Here’s the Most Popular Car Brand Among Gen Z in Each State

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There are still members of Gen Z — the demographic born between 1997 and 2012 — who aren’t old enough to drive. For Gen Zers who are old enough to be out there driving and buying cars, Chevrolet is the most popular brand in more U.S. states than any of its competitors.
That’s according to rankings released this month by Insurify, an auto insurance comparison shopping website.
Key Findings:
- When it comes to makes, Chevy leads the way among Gen Zers in 20 states, followed by Honda (10 states), Ford (eight states), Toyota (six states), Nissan (five states) and Subaru (one state).
- The rankings for Gen Z’s most popular models tell a different story, with the Honda Civic, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry topping the list. Chevy’s Malibu was its highest entry, coming in eighth.
John Martell, associate director for category planning and analytics at Carvana, added that Gen Z is particularly price-conscious and more interested in smaller, more affordable vehicles compared to other generations.
“Many Gen Z purchases are compact vehicles … these selections underscore Gen Z’s price sensitivity and practical approach to car ownership,” Martell said. “This approach is likely echoed in their choice of vehicles that are fuel efficient.”
There is also data showing that members of Gen Z tend to approach their car search with more of an open mind than other generations.
“Looking at brand preference, the most noteworthy point here is that Gen Z is generally undecided and open to influence when it comes to shopping car brands,” said Jenni Newman, editor-in-chief for Cars.com. “In fact, 81% of Gen Z shoppers on Cars.com have not yet decided on a make or model. Contrast that with Boomers, who are at 68% — the lowest of any generation.”
Insurify’s state rankings for Gen Z reflect a preference for Toyota in the western U.S., Honda in the Northeast and Ford in the Mountain West. Chevy leads the way in Midwest and south-central states.
Read on for Insurify’s full list. And if you’re interested in what car brands other generations prefer, here are the most popular cars broken down by generation.
Alabama
- Chevrolet
Alaska
- Chevrolet
Arizona
- Chevrolet
Arkansas
- Chevrolet
California
- Toyota
Colorado
- Ford
Connecticut
- Honda
Delaware
- Nissan
Florida
- Toyota
Georgia
- Nissan
Hawaii
- Toyota
Idaho
- Ford
Illinois
- Chevrolet
Indiana
- Chevrolet
Iowa
- Chevrolet
Kansas
- Ford
Kentucky
- Chevrolet
Louisiana
- Nissan
Maine
- Ford
Maryland
- Honda
Massachusetts
- Honda
Michigan
- Chevrolet
Minnesota
- Chevrolet
Mississippi
- Nissan
Missouri
- Chevrolet
Montana
- Ford
Nebraska
- Chevrolet
Nevada
- Toyota
New Hampshire
- Honda
New Jersey
- Honda
New Mexico
- Chevrolet
New York
- Honda
North Carolina
- Honda
North Dakota
- Chevrolet
Ohio
- Chevrolet
Oklahoma
- Chevrolet
Oregon
- Toyota
Pennsylvania
- Honda
Rhode Island
- Honda
South Carolina
- Chevrolet
South Dakota
- Ford
Tennessee
- Nissan
Texas
- Chevrolet
Utah
- Ford
Vermont
- Subaru
Virginia
- Honda
Washington
- Toyota
West Virginia
- Ford
Wisconsin
- Chevrolet
Wyoming
- Chevrolet