Used car prices soared nationally over the past 6 years due to supply chain issues and increased demand, with no area immune to the price inflation. Rhode Island recorded the largest state increase in average 3-year-old used car prices since before the pandemic, while Salt Lake City led the 25 largest metro areas, with both increases approaching 50% and far outpacing the national rate. The iSeeCars analysis found that the nationwide used car price average rose 38.2%, from $23,624 in 2019 to $32,651 in 2026.
The study analyzed the prices of more than 2 million 3-year-old used cars sold from January through June of 2019 and 2026. It found that while the state list is geographically mixed, the metro list shows a much clearer regional divide: metro areas in the South and inland West tended to have the largest increases in pricing.
States with the largest price increases are geographically diverse
Among the states, Rhode Island ranked first with a 49.5% increase, its average price rising from $22,027 in 2019 to $32,938 in 2026. Utah was close behind at 48.9%. Both increases were roughly 1.3 times the national rate.
The next three states formed a particularly tight Southeastern cluster. Florida ranked third at 44.6%, Georgia was fourth at 44.4% and North Carolina was fifth at 44.2%. Arizona followed at 43.7%.
The top 10 states are split among several regions. Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire give New England three places, while Utah, Arizona and Colorado provide another three from the inland West. Florida, Georgia and North Carolina account for three more from the Southeast, with Minnesota as the remaining state.
| States With the Largest 3-Year-Old Used Car Price Increases, 2019 vs. 2026 - iSeeCars Study | |||||
| Rank | State | Average Price, 2019 | Average Price, 2026 | Change | Compared with National Average |
| 1 | Rhode Island | $22,027 | $32,938 | 49.5% | 1.30x |
| 2 | Utah | $23,421 | $34,866 | 48.9% | 1.28x |
| 3 | Florida | $23,373 | $33,796 | 44.6% | 1.17x |
| 4 | Georgia | $24,117 | $34,825 | 44.4% | 1.16x |
| 5 | North Carolina | $23,210 | $33,469 | 44.2% | 1.16x |
| 6 | Arizona | $23,493 | $33,767 | 43.7% | 1.14x |
| 7 | Minnesota | $24,125 | $34,207 | 41.8% | 1.09x |
| 8 | Colorado | $24,783 | $35,011 | 41.3% | 1.08x |
| 9 | Connecticut | $23,278 | $32,860 | 41.2% | 1.08x |
| 10 | New Hampshire | $23,040 | $32,511 | 41.1% | 1.08x |
| 11 | Nevada | $24,101 | $33,858 | 40.5% | 1.06x |
| 12 | North Dakota | $25,658 | $35,898 | 39.9% | 1.04x |
| 13 | Massachusetts | $23,418 | $32,643 | 39.4% | 1.03x |
| 14 | Tennessee | $23,886 | $33,286 | 39.4% | 1.03x |
| 15 | Illinois | $23,924 | $33,257 | 39.0% | 1.02x |
| 16 | Nebraska | $25,396 | $35,276 | 38.9% | 1.02x |
| 17 | Ohio | $22,221 | $30,825 | 38.7% | 1.01x |
| 18 | Maine | $23,565 | $32,638 | 38.5% | 1.01x |
| 19 | Wisconsin | $23,635 | $32,719 | 38.4% | 1.01x |
| National Average | $23,624 | $32,651 | 38.2% | -- | |
| 20 | Texas | $25,308 | $34,952 | 38.1% | 1.0x |
| 21 | Vermont | $23,547 | $32,410 | 37.6% | 0.99x |
| 22 | South Carolina | $23,815 | $32,726 | 37.4% | 0.98x |
| 23 | Indiana | $23,015 | $31,618 | 37.4% | 0.98x |
| 24 | California | $24,127 | $33,067 | 37.1% | 0.97x |
| 25 | New York | $23,523 | $32,178 | 36.8% | 0.96x |
| 26 | Kansas | $23,750 | $32,448 | 36.6% | 0.96x |
| 27 | Virginia | $23,530 | $32,138 | 36.6% | 0.96x |
| 28 | Kentucky | $23,242 | $31,725 | 36.5% | 0.96x |
| 29 | Alabama | $24,144 | $32,952 | 36.5% | 0.95x |
| 30 | Pennsylvania | $23,186 | $31,559 | 36.1% | 0.95x |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $25,155 | $33,985 | 35.1% | 0.92x |
| 32 | Michigan | $23,885 | $32,176 | 34.7% | 0.91x |
| 33 | New Jersey | $24,084 | $32,441 | 34.7% | 0.91x |
| 34 | South Dakota | $27,106 | $36,402 | 34.3% | 0.90x |
| 35 | Idaho | $27,736 | $37,232 | 34.2% | 0.90x |
| 36 | Montana | $28,756 | $38,524 | 34.0% | 0.89x |
| 37 | Washington | $25,734 | $34,310 | 33.3% | 0.87x |
| 38 | Louisiana | $24,740 | $32,834 | 32.7% | 0.86x |
| 39 | Maryland | $23,386 | $30,999 | 32.6% | 0.85x |
| 40 | Missouri | $24,312 | $32,220 | 32.5% | 0.85x |
| 41 | Mississippi | $24,394 | $32,308 | 32.4% | 0.85x |
| 42 | Oregon | $25,448 | $33,649 | 32.2% | 0.84x |
| 43 | Iowa | $25,401 | $33,532 | 32.0% | 0.84x |
| 44 | New Mexico | $25,242 | $33,223 | 31.6% | 0.83x |
| 45 | Arkansas | $25,569 | $33,535 | 31.2% | 0.82x |
| 46 | Wyoming | $30,067 | $38,618 | 28.4% | 0.74x |
| 47 | Alaska | $27,288 | $34,822 | 27.6% | 0.72x |
| 48 | Delaware | $23,864 | $30,411 | 27.4% | 0.72x |
| 49 | West Virginia | $25,251 | $32,002 | 26.7% | 0.70x |
| 50 | Hawaii | $24,022 | $29,566 | 23.1% | 0.60x |
The biggest metro increases mirror the state trends
The 25 metro areas with the largest used-car price increases present a more consistent regional story. Salt Lake City ranked first with a 48.3% increase, followed by Atlanta at 46.5%, Charlotte at 46.1% and Miami-Ft. Lauderdale at 46.0%. All 10 of the highest-ranked metros are in the South or inland West. Nine of those 10 metro areas are located in states that rank among the top eight. For example, Salt Lake City aligns with second-ranked Utah, while Atlanta aligns with fourth-ranked Georgia. Dallas-Ft. Worth, ranked 10th among metros, is the only exception because Texas ranks 20th among states.
| Three-Year-Old Used Car Price Increases in the 25 Largest Metro Areas, 2019 vs. 2026 - iSeeCars Study | |||||
| Rank | Metro Area | Average Price, 2019 | Average Price, 2026 | Change | Compared with National Average |
| 1 | Salt Lake City, UT | $23,535 | $34,901 | 48.3% | 1.26x |
| 2 | Atlanta, GA | $24,183 | $35,435 | 46.5% | 1.22x |
| 3 | Charlotte, NC | $23,164 | $33,845 | 46.1% | 1.21x |
| 4 | Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL | $23,690 | $34,578 | 46.0% | 1.20x |
| 5 | Tampa-St Petersburg (Sarasota), FL | $22,852 | $33,017 | 44.5% | 1.16x |
| 6 | Phoenix, AZ | $23,628 | $33,871 | 43.4% | 1.13x |
| 7 | Raleigh-Durham (Fayetteville), NC | $23,159 | $33,162 | 43.2% | 1.13x |
| 8 | Orlando-Daytona Beach, FL | $22,653 | $32,306 | 42.6% | 1.12x |
| 9 | Denver, CO | $25,140 | $35,751 | 42.2% | 1.10x |
| 10 | Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX | $25,392 | $35,774 | 40.9% | 1.07x |
| 11 | Boston, MA-Manchester, NH | $23,686 | $33,269 | 40.5% | 1.06x |
| 12 | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | $24,121 | $33,846 | 40.3% | 1.06x |
| 13 | Los Angeles, CA | $23,896 | $33,428 | 39.9% | 1.04x |
| 14 | Chicago, IL | $23,710 | $32,811 | 38.4% | 1.0x |
| National Average | $23,624 | $32,651 | 38.2% | -- | |
| 15 | Houston, TX | $25,348 | $34,897 | 37.7% | 0.99x |
| 16 | Cleveland-Akron (Canton), OH | $21,828 | $29,914 | 37.0% | 0.97x |
| 17 | Washington, DC (Hagerstown, MD) | $23,459 | $32,112 | 36.9% | 0.97x |
| 18 | Portland, OR | $25,104 | $34,312 | 36.7% | 0.96x |
| 19 | San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA | $24,903 | $33,989 | 36.5% | 0.95x |
| 20 | Philadelphia, PA | $23,334 | $31,675 | 35.7% | 0.94x |
| 21 | New York, NY | $24,201 | $32,829 | 35.6% | 0.93x |
| 22 | San Diego, CA | $23,502 | $31,526 | 34.1% | 0.89x |
| 23 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | $25,848 | $34,115 | 32.0% | 0.84x |
| 24 | Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, CA | $24,347 | $32,086 | 31.8% | 0.83x |
| 25 | Detroit, MI | $24,144 | $31,814 | 31.8% | 0.83x |
Average prices rose in every state and every metro analyzed. For shoppers, the rankings are most useful as local market context rather than an affordability list: a smaller percentage increase in price does not necessarily mean lower current prices. The average used car price information for the top 25 markets can also suggest where shoppers might look, beyond their local market, for a lower price. Once a shopper finds a specific vehicle, an iSeeCars VIN Report can help determine whether its asking price is competitive in the local market.
Methodology
iSeeCars analyzed the prices of over 2 million 3-year-old used cars sold from January through June of 2019 and 2026. The difference in price was calculated for each state and for the 25 largest metro areas and also compared to the nationwide average price difference.
