When asked about "Car ownership", * percent of U.S. respondents answer ********************. This online survey was conducted in 2025, among 13,687 consumers. Looking to gain valuable insights about car owners across the globe? Check out our reports about consumers of car brands worldwide. These reports provide readers with a detailed understanding of car owners: their identities, preferences, opinions, and how to effectively engage with them.

On average, there are 1.88 vehicles per U.S. household. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the percentage of households without a car or light truck came to around nine percent in 2017, meaning that about 90 percent of households had at least one light vehicle at their disposal in that same year.

Most Americans drive daily

In a recent Gallup poll among U.S. adults, about 64 percent of respondents claimed to drive daily, while another 19 percent of respondents stated that they would use a motor vehicle multiple times in an average week. These figures are in line with the U.S. motorization rate, which stood at 821 vehicles per 1,000 inhabitants in 2015.

 These streets were made for driving  

The United States has the most extensive road network, compared to any other country in the world: its road network encompasses almost 6.6 million kilometers or about four million miles. In 2018, there were about 270 million vehicles roaming the streets of the country.

Around **** of all car owners in the U.S. are over the age of 60 years old. High upfront and running costs can be expensive, and many Americans must either save up or wait until they have the income to afford vehicle ownership.

The fields available include make, model, year, trim, style, fuel type, MSRP, and many more.

We have developed this file to be tied to our Consumer Demographics Database so additional demographics can be applied as needed. Each record is ranked by confidence and only the highest quality data is used. This file contains over 180 million records in addition to over 1 million+ fresh automotive intender records per day.

Note - all Consumer packages can include necessary PII (address, email, phone, DOB, etc.) for merging, linking, and activation of the data.

BIGDBM Privacy Policy: https://bigdbm.com/privacy.html

The graph illustrates the number of registered cars in the United States from 1995 to 2023. The x-axis represents the years, spanning from 1995 to 2023, while the y-axis denotes the number of registered cars, ranging from 1,354 to 999,469. Throughout this period, the number of registered cars shows considerable fluctuations, with the highest count of 96,901,563 in 2022 and the lowest of 1,354 in 2006. Overall, there is a notable upward trend in car registrations over the years, despite intermittent decreases. The data is presented in a line graph format, effectively highlighting the annual changes and long-term growth in the number of registered vehicles in the United States.

The graph displays the number of registered motor vehicles in the United States by type in 2023. The x-axis represents vehicle types—cars, buses, trucks, motorcycles, and all motor vehicles—while the y-axis shows the total number of registrations for each type. Registrations range from 967,525 buses to 177,228,271 trucks, with cars totaling 96,901,563 and motorcycles at 9,516,910. The total number of all registered motor vehicles stands at 284,614,269, highlighting the dominance of trucks compared to other vehicle types.

We asked U.S. consumers about "Car ownership by make / brand" and found that *********** takes the top spot, while ************ is at the other end of the ranking.These results are based on a representative online survey conducted in 2025 among 11,627 consumers in the United States. Looking to gain valuable insights about car owners across the globe? Check out our reports about consumers of car brands worldwide. These reports provide readers with a detailed understanding of car owners: their identities, preferences, opinions, and how to effectively engage with them.

In the United States, men are much more likely to own cars than women, despite more women holding a valid driver's license in 2019. The difference in ownership, however, is slowly decreasing. As of 2020, women accounted for about **** percent of car owners.

Datasys Automotive Owners dataset includes 80M+ verified U.S. car owners tied to 120M+ registered vehicles. Each record is enriched with make, model, year, and ownership details, enabling precise targeting for automotive brands, insurance providers, and aftermarket services. Updated quarterly, this dataset helps marketers identify in-market car owners, segment by vehicle type, and align offers with real-world ownership data.

Forecast: Ownership of Passenger Cars in the US 2022 - 2026 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

There is a sharp increase in vehicle ownership once income surpasses ****** U.S. dollars. The high running costs of owning a car makes it very difficult for low-income earners to have their own vehicle. The annual salary of those in the lowest income group shown would not cover the cost of the average second hand car.

Gambit's Automotive Vehicle Ownership data set consists of high resolution ownership data including VIN, name, phone, email, make, model, year, color, and mileage for over 10 million unique records within the U.S. Records cover 5 years of historical data and are updated quarterly.

We recognize that every business has unique needs for data applications and frequently find pre-built data sets too bulky, too expensive, or out of scope. If your application requires additional attributes or features not already included, Gambit also offers affordable alternative solutions through custom data sets that are optimized to meet your application's needs.

This data is aggregated via publicly available sources using proprietary methodologies.

Alesco Data's Automotive records are updated monthly from millions of proprietary sourced vehicle transactions. These incoming transactions are processed through compilation rules and are either added as new, incremental records to our file, or contribute to validating existing records.

Our recent focus is on compiling new vehicle ownership, and the file includes over 14.2 million late model vehicle owners (2020-2025).

We also append our Persistent ID, telephone numbers, and demographics for a complete file that can support your direct mail and email marketing campaigns, lead validation, and identity verification needs. A Persistent ID is assigned to each vehicle record and tracks consumers as they change addresses or phone numbers, and vehicles as they change owners.

The database is not derived from state motor vehicle databases and therefore not subject to the Shelby Act also known as the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA) of 2000. The data is deterministic and sources include sales and service data, warranty data and notifications, aftermarket repair and maintenance facilities, and scheduled maintenance records.

Fields Included: Make Model Year VIN Data Vehicle Class Code (crossover, SUV, full-size, mid-size, small) Vehicle Fuel Code (gas, flex, hybrid) Vehicle Style Code (sport, pickup, utility, sedan) Mileage Number of Vehicles per Household First seen date Last seen date Email

Around ** percent of car owners in the United States can be found in the Southern United States. Although there are many cultural differences, the geography of these regions make car ownership more or less practical: the North East is more densely populated with cities that have public transport.

Graph and download economic data for Expenditures: Vehicle Purchases: Cars and Trucks, New by Age: from Age 65 to 74 (CXUNEWCARSLB0408M) from 1984 to 2023 about 65-years +, age, purchase, trucks, vehicles, expenditures, new, and USA.

We estimate the effects of transportation network companies (TNCs) Uber and Lyft on vehicle ownership, fleet average fuel economy, and transit use in U.S. urban areas using a set of difference-in-difference propensity score-weighted regression models that exploit staggered market entry across the U.S. from 2011 to 2017. We find evidence that TNC entry into urban areas causes an average 0.7% increase in vehicle registrations with significant heterogeneity in these effects across urban areas: TNC entry tends to produce larger vehicle ownership increases in urban areas with higher initial ownership (car-dependent cities) and in urban areas with lower population growth (where TNC-induced vehicle adoption outpaces population growth). We also find no statistically significant average effect of TNC entry on fuel economy or transit use but find evidence of heterogeneity in these effects across urban areas, including larger transit ridership reductions after TNC entry in areas with higher income and more childless households. As TNCs continue to diffuse across global cities, understanding the impact on vehicles, energy, and emissions becomes increasingly important.

This table contains values from Compare.com's proprietary database of car insurance quotes about average DynamicTable.dataset.coverage.monthly_cost_total car insurance costs DynamicTable.dataset.source.stateAvgPrices

According to the Statista Consumer Insights, carried out between October 2022 and September 2023, ** percent of respondents in the United States indicated that they had access to a car in their household. This is a slight decrease compared to previous years. In 2019, ** percent of respondents said that they had access to a car.

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US Used Car Market Size 2025-2029

The US used car market size is forecast to increase by USD 40.2 billion, at a CAGR of 4.3% between 2024 and 2029.

The used car market in the US is witnessing significant growth, driven by the excellent value proposition that used cars offer to consumers. The increasing popularity of websites dedicated to selling used cars has expanded market reach and convenience, allowing consumers to browse and purchase vehicles online. Stringent emission regulations are restricting the sales of non-compliant used cars, necessitating investments in upgrading and maintaining commercial vehicle fleets to meet regulatory requirements. These regulations necessitate investments in emission testing and certification processes, increasing operational costs for dealers. To capitalize on opportunities, dealers can focus on offering certified pre-owned vehicles and implementing robust emission testing procedures.
Additionally, leveraging digital marketing strategies and offering flexible financing options can help attract and retain customers. Overall, the used car market presents both challenges and opportunities for players, requiring strategic planning and innovation to succeed.

What will be the size of the US Used Car Market during the forecast period?

Explore in-depth regional segment analysis with market size data - historical 2019-2023 and forecasts 2025-2029 - in the full report.
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The used car market in the US continues to evolve, with various sectors adapting to emerging trends and technologies. Vehicle data analysis plays a pivotal role in understanding vehicle depreciation curves and return on investment for dealers. Payment processing systems streamline sales transactions, while sales performance metrics and customer lifetime value inform strategic decision-making. Fraud detection systems ensure compliance with legal standards, and insurance cost factors influence acquisition channel efficiency. Inventory turnover rate, a key performance indicator, varies across dealerships. Compliance audits and dealer training programs maintain legal compliance and improve customer satisfaction. Market penetration rate and resale value prediction help dealers optimize pricing models.
Consumer protection laws and financing product offerings shape customer trust and loyalty. Operating costs analysis, customer service feedback, and sales conversion rates contribute to profit margin calculation. Risk assessment models, employee performance metrics, marketing spend efficiency, and pricing model validation are essential for long-term success. A recent study reveals a 5% increase in sales for dealerships implementing advanced data analytics. Industry growth is expected to reach 3% annually, driven by these evolving market dynamics.

How is this market segmented?

The US used car market research report provides comprehensive data (region-wise segment analysis), with forecasts and estimates in 'USD billion' for the period 2025-2029, as well as historical data from 2019-2023 for the following segments.

Distribution Channel

  3P channel sales
  OEM channel sales


Product

  Mid size
  Full size
  Compact size


Vendor Type

  Organized
  Unorganized


Fuel Type

  Diesel
  Petrol


Geography

  North America

    US

By Distribution Channel Insights

The 3P channel sales segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period.

The used car market in the US is an active and dynamic sector, driven by various factors. With the constant launch of new vehicle models, the supply of used cars increases, resulting in lower prices compared to new cars. This trend encourages car owners to sell their vehicles and upgrade to newer models, shortening the average ownership cycle. Online advertising platforms play a significant role in connecting buyers and sellers. Pre-purchase inspections and vehicle history reports ensure transparency and build trust. Repairs cost estimation and parts sourcing networks help in managing the expenses of used car ownership. Market segmentation strategies cater to different customer needs, while customer relationship management tools foster loyalty.

Emissions testing standards ensure the environmental sustainability of used vehicles. Auto appraisal value tools help in determining fair prices, and loan term comparison aids in financing decisions. Marketing campaign effectiveness is measured through customer acquisition cost and interest rate calculation. Mobile apps offer functionalities like mechanical inspection checklists, paint depth measurement, and damage assessment tools. Dealer inventory management, detailing services, and vehicle photography techniques enhance the sales process. Industry growth is expected to continue, with the used car market projected to expand by 3% annually. For instance, a dealership successfully increased its sales by 15% thr