Indicators

Car access
?
The percentage of households with no vehicles by race/ethnicity of householder. Data for 2010 represents a 2006-2010 average, while data for 2015 represents a 2011-2015 average. No data is reported for demographic subgroups with insufficient sample sizes. For more information, see the data and methods document. | National Equity Atlas Data & Methods: Technical Documentation

United States

Percent of households without a vehicle by race/ethnicity:

Do all residents have access to a car?

Why it matters

Reliable and affordable transportation is critical for meeting daily needs and accessing educational and employment opportunities located throughout the region. For households living in regions without robust transit systems, access to a car is critical, but lower-income people and people of color are more likely to be carless. 

Grow an equitable economy: Policies to ensure everyone can connect to opportunity

  • Build robust public transit systems including buses, bus rapid transit, and shared rides that connect low-income communities to jobs, education and training opportunities, and services
  • Develop transit-oriented developments (TODs) in ways that expand affordability and access for low-income residents and prevent displacement of both people and small businesses
  • Expand transit options in rural communities, including van pools, shuttles, low-income car ownership programs, and bus routes
  • Make drivers’ licenses available for all drivers regardless of immigration status

Transit Initiative Increases Access and Mobility in North Central Montana

In the Great Plains area in Northern Montana, it is not uncommon for people to live many miles away from jobs, schools, grocery stores, and hospitals. At the same time, poverty and unemployment are quite high in some counties. Driving long distances is a fact of life for most, and for rural and tribal residents who cannot afford a reliable vehicle or cannot drive and are literally stranded from opportunity. Recognizing this need, Opportunity Link has been working to build the North Montana Transit System of bus routes connecting residents to work opportunities. Read more. 

Learn more about these strategies:

Additional data resources: