Car ownership statistics
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For most American families, cars are a crucial element of daily life. There are 276 million vehicles registered in the U.S. according to US Department of Transportation. In fact, 91% of households have access to a vehicle, and studies show that the average person spends 101 minutes a day in the car. Our vehicles offer a more private, secure experience than public transportation. Furthermore, your vehicle is readily accessible in an emergency when you do not have seconds to spare.
Owning a car is also often far more affordable than the cost of ride-sharing, even with the cost of car insurance considered. Year after year, the rate of vehicle ownership is on the rise, with many Americans expanding their household collection to more than a single car.
Bankrate has performed an in-depth analysis of the latest available data to present the state of car ownership in the U.S. and around the world in 2021.
In this article:
- Car ownership statistics
- How many cars are in the US?
- Car ownership statistics by city
- Car ownership statistics by state
- What percentage of Americans own a car?
- Car ownership statistics by year
- Car ownership outside of the US
Car ownership statistics
How many cars are in the US?
There were a total of 276,491,174 vehicles registered in the U.S. in 2019, including 108,547,710 automobiles. More trucks are owned in the U.S. than any other vehicle type, with cars coming second before motorcycles and buses.
U.S. Private and Commercial Ownership By Vehicle Type (FHWA)
| Automobile | Buses | Trucks | Motorcycles | ALL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 107,180,635 | 575,193 | 156,080,086 | 8,566,564 | 272,402,478 |
There is also a very pronounced difference in the type of ownership of U.S. vehicles. While there are less than 4.1 million publicly owned vehicles, there are more than 272.4 million privately owned vehicles. Together, they comprise the more than 276 million vehicles owned in the U.S.
U.S. Vehicle Ownership by Type (FHWA)
| Private and commercial | Publicly owned vehicles | Total motor vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| 272,402,478 | 4,088,696 | 276,491,174 |
Car ownership statistics by city
Vehicle ownership varies significantly based on where you live in the U.S.
Bankrate’s analysis found that vehicle ownership is highest outside U.S. metropolitan areas. There are several areas in California, Texas, Arizona, and Colorado that have the lowest percentage of vehicles among households.
10 U.S. Cities with the Highest Percentage of Vehicle Ownership (TitleMax)
| Rank | City | Percentage of households that own vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Murietta, CA | 99.3% |
| 2 | League City, Texas | 99.0% |
| 3 | Surprise, Arizona | 98.7% |
| 4 | West Jordan, Utah | 98.7% |
| 5 | Cary, North Carolina | 98.6% |
| 6 | Pearland, Texas | 98.6% |
| 7 | Highlands Ranch, Colorado | 98.5% |
| 8 | Centennial, Colorado | 98.3% |
| 9 | Gilbert, Arizona | 98.3% |
| 10 | Elk Grove, California | 98.2% |
Some of America’s biggest metropolitan areas have the lowest vehicle ownership in the U.S., which is most likely primarily due to ready access to public transportation and the high cost of parking your car in these cities. New York City has the lowest percentage of vehicle ownership in the entire country, followed by nearby metropolis Newark in New Jersey. Washington, D.C. and Massachusetts are also areas with a lower rate of vehicle ownership among U.S. households.
10 U.S. Cities with the Lowest Percentage of Vehicle Ownership (TitleMax)
| Rank | City | Percentage of households that own vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York, New York | 45.6% |
| 2 | Newark, New Jersey | 59.7% |
| 3 | Washington, D.C. | 62.7% |
| 4 | Jersey City, New Jersey | 62.9% |
| 5 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | 63.2% |
| 6 | Boston, Massachusetts | 66.2% |
| 7 | Paterson, New Jersey | 67.0% |
| 8 | Hartford, Connecticut | 67.4% |
| 9 | San Francisco, California | 70.1% |
| 10 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | 70.5% |
California also has the most cars per household in the U.S., with nine of the top ten U.S. cities for vehicle ownership.
10 U.S. Cities with the Most Cars Per Household
| Rank | City | Percentage of households that own vehicles |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Murrieta, California | 2.36% |
| 2 | Jurupa Valley, California | 2.32% |
| 3 | Moreno Valley, California | 2.32% |
| 4 | West Jordan, Utah | 2.3% |
| 5 | Simi Valley, California | 2.29% |
| 6 | Corona, California | 2.29% |
| 7 | Norwalk, California | 2.27% |
| 8 | Pomona, California | 2.27% |
| 9 | Fontana, California | 2.27% |
| 10 | Santa Ana, California | 2.25% |
Car ownership statistics by state
The rate of car ownership varies significantly between states. The Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Highway Policy Information offers the latest highway statistics based on the most recent data from 2019.
Several of the biggest and most populated states in the U.S. also have the most vehicle registrations, such as California, Texas and Florida. Accordingly, some of the smallest states in the country also have the lowest rate of vehicle ownership, like Alaska, Wyoming and Vermont.
U.S. Vehicle Registrations by State, 2019 (FHWA)
| State | Private and Commercial | Public | All Private and Commercial Motor Vehicles* | Total for All Private and Publicly Owned Vehicles* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2,065,223 | 43,886 | 2,109,108 | 5,288,208 |
| Alaska | 174,496 | 4,020 | 178,516 | 795,275 |
| Arizona | 2,387,462 | 18,496 | 2,405,959 | 5,982,559 |
| Arkansas | 874,634 | 12,013 | 886,647 | 2,902,111 |
| California | 14,654,371 | 240,541 | 14,894,912 | 31,247,270 |
| Colorado | 1,724,841 | 16,377 | 1,741,218 | 5,412,404 |
| Connecticut | 1,260,063 | 891 | 1,260,954 | 2,878,548 |
| Delaware | 422,002 | 1,460 | 423,462 | 1,016,927 |
| District of Columbia | 184,832 | 18,939 | 203,771 | 350,463 |
| Florida | 7,732,491 | 108,698 | 7,841,189 | 17,833,720 |
| Georgia | 3,445,471 | 54,049 | 3,499,520 | 8,594,567 |
| Hawaii | 492,034 | 6,958 | 498,992 | 1,272,361 |
| Idaho | 599,749 | 2,421 | 602,170 | 1,954,528 |
| Illinois | 4,286,622 | 36,228 | 4,322,850 | 10,691,947 |
| Indiana | 2,183,343 | 2,636 | 2,185,979 | 6,223,460 |
| Iowa | 1,210,633 | 11,210 | 1,221,843 | 3,786,328 |
| Kansas | 943,138 | 4,009 | 947,148 | 2,682,337 |
| Kentucky | 1,638,625 | 30,542 | 1,669,167 | 4,383,223 |
| Louisiana | 1,321,964 | 27,756 | 1,349,720 | 3,802,746 |
| Maine | 370,051 | 3,817 | 373,868 | 1,130,056 |
| Maryland | 1,841,711 | 27,283 | 1,868,994 | 4,203,994 |
| Massachusetts | 2,085,100 | 3,574 | 2,088,674 | 5,061,260 |
| Michigan | 2,810,414 | 21,085 | 2,831,499 | 8,440,065 |
| Minnesota | 1,821,645 | 15,186 | 1,836,831 | 5,425,885 |
| Mississippi | 803,827 | 2,234 | 806,061 | 2,066,681 |
| Missouri | 2,035,762 | 17,026 | 2,052,788 | 5,534,289 |
| Montana | 438,642 | 477 | 439,118 | 1,900,806 |
| Nebraska | 647,411 | 14,453 | 661,864 | 1,968,479 |
| Nevada | 1,052,571 | 7,618 | 1,060,188 | 2,546,583 |
| New Hampshire | 486,514 | 2,710 | 489,224 | 1,363,379 |
| New Jersey | 2,616,279 | 22,982 | 2,639,261 | 6,033,015 |
| New Mexico | 635,272 | 6,566 | 641,838 | 1,825,421 |
| New York | 4,425,722 | 18,669 | 4,444,391 | 11,389,158 |
| North Carolina | 3,390,087 | 44,478 | 3,434,565 | 8,527,388 |
| North Dakota | 224,952 | 3,929 | 228,881 | 903,668 |
| Ohio | 4,380,516 | 42,732 | 4,423,248 | 10,901,279 |
| Oklahoma | 1,249,360 | 5,774 | 1,255,134 | 3,706,624 |
| Oregon | 1,399,619 | 25,181 | 1,424,799 | 3,919,157 |
| Pennsylvania | 4,222,743 | 45,067 | 4,267,811 | 10,800,315 |
| Rhode Island | 389,425 | 7,083 | 396,508 | 868,942 |
| South Carolina | 1,724,396 | 76,847 | 1,801,243 | 4,516,143 |
| South Dakota | 337,367 | 5,502 | 342,868 | 1,280,969 |
| Tennessee | 2,137,154 | 48,074 | 2,185,229 | 5,817,887 |
| Texas | 8,223,542 | 90,080 | 8,313,623 | 23,007,146 |
| Utah | 910,430 | 11,216 | 921,645 | 2,430,275 |
| Vermont | 202,897 | 3,724 | 206,621 | 620,428 |
| Virginia | 3,145,500 | 41,526 | 3,187,026 | 7,647,692 |
| Washington | 2,877,533 | 66,381 | 2,943,914 | 7,377,028 |
| West Virginia | 525,159 | 11,488 | 536,646 | 1,668,113 |
| Wisconsin | 1,973,948 | 30,053 | 2,004,002 | 5,666,400 |
| Wyoming | 193,092 | 3,127 | 196,219 | 843,671 |
| GRAND TOTAL | 109,813,571 | 1,428,561 | 269,417,884 | 273,595,656 |
*Data includes automobiles, buses, trucks, and motorcycles. As of 11/2020.
What percentage of Americans own a car?
Overall, vehicle ownership is on the rise in an analysis of a five-year period ranging between 2015 and 2019. The number of households with one or two vehicles has decreased over time. However, there has been a steady increase in vehicles of three or more per household. There is a strong indication that because American households are growing in size, the number of vehicles is also increasing to accommodate them. The data also indicates a rise in steady income, allowing Americans to afford both the car payment on three or more vehicles in addition to the costs of maintenance and car insurance.
However, for those Americans without a car, it can present several challenges. Those who do not live close to city transit lines can face serious challenges in getting to school, work and appointments. Those families with children can be challenged with even greater demands, given childrens’ busy schedules.
U.S. Residential Vehicle Accessibility
| 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No vehicles available | 8.6% | 8.7% | 8.8% | 9.0% | 9.1% |
| 1 vehicle available | 32.7% | 33.0% | 33.2% | 33.6% | 33.7% |
| 2 vehicles available | 37.2% | 37.3% | 37.4% | 37.3% | 37.4% |
| 3+ vehicles available | 21.4% | 21.0% | 20.6% | 20.1% | 19.8% |
Car ownership statistics by year
On an annual basis, the number of total registered vehicles in the U.S. is steadily increasing year-over-year. There was consistent growth over six years ranging from 2014 to 2019. In 2014, there were about 260 million vehicles, but by 2019, that number had ballooned to more than 276 million total registered vehicles.
Car Ownership Year-over-Year, 2014-2019 (FHWA)
| Year | Total U.S. registered vehicles |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 276,491,174 |
| 2018 | 273,595,656 |
| 2017 | 272,429,803 |
| 2016 | 268,799,083 |
| 2015 | 263,610,219 |
| 2014 | 260,350,938 |
Car ownership outside of the US
Looking to the rest of the world, global car sales are expected to reach nearly 70 million automobiles sold by the end of 2021, an increase from 2020.
There is only one country that surpasses the U.S. in car ownership, China. As of 2017, China also has more vehicles per household than the U.S. More than 25% of all vehicles sold in the world in 2017 were sold in China. That year alone, Chinese car buyers purchased 27.5 million vehicles, and with a rapidly growing population, the trend is expected to continue.
Additionally, there is expected to be both a domestic and global focus on electric and self-driving technologies moving forward, signaling a significant shift in consumer car-buying practices, promising exciting things to come for the entire industry.
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