10 Most and Least EV-Friendly Places To Live in America

Highlights:

• Los Angeles has the most chargers of any metro area at 36,318.
• San Francisco is the most EV-friendly metro area based on charger density, with 334 residents per charger.
• Louisville is the least EV-friendly metro area at 2,904 residents per charger, nearly nine times San Francisco's ratio.
• Vermont ranks first among states at 450 residents per charger, just ahead of California at 480.
• U.S. EV charger growth is projected at just 15.5% in 2026, down sharply from 25.7% in 2025.
• The U.S. is still projected to reach 299,798 chargers in 2026, up from 259,555 in 2025, while the ratio of residents per charger is projected to improve 13.2% from 1,317 to 1,143.

The U.S. is projected to add 40,243 electric vehicle chargers in 2026, bringing the nationwide total to 299,798. Despite this increase, annual charger growth is slowing significantly, and the gap between the most and least EV-friendly places is substantial.

San Francisco is the most EV-friendly city, based on a charger density of 334 residents per EV charger, while Louisville is the least-friendly, having only one charger for every 2,904 residents.

iSeeCars analyzed the number of Level 2 and Level 3/DC Fast Chargers from data published by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center to identify trends in U.S. EV charging infrastructure from 2025 to 2026. 

“Charging infrastructure remains a primary concern for mainstream consumers considering an electric vehicle,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “This latest iSeeCars study confirms why, given the disparity in EV charger access across major metro areas.”

America’s EV charger expansion is losing momentum

“America’s EV charging network is still expanding, but the growth curve has changed substantially. A projected 15.5% increase for 2026 still adds tens of thousands of chargers, but it represents a much slower expansion rate compared to the average over the past decade,” said Brauer.

Slower growth still adds more than 40,000 chargers

The national ratio of residents to chargers is projected to improve from 1,317 to 1,143, a 13.2% improvement. That means charging infrastructure is still becoming more plentiful relative to the U.S. population, even as the rate of network expansion slows.

*2026 Figures are projected using data through September 2026. 

Los Angeles leads the nation in total EV chargers

The difference between the largest and smallest networks is substantial. Louisville has just 621 chargers, followed by Greensboro-Winston Salem with 700. Los Angeles has more than 58 times as many chargers as Louisville.

California accounts for four of the top 10 metro areas, with Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Sacramento all making the list. Combined, the 10 highest-ranked metro areas have 134,800 chargers, or about 45% of the projected national total.

*2026 Figures are projected using data through September 2026.

San Francisco has over three times the national charger density

Louisville sits at the opposite end with 2,904 residents per charger, or nearly nine times as many residents competing for each charger as San Francisco. Indianapolis ranks second-lowest followed closely by Milwaukee, Greensboro-Winston Salem and San Antonio.

Several markets combine both a high number of chargers and a low ratio of residents per charger, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, and Denver. Other markets, including Louisville, Milwaukee, and Greensboro-Winston Salem, fail at both metrics.

*2026 Figures are projected using data through September 2026.

Minneapolis and Seattle show the greatest improvement in charger access

Seattle ranks second with a 19.7% improvement, while Milwaukee improves 18.4%. Boston, Denver, Sacramento and New York also improve at least 17.9%, well above the 13.2% national average.

But rapid improvement does not necessarily equal strong current access. Milwaukee has the third-largest improvement while remaining the third least EV-friendly metro at 2,716 residents per charger. Oklahoma City similarly improves 17.6% but remains among the 10 least EV-friendly metros.

Las Vegas has the smallest improvement at 5%, yet its 1,054 residents-per-charger remains slightly better than the national average. Birmingham has the opposite situation, with just 6.2% improvement and 2,355 residents per charger.

*2026 Figures are projected using data through September 2026.

California has three times more EV chargers than second place New York

Florida ranks third at 17,069, followed by Texas at 14,345 and Massachusetts at 13,280. Altogether, the 10 states with the largest charger networks account for 195,111 chargers, about 65% of the national total.

At the other end of the spectrum, Alaska has just 227 chargers, followed by North Dakota with 288, South Dakota with 345, and Wyoming with 349. The bottom 10 states combined account for less than 2% of the national total, and less than the 7,100 in Illinois alone.

*2026 Figures are projected using data through September 2026.

Vermont edges California for the best statewide charger access

Louisiana has the highest residents-per-charger ratio at 4,717, more than four times the national average and more than 10 times Vermont's ratio. Mississippi ranks second, followed by Kentucky and Alaska.

The state rankings reinforce the geographic differences seen at the metro level. Charger access can vary dramatically depending on where an EV is operated, even as the national network continues to expand.

*2026 Figures are projected using data through September 2026.

New Jersey and Washington lead states for EV infrastructure improvement

Minnesota ranks third, followed by Illinois, Idaho, Utah, Wisconsin, and Colorado. North Dakota shows no improvement, remaining at 2,776 residents per charger in both years. Wyoming improves just 2.8%.

The combination of current charger access and improvement rate provides useful context. Washington and Colorado already rank among the most EV-friendly states and continue to improve faster than the national average. North Dakota and West Virginia remain among the least EV-friendly states while also posting some of the smallest year-over-year gains.

*2026 Figures are projected using data through September 2026.

“There’s a growing divide between electric vehicle proponents and traditional, internal combustion buyers, and the disparity between the most- and least-friendly EV cities and states seems to reflect it,” said Brauer. “If you’re shopping for your next car, and seriously considering an EV, local charging access and competition should be a primary consideration. This is especially important today, given the slowing buildout of EV infrastructure in recent years.”

Methodology

iSeeCars Research analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center through 2026 as of September 23, 2026. The number of Level 2 EVSE and Level 3/DC Fast EVSE ports was aggregated nationally, by metro area, and by state. For 2026, the number of chargers for the whole year was projected linearly from the available daily data. The number of chargers was also normalized by population counts from the U.S. Census Bureau and expressed as the number of residents per charger. For national data, the latest population data available from 2025 and 2026 was used for the corresponding EV chargers data of each year. For state and metro area data, population data for 2025 and 2024, respectively, the latest data available at each geographic level, was used instead.

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