America’s infrastructure earned a C in the American Society of Civil Engineers’ 2025 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, released Tuesday. That grade, up from 2021’s C-, is its highest grade since the first report was issued in 1998.
The report, released every four years, contained evaluations of 18 categories of the country’s infrastructure across eight criteria. More than just bridges and roads, infrastructure includes physical structures ranging from airports, schools and ports to systems for drinking water, stormwater and wastewater, energy and, for the first time, broadband. In this year’s report card, eight categories received higher grades than in 2021; two — rail and energy — received lower grades; seven remained the same. Half of the categories remain in the D range, meaning that infrastructure is in “fair to poor condition and mostly below standard, with many elements approaching the end of their service life.”
Here are the grades for all 18 categories:
B: Ports
B-: Rail
C+: Broadband, Solid Waste
C: Bridges, Hazardous Waste
C-: Inland Waterways, Drinking Water, Public Parks
D+: Aviation, Dams, Energy, Levees, Roads, Schools, Wastewater
D: Stormwater, Transit
“America’s infrastructure is the foundation on which our national economy, global competitiveness and quality of life depend,” said Darren Olson, chair of ASCE’s Committee on America’s Infrastructure, in a press conference on the report card. “While infrastructure is often out of sight, out of mind, when there are deficiencies, we all feel the impact.”
This is the first report card to reflect the effects from 2021’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and it attributes some of the improved grades to that spending. “Landmark federal infrastructure legislation has initiated tens of thousands of critical projects across the country,” Olson said. “The [IIJA] was the largest comprehensive infrastructure spending package in U.S. history, accounting for $1.2 trillion in infrastructure investments over the course of five years, with more than $550 billion of that funding allocated to brand new programs.”
He also credited the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act for being the largest climate investment in U.S. history, which has helped facilitate the transition to renewable energy sources.
While federal and state investments have had a positive impact, the report states that “the full force of increased funding will take years to realize.” Olson stressed that better infrastructure results in a stronger economy and prioritizes American jobs, resiliency and connectivity. While the C grade is good, there is still work to be done, he said.
“The report card demonstrates the crucial need for the new administration [and] Congress to continue to sustain investment in infrastructure and build on progress made to improve infrastructure after decades of deferred funding and underinvestment,” Olson said.
The report card projects an investment gap of $3.7 trillion between 2024 and 2033. Failure to close that gap brings serious economic consequences, Olson said. “Each American household currently loses $2,700 per year due to poor infrastructure. If we continue our current federal investment levels, we can reduce that number to close to $2,000 per year.” To that end, ASCE recommends sustained investment that prioritizes resiliency while advancing policy and embracing innovation to improve the nation’s infrastructure over the next four years.
“Infrastructure investment must be consistently and wisely allocated, starting with maintaining existing levels and then working together with state and local governments and the private sector to close the remaining investment gap,” Olson said.
The report card also offers a state-by-state infrastructure breakdown.
Michelle M. Havich is an editor of American City & County, which is also under Smart Cities Dive’s parent company, Informa TechTarget.
