Home Insurance Auto
Doug Whiteman By Doug Whiteman

A car is one of the biggest purchases you'll ever make and it'll keep costing you money year after year, even if you manage to avoid the unreliable models and get yourself a baby you can depend on.

The average annual cost in the United States for car ownership is $2,671.

Vehicle ownership expenses — including insurance, repairs, fuel and fees — aren't uniform across the U.S. but vary from place to place. Ride along as we take a look at the annual costs of keeping a car in each state.

Our methodology: We used the most current average car insurance premiums by state from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and typical car repair costs from CarMD. Per-person annual gasoline spending by state comes from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and yearly fees and taxes came from AAA and Edmunds. For states where fees and taxes are based on the vehicle, we assumed that the car was a popular 2018 Toyota Camry model that had been purchased new in 2018.

Alabama

Cars and trucks traverse the urban jungle and maze of highway around downtown Birmingham Alabama
Christopher Boswell / Shutterstock
Cars on a highway around downtown Birmingham, Alabama

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,810.29

  • Insurance: $924.64
  • Repairs: $394.65
  • Gasoline: $1,243.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $248

Alaska

Yellow van on street of Hyder, Alaska
oksana.perkins / Shutterstock
The Alaska border at at the town of Hyder.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,741.29

  • Insurance: $1,020.47
  • Repairs: $378.82
  • Gas: $1,242.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $100

Arizona

A car on the road in arizona
Julien Hautcoeur / Shutterstock
A pickup truck on an Arizona desert road.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,748.05

  • Insurance: $1,022.42
  • Repairs: $380.63
  • Gas: $1,073.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $272

Arkansas

Bright digital display Arkansas flag in city as cars drive past
Derek Brumby / Shutterstock
Vehicles driving past a digital display of the Arkansas flag.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,494.86

  • Insurance: $950.08
  • Repairs: $383.78
  • Gas: $1,136.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $25

California

View from the Bixby Bridge shore line near Big Sur
Jason Finn / Shutterstock
Cars on the Bixby Creek Bridge along the Big Sur coast of California.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,760.42

  • Insurance: $1,044.29
  • Repairs: $403.13
  • Gas: $1,147.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $166

Colorado

parked cars covered with snow during snowing in winter time
notYourBusiness / Shutterstock
Parked cars covered with snow during a Colorado winter.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,698.43

  • Insurance: $1,072.02
  • Repairs: $396.41
  • Gas: $989.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $241

Connecticut

Fall color fills the tress around the urban landscape of East Hartford Connecticut in New England
Christopher Boswell / Shutterstock
Highways in East Hartford, Connecticut, as leaves begin to change colors in the autumn.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,704.96

  • Insurance: $1,193.05
  • Repairs: $413.91
  • Gas: $1,058.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $40

Delaware

Aerial view of Delaware Memorial Bridge at dusk. The Delaware Memorial Bridge is a set of twin suspension bridges crossing the Delaware River between the states of Delaware and New Jersey
Mihai_Andritoiu / Shutterstock
Vehicles on the Delaware Memorial Bridge connecting Delaware and New Jersey.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,998.23

  • Insurance: $1,259.11
  • Repairs: $386.12
  • Gas: $1,313.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $40

Florida

Ocean Drive, Hotels Art Deco Style at night, Miami Beach
Vlad G / Shutterstock
Cars parked along Ocean Drive in Miami Beach.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,766.29

  • Insurance: $1,338.73
  • Repairs: $387.56
  • Gas: $1,004.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $36

Georgia

Skyline of downtown Atlanta, Georgia.
ESB Professional / Shutterstock
Traffic in downtown Atlanta.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,628.72

  • Insurance: $1,129.06
  • Repairs: $402.66
  • Gas: $1,077.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $20

Hawaii

Off-road car on the sea coast
kav38 / Shutterstock
A car on a beach in Hawaii.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,426.90

  • Insurance: $890.59
  • Repairs: $370.31
  • Gas: $1,063.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $103

Idaho

Perrine Bridge, Twin Falls, Idaho, USA - Distant Aerial View Over River Canyon With Cars Driving On Road
Inbound Horizons / Shutterstock
Vehicles cross the Perrine Bridge in Twin Falls, Idaho.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,320.45

  • Insurance: $711.18
  • Repairs: $385.27
  • Gas: $1,188.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $36

Illinois

Chicago, Illinois - April 11, 2015: Traffic along the Dan Ryan Expressway races in and out of Chicago, Illinois. (2402)
Kristopher Kettner / Shutterstock
Traffic along the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,287.96

  • Insurance: $922.21
  • Repairs: $374.75
  • Gas: $890.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $101

Indiana

Indianapolis, Indiana, USA skyline over Soliders' and Sailors' Monument at dusk.
Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
Cars parked along Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,419.22

  • Insurance: $789.84
  • Repairs: $361.38
  • Gas: $1,083.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $185 (May vary by county. We searched using an Indianapolis ZIP code.)

Iowa

highway with sunset on the horizon. Iowa, I-80 road, USA. Aerial view
FTiare / Shutterstock
Interstate 80 in Iowa at sunset.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,510.92

  • Insurance: $737.79
  • Repairs: $363.13
  • Gas: $1,164.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $246

Kansas

Aerial view of Hidden Valley neighborhood in Topeka KS
Cafer Akdeniz / Shutterstock
The Hidden Valley subdivision in Topeka, Kansas.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,327.10

  • Insurance: $882.88
  • Repairs: $375.22
  • Gas: $1,034.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $35

Kentucky

The Haunted Nada Tunnel Of Kentucky. The infamous road is a one lane 900 foot tunnel on a two way mountain highway.
ehrlif / Shutterstock
A vehicle emerges from the harrowing one-lane Nada Tunnel in Stanton, Kentucky.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,562.99

  • Insurance: $976.97
  • Repairs: $390.02
  • Gas: $1,175.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $21

Louisiana

New Orleans colorful vintage painted houses and a classic orange car parked in front. Typical shotgun architectural style of homes seen in the historic neighborhoods.
cdrin / Shutterstock
A car parked in a colorful neighborhood in New Orleans.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,958.68

  • Insurance: $1,496.11
  • Repairs: $388.57
  • Gas: $1,051.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $23

Maine

Kingfield, Maine / USA - December 31 2019: Winter storm covers the town of Kingfield, Maine. Photograph is looking north up highway 27 towards Sugarloaf ski resort.
Maine Light Photography / Shutterstock
A winter storm covers cars in Kingfield, Maine, near Sugarloaf ski resort.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,669.41

  • Insurance: $734.03
  • Repairs: $354.38
  • Gas: $1,234.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $347

Maryland

WASHINGTON, USA JUNE, 22 2015 Maryland to Washington heavy car traffic Congested highway
Andrea Izzotti / Shutterstock
The congested Capital Beltway in Maryland.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,777.45

  • Insurance: $1,180.55
  • Repairs: $392.40
  • Gas: $1,137.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $67.50

Massachusetts

Tobin bridge, Zakim bridge and Boston skyline panorama at sunset.
Mihai_Andritoiu / Shutterstock
Downtown Boston.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,578.36

  • Insurance: $1,170.49
  • Repairs: $381.87
  • Gas: $996.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $30

Michigan

new roundabout with some cars, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Susan Montgomery / Shutterstock
A traffic roundabout in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,950.73

  • Insurance: $1,407.57
  • Repairs: $356.16
  • Gas: $1,088.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $99

Minnesota

Heavy traffic flowing in and out of Minneapolis during a beautiful sunset Shot with a long exposure creating light trails from the moving traffic.
Nick Lundgren / Shutterstock
Traffic in Minneapolis, photographed in a long exposure.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,661.41

  • Insurance: $900.68
  • Repairs: $375.73
  • Gas: $1,139.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $246

Mississippi

Driving down the highway on a road trip in the Southern United States. Picture of the car passenger side mirror and the farm fields off the side of the road. Mississippi State.
Kasey VancouverBC / Shutterstock
Driving along a quiet country road in Mississippi.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,735.05

  • Insurance: $1,035.72
  • Repairs: $392.33
  • Gas: $1,280.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $27

Missouri

Long line of cars parked along the road in autumn
LanaG / Shutterstock

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,517.47

  • Insurance: $925.68
  • Repairs: $378.79
  • Gas: $1,176.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $37

Montana

DRONE Flying behind a silver car driving along the straight highway running across the snowy countryside of Montana.
Flystock / Shutterstock
A lone car on a snowy road in Montana.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,955.37

  • Insurance: $891.40
  • Repairs: $382.97
  • Gas: $1,305.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $376

Nebraska

Nebraska, USA - Aug 10, 2017: Brick commercial buildings with preserved historical aesthetic character along P Street in the Haymarket district, Lincoln City. Cars parked along this street.
Victor Wong / Shutterstock
Cars parked in the charming Haymarket District of Lincoln, Nebraska.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,698.59

  • Insurance: $864.99
  • Repairs: $369.60
  • Gas: $1,122.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $342

Nevada

Las Vegas Strip Traffic. Afternoon Commute. Nevada, United States of America.
welcomia / Shutterstock
Bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Las Vegas Strip.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,945.35

  • Insurance: $1,147.90
  • Repairs: $392.45
  • Gas: $1,098.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $307

New Hampshire

white car on the road to the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire USA
sebastienlemyre / Shutterstock
A car heads toward the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,549.09

  • Insurance: $845.32
  • Repairs: $364.77
  • Gas: $1,299.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $40

New Jersey

Welcome to New Jersey signage
Andrea Catenaro / Shutterstock
Cars on a road at the New Jersey state line.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,972.54

  • Insurance: $1,424.95
  • Repairs: $401.59
  • Gas: $1,099.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $47

New Mexico

A driving view of colorful overpasses along I-40, near Albuquerque.
Katrina Leigh / Shutterstock
Cars driving under colorful overpasses along Interstate 40 near Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,542.30

  • Insurance: $963.88
  • Repairs: $382.42
  • Gas: $1,134.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $62

New York

Aerial view of New York downtown building roofs and traffic.
GaudiLab / Shutterstock
Cars observed from high above the streets of Manhattan.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,558.03

  • Insurance: $1,432.37
  • Repairs: $375.66
  • Gas: $708.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $42

North Carolina

highway next t o the ocean in the Outer Banks of North Carolina
makasana photo / Shutterstock
A road along the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,373.27

  • Insurance: $836.71
  • Repairs: $397.56
  • Gas: $1,103.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $36

North Dakota

Fargo, North Dakota - 12 July, 2016: Downtown Fargo and the Fargo movie theater on a summer day on 12 July, 2016 in Fargo, North Dakota.
David Harmantas / Shutterstock
Vehicles parked in downtown Fargo, North Dakota.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,664.62

  • Insurance: $773.53
  • Repairs: $373.09
  • Gas: $1,425.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $93

Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio/USA-June 10, 2018: A view of the Cincinnati skyline driving south from Interstate 71 with road construction barrels.
JNix / Shutterstock
A road in downtown Cincinnati.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,241.16

  • Insurance: $816.92
  • Repairs: $354.24
  • Gas: $1,035.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $35

Oklahoma

Divided highway with lots of lush foliage and green stoplight with cars and trucks and pedestrians leading to downtown Tulsa Oklahoma USA
Svineyard / Shutterstock
Cars head into downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,616.98

  • Insurance: $1,040.32
  • Repairs: $378.66
  • Gas: $1,102.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $96

Oregon

Hell's Canyon Scenic Byway. One car in the distance that's leaving Baker City, Oregon heading into the beautiful Wallowa Mountains on cold November day on State Route 86.
Dan Lewis / Shutterstock
A car drives into the beautiful Wallowa Mountains of Oregon.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,475.91

  • Insurance: $957.98
  • Repairs: $389.93
  • Gas: $1,085.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $43

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, crossing the Fort Pitt Bridge into downtown, December 11, 2012
Malachi Jacobs / Shutterstock
Traffic on the Fort Pitt Bridge in downtown Pittsburgh.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,439.25

  • Insurance: $1,017.17
  • Repairs: $377.08
  • Gas: $1,009.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $36

Rhode Island

Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge - Rhode Island
Adwo / Shutterstock
Vehicles on the Jamestown-Verrazzano Bridge in Rhode Island.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,669.68

  • Insurance: $1,364.56
  • Repairs: $390.12
  • Gas: $883.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $32

South Carolina

Downtown, Greenville, SC
Jerry Whaley / Shutterstock
Cars parked in downtown Greenville, South Carolina.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,748.97

  • Insurance: $1,046.70
  • Repairs: $394.27
  • Gas: $1,296.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $12

South Dakota

A dark brown donkey standing in a paved roadway facing a car next to it and begging for food in Custer State Park, South Dakota.
Tami Freed / Shutterstock
Cars slowly make their way past a donkey in Custer State Park in South Dakota,

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,545.00

  • Insurance: $807.37
  • Repairs: $378.63
  • Gas: $1,316.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $43

Tennessee

Driving through the winding roads of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, USA
DnDavis / Shutterstock
Driving through the winding roads of Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,491.15

  • Insurance: $898.97
  • Repairs: $394.18
  • Gas: $1,174.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $24

Texas

Dallas downtown skyline in the evening, Texas
kan_khampanya / Shutterstock
Downtown Dallas traffic in the evening.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,766.92

  • Insurance: $1,194.30
  • Repairs: $385.62
  • Gas: $1,126.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $61

Utah

Monument Valley desert, Utah, USA - red sandy floor panorama landscape background.
Papuchalka - kaelaimages / Shutterstock
A car parked in Monument Valley, Utah.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,449.78

  • Insurance: $913.63
  • Repairs: $399.15
  • Gas: $983.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $154

Vermont

red autumn sunny road with blurred car
SSokolov / Shutterstock
Driving through a spectacular autumn in Vermont.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,474.01

  • Insurance: $790.37
  • Repairs: $359.64
  • Gas: $1,254.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $70

Virginia

Entering Richmond Virginia from Interstate 95
Heath Oldham / Shutterstock
Traffic enters Richmond, Virginia, via Interstate 95.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,451.14

  • Insurance: $883.90
  • Repairs: $397.24
  • Gas: $1,129.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $41

Washington

I-90 floating bridge, Washington-USA
Nadia Yong / Shutterstock
Cars on the Interstate 90 floating bridge in Washington state.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,527.87

  • Insurance: $1,011.38
  • Repairs: $389.49
  • Gas: $1,077.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $50

West Virginia

Five O'clock traffic in downtown Charleston, West Virginia
Medard L Lefevre / Shutterstock
Late afternoon traffic in downtown Charleston, West Virginia.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,580.60

  • Insurance: $1,041.67
  • Repairs: $372.93
  • Gas: $1,114.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $52

Wisconsin

Milwaukee, WIsconsin, USA downtown skyline in the afternoon.
Sean Pavone / Shutterstock
Downtown Milwaukee, with traffic on the streets.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,293.22

  • Insurance: $767.38
  • Repairs: $356.84
  • Gas: $1,094.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $75

Wyoming

two bison slowly make their way across the road. rush hour in yellowstone national park, wyoming.
Sascha Burkard / Shutterstock
A car encountering bison in Wyoming.

Average yearly cost of owning a car: $2,998.52

  • Insurance: $877.69
  • Repairs: $387.83
  • Gas: $1,441.00
  • Registration fee and any taxes: $292 (May vary by location. We searched using a Cheyenne ZIP code.)

About the Author

Doug Whiteman

Doug Whiteman

Editor-in-Chief

Doug Whiteman is the editor-in-chief of MoneyWise. He has been quoted by The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and CNBC.com and has been interviewed on Fox Business, CBS Radio and the syndicated TV show "First Business."

Featured Offers

Take Surveys. Get Paid.

Get paid to take surveys. Earn free gift cards from your favorite retailers, or get cash back. Get a $5 bonus when you earn 2,500 SB points within your first 60 days.

Start Now

Automatic Round-Ups

Acorns forces you to save money by automatically investing your spare change (rounding up) from everyday purchases.

Start Now

Your Free Credit Score

Get your free credit score, free credit report card and free credit monitoring.

Start Now

File With Confidence This Year

With over 60 years of tax preparation experience on your side, you can be sure you're getting your maximum refund.

Start Now