Americans value car ownership, and the latest U.S. car ownership statistics make that fact clear. Between 2017 and 2021, the number of personal and commercial vehicle registrations increased by 3.66%, indicating an increasing trend in car ownership.[1] In 2021, most U.S. households (91.7%) owned at least one car (latest data available), and 22.1% of households owned three or more cars.[2]
Forbes Advisor thoroughly examines the latest available data to reveal car ownership rates by state, car ownership costs (including car insurance costs) by state, electric car ownership rates, and most popular vehicle types Did.
Overview of national car ownership statistics
- A total of 278,063,737 personal and commercial vehicles were registered to U.S. drivers in 2021. [1]
- The number of registered vehicles in the United States increased by 3.66% between 2017 and 2021, indicating an upward trend in car ownership.[1]
- The most popular vehicle type is trucks, with 166,079,082 private and commercial vehicle registrations and 101,601,344 passenger vehicle registrations in 2021.[1]
- In 2021, 91.7% of households owned at least one car. Only 8.3% of households did not own a car.[2]
- Idaho and Wyoming are tied for the highest car ownership rates in the nation, with 96.2% of households in both states reporting the ability to own at least one car in 2021. [2]
- Only 64.3% of District of Columbia households owned at least one car in 2021, the lowest percentage in the nation.[2]
- Wyoming residents were most likely to own three or more cars (33.5%), followed by Utah residents (32.3%).[2]
- The Ford F-Series is America’s most popular vehicle based on 2022 sales.[4]
How many cars are there in America?
Total number of vehicles
In 2021, a total of 278,063,737 personal and commercial vehicles were registered to drivers in the United States. [1]
The number of registered vehicles in the United States increased by 3.66% from 2017 to 2021, from 268,258,178 to 278,063,737, indicating an increasing trend in car ownership.[1]
States with the most vehicles
Montana tops list of states with most car registrations per 1,000 licensed drivers[1] 2021 (2,492.55), followed by:
- South Dakota (2,067.69)
- Wyoming (2,015.58)
- North Dakota (1,643.66)
- Iowa (1,619.97)
States with the least number of vehicles
Delaware has the lowest number of car registrations. per 1,000 licensed drivers[1] 2021 (547.23), then:
- District of Columbia (652.13)
- New York (787.69)
- New Jersey (956.75)
- Arizona (1,027.52)
Increase/decrease in the number of cars owned
Delaware had the largest increase. It is followed by the number of vehicle registrations from 2017 to 2021 (49.55%).
- Maine (28.09%)
- Arkansas (25.08%)
- Utah (19.99%)
- Montana (18.18%) [1]
The District of Columbia had the largest decline. Between 2017 and 2021, vehicle registrations decreased by 65.5%;
- West Virginia (27.42%)
- Alaska (13.98%)
- New York (13.27%)
- North Dakota (12.87% ) [1]
Trucks lead vehicle ownership
The most popular vehicle type is trucks, with 166,079,082 private and commercial vehicle registrations and 101,601,344 passenger vehicle registrations in 2021.[1]
How many Americans own a car?
The number of car owners in America is increasing. In 2021, only 8.3% of households did not own a car, a 5.7% decrease compared to 2017, when 8.8% of households did not own a car.[2]
- In 2021, most households (91.7%) owned at least one car, up from 91.2% in 2017. [2]
- In 2021, 37.1% of households owned two cars, a decrease of 0.8% from 2017 (37.4%).[2]
- In 2021, 22.1% of households owned three or more cars, an increase of 7.28% from 2017 (20.6%).[2]
Car ownership statistics by state
States with the highest car ownership rates
Idaho and Wyoming tied for highest car ownership rates in the nation [2] 96.2% of households in each state reported having access to at least one vehicle in 2021, followed by:
- Utah (96.1%)
- Montana (95.2%)
- New Hampshire (95.2%)
States with lowest car ownership rates
Round to the state with the lowest percentage of households that own at least one car. [2] teeth:
- District of Columbia (64.3%)
- New York (71%)
- Massachusetts (87.9%)
- New Jersey (88.7%)
- Illinois (89.3%)
States with the highest number of cars per household
Wyoming residents were most likely to own three or more cars.[2] (33.5%)followed by:
- Utah (32.3%)
- Idaho (32.1%)
- Montana (31.2%)
- South Dakota (30.2%)
Electric vehicle ownership by state
Sales of electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles accounted for 12.3% of all new vehicles sold in 2022, an increase of 2.7 percentage points from 2021, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association.
- California has the highest EV ownership rateAs of 2021, EVs account for 1.61% of the total registered vehicles in the state.[3]
- Mississippi and North Dakota have the lowest voter turnout rates.
- As of 2021, EVs account for 0.05% of the total number of registered vehicles in both states.[3]
Car ownership statistics by metropolitan area
Top 5 metropolitan areas with the highest car ownership rates
The Daphne-Fairhope-Foley metropolitan area in Alabama has the highest car ownership rate in the nation.97.56% of households will own at least one car in 2021 [2] followed by:
- Provo-Orem, Utah (97.48% of households)
- Logan, Utah (96.83% of households)
- Twin Falls, ID (96.74% of households)
- Greeley, Colorado (96.72% of households)
Top 5 metropolitan areas with lowest car ownership rates
The New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area in New York and New Jersey reported the lowest car ownership rates.[2] In 2021, only 69.63% of households owned at least one car, followed by:
- Atlantic City – Hammonton, NJ (87% of households)
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton area of Massachusetts and New Hampshire (87.28% of households)
- Ithaca, NY (87.44% of households)
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington area of New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Delaware (87.54% of households)
Top 5 metropolitan areas with the highest number of vehicles per household
The Idaho Falls metropolitan area had the highest percentage of households owning three or more cars.[2] In 2021, this was followed by 35.99% of households.
- Provo-Orem, Utah (35.94% of households)
- Logan, Utah (35.59% of households)
- Greeley, Colorado (35.38% of households)
- Yakima, WA (35.22% of households)
America’s most popular car
most popular car models
The Ford F-Series is America’s most popular car model, based on 2022 sales. In 2022, a whopping 653,957 Ford F-Series pickups were sold.[4] Other most popular car models in 2022[4] Includes:
- Chevrolet Silverado (513,354 units sold)
- Ram Pickup (468,344 sold)
- Toyota RAV4 (399,941 units sold)
- Toyota Camry (295,201 units sold)
most popular car colors
25.8% of cars on U.S. roads are white[5] has become the most popular color in the countryfollowed by:
- Black (22.3%)
- Gray (18.4%)
- Silver (12.1%)
- Blue (9.5%)
Grayscale cars (white, black, gray, and silver) make up 78.5% of all vehicles on the road.[5]
How much does it cost to own a car?
It costs $10,728 per year or $894 per monthAccording to AAA, owning and driving a new car.[6] This is an increase of 10.99% from 2021, when the average annual cost was $9,666 per year, or $805.50 per month.[6]
Additional car ownership statistics for new cars are listed below.
- In 2022, the average sales price for new cars was $45,646 and the average sales price for used cars was $30,796.[7]
- Over the past five years, new cars have averaged $39,884 and used cars have averaged $24,242.[7]
- Between 2018 and 2022, new car prices increased by 28.19% and used car prices by 49.60%.[7]
Car ownership costs by state
To determine which states have the highest (and lowest) cost of car ownership, Forbes Advisor analyzed gas prices, car repair costs, average auto insurance costs, and monthly auto loan payments for all 50 states.
States with the highest cost of owning a car
California and Nevada are tied as the most expensive states to own a car. Nationwide, followed by:
Seven of the 10 states with the highest car ownership costs are located in the Pacific Ocean and the West, including California, Nevada, Colorado, Alaska, New Mexico, Washington, and Wyoming.
States with the highest car repair costs
Connecticut is the most expensive state to repair a car. Average check engine light related car repairs ($418.37) followed by:
- Colorado ($417.14)
- California ($415.66)
- Georgia ($407.71)
- North Carolina ($402.61)
States where full coverage auto insurance is most expensive
New York is the most expensive state Full coverage auto insurance ($4,769 per year) followed by:
- Florida ($4,326 per year)
- Louisiana ($3,629 per year)
- Pennsylvania ($3,600 per year)
- Maryland ($3,349 per year)
Living in these states makes it especially important for car owners to compare auto insurance quotes to find affordable rates.
States with lowest cost of car ownership
Ohio is the cheapest state to own a carfollowed by:
- iowa
- wisconsin
- maine
- new hampshire
Six of the 10 states with the lowest car ownership prices are located in the Midwest, including Kansas, Nebraska, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Ohio.
Iowa and Ohio offer lower auto insurance premiums and lower costs of car ownership thanks to healthy competition between the two states’ many auto insurance companies.
Visit our hub to see more statistics pages.
methodology
To determine which states are the most expensive to own a car, Forbes Advisor examined data for all 50 states based on the following metrics:
- Regular gasoline cost (25% of score): Data for this metric was provided by AAA and collected on February 24, 2023.
- Average car repair cost (25% of score): This metric includes parts and labor costs for check engine light-related vehicle repairs. The data is from his CarMD and is for 2021.
- Average annual cost of full coverage auto insurance (25% of score): This metric includes 100/300/100 liability coverage ($100,000 personal injury liability per person, $300,000 per accident, $100,000 property damage liability), uninsured motorist coverage, and $500 deductible. Based on Collision and Comprehensive Insurance. I used his 2022 rates from Quadrant Information Services.
- Average monthly car loan payment (25% of score): Data for this indicator is from Experian and is for 2022.
source of information
1. U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration
3. U.S. Department of Energy
4. Motor intelligence
5.Iseekers
6.AAA
7. National Automobile Dealers Association
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