A Pink Tax on Car Ownership? New Study Reveals Women May Pay Up to $7,800 More than Men During the Length of Ownership

Ben Guess
· 5 min read
Key Insights:
  • On average, women pay 1美元42 per year more than men for car ownership, and can pay between $300 and up to $7,800 during the length of ownership. Factors include vehicle purchase price, repair service prices, and insurance prices.
  • Women pay an average of 1美元17.12 more than men when buying new cars.
  • Women pay an average of $22.94 more than men for car repairs.
  • Women pay less than men for car insurance overall. However, when looking at insurance pricing along generational and gender lines, we found that Millennial, Gen X, or Boomer women may pay more than their generational male counterparts in 36 states.
The
pink tax
—an upcharge on some items, like razors and pens, that are marketed towards women—is a well-recorded phenomenon. New data from
Jerry
found that the pink tax goes beyond personal grooming or office supplies, however. Not only do Millennial, Gen X, and Boomer women pay more on insurance premiums than their generational counterparts in 36 states—they also pay more when buying new cars, and can be quoted more on repairing old ones when they don’t name an expected price on their repair.

Car Shopping and Repair

Our study utilized external data to find the average car repair price and most popular car in each state. We used studies from
Yale
and from the
National Bureau of Economic Research
to calculate the percentage of price markup that women across the country face when buying a new car or seeking a quote on auto repair.
The data shows that women were quoted approximately $22.94 more than men on the same auto repair when they neglected to ask for a price, and were quoted about 1美元17.12 more than men for the same new car. We calculated this by looking at the average repair costs per year for each state, as well as the cost of the most popular make and model for each state in 2021, to get an understanding of how much more a woman might have spent than her male counterpart this year. These are the differences in repair and auto purchase pricing:

Pink Tax on Car Buying and Repair by State

State
Most popular car
Car retail price
Car price + pink tax
How much more do women pay for new cars per state?
Average repair cost per year
Average repair cost per year + pink tax
How much more do women pay per state for repairs?
Alabama
Nissan Altima
$23,260
$23,376
1美元16.30
$394.65
$418.33
$23.68
Alaska
Honda Civic
1美元8,840
1美元8,934
$94.20
$378.82
$401.55
$22.73
Arizona
Honda Civic
1美元8,840
1美元8,934
$94.20
$380.63
$403.47
$22.84
Arkansas
Nissan Altima
$23,260
$23,376
1美元16.30
$383.78
$406.81
$23.03
California
Honda Civic
1美元8,840
1美元8,934
$94.20
$403.13
$427.32
$24.19
Colorado
Honda Accord
$23,570
$23,688
1美元17.85
$396.41
$420.19
$23.78
Connecticut
Honda Accord
$23,570
$23,688
1美元17.85
$413.91
$438.74
$24.83
Delaware
Honda Accord
$23,570
$23,688
1美元17.85
$386.12
$409.29
$23.17
Florida
Toyota Camry
$23,495
$23,612
1美元17.47
$387.56
$410.81
$23.25
Georgia
Honda Accord
$23,570
$23,688
1美元17.85
$402.66
$426.82
$24.16
Hawaii
Honda Accord
$23,570
$23,688
1美元17.85
$370.31
$392.53
$22.22
Idaho
Honda Civic
1美元8,840
1美元8,934
$94.20
$385.27
$408.39
$23.12
Illinois
Toyota Camry
$23,495
$23,612
1美元17.47
$374.75
$397.24
$22.49
Indiana
Chevrolet Impala
$27,895
$28,034
1美元39.47
$361.38
$383.06
$21.68
Iowa
Chevrolet Impala
$27,895
$28,034
1美元39.47
$363.13
$384.92
$21.79
Kansas
Toyota Camry
$23,495
$23,612
1美元17.47
$375.22
$397.73
$22.51
Kentucky
Toyota Camry
$23,495
$23,612
1美元17.47
$390.02
$413.42
$23.40
Louisiana
Toyota Camry
$23,495
$23,612
1美元17.47
$388.57
$411.88
$23.31
Maine
Toyota Corolla
1美元8,600
1美元8,693
$93.00
$354.38
$375.64
$21.26
Maryland
Honda Accord
$23,570
$23,688
1美元17.85
$392.40
$415.94
$23.54
Massachusetts
Honda Civic
1美元8,840
1美元8,934
$94.20
$381.87
$404.78
$22.91
Michigan
Chevrolet Malibu
$21,680
$21,788
1美元08.40
$356.16
$377.53
$21.37
Minnesota
Chevrolet Impala
$27,895
$28,034
1美元39.47
$375.73
$398.27
$22.54
Mississippi
Nissan Altima
$23,260
$23,376
1美元16.30
$392.33
$415.87
$23.54
Missouri
Chevrolet Impala
$27,895
$28,034
1美元39.47
$378.79
$401.52
$22.73
Montana
Ford Explorer
$31,990
$32,150
1美元59.95
$382.97
$405.95
$22.98
Nebraska
Chevrolet Impala
$27,895
$28,034
1美元39.47
$369.60
$391.78
$22.18
Nevada
Toyota Camry
$23,495
$23,612
1美元17.47
$392.45
$416.00
$23.55
New Hampshire
Honda Civic
1美元8,840
1美元8,934
$94.20
$364.77
$386.66
$21.89
New Jersey
Honda Accord
$23,570
$23,688
1美元17.85
$401.59
$425.69
$24.10
New Mexico
Toyota Camry
$23,495
$23,612
1美元17.47
$382.42
$405.37
$22.95
New York
Honda Civic
1美元8,840
1美元8,934
$94.20
$375.66
$398.20
$22.54
North Carolina
Honda Accord
$23,570
$23,688
1美元17.85
$397.56
$421.41
$23.85
North Dakota
Honda Civic
1美元8,840
1美元8,934
$94.20
$373.09
$395.48
$22.39
Ohio
Chevrolet Impala
$27,895
$28,034
1美元39.47
$354.24
$375.49
$21.25
Oklahoma
Chevrolet Impala
$27,895
$28,034
1美元39.47
$378.66
$401.38
$22.72
Oregon
Honda Accord
$23,570
$23,688
1美元17.85
$389.93
$413.33
$23.40
Pennsylvania
Honda Accord
$23,570
$23,688
1美元17.85
$377.08
$399.70
$22.62
Rhode Island
Toyota Camry
$23,495
$23,612
1美元17.47
$390.12
$413.53
$23.41
South Carolina
Honda Accord
$23,570
$23,688
1美元17.85
$394.27
$417.93
$23.66
South Dakota
Chevrolet Impala
$27,895
$28,034
1美元39.47
$378.63
$401.35
$22.72
Tennessee
Nissan Altima
$23,260
$23,376
1美元16.30
$394.18
$417.83
$23.65
Texas
Honda Civic
1美元8,840
1美元8,934
$94.20
$385.62
$408.76
$23.14
Utah
Honda Accord
$23,570
$23,688
1美元17.85
$399.15
$423.10
23.95美元
Vermont
斯巴鲁Legacy
$22,195
$22,306
1美元10.97
$359.64
$381.22
$21.58
Virginia
Honda Accord
$23,570
$23,688
1美元17.85
$397.24
$421.07
$23.83
Washington
Honda Civic
1美元8,840
1美元8,934
$94.20
$389.49
$412.86
$23.37
West Virginia
Ford Focus
1美元7,860
1美元7,949
$89.30
$372.93
$395.31
$22.38
Wisconsin
Chevrolet Impala
$27,895
$28,034
1美元39.47
$356.84
$378.25
$21.41
Wyoming
Ford Explorer
$31,990
$32,150
1美元59.95
$387.83
$411.10
$23.27

Insurance Pricing

We analyzed our own data to see how insurance pricing compared between men and women, cross-referenced against states and generations.
The initial results didn’t indicate a huge difference in premiums: men in every generation paid higher average monthly car insurance premiums than women, and women only paid more than men overall in four states: Delaware, Michigan, New Hampshire, and North Dakota.
However, when we cross-referenced age with gender and state, a pattern began to emerge. For drivers under 24, men were overwhelmingly charged higher rates, with women under 24 only being charged more than their male counterparts in six states. Millennial women, on the other hand, were charged more than Millennial men in 15 states, while Gen X women were charged more than Gen X men in 19 states, and Boomer women were charged more than Boomer men in 14 states.
Younger men have the highest frequency of
car accidents
的人口,与insu追踪rance pricing division along gender lines for Gen Z drivers. However, a 2019 study from the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
found that women of any age were involved with far fewer crashes than men of any age. Despite this, in a total of 36 states, Millennial, Gen X, and Boomer women drivers were still charged more than their male counterparts.

Car Insurance Pink Tax by State (does not include data from states where men pay more)

States
Average monthly premium for Gen Z men
Average monthly premium for Gen Z women
How much more do Gen Z women pay?
Average monthly premium for Millennial men
Average monthly premium for Millennial women
How much more do Millennial women pay?
Average monthly premium for Gen X men
Average monthly premium for Gen X women
How much more do Gen X women pay?
Average monthly premium for Boomer men
Average monthly premium for Boomer women
How much more do Boomer women pay?
Average state premium for all men
Average state premium for all women
How much more do women pay?
Alabama
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Alaska
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Arizona
--
--
--
1美元68.03
1美元73.77
$5.75
1美元37.59
1美元58.21
$20.62
1美元24.93
1美元49.38
$24.45
--
--
--
Arkansas
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
1美元11.20
1美元22.67
1美元1.47
--
--
--
California
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
1美元40.54
1美元80.94
$40.40
--
--
--
Colorado
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Connecticut
--
--
--
$280.90
$292.12
1美元1.21
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Delaware
$302.10
$371.84
$69.75
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
$283.33
$314.78
$31.46
Florida
--
--
--
--
--
--
$238.29
$239.50
1美元.21
--
--
--
--
--
--
Georgia
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Hawaii
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Idaho
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Illinois
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Indiana
--
--
--
1美元25.20
1美元46.48
$21.28
--
--
--
$95.89
1美元00.40
$4.51
--
--
--
Iowa
$216.71
$238.81
$22.11
1美元30.17
1美元37.40
$7.23
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Kansas
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
1美元00.40
1美元43.79
$43.39
--
--
--
Kentucky
--
--
--
--
--
--
1美元68.34
1美元84.48
1美元6.14
1美元79.43
$246.40
$66.97
--
--
--
Louisiana
--
--
--
--
--
--
$254.26
$269.21
1美元4.95
--
--
--
--
--
--
Maine
--
--
--
1美元30.50
1美元41.00
1美元0.50
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Maryland
--
--
--
--
--
--
$236.40
$240.01
$3.61
--
--
--
--
--
--
Massachusetts
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Michigan
$320.86
$374.47
$53.60
--
--
--
$257.43
$258.05
$0.62
1美元23.33
1美元57.64
$34.30
$270.11
$280.29
1美元0.18
Minnesota
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Mississippi
$262.47
$262.80
$0.33
1美元72.60
1美元81.84
$9.23
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Missouri
--
--
--
--
--
--
1美元41.60
1美元48.28
$6.68
1美元65.65
1美元89.95
$24.30
--
--
--
Montana
--
--
--
--
--
--
$91.87
1美元16.60
$24.73
$71.00
1美元24.00
$53.00
--
--
--
Nebraska
--
--
--
1美元41.79
1美元49.71
$7.92
--
--
--
$90.50
1美元62.00
$71.50
--
--
--
Nevada
--
--
--
--
--
--
1美元97.38
$220.08
$22.70
1美元25.67
1美元80.85
$55.18
--
--
--
New Hampshire
--
--
--
1美元48.34
$227.07
$78.73
--
--
--
--
--
--
1美元79.55
1美元87.27
7.72美元
New Jersey
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
New Mexico
--
--
--
--
--
--
1美元26.17
1美元41.21
1美元5.05
--
--
--
--
--
--
New York
--
--
--
--
--
--
$331.89
$336.23
$4.34
--
--
--
--
--
--
North Carolina
--
--
--
--
--
--
1美元20.83
1美元26.89
$6.06
--
--
--
--
--
--
North Dakota
--
--
--
1美元11.91
1美元69.95
$58.04
--
--
--
--
--
--
1美元39.16
$204.17
$65.00
Ohio
--
--
--
--
--
--
1美元25.24
1美元33.53
$8.29
--
--
--
--
--
--
Oklahoma
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Oregon
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Pennsylvania
$254.53
$255.38
$0.85
--
--
--
1美元66.93
1美元70.79
$3.85
--
--
--
--
--
--
Rhode Island
--
--
--
$307.01
$341.40
$34.39
$200.60
$277.27
$76.67
1美元26.50
1美元64.56
$38.06
--
--
--
South Carolina
--
--
--
$238.33
$241.05
$2.72
1美元86.93
1美元91.11
$4.17
1美元82.37
1美元91.78
$9.41
--
--
--
South Dakota
--
--
--
1美元73.07
1美元88.99
1美元5.92
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Tennessee
--
--
--
--
--
--
1美元40.96
1美元43.27
$2.30
--
--
--
--
--
--
Texas
--
--
--
1美元81.32
1美元89.94
$8.62
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Utah
--
--
--
1美元44.16
1美元52.96
$8.80
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Vermont
--
--
--
$93.68
1美元11.60
1美元7.92
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Virginia
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Washington
$249.42
$269.61
$20.19
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
West Virginia
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Wisconsin
--
--
--
--
--
--
1美元34.32
1美元46.90
1美元2.59
$53.86
$56.67
$2.81
--
--
--
Wyoming
--
--
--
--
--
--
$99.55
1美元47.05
$47.50
--
--
--
--
--
--
We found that the state with the highest overall pink tax for insurance premiums, car repair, and new car pricing was Wyoming, at $183.22, while West Virginia had the lowest overall pink tax at $111.68. The average pink tax in any state across the U.S., including the differences in men’s and women’s insurance premiums, car repair cost, and new car prices, was $142.34.
When factoring in the average pink tax on car repair at a yearly rate, the average pink tax on car buying once, and the highest and lowest differences in insurance pricing, we also found that ultimately, a woman might pay between $332.32 and $7,858.72 more than a man on car ownership during an average car ownership period of
eight years
—hundreds to thousands of dollars more for what could be the same vehicle, the same driving record, and the same yearly repairs and maintenance, setting women at a clear financial disadvantage for car ownership.
Pink Tax by State

Average Pink Tax per State

State
Average Pink Tax
Alabama
1美元39.98
Alaska
1美元16.93
Arizona
1美元17.04
Arkansas
1美元39.33
California
1美元18.39
Colorado
1美元41.63
Connecticut
1美元42.68
Delaware
1美元72.47
Florida
1美元40.73
Georgia
1美元42.01
Hawaii
1美元40.07
Idaho
1美元17.32
Illinois
1美元39.96
Indiana
1美元61.16
Iowa
1美元61.26
Kansas
1美元39.99
Kentucky
1美元40.88
Louisiana
1美元40.79
Maine
1美元14.26
Maryland
1美元41.39
Massachusetts
1美元17.11
Michigan
1美元39.95
Minnesota
1美元62.02
Mississippi
1美元39.84
Missouri
1美元62.20
Montana
1美元82.93
Nebraska
1美元61.65
Nevada
1美元41.02
New Hampshire
1美元23.81
New Jersey
1美元41.95
New Mexico
1美元40.42
New York
1美元16.74
North Carolina
1美元41.70
North Dakota
1美元81.59
Ohio
1美元60.73
Oklahoma
1美元62.19
Oregon
1美元41.25
Pennsylvania
1美元40.47
Rhode Island
1美元40.88
South Carolina
1美元41.51
South Dakota
1美元62.19
Tennessee
1美元39.95
Texas
1美元17.34
Utah
1美元41.80
Vermont
1美元32.55
Virginia
1美元41.68
Washington
1美元17.57
West Virginia
1美元11.68
Wisconsin
160.89美元
Wyoming
1美元83.22
There are many factors influencing insurance quotes, car repair costs, or new car prices. Gender may be related to many of these factors, and it’s important to understand how or why car expenses might be heftier than expected when you’re a woman. Women have been disadvantaged by pricing for centuries; it’s unsurprising that it extends to car ownership today.

Avoiding the Pink Tax

There are a couple of good methods for avoiding any car ownership markups—especially if you’re a woman.
Car repair : The most important thing is to do your research beforehand .我们检验的研究表明,当一个女人knew the average price point for a repair in her area, the pink tax on the repair all but vanished—so do your research and make sure you know the average cost of a given repair before contacting a mechanic.
Car buying : Once again, 做你的研究 on the average market price of a car is imperative—but so is being a firm negotiator .Women are often pressured into keeping their concerns to themselves, and it can be difficult to speak up about a price that feels unfair. However, doing so could save you hundreds of dollars on a new car—so do your research and find your voice before going into the dealership.
Car insurance : Insurance pricing can be based on several different factors, including your credit score , your driving record , and your location , as well as your gender. In order to make sure you’re paying the lowest possible rate on your insurance, it’s important to check all these areas to ensure that there’s not another reason for high pricing—there might be something you’ve missed. In addition to this, if you have a good driving record (or are working on cultivating one), have taken a driver training course, or have good grades (if you’re a student), you might be eligible for insurance discounts —so check with your provider to see if you might be eligible for a lowered rate.

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