Most popular car colors nationally, by state, and by city
By Julie Blackley
When it comes to the most popular car colors, the answer is literally black or white according to a recent analysis by iSeeCars.com.
The study examined over 6.1 million cars on the road to determine the share for each color. White is the nation’s most popular color, making up over a quarter of cars, followed by black, gray, and silver.
Here are America’s most popular car colors:
| Most Popular Car Colors - iSeeCars Study | ||
| Rank | Color | % Share |
| 1 | White | 25.8% |
| 2 | Black | 22.3% |
| 3 | Gray | 18.4% |
| 4 | Silver | 12.1% |
| 5 | Blue | 9.5% |
| 6 | Red | 8.6% |
| 7 | Brown | 0.9% |
| 8 | Green | 0.8% |
| 9 | Orange | 0.6% |
| 10 | Beige | 0.5% |
| 11 | Purple | 0.3% |
| 12 | Gold | 0.2% |
| 13 | Yellow | 0.1% |
Grayscale-colored cars (white, black, gray, and silver) account for 78.5 percent of all vehicles on the road. White is the most popular car color for car buyers , accounting for 25.8 percent of all vehicles. “White’s popularity can be attributed to it being one of the easiest colors to maintain, and because it is a common color for fleet and rental vehicles, white is prevalent in the used car market,” said Karl Brauer, Executive Analyst for iSeeCars.
Black cars rank second at 23.2 percent, followed by gray in third and silver in fourth. “Black remains a popular choice for car buyers, and its popularity is emphasized by many automakers choosing to release special black editions of their vehicles for an added cost,” said Brauer. “Moreover, consumers may prefer gray and silver because they are practical colors, yet are slightly more novel than white and black.”
The most popular non-grayscale cars are blue in fifth and red in sixth. “Subdued blue hues are likely a popular choice among consumers who want to stand out in the sea of cars in neutral colors without being too flashy,” said Brauer, adding, “Red cars are commonly associated with sports cars, with performance-oriented drivers often opting for this hue.”
The remaining colors include brown, green, beige, orange, gold, yellow, and purple. Combined, these colors account for just 3.3 percent of cars on the road.
Car color also plays a role in a new vehicle’s eventual resale value. “Less popular car colors tend to depreciate less because they are scarce in the used car marketplace, while grayscale colors depreciate close to average,” said Brauer. “
Most Popular Car Colors: 2017 vs. 2022
iSeeCars compared color trends from 2017 to 2022 to see if consumer preferences have changed. “When comparing car color popularity in 2017 to 2022, the dominance of grayscale colors remains constant but the top color is different, as black narrowly edged out white five years ago,” said Brauer. “However, grayscale cars accounted for a slightly larger percentage in 2022 (78.6% in 2022 vs 76.2% in 2017), which suggests present-day consumers used to be more slightly more open to jewel tone and brighter colored hues.”
| Most Popular Car Colors - iSeeCars Study 2022 vs. 2017 | ||||
| 2022 | 2017 | |||
| Rank | Color | % Share | Color | % Share |
| 1 | White | 25.8% | Black | 23.3% |
| 2 | Black | 22.3% | White | 22.4% |
| 3 | Gray | 18.4% | Silver | 15.4% |
| 4 | Silver | 12.1% | Gray | 15.1% |
| 5 | Blue | 9.5% | Red | 10.8% |
| 6 | Red | 8.6% | Blue | 8.4% |
| 7 | Brown | 0.9% | Brown | 2.0% |
| 8 | Green | 0.8% | Green | 0.9% |
| 9 | Orange | 0.6% | Gold | 0.5% |
| 10 | Beige | 0.5% | Orange | 0.4% |
| 11 | Purple | 0.3% | Beige | 0.3% |
| 12 | Gold | 0.2% | Yellow | 0.2% |
| 13 | Yellow | 0.1% | Purple | 0.1% |
Car Color Popularity by State
iSeeCars also examined the most popular car colors by each state, and only two colors are represented. White dominated as the preferred vehicle color in 36 states, while black was the top color in 14.
Due to the overwhelming popularity of white, black, gray, and silver cars, iSeeCars also determined the most popular color outside of these hues. Blue was the most popular color in 33 states, while red was the most popular in 17.
| Most Popular Car Colors by State - iSeeCars Study | ||||
| Top Color | Top Non-Grayscale Color | |||
| State | Color | % Share | Color | % Share |
| Alabama | White | 27.6% | Red | 8.5% |
| Alaska | White | 22.3% | Blue | 12.1% |
| Arizona | White | 29.7% | Blue | 8.8% |
| Arkansas | White | 28.2% | Red | 10.3% |
| California | White | 30.2% | Blue | 8.2% |
| Colorado | White | 25.6% | Blue | 10.1% |
| Connecticut | Black | 24.2% | Blue | 11.3% |
| Delaware | White | 23.6% | Blue | 11.5% |
| Florida | White | 27.1% | Blue | 9.5% |
| Georgia | White | 26.8% | Blue | 8.3% |
| Hawaii | White | 29.6% | Blue | 8.6% |
| Idaho | White | 28.4% | Blue | 9.5% |
| Illinois | Black | 25.2% | Blue | 9.9% |
| Indiana | Black | 23.8% | Red | 10.7% |
| Iowa | White | 25.5% | Red | 11.5% |
| Kansas | White | 26.1% | Red | 10.0% |
| Kentucky | White | 25.0% | Red | 9.7% |
| Louisiana | White | 28.8% | Blue | 7.4% |
| Maine | Black | 22.3% | Blue | 10.9% |
| Maryland | Black | 23.8% | Blue | 11.3% |
| Massachusetts | Black | 24.8% | Blue | 10.4% |
| Michigan | Black | 25.0% | Blue | 11.1% |
| Minnesota | Black | 24.6% | Red | 10.1% |
| Mississippi | White | 29.1% | Red | 7.8% |
| Missouri | White | 25.0% | Red | 10.2% |
| Montana | White | 27.4% | Blue | 10.0% |
| Nebraska | White | 25.8% | Red | 11.9% |
| Nevada | White | 28.6% | Blue | 8.8% |
| New Hampshire | White | 26.7% | Blue | 11.1% |
| New Jersey | Black | 25.9% | Blue | 9.9% |
| New Mexico | White | 26.7% | Blue | 9.5% |
| New York | Black | 24.8% | Blue | 10.9% |
| North Carolina | White | 26.4% | Blue | 9.4% |
| North Dakota | White | 24.2% | Red | 11.5% |
| Ohio | Black | 23.9% | Blue | 10.6% |
| Oklahoma | White | 27.3% | Red | 10.1% |
| Oregon | White | 26.0% | Blue | 9.7% |
| Pennsylvania | White | 22.9% | Blue | 11.3% |
| Rhode Island | Black | 24.0% | Blue | 10.2% |
| South Carolina | White | 26.6% | Blue | 8.7% |
| South Dakota | White | 24.1% | Red | 11.3% |
| Tennessee | White | 25.5% | Blue | 8.9% |
| Texas | White | 26.9% | Red | 8.7% |
| Utah | White | 29.0% | Blue | 8.4% |
| Vermont | Black | 20.0% | Blue | 12.1% |
| Virginia | White | 23.5% | Blue | 11.1% |
| Washington | White | 26.0% | Blue | 10.4% |
| West Virginia | White | 23.2% | Red | 12.2% |
| Wisconsin | Black | 24.9% | Red | 11.3% |
| Wyoming | White | 25.9% | Red | 10.8% |
What are the Most Colorful States?
iSeeCars further analyzed state data to rank states based on their share of non-grayscale vehicles (non-black, white, gray, and silver). The most colorful state is West Virginia, while the least colorful state is California.
| Most Colorful States - iSeeCars Study | ||
| Rank | State | % Share of Colorful Cars* |
| 1 | West Virginia | 28.1% |
| 2 | Vermont | 27.0% |
| 3 | Wyoming | 26.6% |
| 4 | Alaska | 25.8% |
| 5 | South Dakota | 25.8% |
| 6 | Wisconsin | 25.6% |
| 7 | Maine | 25.5% |
| 8 | Michigan | 25.3% |
| 9 | North Dakota | 25.1% |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | 24.9% |
| 11 | Indiana | 24.8% |
| 12 | Nebraska | 24.7% |
| 13 | Ohio | 24.6% |
| 14 | Montana | 24.2% |
| 15 | Delaware | 23.9% |
| 16 | Iowa | 23.9% |
| 17 | Minnesota | 23.6% |
| 18 | Virginia | 23.2% |
| 19 | Maryland | 22.9% |
| 20 | Missouri | 22.7% |
| 21 | New Mexico | 22.7% |
| 22 | Idaho | 22.7% |
| 23 | Kansas | 22.4% |
| 24 | Colorado | 22.4% |
| 25 | New Hampshire | 22.4% |
| 26 | New York | 22.4% |
| 27 | Kentucky | 22.3% |
| 28 | Illinois | 22.0% |
| 29 | Washington | 21.9% |
| National Average | 21.5% | |
| 30 | Connecticut | 21.4% |
| 31 | Florida | 21.3% |
| 32 | Tennessee | 21.3% |
| 33 | Arkansas | 21.2% |
| 34 | Oregon | 21.1% |
| 35 | Oklahoma | 20.9% |
| 36 | North Carolina | 20.7% |
| 37 | Rhode Island | 20.7% |
| 38 | Massachusetts | 20.4% |
| 39 | South Carolina | 20.4% |
| 40 | Arizona | 20.4% |
| 41 | Nevada | 20.2% |
| 42 | Texas | 19.7% |
| 43 | Alabama | 19.6% |
| 44 | Georgia | 19.6% |
| 45 | Utah | 19.3% |
| 46 | New Jersey | 19.1% |
| 47 | Mississippi | 17.9% |
| 48 | Louisiana | 17.8% |
| 49 | Hawaii | 17.3% |
| 50 | California | 17.0% |
*Colorful Cars exclude black, white, gray, or silver cars.
Most Popular Car Colors by City
In the 50 most populated metro areas in the United States , white and black are the only colors represented as the most popular car colors . White cars earn the distinction in 37 metro areas, while black is the most popular in 13. Similar to the state data, blue is the most popular non-grayscale color in most metro areas with 42. Red cars are the most popular in only eight.
| Most Popular Car Colors by City | ||||
| DMA | Top Color | % Share | Top Non-Grayscale Color | % Share |
| Albuquerque-Santa Fe, NM | White | 26.7% | Blue | 9.5% |
| Atlanta, GA | White | 26.4% | Blue | 8.6% |
| Austin, TX | White | 26.7% | Blue | 8.8% |
| Baltimore, MD | Black | 24.0% | Blue | 11.3% |
| Birmingham, AL | White | 27.5% | Red | 8.1% |
| Boston, MA-Manchester, NH | White | 25.0% | Blue | 10.6% |
| Charlotte, NC | White | 26.2% | Blue | 9.4% |
| Chicago, IL | Black | 25.8% | Blue | 9.8% |
| Cincinnati, OH | Black | 24.5% | Blue | 11.0% |
| Cleveland-Akron (Canton), OH | Black | 23.8% | Blue | 10.8% |
| Columbus, OH | Black | 24.3% | Blue | 10.1% |
| Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX | White | 27.6% | Red | 8.2% |
| Denver, CO | White | 25.7% | Blue | 10.3% |
| Detroit, MI | Black | 26.0% | Blue | 10.9% |
| Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo, MI | Black | 24.2% | Blue | 10.5% |
| Greensboro-Winston Salem, NC | White | 27.0% | Blue | 9.0% |
| Greenville-Spartanburg, SC | White | 26.5% | Red | 9.2% |
| Harrisburg-Lancaster-York, PA | White | 23.0% | Blue | 12.2% |
| Hartford & New Haven, CT | White | 24.2% | Blue | 11.2% |
| Houston, TX | White | 25.9% | Blue | 8.4% |
| Indianapolis, IN | Black | 24.1% | Red | 10.6% |
| Jacksonville, FL | White | 26.0% | Blue | 9.5% |
| Kansas City, MO | White | 25.9% | Red | 9.4% |
| Las Vegas, NV | White | 28.6% | Blue | 8.5% |
| Los Angeles, CA | White | 30.1% | Blue | 8.0% |
| Louisville, KY | White | 24.0% | Red | 10.5% |
| Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL | White | 28.0% | Blue | 8.8% |
| Milwaukee, WI | Black | 25.9% | Blue | 10.7% |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | Black | 25.0% | Blue | 9.8% |
| Nashville, TN | White | 25.3% | Blue | 8.9% |
| New Orleans, LA | White | 27.4% | Blue | 8.0% |
| New York, NY | Black | 25.8% | Blue | 10.1% |
| Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News,VA | White | 23.0% | Blue | 10.9% |
| Oklahoma City, OK | White | 27.5% | Red | 9.6% |
| Orlando-Daytona Beach, FL | White | 25.7% | Blue | 9.8% |
| Philadelphia, PA | Black | 24.5% | Blue | 10.7% |
| Phoenix, AZ | White | 29.7% | Blue | 8.7% |
| Pittsburgh, PA | White | 23.4% | Blue | 10.6% |
| Portland, OR | White | 25.3% | Blue | 9.9% |
| Raleigh-Durham (Fayetteville), NC | White | 26.1% | Blue | 9.4% |
| Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, CA | White | 31.5% | Blue | 8.1% |
| Salt Lake City, UT | White | 29.0% | Blue | 8.4% |
| San Antonio, TX | White | 25.6% | Blue | 9.2% |
| San Diego, CA | White | 30.0% | Blue | 8.2% |
| San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA | White | 29.0% | Blue | 9.5% |
| Seattle-Tacoma, WA | White | 26.5% | Blue | 10.5% |
| St. Louis, MO | White | 24.5% | Red | 9.8% |
| Tampa-St Petersburg (Sarasota), FL | White | 26.5% | Blue | 9.9% |
| Washington, DC (Hagerstown, MD) | Black | 23.9% | Blue | 11.3% |
| West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, FL | White | 28.2% | Blue | 9.5% |
What are the Most Colorful Cities?
iSeeCars further analyzed the city metro area data to rank the 50 most popular cities based on their share of non-grayscale vehicles (non-black, white, gray, and silver). The most colorful metro area is Harrisburg-Lancaster-York, PA , while the least colorful is Los Angeles, CA.
| Most Colorful Cities - iSeeCars Study | ||
| Rank | DMA | % Share of Colorful Cars* |
| 1 | Harrisburg-Lancaster-York, PA | 26.3% |
| 2 | Pittsburgh, PA | 24.8% |
| 3 | Indianapolis, IN | 24.8% |
| 4 | Detroit, MI | 24.4% |
| 5 | Cleveland-Akron (Canton), OH | 24.3% |
| 6 | Cincinnati, OH | 24.3% |
| 7 | Louisville, KY | 24.1% |
| 8 | Milwaukee, WI | 24.0% |
| 9 | Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo, MI | 24.0% |
| 10 | Columbus, OH | 23.4% |
| 11 | Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News,VA | 23.2% |
| 12 | Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | 23.1% |
| 13 | Washington, DC (Hagerstown, MD) | 22.9% |
| 14 | Albuquerque-Santa Fe, NM | 22.7% |
| 15 | Tampa-St Petersburg (Sarasota), FL | 22.7% |
| 16 | St. Louis, MO | 22.5% |
| 17 | Baltimore, MD | 22.5% |
| 18 | Orlando-Daytona Beach, FL | 22.3% |
| 19 | Denver, CO | 22.3% |
| 20 | San Antonio, TX | 21.9% |
| 21 | Greenville-Spartanburg, SC | 21.9% |
| 22 | Hartford & New Haven, CT | 21.8% |
| 23 | Philadelphia, PA | 21.7% |
| 24 | Seattle-Tacoma, WA | 21.6% |
| 25 | Kansas City, MO | 21.5% |
| 26 | Portland, OR | 21.5% |
| National Average | 21.5% | |
| 27 | Jacksonville, FL | 21.1% |
| 28 | Greensboro-Winston Salem, NC | 21.0% |
| 29 | Chicago, IL | 21.0% |
| 30 | Nashville, TN | 20.8% |
| 31 | Boston, MA-Manchester, NH | 20.8% |
| 32 | West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, FL | 20.6% |
| 33 | Raleigh-Durham (Fayetteville), NC | 20.6% |
| 34 | Oklahoma City, OK | 20.3% |
| 35 | Austin, TX | 20.3% |
| 36 | Charlotte, NC | 20.2% |
| 37 | Phoenix, AZ | 20.0% |
| 38 | Las Vegas, NV | 19.8% |
| 39 | Houston, TX | 19.7% |
| 40 | Atlanta, GA | 19.6% |
| 41 | Salt Lake City, UT | 19.4% |
| 42 | New York, NY | 19.3% |
| 43 | Birmingham, AL | 19.1% |
| 44 | San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA | 18.5% |
| 45 | Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL | 18.5% |
| 46 | Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX | 18.2% |
| 47 | New Orleans, LA | 18.1% |
| 48 | Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, CA | 17.7% |
| 49 | San Diego, CA | 16.9% |
| 50 | Los Angeles, CA | 16.2% |
*Colorful Cars exclude black, white, gray, or silver cars.
Methodology:
iSeeCars analyzed over 6.1 million one- to five-year-old used cars (model years 2017 - 2021) sold between January and August of 2022. The color of each car, as well as the location of sale, was tallied to determine the most popular car color nationally, in each state, and in each metro area.
About iSeeCars.com:
iSeeCars.com is a data-driven car search and research company that helps shoppers find the best car deals by providing key insights and valuable resources, including the iSeeCars VIN Check report and Best Cars Rankings. iSeeCars has saved users over $396 million so far by applying big data analytics powered by over 25 billion (and growing) data points and using proprietary algorithms to objectively analyze, score and rank millions of new cars and used cars.