In this article, we will be taking a look at the 20 most car dependent cities in the US. If you do not want to learn about the trends in America’s automotive market, head straight to the 5 Most Car Dependent Cities in the US.
Key Statistics and Trends in America’s Automotive Market
The United States has one of the largest automotive markets in the world. In 2023, U.S. light vehicle sales were 15.5 million units which makes the US world’s second-largest market for vehicle sales and production. In March 2024, U.S. new vehicle sales increased 5.1% year-over-year to 1,455,030 units. Light truck and SUV sales, which make up 79.8% of the market, grew 6.5% compared to March 2023. The best-selling models were the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado, Toyota RAV4, and Nissan Rogue. Data shows that over 90% of U.S. households own at least one vehicle Furthermore, many Americans own multiple vehicles – the average U.S. household has 1.9 vehicles. In October 2023, US car exports totaled $5.56 billion, marking a 2.21% increase from the previous quarter, with Alabama leading at $1.23 billion. September 2023 saw US automotive goods exports reach $16.01 billion.
Public Transportation and Auto Insurance Market Dynamics in the US
The US spends a significant amount of public money on public transportation, but the service quality and ridership levels lag far behind if we compare with other developed countries. In 2022, Us spent around $84.2 billion on public transport. However, despite a large investment in public transportation, the ridership levels have been declining over the years, with a 79% decrease in ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic during 2019-2020.
If we talk about the US auto insurance market, it was valued at $260 billion in 2021 according to McKinsey, with an expectation to reach $390 billion in 2030. Two-thirds of this market is estimated to stay relatively stable with L0 or L1 vehicles which require traditional insurance. L0 vehicles lack automation, while L1 vehicles offer some driver assistance. The remaining third of the market will undergo significant transformations because of the rise of EVs and road safety tech. EVs and advanced road safety tech are expected to cut accidents, lowering premiums by around 10% which leads to an anticipated $26 billion reduction during the forecast period.
The global sales of electric vehicles which includes both battery-electric and plug-in hybrids are expected to grow by 21% to reach 16.7 million units in 2024. 70% of the cars among these are fully electric cars. The share of electric vehicles in global vehicle sales is expected to reach 20%, up from 17% in 2023.
Most Owned Vehicle Brands in the US
The most owned vehicle brands in the US are Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM), Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F), Chevrolet, Honda, and Nissan. Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM) has a very strong global presence, selling vehicles in over 170 countries. It commands a 10.5% share of the global automotive market which makes it one of the industry leaders. Toyota has consistently been ranked as one of the world’s most valuable car brands, with a brand value of $64.5 billion in 2023. Toyota U.S. reported sales of 191,684 units, an increase of 12.4% on a daily selling rate (DSR) basis, in July 2023. Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE:TM)’s Q1 2024 earnings were $7.05 per share.
As of December 2023, around 11% of people aged 18 to 19 owned a Ford vehicle. Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) is heavily investing in electric vehicles and has plans to allocate proceeds from its green bond issuances to EV development and manufacturing, to achieve carbon neutrality across its vehicles, operations, and supply chain by 2050. Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) expects adjusted EBIT of $10 billion to $12 billion in 2024 and hopes to generate $6 billion-$7 billion in adjusted free cash flow, with capital expenditures of $8 billion-$9.5 billion.
Similarly, Nissan sold 13.96 million units in the US in 2022 and the company’s market share in the US grew to 5.54% in Q1, 2023. Nissan Group reported total U.S. sales of 898,796 units, for the full year 2023,. Sales of the Sentra sedan were up 41.9% year-over-year while the sales of the Kicks compact crossover were up 71% year-over-year in the fourth quarter of 2023.
A busy street with pedestrians and cars, a billboard advertising the public company’s services in the background.
Our Methodology
For our methodology, we have ranked the most car-dependent cities in the US based on the number of vehicles owned per household in these cities. It is important to note that only cities that exceed a population size of 100,000 are included. For the accuracy of data, we relied on several sources, including National Equity Atlas, Governing.com, and Money Geek. The data for our ranking metric is from 2019.
Here is our list of the 20 most car dependent cities in the US.
20. Plano, Texas
Number of Cars per Household: 1.88
There are around 1.88 cars per household in Plano, Texas. The age group with the highest daily person-miles of travel (PMT) is 36-65 years old, followed by 21-35 years old. The heavy reliance on cars in Plano has significant financial and environmental implications. A study by the Brookings Institution found that dense, walkable neighborhoods can generate up to 40% of a city’s jobs while only occupying 3% of the land.
19. McKinney, Texas
Number of Cars per Household: 1.88
With around 1.88 cars per household, McKinney, Texas stands among the most car-dependent cities in the US. According to the 2018 ACS data, 90% of residents travel to work by driving alone. The typical McKinney household spends 19% of their household income on transportation costs, with about three-quarters of those costs related to auto ownership. Combined with housing costs, the total housing and transportation costs for a typical McKinney household is 55% of their income.
18. Round Rock, Texas
Number of Cars per Household: 1.89
Round Rock, Texas is the seventeenth most car-dependent city in the United States with around 1.89 cars per household. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 6.6% of households in Austin did not have a vehicle during the 2011-2015 period, making it one of the most car-dependent large cities in Texas. This is in contrast to other major Texas cities like Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston, which had 10.1%, 9%, and 9.3% of households without vehicles, respectively. Regarding the usage of cars in Round Rock, the data shows that Texas as a whole has an average daily vehicle miles traveled of 772.7 million miles, and an annual vehicle miles traveled of 282.2 billion miles.
17. Frisco, Texas
Number of Cars per Household: 1.90
According to data from the Governing Magazine, Frisco has a very low percentage of car-free households at just 1.1%, compared to the national average of around 8.7%. Data from the North Central Texas Council of Governments shows that the shared passenger mobility propensity, which measures the likelihood of using shared transportation modes, is relatively low in Frisco at 4.1 on a scale of 1 to 10.
16. Huntington Beach, California
Number of Cars per Household: 1.99
According to the data, Huntington Beach has a relatively high rate of car ownership, with only 2.6% of households being car-free as of 2015, with around 1.99 cars per household. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2019, around 77% of drivers in Orange County, where Huntington Beach is located, reported commuting to work alone by car. Only 9% carpooled, and just 2% used public transportation.
15. Olathe, Kansas
Number of Cars per Household: 2.03
Olathe is one of the cities with a very high rate of vehicle ownership, with 95.57% of households owning at least one car. Households headed by individuals aged 45-64 and 65 and over have the highest rates of car ownership. The most popular car brands among Olathe residents are likely to be the major American and Japanese automakers. Nationally, the top-selling vehicle models are the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado, and Ram Pickup.
14. Centennial, Colorado
Number of Cars per Household: 2.09
Centennial, Colorado stands tenth among the most car-dependent cities in the US with the number of cars per household standing at 2.09 and only 2.6% of households being car-free. The high rate of car usage in Centennial is further evidenced by the city’s participation in the “Go Centennial” pilot program, which aimed to integrate various private mobility services, including Lyft, into the local transportation system.
13. League City, Texas
Number of Cars per Household: 2.10
According to data from the Governing Magazine, League City has a very low percentage of car-free households at only 2.6%, and an average of 2.10 vehicles per household. Other data shows that households headed by individuals aged 45-64 had the highest rates of vehicle ownership. The 2019 American Community Survey found that the bicycle mode share in the city ranged from only 0.2% to 0.9%, which indicates that the vast majority of trips are made by car.
12. Pearland, Texas
Number of Cars per Household: 2.12
Pearland, Texas stands among the cities with a very high rate of car ownership. The city has over 440 miles of roadways and 1,700 stop signs, indicating a strong focus on automobile infrastructure. The average number of vehicles per household, 2.12, indicates that multiple-car households are common which may be facilitated by the city’s relatively high median household income, which was $111,123 in 2022.
11. Miramar, Florida
Number of Cars per Household: 2.13
Miramar, Florida stands among the cities with the greatest number of cars per household. The data shows that most people in Miramar drive alone to work, with an average commute time of 29.7 minutes. The city has seen a slight decrease in the number of vehicles per household, from 3.0 in 2017 to 2.13 in 2019.
10. Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Number of Cars per Household: 2.13
There are at least 2.13 cars per household in Highlands Ranch, Colorado which places it among the cities with most cars in the US. Around 99% of the city’s population owns at least one vehicle for commute.
9. Gilbert, Arizona
Number of Cars per Household: 2.13
Around 98% of households in Gilbert, Arizona own at least one car with an average number of cars per household standing at 2.13. The Phoenix metropolitan area, of which Gilbert is a part, has the highest non-interstate per-capita VMT of any major U.S. urban area, which indicates that residents rely heavily on driving for most of their daily transportation needs.
8. Downey, California
Number of Cars per Household: 2.14
Downey, California has around 2.14 cars per household which makes Downey stand among the cities in the US with the most number of cars. The Caltrans study notes that disadvantaged neighborhoods in both Los Angeles and San Joaquin counties have a higher percentage of “clunker” vehicles, defined as those aged 20 years or older, which suggests that lower-income residents in Downey may be more likely to own older, less fuel-efficient vehicles.
7. Temecula, California
Number of Cars per Household: 2.14
Temecula, California stands sixth among the most car-dependent cities in the US. Between 2018-2022, 91.7% of households in Temecula had at least one car, with only 8.3% being car-free. The mean travel time to work for Temecula residents is 36.2 minutes. Around 88% of Temecula households use cars to shop for food, driving an average of just 4 miles. The vast majority of Temecula workers, 68%, still drive alone to their jobs, which further highlights the city’s car dependency.
6. Elk Grove, California
Number of Cars per Household: 2.15
According to the data from Governing Magazine, Elk Grove has a high rate of car ownership, with only 4.8% of households being car-free and the average number of vehicles per household in Elk Grove is 2.21. The Sacramento County Active Transportation Plan notes that the majority of Elk Grove residents, 77.2%, commute by driving alone, while 10.2% carpool. The data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics shows that in 2020, Americans spent over $460 million on new and used cars, a 2,596% increase from 1960.
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Disclosure. None: The 20 Most Car Dependent Cities in the US is originally published on Insider Monkey.