The International Sprawl Tax

Compared with European averages, U.S. and Canadian residents spend 30-50 percent more money and time on transport due to dispersed, automobile-dependent development.

1 minute read

June 8, 2016, 2:00 PM PDT

By Todd Litman


Ticky tacky

Saucy Salad (Rebecca Wilson) / Flickr

According to data published by economists Stephen Redding and Matthew Turnerthe average American household spent approximately 18 percent of its budget on transportation compared with just an average of 12.8 percent among its peer. That means a typical U.S. household spent about five percentage points more of its income, about $1,500 annually, on transportation than the residents of other developed countries.

Table courtesy of City Observatory.

Similarly, the average American worker spent about 51 daily minutes commuting, compared with 39 average daily commute minutes for all other countries. This means that over the course of a year with 250 working days, the typical American commuter spends about 51 more hours commuting than workers in other high income countries. Valued at $15 per hour, the additional cost of commuting to US workers comes to $770 per worker worker per year.

While there may be other reasons for these disparities, they probably reflect American cities' more sprawled, automobile-dependent development patterns.

Wednesday, June 8, 2016 in City Observatory

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3, 2025 - Governing

White park shuttles with large Zion logo on side and red rock cliffs in background in Zion National Park.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”

Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

2 hours ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Chart of federal transportation funding comparing Biden and Trump administration spending.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden

Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

3 hours ago - Transportation for America

Close-up on yellow and black TAXI sign on top of beige car in central Munich, Germany.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence

Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.

4 hours ago - Bloomberg