West Virginia has below-average public transportation

The Associated Press reports West Virginia is one of 26 states that have below-average public transportation.

West Virginia is one of 26 states that have below-average public transportation service, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service. That lack of service is felt hardest in rural states; the federal agency reports that 40 percent of rural counties nationwide have no public transportation at all.

"On average, rural Americans drive older vehicles, more fuel-thirsty vehicles, and they travel farther to work and to shop,'' said Brian Dabson, president and CEO of the Rural Policy Research Institute in Columbia, Mo.

With few other options, rural Americans have to drive, which can mean a much bigger expense in areas where per capita income is below the national average.