Cars Car Ownership Statistics
The rate of car ownership has steadily increased over decades, with a recession-era dip, with the majority of U.S. households (92%) owning at least one car as of 2023. [1] Census Bureau, “U.S Car Ownership” https://data.census.gov/table?q=car%20ownership The total number of registered vehicles and the number of vehicles per household have both increased steadily over time.
In this article, we’ll discuss data on car ownership in the U.S., including the number of vehicles per state, the bestselling vehicles, and even the most popular car colors.
Key statistics
- There are a total of 284,614,269 registered vehicles in the U.S.,including cars, buses, trucks, and motorcycles as of 2023.
- California has the highest number of registered vehicles as of 2023 at 31,057,329, followed by Texas with 23,477,492, while Washington DC has the fewest (344,088).
- As of 2023, Montana has the most vehicles per resident population with 2.1, and Delaware has the fewest at 0.4.
- The Ford F-Series pickup truck is the bestselling vehicle in the U.S., with 399,819 units sold in 2025.
- Trucks are the most common type of vehicle in the U.S. as of 2023, with 177,228,271 registered trucks.
- The most popular vehicle color, based on retail new registrations only, in the U.S. is white, accounting for 25% of retail vehicle registrations in 2024, followed by black (22%), and gray (20%).
- In 1972, the number of registered vehicles in the U.S. (119 million) overtook the number of registered drivers (118 million), and has remained higher ever since.
- There are over 3.5 million electric vehicles (EVs) in the U.S. as of 2023, most of which are in California (1.26 million).
How many U.S. households have a car?
Of the 132.8 million households in the U.S., 121.6 million own at least one car, meaning that 92% of American households own a car. [1] Census Bureau, “U.S Car Ownership” https://data.census.gov/table?q=car%20ownership
The number of cars per household
Data from the U.S. Census shows that 37% of households have two vehicles, making up the largest proportion of households, while one in five (22%) of households own three cars or more, and only 8% of households own no vehicles at all.
| Number of vehicles per household | Percentage of U.S. households |
|---|---|
| Households with 0 vehicles | 8% |
| Households with 1 vehicle | 33% |
| Households with 2 vehicles | 37% |
| Households with 3 or more cars | 22% |
Source [1] Census Bureau, “U.S Car Ownership” https://data.census.gov/table?q=car%20ownership
Licensed drivers and registered vehicles by population
The number of licensed drivers and registered vehicles in the U.S. has steadily risen as the resident population of the country has increased.
According to the latest data from the Federal Highway Administration as of 2023, there are 285 million registered vehicles in the U.S., and 238 million licensed drivers.
Between 1960 and 1971, the number of licensed drivers was higher than the number of registered vehicles. However, in 1972, the number of vehicles (119 million) overtook the number of drivers (118 million), and has remained higher ever since. [2] FHWA, “Highway Statistics 2023” https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2023/dv1c.cfm
The number of registered vehicles saw a slight dip between 2009 and 2013, possibly reflecting reduced vehicle sales during the 2008 recession, when sales fell by nearly 40%. [3] Federal Reserve, “Auto Sales and the 2007-2009 Recession” https://www.stlouisfed.org/on-the-economy/2019/july/auto-sales-and-the-2007-09-recession
| Year | Resident Population (millions) | Licensed Drivers (millions) | Registered Vehicles (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 180 | 87 | 74 |
| 1961 | 183 | 89 | 76 |
| 1962 | 186 | 91 | 79 |
| 1963 | 188 | 94 | 83 |
| 1964 | 191 | 95 | 86 |
| 1965 | 194 | 99 | 90 |
| 1966 | 196 | 101 | 94 |
| 1967 | 197 | 103 | 97 |
| 1968 | 199 | 105 | 101 |
| 1969 | 201 | 108 | 105 |
| 1970 | 204 | 112 | 108 |
| 1971 | 207 | 114 | 113 |
| 1972 | 209 | 118 | 119 |
| 1973 | 211 | 122 | 126 |
| 1974 | 213 | 125 | 130 |
| 1975 | 215 | 130 | 133 |
| 1976 | 218 | 134 | 139 |
| 1977 | 220 | 138 | 142 |
| 1978 | 222 | 141 | 148 |
| 1979 | 225 | 143 | 152 |
| 1980 | 227 | 145 | 156 |
| 1981 | 230 | 147 | 158 |
| 1982 | 232 | 150 | 160 |
| 1983 | 234 | 154 | 164 |
| 1984 | 236 | 155 | 166 |
| 1985 | 239 | 157 | 172 |
| 1986 | 241 | 159 | 176 |
| 1987 | 243 | 161 | 179 |
| 1988 | 246 | 163 | 184 |
| 1989 | 248 | 166 | 187 |
| 1990 | 248 | 167 | 189 |
| 1991 | 252 | 169 | 188 |
| 1992 | 255 | 173 | 190 |
| 1993 | 258 | 173 | 194 |
| 1994 | 260 | 175 | 198 |
| 1995 | 263 | 177 | 202 |
| 1996 | 265 | 180 | 206 |
| 1997 | 268 | 183 | 208 |
| 1998 | 270 | 185 | 211 |
| 1999 | 273 | 187 | 216 |
| 2000 | 281 | 191 | 221 |
| 2001 | 285 | 191 | 230 |
| 2002 | 288 | 195 | 230 |
| 2003 | 291 | 196 | 231 |
| 2004 | 293 | 199 | 237 |
| 2005 | 296 | 201 | 241 |
| 2006 | 299 | 203 | 244 |
| 2007 | 301 | 205 | 247 |
| 2008 | 304 | 208 | 248 |
| 2009 | 307 | 210 | 246 |
| 2010 | 309 | 210 | 242 |
| 2011 | 312 | 212 | 245 |
| 2012 | 314 | 212 | 245 |
| 2013 | 317 | 212 | 247 |
| 2014 | 319 | 214 | 252 |
| 2015 | 321 | 218 | 256 |
| 2016 | 323 | 222 | 269 |
| 2017 | 325 | 225 | 272 |
| 2018 | 327 | 227 | 274 |
| 2019 | 328 | 229 | 276 |
| 2020 | 329 | 228 | 276 |
| 2021 | 332 | 233 | 282 |
| 2022 | 333 | 235 | 283 |
| 2023 | 335 | 238 | 285 |
Source [2] FHWA, “Highway Statistics 2023” https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2023/dv1c.cfm
Registered vehicles by state
The number of registered vehicles varies by state; the table below shows the number of registered vehicles, including privately and publicly owned cars, buses, trucks, and motorcycles, in each state as of 2023.
California has the most registered vehicles with 31,057,329, followed by Texas at 23,477,492, and Florida at 19,519,552. Washington DC has the fewest registered vehicles with 344,088, followed by Delaware at 445,240, and Vermont at 629,430.
Sources [2] FHWA, “Highway Statistics 2023” https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2023/dv1c.cfm [4] Census, “State Population Totals and Components of Change (2020-2024)” https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html
States with the most registered vehicles
The top five states with the most registered vehicles in the U.S. are:
- California - 31,057,329
- Texas - 23,477,492
- Florida - 19,519,552
- Ohio - 11,242,160
- Pennsylvania - 10,866,252
States with the fewest registered vehicles
The five states with the fewest registered vehicles in the U.S. are:
- Washington DC - 344,088
- Delaware - 445,240
- Vermont - 629,430
- Alaska - 680,974
- Rhode Island - 822,447
Vehicles by state population
When looking at the number of registered vehicles compared to state populations, more rural states typically have a higher ratio of vehicles to residents. Based on 2023 vehicle registration and population data, Montana has the most registered vehicles per person at 2.1, followed by Wyoming and South Dakota, both with 1.5 vehicles per person.
- Montana - 2.1 vehicles per person
- Wyoming - 1.5 vehicles per person
- South Dakota - 1.5 vehicles per person
- North Dakota - 1.3 vehicles per person
- Iowa - 1.2 vehicles per person
Delaware has the fewest vehicles per person at 0.4, followed by New York and Washington DC (both 0.5). Across the U.S., there are, on average, 0.8 registered vehicles per person. [2] FHWA, “Highway Statistics 2023” https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2023/dv1c.cfm [4] Census, “State Population Totals and Components of Change (2020-2024)” https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html
Most common motor vehicles by type
When looking at the different types of registered vehicles in the U.S., both privately and publicly owned, the most popular vehicle type is trucks, with 177,228,271 registered trucks, followed by cars with 96,901,563 registered cars.
California has the most registered trucks with a total of 16,757,878, followed by Texas with 15,578,885.
| Type | Number of registered vehicles |
|---|---|
| Trucks | 177,228,271 |
| Cars | 96,901,563 |
| Motorcycles | 9,516,910 |
| Buses | 967,525 |
Source [2] FHWA, “Highway Statistics 2023” https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2023/dv1c.cfm
Bestselling car models in the U.S.
Car and Driver data from July 2025 shows that the Ford F-Series pickup truck is the bestselling vehicle model in the U.S., with 399,819 units sold as of July 2025. Other popular models in the U.S. include the Chevrolet Silverado (283,812 units), the Toyota RAV4 (239,451 units), and the Honda CR-V (212,561).
The Tesla Model Y is the only electric vehicle in the top 10 bestselling cars in the U.S., with an estimated 146,000 units sold.
| Rank | Model | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ford F-Series | 399,819 |
| 2 | Chevrolet Silverado | 283,812 |
| 3 | Toyota RAV4 | 239,451 |
| 4 | Honda CR-V | 212,561 |
| 5 | Ram Pickup | 174,320 |
| 6 | GMC Sierra | 166,409 |
| 7 | Toyota Camry | 155,330 |
| 8 | Tesla Model Y | 146,000 |
| 9 | Toyota Tacoma | 130,873 |
| 10 | Chevrolet Equinox | 129,889 |
Source [5] Car and Driver, “The 25 Bestselling Cars, Trucks and SUVs of 2025” https://www.caranddriver.com/news/g64457986/bestselling-cars-2025/
Most popular car colors in the U.S.
When it comes to the color of our vehicles, neutral shades are more popular than bright colors. According to 2024 data from Edmunds, white is the most popular car color in the U.S., accounting for 25% of new retail vehicle registrations. This is followed by black (22%), and gray (20%).
Less popular vehicle colors include yellow (0.08%), purple (0.09%), and gold (0.1%).
| Rank | Color | Percentage Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | White | 25% |
| 2 | Black | 22% |
| 3 | Gray | 20% |
| 4 | Silver | 14% |
| 5 | Blue | 9% |
| 6 | Red | 7.5% |
| 7 | Green | 2% |
| 8 | Brown | 0.9% |
| 9 | Orange | 0.3% |
| 10 | Gold | 0.1% |
| 11 | Purple | 0.09% |
| 12 | Yellow | 0.08% |
Source [6] Edmunds, “Most Popular Car Colors in the U.S.” https://www.edmunds.com/most-popular-car-colors/
Electric vehicle ownership in the U.S.
Data from 2023 shows that there were 3,555,445 registered electric vehicles (EVs) in the U.S., a 45.6% increase compared to 2022.
Electric vehicle registrations by state
The number of registered electric vehicles varies widely by state. California has the most EVs by far, with a total of 1,256,646, accounting for roughly 35% of all electric vehicles nationwide. This is followed by Florida with 254,878, and Texas with 230,125.
North Dakota has the fewest registered EVs with only 959, followed by Wyoming (1,139), and South Dakota (1,675).
Sources [7] AFDC, “Vehicle Registration Counts by State” https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicle-registration [8] AFDC, “Maps and Data - Electric Vehicle Registrations by State” https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10962
Electric car market share by company
The company with the highest electric car market share in the U.S. is Tesla, with 48.6% of the EV market share in 2024, and 45.2% share in January-February 2025. This is far higher than the company in second place, Ford, with 7.9% of the EV market share in 2024, and 7% in January-February 2025.
| Company | 2024 | 2025 (Jan-Feb) |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla | 48.6% | 45.2% |
| Ford | 7.9% | 7% |
| Chevrolet | 5.4% | 5.5% |
| Volkswagen | 1.5% | 4.2% |
| Hyundai | 5.1% | 3.8% |
| Rivian | 4% | 3.8% |
| Mercedes-Benz | 3.6% | 3.6% |
| Honda | 2.7% | 3.6% |
| BMW | 3% | 3.5% |
| Kia | 4.2% | 3.2% |
| Audi | 1.6% | 2.6% |
| Cadillac | 2.4% | 2.4% |
| Nissan | 2.5% | 2.2% |
| Toyota | 1.5% | 2.1% |
| Volvo | 0.8% | 1.5% |
| GMC | 1.3% | 1.5% |
| Subaru | 1% | 1.1% |
| Polestar | 0.5% | 0.9% |
| Jeep | 0% | 0.7% |
| Porsche | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Genesis | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Lexus | 0.8% | 0.4% |
| Lucid | 0.5% | 0.2% |
| Fiat | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Jaguar | 0.1% | 0% |
| Ram | 0% | 0% |
| VinFast | 0% | 0% |
Source [9] Edmunds, “What is the Percentage of Electric Cars in the U.S.” https://www.edmunds.com/electric-car/articles/percentage-of-electric-cars-in-us.html
Sources
- [1] Census Bureau, “U.S Car Ownership” https://data.census.gov/table?q=car%20ownership
- [2] FHWA, “Highway Statistics 2023” https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2023/dv1c.cfm
- [3] Federal Reserve, “Auto Sales and the 2007-2009 Recession” https://www.stlouisfed.org/on-the-economy/2019/july/auto-sales-and-the-2007-09-recession
- [4] Census, “State Population Totals and Components of Change (2020-2024)” https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html
- [5] Car and Driver, “The 25 Bestselling Cars, Trucks and SUVs of 2025” https://www.caranddriver.com/news/g64457986/bestselling-cars-2025/
- [6] Edmunds, “Most Popular Car Colors in the U.S.” https://www.edmunds.com/most-popular-car-colors/
- [7] AFDC, “Vehicle Registration Counts by State” https://afdc.energy.gov/vehicle-registration
- [8] AFDC, “Maps and Data - Electric Vehicle Registrations by State” https://afdc.energy.gov/data/10962
- [9] Edmunds, “What is the Percentage of Electric Cars in the U.S.” https://www.edmunds.com/electric-car/articles/percentage-of-electric-cars-in-us.html
