

We counted the number of ‘excellent’ rated car parks for each city, to find the top-rated car parks. For a more accurate result, we found the total area (mi²) of the city, and then divided the number of ‘excellent’ car parks by the total area.

Each city was rated on 8 factors for car park availability: Lowest Price for Hourly Parking, Self-Park availability, Valet availability, how many Garage or Covered car parks are available, how many Lots or Uncovered parks are available, Wheelchair Accessibility, EV Charging availability, and the Total ‘Excellent’ Car Parks per mi².

We were then able to rank each city by each factor, giving each a normalized score out of 10 before taking an average of all of these scores to give us the final Car Park Score.

Previous The US Parking Report 2023.