For many Americans, owning a car is a necessity, but the financial burden varies dramatically by state. In the least affordable places, annual vehicle expenses consume nearly one-quarter of the typical household’s income.
This map, via Visual Capitalist's Dorothy Neufeld, ranks every state by annual car ownership costs as a share of median household income, based on analysis from LendingTree of active auto loan holders. The estimates include financing, insurance, fuel, and maintenance.
The States Where Car Ownership Costs the Most
The table below ranks every state by annual car ownership costs as a share of median household income.
State Total Costs Median Household Income % of Household Income Louisiana $14,894 $64,199 23.2% Mississippi $13,378 $62,242 21.5% New Mexico $14,115 $71,388 19.8% Arkansas $12,798 $65,378 19.6% Alabama $13,164 $70,171 18.8% West Virginia $11,951 $64,001 18.7% Kentucky $12,628 $67,925 18.6% Oklahoma $12,722 $69,633 18.3% Florida $14,546 $81,830 17.8% Missouri $13,235 $75,360 17.6% Arizona $14,860 $85,779 17.3% Wyoming $13,533 $79,511 17.0% Texas $14,139 $83,921 16.8% Nevada $14,341 $85,408 16.8% Montana $13,245 $79,309 16.7% Georgia $13,733 $84,205 16.3% Tennessee $12,350 $75,790 16.3% Kansas $12,941 $79,492 16.3% Indiana $12,269 $75,750 16.2%
