Where It’s Easiest to Find a Public Bathroom in the U.S.

A new study reveals that the U.S. faces a major public bathroom shortage, but some states stand out for offering the best access, cleanliness, and discoverability of restrooms for travelers

A new study by Hello Millions reveals which states provide the best access to clean and accessible public restrooms. The analysis ranked all 50 states based on the number of public bathrooms available per 100,000 residents, their cleanliness, and accessibility for wheelchair users.

Minnesota takes the top spot overall with a total score of 76.43. The state ranked fourth for availability, with 42.62 bathrooms per 100,000 residents, and first for accessibility, with more than one in three restrooms (36.59%) marked as wheelchair-friendly. Cleanliness also scored above average at 51.22%, securing Minnesota’s lead.

Wyoming comes second with the highest availability in the nation, 59.47 bathrooms per 100,000 residents, but lower marks for accessibility at just 2.38%. Montana follows in third, offering the second-most bathrooms per capita (50.12) but trailing in both cleanliness and accessibility.

The rest of the top 10 includes a mix of states known for their outdoor recreation and tourist traffic. Washington ranks fourth, balancing strong availability (36.78 per 100,000) with a cleanliness score of 51.16%. Alaska rounds out the top five with excellent availability (48.54) but zero reported accessible bathrooms.

Colorado takes sixth place, excelling in cleanliness with the highest rating nationwide at 78% of facilities scoring four stars or higher. Oregon follows in seventh thanks to high availability (40.20) but middling cleanliness and accessibility. Wisconsin lands eighth, standing out for accessibility (26.02%, third overall). Idaho ranks ninth, also with strong accessibility (22.37%, fifth overall). Hawaii completes the top 10, offering high availability (36.05) and above-average cleanliness (47.97%) despite limited accessibility.

Joerg Nottebaum, spokesperson at Hello Millions, commented on the findings: “Access to public bathrooms is one of those everyday necessities that people rarely think about until it becomes a challenge. From parents with small children to long-distance travelers and older adults, reliable facilities make daily life more convenient and comfortable. They also play a major role in supporting tourism, outdoor recreation, and community events.”

“Clean, safe, and accessible restrooms are a cornerstone of public infrastructure. They allow more people to confidently use parks, downtown areas, and transit hubs without worry. As communities continue to grow and invest in public spaces, restrooms should be seen as an essential service, just like benches, sidewalks, or streetlights.”

Full ranking of the states with the best public bathrooms:

Methodology The study ranked U.S. states on a 0-100 scale using three factors related to public bathroom access. Weights were: public bathrooms per 100,000 residents (50%), cleanliness measured by the share of bathrooms rated four stars or higher (25%), and accessibility measured by the share of public bathrooms marked as wheelchair-accessible (25%). Higher scores indicate better overall public bathroom access. Data was sourced from Google Maps.