20 States That Have Worse Roads Than Michigan

"Fix the damn roads!"

Here in Michigan, our roads are so bad that political campaigns are even built around them.

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Potholes. Broken concrete. Poor drainage. Constant construction. There's no shortage of characteristics to describe what motorists in the Mitten State have gotten used to dealing with over the decades.

However, a 2023 study examining road conditions across the entire United States suggests that maybe we don't have it as bad as we think we do here in Michigan. It could be even worse.

How Do Michigan Roads Rank Against the Rest of the Country?

According to U.S. News and World Report, Michigan's road quality currently ranks 30th in the nation. That means there are 20 states whose roads are actually worse than the ones here.

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Here's how they came to that conclusion:

The quality of a state’s roads can affect the safety and overall driving experience of motorists. This metric reflects the percentage of road miles considered to be in poor condition in each state, according to data from the Federal Highway Administration.

So what constitutes "poor condition"? This is where it gets technical.

A pair of factors are considered when determining whether interstates or other roads are in good condition or not. One is the International Roughness Index (or IRI); the other is the Present Serviceability Rating (or PSR).

The IRI takes into account the actual number of rough inches per mile of roadway. With PSR, roads are rated on a scale of 0-5. Smooth, pothole-free roads are rated higher; deteriorating, problem-ridden roads score lower.

After taking Michigan's results into account, the Mitten State undoubtedly still needs improvement. But, on the bright side, things aren't as bad here as they are in these 20 states.