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Last Updated on March 27th, 2024 at 05:53 pm

  • The mode price of a single bus fare in a major city with a population above 250,000 is $2.00
  • The average price of a single bus fare across all 84 cities is $1.84. 
  • The state with the lowest average fares in major cities in Missouri with an average bus fare of $0.50
  • State with the highest average fare is Colorado with an average bus fare of $2.58

If you’re a frequent bus rider, you may have wondered how your city’s bus fare compares to others across the United States. 

Affordable bus travel provides an accessible mode of transportation for people who may not have access to a car or who cannot afford to travel by other means.

By providing a reliable and affordable mode of transportation, bus services can help to connect people with job opportunities, education, and healthcare services that may be otherwise difficult to access.

Furthermore, affordable bus travel can help to promote social equity and reduce inequality. By providing a means of transportation that is accessible and affordable for everyone, regardless of their income level or social status, bus services can help to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate fully in society.

We’ve taken a deep dive into the average price of a single bus fare in every major city in the United States. 
 

How We Calculated The Average Price of A Single Bus Fare In Every Major City In The United States

 
We started by looking at major cities who noted a population above 250,000 according to US Census statistics from 07-2021. 

We then cross referenced government and local websites to find the cost of a single local adult bus fare, ignoring discounts for frequent travelers.

Using these numbers, we cross referenced the data to calculate nationwide averages and look for key trends.
 

Key findings:

 
The mode price of a single bus fare in a major US city is $2.00

The mode price of a single bus fare in a major city with a population above 250,000 is $2.00, which appears 27 times in the data set. This suggests that many cities have settled on $2.00 as a reasonable price for a single bus ride. However, it’s worth noting that the mode price isn’t necessarily the most representative of the overall data set.
 
The average price of a single bus fare is $1.86

The average price of a single bus fare across all 84 cities is $1.86. This means that if you were to randomly select a major city in the United States, you’d likely pay around $1.86 for a single bus ride. Of course, there are some outliers to this average.
 
3 cities offer free transport

There are three cities in the data set with a bus fare of $0.00: Kansas City, Albuquerque and Tucson. While this may seem like a dream come true for budget-conscious travelers, it’s worth noting that these fares may be subsidized by local governments and may not be sustainable in the long term.
 
Corpus Christi, TX has the lowest bus fare of any major city

The large city with the lowest bus fare is Corpus Christi, TX, where a single bus ride costs only $0.75. This is significantly lower than the average price and suggests that Corpus Christi is a very affordable city to travel around by bus.
 
Anaheim, CA has the highest bus fare of any major city

On the other hand, the city with the highest bus fare is Anaheim, CA, where a single bus ride costs a whopping $4.00. This is more than double the average price and indicates that bus travel in Anaheim is significantly more expensive than in other major US cities.
 
Missouri is the state with the lowest average bus fare in major cities

Looking at the data from a state-by-state perspective, we can see that the state with the lowest average fares in major cities in Missouri with an average bus fare of $0.50. This is significantly lower than the overall average and suggests that Missouri is a very affordable state for bus travel.
 
Colorado is the state with the highest average bus fare in major cities

Conversely, the state with the highest average fare is Colorado, where the average fare in major cities is $2.58. This is significantly higher than the overall average and indicates that bus travel in Colorado is relatively expensive compared to other states.
 

Data Set – The Average Price of A Single Bus Fare In Every Major City In The United States

 

State Average bus fare
MO $0.50
GA $1.00
LA $1.25
NE $1.25
TN $1.35
NC $1.39
AZ $1.50
IN $1.50
NJ $1.60
MA $1.70
KS $1.75
OK $1.75
TX $1.80
OH $2.00
NV $2.00
VA $2.00
MD $2.00
MI $2.00
FL $2.05
CA $2.06
WI $2.13
MN $2.25
DC $2.25
WA $2.25
IL $2.25
NY $2.38
PA $2.38
OR $2.50
CO $2.58

 

Data Set – The Cost Of A Single Bus Fare In Every Major US City

 

Name Adm. Population

Estimate (E)

2021-07

Cost of a single bus fare
Winston-Salem NC 250,320 $1.00
Chesapeake VA 251,269 $2.00
Irving TX 254,198 $2.50
Laredo TX 256,153 $2.00
St. Petersburg FL 258,201 $2.25
Lubbock TX 260,993 $2.00
Fort Wayne IN 265,974 $1.25
Toledo OH 268,508 $1.50
Reno NV 268,851 $2.00
Madison WI 269,196 $2.00
Buffalo NY 276,807 $2.00
Chula Vista CA 277,220 $2.25
Chandler AZ 279,458 $2.00
Jersey City NJ 283,927 $1.60
Durham NC 285,527 $1.00
Plano TX 288,253 $2.50
Lincoln NE 292,657 $1.25
St. Louis MO 293,310 $1.00
Greensboro NC 298,263 $1.50
Pittsburgh PA 300,431 $2.75
St. Paul MN 307,193 $2.00
Newark NJ 307,220 $1.60
Cincinnati OH 308,935 $2.00
Irvine CA 309,031 $2.00
Orlando FL 309,154 $2.00
Santa Ana CA 309,441 $2.00
Riverside CA 317,261 $1.75
Corpus Christi TX 317,773 $0.75
Stockton CA 322,120 $1.50
Henderson NV 322,178 $2.00
Anaheim CA 345,940 $4.00
Cleveland OH 367,991 $2.50
New Orleans LA 376,971 $1.25
Tampa FL 387,050 $2.00
Aurora CO 389,347 $3.00
Arlington TX 392,786 $2.00
Wichita KS 395,699 $1.75
Bakersfield CA 407,615 $1.65
Tulsa OK 411,401 $1.75
Minneapolis MN 425,336 $2.50
Oakland CA 433,823 $2.25
Miami FL 439,890 $2.25
Long Beach CA 456,062 $1.25
Virginia Beach VA 457,672 $2.00
Raleigh NC 469,124 $1.25
Colorado Springs CO 483,956 $1.75
Omaha NE 487,300 $1.25
Atlanta GA 496,461 $1.00
Kansas City MO 508,394 $0.00
Mesa AZ 509,475 $2.00
Sacramento CA 525,041 $2.50
Tucson AZ 543,242 $0.00
Fresno CA 544,510 $1.00
Albuquerque NM 562,599 $0.00
Milwaukee WI 569,330 $2.25
Baltimore MD 576,498 $2.00
Memphis TN 628,127 $1.00
Detroit MI 632,464 $2.00
Portland OR 641,162 $2.50
Las Vegas NV 646,790 $2.00
Boston MA 654,776 $1.70
Washington DC 670,050 $2.25
El Paso TX 678,415 $2.00
Nashville (- Davidson) TN 678,851 $1.70
Oklahoma City OK 687,725 $1.75
Denver CO 711,463 $3.00
Seattle WA 733,919 $2.25
San Francisco CA 815,201 $2.25
Charlotte NC 879,709 $2.20
Indianapolis IN 882,039 $1.75
Columbus OH 906,528 $2.00
Fort Worth TX 935,508 $2.00
Jacksonville FL 954,614 $1.75
Austin TX 964,177 $1.25
San Jose CA 983,489 $2.50
Dallas TX 1,288,457 $2.00
San Diego CA 1,381,611 $2.25
San Antonio TX 1,451,853 $1.30
Philadelphia PA 1,576,251 $2.00
Phoenix AZ 1,624,569 $2.00
Houston TX 2,288,250 $1.25
Chicago IL 2,696,555 $2.25
Los Angeles CA 3,849,297 $1.75
New York NY 8,467,513 $2.75

 

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