Between gas, insurance, and other costs, owning a vehicle can be expensive. Consumers may not know how much costs can vary even among neighboring states. The Midwest is home to some of the least expensive states for drivers. The biggest factor explaining why states such as Missouri, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan rank so low in expenses is the cost of gas. According to CNN, gas in Missouri was reported at $ 1.40, one of the nation’s lowest.
These Midwestern states ranked among the cheapest in the country, according to Bankrate’s 2014 car cost study. Bankrate reported that they analyzed the gasoline prices, costs of repairs and insurance premiums across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. They calculated gasoline prices with statistics from GasBuddy.com and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Here is the map showing the cost of owning a car from state to state. The darker green, the more expensive.
This map is certainly full of surprises. For example, many readers would likely not assume Wyoming to be the most expensive state for drivers. Places with a relatively high cost of living such as the District of Columbia and New York ranked amongst the lowest in gasoline expenses, perhaps because residents of dense metropolitan areas may not drive long distances. More spread out states like South Dakota, Nebraska, Indiana, and Wyoming (which topped the list in terms of gasoline expenditures) ranked amongst the highest in gasoline expenses. Drivers in those states might not have the most fuel efficienct vehicles, so that may be a factor in addition to the spread-out nature of those states. Bankrate’s full list of data can be seen below.
Estimated annual cost of car ownership | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State | Repairs | Insurance | Gasoline | Total |
| Iowa | $315 | $630 | $998 | $1,942 |
| Ohio | $328 | $698 | $947 | $1,973 |
| Illinois | $343 | $805 | $852 | $1,999 |
| Idaho | $349 | $664 | $988 | $2,001 |
| Wisconsin | $329 | $658 | $1,031 | $2,018 |
| South Dakota | $312 | $654 | $1,056 | $2,022 |
| Pennsylvania | $364 | $908 | $781 | $2,052 |
| New Hampshire | $328 | $767 | $975 | $2,070 |
| Nebraska | $347 | $709 | $1,025 | $2,081 |
| Oregon | $380 | $807 | $893 | $2,081 |
| Utah | $371 | $810 | $918 | $2,098 |
| Virginia | $382 | $758 | $964 | $2,104 |
| Kansas | $352 | $764 | $991 | $2,108 |
| Maine | $328 | $682 | $1,109 | $2,119 |
| Colorado | $385 | $848 | $890 | $2,123 |
| North Carolina | $390 | $708 | $1,032 | $2,129 |
| Tennessee | $353 | $762 | $1,021 | $2,136 |
| Hawaii | $370 | $906 | $869 | $2,145 |
| Alaska | $341 | $1,077 | $730 | $2,147 |
| Washington | $375 | $910 | $866 | $2,151 |
| Minnesota | $346 | $782 | $1,033 | $2,162 |
| Massachusetts | $358 | $984 | $827 | $2,169 |
| Vermont | $270 | $730 | $1,178 | $2,177 |
| South Carolina | $368 | $860 | $958 | $2,186 |
| Indiana | $329 | $709 | $1,162 | $2,200 |
| Arizona | $362 | $963 | $888 | $2,213 |
| North Dakota | $344 | $662 | $1,207 | $2,213 |
| Nevada | $364 | $1,078 | $771 | $2,214 |
| Texas | $364 | $1,001 | $860 | $2,226 |
| Arkansas | $361 | $813 | $1,055 | $2,229 |
| Missouri | $353 | $780 | $1,099 | $2,232 |
| California | $390 | $906 | $940 | $2,237 |
| Montana | $360 | $822 | $1,067 | $2,250 |
| New York | $365 | $1,196 | $713 | $2,273 |
| Washington, D.C. | $392 | $1,273 | $618 | $2,283 |
| Kentucky | $367 | $848 | $1,073 | $2,288 |
| Rhode Island | $371 | $1,142 | $800 | $2,314 |
| West Virginia | $310 | $975 | $1,033 | $2,318 |
| Oklahoma | $338 | $839 | $1,175 | $2,352 |
| Maryland | $388 | $1,030 | $951 | $2,368 |
| New Mexico | $345 | $895 | $1,131 | $2,371 |
| Connecticut | $385 | $1,058 | $929 | $2,372 |
| Michigan | $317 | $1,064 | $994 | $2,375 |
| Alabama | $352 | $793 | $1,237 | $2,381 |
| Delaware | $314 | $1,110 | $967 | $2,391 |
| Georgia | $385 | $927 | $1,096 | $2,408 |
| New Jersey | $393 | $1,244 | $783 | $2,421 |
| Mississippi | $356 | $901 | $1,231 | $2,487 |
| Florida | $377 | $1,124 | $1,015 | $2,516 |
| Louisiana | $354 | $1,277 | $924 | $2,555 |
| Wyoming | $324 | $792 | $1,588 | $2,705 |
Bankrate’s information can also be found online here.
Image Source: Image, License Summary.
