Most Popular Car in Every State

Every year in each state, some lucky automaker gets to claim the title of having the most popular car. Using data from Insurify, which annually ranks each state’s most commonly purchased car, Cheapism has compiled a list featuring the bestselling car in each state and the District of Columbia. The list is dominated by just 10 cars and only six brands. With a few exceptions, the most popular cars are often clustered by geographical region, where neighboring states seem to prefer the exact same make and model. (Want a glimpse of what driving could be? Here are Cool Concept Cars We Hope to See on the Road in 2020.) 

The Nissan Altima reigns supreme in Alabama, just as it has for the past two years. The Altima dominates the region, actually, with much of the Deep South making the sedan its car of choice.

Unlike so many other states that choose cars in clusters, Alaska stands alone as elevating the RAV4 as the state’s go-to car. Last year, Alaska joined Montana and Wyoming in choosing the Ford Explorer. In 2018, Alaska joined a big-time bandwagon in going with the Honda Civic.

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Arizona is one of 14 states whose favorite car is the Nissan Altima, which is the most popular car in more states than any other model. Both last year and in 2018, the Honda Civic was the car of choice in the Grand Canyon State.

Arkansas is one of the many states that helped to make the Altima America’s most popular car this year, a trend that dominates the entire region. Not much has changed — the Altima was Arkansas’ car of choice both last year and the year before, as well.

The Honda Civic was the No. 2 most popular car across the country in both of the previous two years. This year, however, it comes in at No. 4 with the Golden State counted as one of seven states to elevate the perennially popular Civic. It was the Civic’s third year in a row at the top of California.

This year, the Honda Accord took the Civic’s former spot as the No. 2 most popular car in America. With Colorado standing as one of 11 states where the Accord is the car of choice, only the Altima is more popular across the entire country. It’s a step down — the Accord was No. 1 overall the past two years straight.

Just like Colorado in the West, Connecticut in the East considers the Accord the car of choice. Also like Colorado, Connecticut chose the Accord both last year and the year before, as well, when it stood at the top of the entire list.

Delaware likes to be on the winning team. In 2018 and 2019 when the Accord was the king of the hill, the Accord was the most popular car in the state. Now that the Altima holds the crown, it’s become the car of choice in the First State.

The nation’s capital joined the Altima bandwagon this year. In both 2019 and 2018, Washington, D.C., chose the Toyota Camry, which held the No. 5 and No. 3 overall popularity position then, respectively.

Florida joins a cluster of Southern states in elevating the Nissan Altima to No. 1. The Sunshine State has brand hopped, however. It went with Toyota for the last two years, in the form of the Corolla in 2019 and the Camry in 2018.

Georgia joins its neighbors in the South in going all-in for the Nissan Altima. Both last year and the year before, Georgia peeled off from the Deep South and joined the Southeast in choosing the Honda Accord.

The Toyota Collora is tops in Hawaii this year, just as it was in 2019. Last year, Hawaii joined only Florida in choosing the Corolla. This year, it stands completely alone, one of only four states where their car of choice is most popular in no other state.

The most popular car in Idaho is the Honda Civic. That’s hardly surprising, considering that the trusty Civic was tops in Idaho in both 2019 and 2018, as well.

The arrival of SUVs in the 1990s spelled doom for many full-size cars, but not the vaunted Chevy Malibu, which continues to dominate much of the Midwest and Rust Belt. Illinois, however, is new to the craze. Its No. 1 car was the Camry the past two years straight.

Hoosiers chose the Chevy Malibu more than any other car not just this year, but last year as well. In 2018, it chose another big car from Chevy — the Impala.

Iowa is just one of four states that chose the Impala over all other cars, all of which are located in the Northwest and Upper Midwest. It’s nothing new for Iowa — it’s the third straight year that the Impala was the most popular car in the state. (Find out why the Impala is one of The Least Expensive Cars to Own.)

Unlike most cars on the list, the popularity of the Ford Focus is not concentrated in one region. Kansas and two other far-flung states selected it as their car of choice this year. It’s the second year in a row for Kansas. In 2018, the Toyota Camry was the most popular car in the state. While Ford announced in 2018 that it would be phasing out production of small cars and sedans like the Focus, the carmaker has plans for a hybrid electric version in the works. 

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Kentucky, too, has a soft spot for the big, powerful Malibu, the No. 3 most commonly purchased car in the United States. Last year Kentucky went with the Camry, just as it did the year before in 2018.

Like its neighbors in the Deep South, Louisiana’s car of choice is currently the Nissan Altima, which tops the list as being the most popular in 14 states. The Camry was king in 2018, but Louisiana adopted the Altima as the unofficial state car last year.

Far away from Kansas is Maine, which also honored Ford by making the Focus the most popular car in the state. It’s the second year in a row that the Focus got the nod from Maine, which moved over to the model from the Toyota Corolla, which was tops in 2018.

Maryland is Honda country — this is the third straight year that the Accord reigns supreme in the Mid-Atlantic state. In both of the previous two years, the Accord took the No. 1 spot in statewide popularity rankings but got bumped to No. 2 this year by the Nissan Altima.

The Honda Accord holds the title in several New England states, including Massachusetts, although it’s the winner in states down the Eastern Seaboard well south of even Maryland. The model is new for Massachusetts, but not the brand. The Honda Civic won the state in both of the two previous years.

Between the No. 3 Malibu and No. 5 Impala, Chevy has a lock on much of the Midwest as well as the Rust Belt. Michiganders bought the Malibu more than any other car this year for the third year in a row.

The Impala has the hearts of car buyers in the Northwest and Upper Midwest, including Minnesota. It’s a continuing trend — the Impala has been the most popular car in the Land of 10,000 Lakes for three years running.

Well south of Minnesota is Mississippi, which is one of 14 states that made the Altima the king of all cars this year. Mississippians also preferred the Altima last year when it ranked No. 3, and the year before when it ranked No. 5.

Missouri is well within the region that continues to prefer the Malibu. The move signifies a departure in the state’s preference of makes from Chevy. The Impala won the past two years in a row.

Judging by its location in the Northwest United States, it’s no surprise that Montana chose the Impala. It’s a new adoption for the state, however. Both last year and the year before, the car of choice in Montana was the Ford Explorer.

Nebraska is in the heart of the Midwest, which apparently has its heart set on Chevy. The Cornhusker State chose the Malibu this year, a departure from a different Chevy — the Impala — which won the contest the two previous years.

With 14 entries on the list, the Altima is by no means exclusive only to the South — its popularity stretches across through the Southwest and into the West as far as Nevada. It’s a coup for Nissan in the state — Nevadans had chosen the Toyota Camry the past two years straight.

Much of New England prefers the Honda Accord, but not New Hampshire. It’s one of seven states whose car of choice this year is the Civic, which gives the Civic the title of No. 4 in the rankings. It’s the third straight year that the model swept the Granite State.

The Honda Accord is incredibly popular on the East Coast. Out of 11 states to choose the No. 2 Accord, nine of them — including New Jersey — are states that border the Atlantic Ocean. It’s the third straight year the Accord conquered the Garden State, despite the car’s slide from No. 1 to No. 2 overall.

Starting in Florida and moving West, the entire Southern border of the country is the Nissan Altima’s turf with the exception of California. Among those states is New Mexico, which is always up for grabs. Last year, its car of choice was the Honda Civic. The year before, it was the Toyota Camry.

The states on the East Coast are the domain of Honda, and among them is New York. The Accord was tops in the Empire State this year and last year. In 2018, New Yorkers bought the Civic more than any other car.

If it touches the Atlantic Ocean, its car of choice is probably a Honda — and North Carolina is no exception. Like most of the Honda states, the Tarheel State has shown incredible brand loyalty. It’s the third year straight that the Accord came out on top in North Carolina.

What the Accord is to the East Coast, the Impala is to the Upper Midwest, where North Dakota stakes its claim to the Impala for the second year straight. In 2018, however, it was the Honda Civic that reigned supreme.

The Civic claims two separate clusters of states: one in the West, and one in the Rust Belt/Appalachia portion of the East. Among that cluster of states is Ohio, which chose the Civic last year as well. The year prior in 2018, Ohio was on team Impala.

The Altima’s turf is dominated by, but not exclusive to the South — its reach stretches above Texas into Oklahoma and beyond. Although Oklahoma chose the Altima both this year and last, the Chevy Impala was the car of choice in 2018.

With only two exceptions, the Accord is an East Coast car — and one of those exceptions is Oregon. The choice of car, however, is not an exception. The Accord won Oregon for the last three years straight.

Like Ohio, Pennsylvania is part of the eastern cluster of states that opted for the Honda Civic this year. Last year the Altima was king in Pennsylvania. The year before in 2018, it was a Honda again, but that time, it was the Accord.

As an Eastern coastal state, Rhode Island is right on target in choosing the Honda Accord. The Accord was king last year in America’s smallest state, as well. In 2018, however, Rhode Islanders bought the Toyota Camry more than any other car.

South Carolina is on the East Coast so its most popular car is, you guessed it, the Honda Accord. There’s nothing new to report here, either — this is the third straight year that the Accord took tops in South Carolina.

Not surprising either given its geographic location is South Dakota’s choice of the Chevy Malibu. In both of the two previous years, South Dakotans opted for what is apparently the only other car that people in the Upper Midwest are allowed to buy: the Chevy Impala.

Although the Altima’s reach extends as high up as Delaware, the northernmost Southern state to claim America’s most popular car as their own is Tennessee. It’s the third year straight that Tennesseeans went with the Altima as their car of choice.

Texas is in the exact center of the Nissan Altima’s southern stronghold. The car won the state both this year and last, although two years ago in 2018 the most popular car in Texas was the Honda Civic.

Utah, along with California, Idaho, and one other state, is part of the western bloc of the Honda Civic’s geographically divided fiefdom. It’s a Honda state through and through, but in both of the last two previous years, Utah chose the Accord.

Vermont is one of only four states in America whose most popular car doesn’t show up anywhere else. It chose the Impreza by Subaru, a brand that holds enormous sway in the New England state. In both 2018 and 2019, Vermonters bought the Subaru Legacy more than any other car.

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Virginia touches the Atlantic Ocean and therefore buys the Honda Accord more than any other car. Although the Accord was most popular two years ago in 2018, as well, Virginia jumped off-brand for a year in 2019 when it chose the Ford Focus.

Washington joins Utah, California, and Idaho as the Western outpost of the Honda Civic’s divided kingdom. It’s been that way since 2018 — the Accord has been king for three years straight.

The Ford Focus breaks the pattern by not having a pattern. Its three champion states — Kansas, Maine, and West Virginia — are not even geographical distant cousins. The Appalachian state of West Virginia, however, does love its Focuses — this is the third straight year that the car took the state.

If you didn’t guess that Wisconsin chose the Chevy Malibu by now, you haven’t been paying attention. If you have been paying attention, you can probably guess which car it switched from after two years — you guessed it, the Chevy Impala.

Wyoming joins Alaska, Hawaii, and Vermont as one of only four states to pick a most popular car that wasn’t most popular anywhere else — in this case, the Ford Explorer. The state clearly has an affinity for the vehicle — the Explorer has reigned over Wyoming for three straight years.

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