The burden of owning a car is greatest in Wyoming and smallest in Iowa, according to a review of insurance, gas and repair cost estimates by state.
Car ownership costs a typical Wyoming driver $2,705 in repairs, gas and insurance, according to Bankrate.com, a personal finance publisher. In Iowa, that total cost is an estimated $1,942. On average, gas accounted for 45 percent of the overall cost of owning a car in each state, with auto insurance accounting for 39 percent. Repairs accounted for 16 percent on average.
Bankrate calculated repair costs using data from CarMD.com, gas costs using data from GasBuddy.com and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, and insurance costs using data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Repair costs ranged from $270 in Vermont to $393 in New Jersey. Insurance costs ranged from $630 in Iowa to $1,277 in Louisiana. And gas costs ranged from $713 in New York to $1,588 in Wyoming.