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Data: National Equity Atlas, IPUMS USA; Note: Race/ethnicity groups with insufficient data are not shown; Chart: Axios Visuals

More than one in five U.S. adults without access to a vehicle or public transportation missed or skipped a medical appointment last year, according to a report by the Urban Institute.

Why it matters: Transportation is a key social driver of health equity.

While telehealth has reduced some transportation barriers, it's not accessible to all and can't replace in-person care for all medical needs, Axios' Adriel Bettelheim reports.

What they found: Nationwide, 21% of adults without access to a vehicle or public transit said they went without needed medical care in 2022.

Though 91% of adults reported they had access to a vehicle, the figure was substantially lower for Black adults (81%), those with low family incomes (78%) or a disability (83%) and for individuals with public health insurance (79%) or no coverage (83%).

Zoom in: In the New Orleans metro, 10.2% of households don't have access to a vehicle — and that number almost doubles for Black New Orleanians, per the National Equity Atlas.

More than 10% of New Orleans households don't have a vehicle

That number almost doubles for Black New Orleanians.

A chart showing 10.2% of New Orleans area households go without a vehicle, and among Black households that number jumps to 18.5%.

More than one in five U.S. adults without access to a vehicle or public transportation missed or skipped a medical appointment last year, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.rwjf.org/en/insights/our-research/2023/04/more-than-one-in-five-adults-with-limited-public-transit-access-forgo-healthcare-because-of-transportation-barriers.html" data-vars-content-id="1b2cd4b6-1f9c-4df0-83f1-ece731bed3a7" data-vars-headline="More than 10% of New Orleans households don&#x27;t have a vehicle" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.rwjf.org/en/insights/our-research/2023/04/more-than-one-in-five-adults-with-limited-public-transit-access-forgo-healthcare-because-of-transportation-barriers.html" target="_blank">a report</a> by the Urban Institute.Why it matters: Transportation is a key social driver of health equity.

News

Louisianans diners tip less than the national average, according to Toast data.

Why it matters: Tipping expectations are rising, even as diners grow more confused — and sometimes frustrated — about when and how much to tip.

The big picture: Tips in Louisiana averaged 18.6% in the last quarter of 2025, per Toast's latest restaurant trends report.

That's below the national average of 18.8%.

Yes, but: Cash tips aren't included. The data also only reflects restaurants using the Toast platform. 

Zoom out: Delaware, West Virginia, New Hampshire and Indiana are home to America's best tippers, with diners leaving roughly 21% or higher on average, Toast says.

At the bottom of the list for overall tipping are California, Washington, D.C., and Washington state, where averages are less than 18%.

Zoom in: Louisianans, like other Americans, tip differently based on the type of service. 

At full-service restaurants where a server handles everything, Louisianans tipped 19%, Toast found.

At quick-service restaurants where you order at the counter, Louisianans tipped 15.9%, the data shows.

The national average is 19.2% at full service and 15.8% at quick-service spots.

The intrigue: What about tipping for takeout orders? Diners are often unclear on what's expected, Beyond Etiquette founder Bonnie Tsai tells Axios.

A 15%-20% range is still standard for sit-down restaurants. For takeout or fast-casual, it's "optional and often smaller," she says.

That means giving a couple of dollars or just "rounding up" is perfectly acceptable, regardless of the pressure a prompt screen poses.

If an order is large or complicated, consider giving 5%-10%.

The bottom line: "Don't feel guilty, but do be intentional," Tsai says. "Consider the level of service involved rather than reacting to the screen alone."

Louisiana diners aren't the biggest tippers

Image shows a map of the U.S. shaded in various colors of green to represent different tipping amounts.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Louisianans diners" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2025/07/11/how-louisiana-tips-compared-to-national" data-vars-content-id="c9836b13-a9d3-4967-a08a-da539785867a" data-vars-headline="Louisiana diners aren&#x27;t the biggest tippers" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/new-orleans/2025/07/11/how-louisiana-tips-compared-to-national" target="_self">Louisianans diners</a> tip less than the national average, according to Toast data.Why it matters: Tipping expectations are rising, even as diners grow more confused — and sometimes frustrated — about when and how much to tip.

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A choropleth map of the United States showing the average tip among restaurants on the Toast platform as of Q4 2025. The national average tip is 18.8%. California has the lowest average tip, 17.2%, while Delaware has the highest, 21.8%.

Average restaurant tip, Q4 2025

Local office space holds steady as U.S. vacancies rise

A line chart that tracks quarterly office vacancy rates nationally and in Columbus from Q1 2016 to Q1 2026.It remains above the national rate throughout, until matching the national 21% in Q1 2026.

Office vacancy rates

Data: Moody's Analytics REIS; Note: National rate is based on rates in 79 markets; Chart: Alissa Widman Neese/Axios

Alissa Widman Neese

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