The Most Expensive City Parking Rates in the United States

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If there’s one thing that people hate more than actually paying for parking their car somewhere, it’s dealing with the headache of an expensive parking fine, which, believe it or not, have actually been reported as being as high as over $1,000 for those who just refused or failed to pay them. While that’s not the wisest move out there, another unwise move would be having a car in some of these U.S. cities, because the price of parking it on the daily is ridiculous. Seeing how I’ve lived in a few of these places—without a car, thankfully—I can see why the city puts such a premium on parking, because there just isn’t enough real estate around town to keep cars sitting around. Still, whether you own a car or are just renting one while visiting, make sure you carry cash—and expect to pay a meal’s worth when parking either on the curb or in a lot, because these 10 places are expensive!

10. Chicago, Illinois – $39

As mentioned above, I’ve lived in a few of the cities on this list, and Chicago just happens to be one of them. While I didn’t have, or need, a car while living downtown in the Loop neighborhood, I know plenty of people who did drive—and paid for it, quite literally. With rates nearly $40 per day, there are a few garages that offer a price of $300 per month, but even that isn’t all that great seeing how it has stipulations on where one can park.

9. Oakland, California – $43

What makes parking in Oakland so tricky is that there are tons of thefts that happen, making it not only a premium to leave your car somewhere that you think it’s safe, but, because of that, garages and the city can jack up prices. And while the city has made it easier for drivers to park their car by using an app, that doesn’t mean it will come cheap, as people can expect to pay $43 on average to park for an entire day, so you better make your trip to the city well worth it.

8. San Francisco, California – $46

The neighboring city of the aforementioned Oakland, the other city in the Bay Area doesn’t make parking any easier than their friends next to them, as San Francisco charges about $46 per day to park on their streets. Although the car thefts in San Fran are way lower than they are in Oakland, that doesn’t make it any more accommodating to drive and park a car. What’s worse is that monthly parking price of $375—which doesn’t account for all the headaches of driving those hills or waiting in traffic across numerous bridges brings.

7. New York City  – $46

It’s probably not too surprising to see one of the largest cities in the world on this list, as the perception of New York City is, and always will be, all about prime location at a high price. And while NYC has the exact same cost as San Francisco for an average parking rate, one of the many headaches that the Big Apple carries is their tow-away law, which, in writing, says that the entire city is technically a tow-away zone, so make sure that if you’re parking anywhere, you’re not only paying, but also in an unrestricted area. Best of luck on that.

6. Boston, Massachusetts – $46

Like others on this list, Boston has tried to make parking in the city much more convenient for its drivers, creating a phone app that people can download to get information and see the nearest spots and garages with availability. That’s a nice feature, but the price of $46 per day definitely isn’t. And for those who are looking for a monthly spot, make sure to add an additional $5,000 per year, because a 30-day rate is about $405. If there’s a silver lining to all of this, it’s that parking is free on Sunday’s, so you can avoid sweating it while on your day off.

5. Honolulu, Hawaii – $46

Located outside of the continental United States, some probably aren’t too shocked to see Honolulu on this list—but still, I had no idea the city’s parking rates would be higher than Chicago, San Francisco and New York City! While the biggest headache for drivers might be the $46 daily parking rate, others might find that, if a ticket is received, the 21-day response rate causes the most problems, as the majority of drivers are either visitors who aren’t aware of the parking laws. Bottom line here? Find public transportation to avoid problems.

4. Washington, DC – $48

With DC cops so strict on writing up parking tickets, my main advice for any driver is to know where you’re leaving your car—because you don’t want to end up with an overpriced piece of paper on your windshield. To avoid that, though? Be prepared to pay, because it’ll cost $48 per fay in order to park in the nation’s capital. Sure, there’s plenty of history and lots to see while visiting the district, but they sure don’t make it easy to leave a car for visitors to walk around and see it all.

3. Seattle, Washington – $50

After researching this article, I’m pretty darn happy that I don’t own a car in Seattle—which is the current city I live in. I mean, I always knew that parking was frustrating and pretty expensive, but I wouldn’t have listed it as the No. 3 highest in the nation! As it is, though, Seattle’s average, daily parking rate is a cool $50, which limits cars to a pretty strict 72-hour limit to stay in one place. That might not seem like a huge deal, but for those out-of-towners who are visiting friends, they’ll want to be as close to the action as possible seeing how it rains a lot here.

2. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – $53

Like others on this list, Philadelphia offers its drivers an easy to use parking app that gives them names and spots in different parts of the city, but, even then, the cost is an outrageous $53 per day when one is actually found. Want to know something even crazier than that, though? Philly ranks as fourth in the country for the average monthly cost of parking, falling just behind New York, Boston and San Francisco, so be prepared to drop some serious cash if you’re looking to leave your car on the streets or in a garage in the city.

1. Sacramento, California – $57

Like its other California counterparts that I’ve mentioned earlier, Sacramento finds itself with extremely high parking rates. Would you have ever guessed they were the highest in the nation, though? Probably not. As it stands, though, Sac-town actually is, with the average cost of $57 per day for a spot. Thankfully, monthly rates are the lowest of any city in this top-10, coming in at just $145, but seeing how it’s also the smallest-sized city of the others, there are more commuters than people actually living in Sacramento. Thankfully, the city just installed an abundance of smart meters—like others on this list have—which take credit cards as a payment method to save drivers from carrying loads of cash.

Written by Nick Dimengo

Graduate of the University of Kentucky. Cleveland sports fan. Frustrated respecter of LeBron James. Influencer of bad ideas. In addition to Worthly/Housely, I'm a regular contributor to Bleacher Report, Scout, Esquire and Maxim, and run or bike way too much for my own good when not writing. The day a Cleveland sports team wins a title is the day I can officially say my life is complete.