Which States Drive The Most American-Made Vehicles?

After a 17-year hiatus, the all-new American-made Mustang Mach 1 fastback coupe makes its world premiere - becoming the modern pinnacle of style, handling and 5.0-liter V-8 pony car performance.
After a 17-year hiatus, the all-new American-made Mustang Mach 1 fastback coupe makes its world premiere – becoming the modern pinnacle of style, handling and 5.0-liter V-8 pony car performance.

Many auto enthusiasts like to express their love for their country by purchasing an American-made vehicle from major brands like Ford, Chevrolet, Jeep, Dodge, and GMC. However, these days it can be a little fuzzy over what is defined as an “American” car. For example, Buick is an American nameplate under General Motors that has its cars built in places like Canada, South Korea, Germany, and China. The same can be said for the Japanese automaker Toyota, who has assembly plants here in the U.S. too.

But regardless of the location of where the vehicle is built, for many buyers, the real pride comes from purchasing cars from domestic brands. But which of the 50 states favor American-made cars over foreign? In a study conducted by iSeeCars, over 200,000 auto sales were analyzed to determine which states favor domestic brands over international ones.

Which States Have The Most American-Made Vehicles?

States with the Most American Vehicles
RankState% American
1Michigan76.6%
2North Dakota69.4%
3Wyoming69.3%
4South Dakota68.6%
5Iowa66.6%
6Montana63.9%
7Wisconsin60.1%
8Nebraska59.7%
9Kansas58.2%
10Alaska56.5%
11Indiana56.2%
12Arkansas56.2%
13Missouri55.4%
14West Virginia54.9%
15Kentucky54.6%
16Minnesota54.4%
17Ohio53.4%
18Idaho53.3%
19Maine52.6%
20New Mexico52.4%
21Oklahoma51.7%
22Mississippi51.2%
23Louisiana50.4%
24Illinois47.7%
25Texas46.3%
26Tennessee45.7%
27Alabama45.6%
28South Carolina45.6%
29New Hampshire45.2%
30Vermont45.0%
31Delaware44.9%
National Average44.8%
32Utah44.7%
33Pennsylvania44.3%
34Colorado44.2%
35North Carolina43.1%
36Arizona42.8%
37Georgia41.9%
38New York40.7%
39Rhode Island40.5%
40Virginia40.4%
41Nevada39.9%
42Washington38.8%
43Florida37.0%
44Oregon36.5%
45Maryland35.7%
46Massachusetts33.5%
47New Jersey32.1%
48California31.1%
49Connecticut29.2%
50Hawaii23.7%

As seen by the data, Michigan ranks first of the 50 states with a whopping 76.6%. Of course, it is safe to assume that part of this is due to Detroit, MI (aka “Motor City”) being home to the Big Three automakers: Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors. Along with Michigan, seven of the top 10 states on this list are also located in the Midwest, alluding to their proximity to Michigan.

Hawaii, which was ranked with the fewest American brand vehicles at 23.7%, tends to have a higher concentration of Japanese-made vehicles due to its remote location and diverse population. Hawaii, along with eight other states that were ranked the 10 lowest consumers of American-made cars are also coastal states.

At one point in history, American-made vehicles were seen as inferior to foreign brands. But thanks to many advancements in both technology and engineering, American automakers have caught up to, and in some cases, surpassed other international brands in terms of quality and longevity. So much so that in some foreign markets, American vehicles like the Ford Mustang and Jeep Wrangler are more in-demand than a VW or Porsche.

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