The Most and Least Expensive Cities To Buy a Used Car

Highlights:

• While the average price for a used car is $34,227, the price shifts $6,173 between the most and least expensive U.S. cities

• Cleveland-Akron is the least expensive area to buy a used car, with an average price of $31,458, or 8.1 percent, below the national average

• West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce is the most expensive area to buy a used car, with an average price of $37,632, or 9.9 percent, above the national average

• The Ram 1500 has the biggest price difference between the least and most expensive cities, costing $7,795 more in Denver than it does in Cleveland

• The Chevrolet Malibu and Toyota Tacoma have the biggest percentage difference between the least and most expensive cities, with a more than 17 percent shift in how much a buyer can pay for these models

Used car shoppers willing to look beyond their local market could save substantial money on their next purchase, depending on where they live and how far they can travel. iSeeCars analyzed over 6.5 million used cars across the U.S. to compare the average prices in each of the 50 largest metro areas and discovered a wide spectrum of pricing among them. Between the most and least expensive markets, Cleveland-Akron versus West Palm Beach-Ft. Piearce, the price difference for the average 1- to 5-year-old used car was more than $6,100.

“Research and flexibility are two powerful assets for used car shoppers,” said iSeeCars Executive Analyst Karl Brauer. “Buyers in Cleveland and Cincinnati, the top two cities with the least expensive cars, are already living in the lowest-cost cities and can shop locally. But used car buyers in the most expensive cities like West Palm Beach and Denver might want to research bus and plane schedules as part of their shopping process.”

The Top 10 Least Expensive Cities To Buy a Used Car

Three markets in Ohio make the list of top 10 cheapest used car cities, suggesting used car prices are generally lower in the Buckeye State. Buyers in all 10 of the least expensive cities are likely to find attractive used car pricing in their local markets. The ability to save between $1,700 and $2,700 could still justify the time and effort to travel to the least expensive cities to buy used cars, especially for shoppers who live relatively close to them. 

“While these cities have attractive overall used car pricing, buyers in these markets still need to look at specific models to confirm they can’t find a better deal somewhere else,” said Brauer. “It’s easy to research car pricing, both locally and nationally, so there’s no reason not to look beyond your area to get a sense of how much prices vary for a given model.”

The Top 10 Most Expensive Cities To Buy a Used Car

The most expensive cities to buy a used car are widely scattered throughout the U.S., with West Palm Beach, Denver, Austin, and Seattle ranking in the top four slots. Florida and Texas each have two cities on the list, but cities in Colorado, Washington, Utah, North Carolina, California, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire also make an appearance. Paying between $1,000 and $3,400 above the average used car price is even more costly for buyers financing a used car purchase in this high interest rate environment.

“Used car buyers in the most expensive markets should look to nearby cities to save money on their next purchase,” said Brauer. “For instance, while West Palm Beach, Florida, has the highest average used car price, Orlando is one of the cheapest cities and is less than 200 miles away.”