Looking to Buy a Used Car? These Are the 20 States Where You’ll Pay the Most Money

If you’re planning to purchase a used car in Alaska any time soon, you have our condolences. As Jalopnik reports, the average price of a used car there is nearly $29,700—a full 20 percent above the national average of $24,710.

The stats come from a new study by iSeeCars.com, where researchers analyzed 8 million car sales between February and July of this year and ranked prices on used vehicles across all 50 states, from most to least expensive. None topped Alaska, but Wyoming came close, with an average price of $29,419, roughly 19 percent over the national average. In general, the Mountain States are the worst region to buy a used car: Three of them (Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho) made the top five.

Beyond that regional trend, the rest of the top 20 are quite geographically diverse. Arkansas took fourth place; New York, California, and Florida took ninth, 10th, and 11th, respectively; North Carolina landed in 19th; and Rhode Island rounded out the list with an average price tag of $24,962, a single percent above the national average.

Since many of the more expensive states are relatively spread out, it might be worth hunting for a used car in a neighboring state instead. Illinois, for example, is in 28th place with a $24,421 average, but Indiana came in dead last at $21,961. Wyoming residents, meanwhile, could save a good $5000 by crossing the border into Utah or Colorado.

When it comes to regions with the cheapest used cars, the Midwest looks pretty appealing. In addition to Indiana, other states that made the bottom 10 on the list include Ohio, Iowa, Minnesota, and Michigan. (So did Connecticut, Virginia, Kentucky, Hawaii, and Delaware.)

As for why used cars are so pricey these days, it’s a good old-fashioned case of low supply and high demand. According to Insider, this is partially because a microchip shortage is causing manufacturing delays for new cars, so more people are opting for used cars. That delay is also preventing rental-car companies from buying a bunch of new cars and selling off their used cars. People who probably would’ve traded in their used cars by now are likely keeping them instead. In short, the flow of used cars into the market has slowed down considerably, driving up prices for those that are for sale.

Scroll on to see the 20 states most affected by these issues, and find out more about iSeeCars.com’s full study here.

1. Alaska // $29,656
2. Wyoming // $29,419
3. Montana // $27,303
4. Arkansas // $27,123
5. Idaho // $26,662
6. Texas // $26,620
7. New Mexico // $26,261
8. Mississippi // $25,788
9. New York // $25,693
10. California // $25,555
11. Florida // $25,478
12. Nevada // $25,317
13. Georgia // $25,299
14. West Virginia // $25,260
15. North Dakota // $25,259
16. South Dakota // $25,156
17. Oklahoma // $25,128
18. Louisiana // $24,979
19. North Carolina // $24,976
20. Rhode Island // $24,962

[h/t Jalopnik]