Uber wait times up 19%, prices up 53% in two years, study says

Uber wait times have increased by 19% and the average price per mile has risen by 53% between the first quarter of 2023 and the same period this year, according to an analysis by Len Sherman, an executive in residence and adjunct professor at Columbia Business School. Sherman released his findings on Wednesday, stating that Uber is "charging more for less, for degrading the service."

An Uber spokesperson disputed the analysis, calling it "false" and based on "inaccuracies." The spokesperson referred to a January blog post that refuted claims that the company's profitability was solely due to price increases at the expense of driver pay.

Sherman's analysis, which examined 37,500 trips in six US cities using data from GigU, found that wait times increased in five of those cities, including Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston. Tampa, Florida, was the only city where wait times declined slightly.

Sherman noted that his data did not include the time riders spend waiting for Uber to pair them with a driver, suggesting that actual wait times could be longer. He also pointed to Uber's 72nd place ranking in the 2026 Axios Harris Poll 100, down from 58th in 2025, as evidence of lost customer trust.