6 States Where You’ll Pay the Most To Lease a Car

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Some of the most expensive states in the country when it comes to cost of living are also home to some of the most pricey car leases. In some of those places, it costs well over $700 for the average lease payment.

According to Experian data from the second quarter of 2024, the average monthly car lease payment was $638. By the way, that’s only slightly lower than the average monthly auto loan payment of $655.

Here’s a look at six states where you’ll pay the most to lease a car — much more than the average.

Also see the cost of owning a car for a year in every state.

Texas

• Average monthly lease payment: $761

The numbers show Texas is far and away the most expensive when it comes to car leases. 

According to Experian, this could be due to how taxes are collected on leased vehicles. In Texas, as well as in some other states, the vehicle’s full sales tax amount is collected from the lessee. The tax is spread across the monthly lease payments, but it still makes the lease payment higher than lease payments in states where sales tax isn’t collected on the entire cost of the car during the leased time period.

Vehicle preferences also likely play a part, according to Experian. More expensive full-size trucks are among the most popular vehicles in Texas. As reported by J.D. Power last year, the most popular vehicle in Texas at the time was the Ford F-150.

California

• Average monthly lease payment: $734

You may not be totally surprised to see California on the list of states where you’ll pay the most to lease a car. But it’s quite a bit less expensive than Texas.

California is known for being expensive. In fact, according to RentCafe, the cost of living in the state is 38% higher than the national average. Transportation costs are 30% higher than the national average.

Louisiana

• Average monthly lease payment: $714

You might pay more than you expect to lease a car in Louisiana. The state ranks among the most expensive for car leases. This might be somewhat of a surprise, given that Louisiana is not often recognized as being among the most expensive states.

However, part of the reason is likely that expensive trucks are quite popular in the state. The F-150 was also the most popular car in Louisiana, per J.D. Power.

Nevada

• Average monthly lease payment: $708

The state known for gambling is among the places where you’ll pay the most to lease a car. The average lease payment is slightly above $700 in Nevada.

The state is known for being expensive, with the cost of living 9.7% higher than the national average, per BestPlaces. Transportation costs are also higher than the national average.

Maryland

• Average monthly lease payment: $699

The only East Coast state to make the list of most expensive to lease a car is Maryland. The average is just under $700. It might make sense that it costs so much, given the state’s reputation for being a costly place to live.

In fact, according to Quicken Loans, Maryland is among the top 10 most expensive states to live in.

Hawaii

• Average monthly lease payment: $696

You’re probably expecting to pay a lot for things if you live in Hawaii. Car leases are no exception. They are among the most expensive in the country. That makes sense considering that Hawaii is often listed as the most expensive state to live in for the entire country, including on the list from Quicken Loans.

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