Wyoming Loves Used Old Cars, Ranking Third In The Nation

According to a new LendingTree analysis of more than half a million used car loan inquiries, Wyoming ranks #3 in the nation for buying older used cars.

Key findings for Wyoming:

Wyoming shoppers look for used cars averaging 6.2 years old, tying for third oldest in the U.S. (national average: 5.5 years).

Loan amounts fall sharply as vehicles age — from around $36,000 for newer models to roughly $13,000 for cars over 10 years old.

According to LendingTree auto insurance expert and former auto insurance agent Lindsay Bishop:

“Many Wyoming buyers are saving upfront by choosing older cars, but those savings can disappear fast if insurance or repairs end up costing more than expected.”

While older cars often tend to be less expensive than newer vehicles, insuring them isn’t always cheaper. “While it may cost an insurance company less to fully replace your car if it’s totaled in a wreck,” she explains, “the cost to repair it after a fender bender doesn’t necessarily go down with age. In fact, older cars may cost more to fix because parts may become harder to find.”

Plus, “Older cars may have fewer safety features,” she warns. “That means it’s more likely you and your passengers could get injured in an accident.” Along with the obvious downside of potentially getting seriously hurt, this can also increase the price of insurance, as medical bills are costly.

While older cars can be a little dinged up and sometimes lack advanced safety features, the debt people go into to buy them tends to be lower.

Case in point: In 2025, the average loan request for a 1-to-2-year-old vehicle was $36,240, which drops precipitously as used vehicles get older. (A 6-to-10-year-old vehicle can be financed for an average of $22,130, in contrast, while a vehicle more than a decade old sees an average loan of just $13,102.)