U.S. vehicle sales were roughly 15 million in 2021. This represents a decline of nearly 3 million from recent years, 2020 notwithstanding, as COVID-19 continued to curb demand, while a global microchip shortage hampered supply.
Of the many new cars Americans bought in 2021, a handful of models stood out as especially popular, particularly in major cities. In each of the country’s 50 largest major metro areas, one vehicle accounted for at least 2.5% of total new car sales for 2021, though in some cases the percentage was much higher.
To determine the most popular new car in America’s largest cities in 2021, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data provided by automotive search engine iSeeCars. iSeeCars reviewed 7.6 million new car sales in 2021 to determine the vehicle that accounted for the highest percentage of total new vehicle sales in each of the 50 most populous metro areas throughout 2021. Population came from the U.S. Census Bureau and represents the population of the surrounding metro area.
The most popular vehicle in the majority of America’s largest metro area was a pickup truck. In 17 different major metro areas, most of which are located in the South and Midwest, residents bought more Ford F-150s than any other vehicle. In other areas, residents preferred Chevrolet Silverado 1500s, Ram Pickup 1500s, and Toyota Tacomas. SUVs and crossovers like the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4 also feature on the list multiple times.
Toyota has more different cars on the list than any other brand, with four of its vehicles ranking as the most popular new car in at least one major metro area. The Japanese automaker sold more cars in the U.S. than any other company that year, marking the first time General Motors has been outsold in 90 years. In recent months, Toyotas have sold quickly, with several models lasting fewer than 20 days on dealer lots. These are the fastest selling cars in America.
Click here to see the most popular car in America’s largest metro areas
50. Harrisburg-Lancaster-York, PA
> Most popular car: Honda CR-V
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.8%
> Population: 571,013
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49. Greensboro-Winston Salem, NC
> Most popular car: Ram Pickup 1500
> Pct. of total new car sales: 4.7%
> Population: 762,063
48. Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
> Most popular car: Honda CR-V
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.5%
> Population: 895,942
47. Albuquerque-Santa Fe, NM
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 4.8%
> Population: 912,108
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46. Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo, MI
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 5.0%
> Population: 1,062,392
45. Birmingham, AL
> Most popular car: Toyota Camry
> Pct. of total new car sales: 6.1%
> Population: 1,085,330
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44. Salt Lake City, UT
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 4.6%
> Population: 1,201,043
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43. Hartford & New Haven, CT
> Most popular car: Honda CR-V
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.4%
> Population: 1,207,677
42. Louisville, KY
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.9%
> Population: 1,257,088
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41. New Orleans, LA
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 4.1%
> Population: 1,267,777
40. Raleigh-Durham (Fayetteville), NC
> Most popular car: Toyota Camry
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.3%
> Population: 1,332,311
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39. Oklahoma City, OK
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 5.0%
> Population: 1,382,841
38. West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, FL
> Most popular car: Toyota Camry
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.6%
> Population: 1,496,770
37. Jacksonville, FL
> Most popular car: Toyota RAV4
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.6%
> Population: 1,503,574
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36. Milwaukee, WI
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 4.6%
> Population: 1,575,223
35. Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News,VA
> Most popular car: Ram Pickup 1500
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.4%
> Population: 1,761,729
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34. Nashville, TN
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 4.4%
> Population: 1,871,903
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33. Indianapolis, IN
> Most popular car: Chevrolet Silverado 1500
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.2%
> Population: 2,029,472
32. Cleveland-Akron (Canton), OH
> Most popular car: Ram Pickup 1500
> Pct. of total new car sales: 5.9%
> Population: 2,056,898
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31. Columbus, OH
> Most popular car: Honda CR-V
> Pct. of total new car sales: 4.1%
> Population: 2,077,761
30. Austin, TX
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 5.2%
> Population: 2,114,441
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29. Kansas City, MO
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.7%
> Population: 2,124,518
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28. Las Vegas, NV
> Most popular car: Ram Pickup 1500
> Pct. of total new car sales: 2.9%
> Population: 2,182,004
27. Cincinnati, OH
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.0%
> Population: 2,201,741
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26. Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto, CA
> Most popular car: Honda Civic
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.8%
> Population: 2,315,980
25. Pittsburgh, PA
> Most popular car: Toyota Tacoma
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.1%
> Population: 2,331,447
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24. Portland, OR
> Most popular car: Subaru Outback
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.4%
> Population: 2,445,761
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23. San Antonio, TX
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 5.7%
> Population: 2,468,193
22. Orlando-Daytona Beach, FL
> Most popular car: Toyota RAV4
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.2%
> Population: 2,508,970
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21. Charlotte, NC
> Most popular car: Chevrolet Silverado 1500
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.3%
> Population: 2,545,560
20. Baltimore, MD
> Most popular car: Honda CR-V
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.4%
> Population: 2,796,733
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19. St. Louis, MO
> Most popular car: Chevrolet Silverado 1500
> Pct. of total new car sales: 5.4%
> Population: 2,805,190
18. Denver, CO
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 4.0%
> Population: 2,892,066
17. Tampa-St Petersburg (Sarasota), FL
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 4.2%
> Population: 3,097,859
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16. San Diego, CA
> Most popular car: Honda Civic
> Pct. of total new car sales: 4.9%
> Population: 3,316,073
15. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 4.6%
> Population: 3,573,609
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14. Seattle-Tacoma, WA
> Most popular car: Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
> Pct. of total new car sales: 2.8%
> Population: 3,871,323
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13. Detroit, MI
> Most popular car: Chevrolet Blazer
> Pct. of total new car sales: 4.6%
> Population: 4,317,848
12. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA
> Most popular car: Toyota Tacoma
> Pct. of total new car sales: 2.9%
> Population: 4,701,332
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11. Phoenix, AZ
> Most popular car: Toyota Tacoma
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.1%
> Population: 4,761,603
10. Boston, MA-Manchester, NH
> Most popular car: Honda CR-V
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.0%
> Population: 4,832,346
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9. Atlanta, GA
> Most popular car: Toyota Camry
> Pct. of total new car sales: 4.0%
> Population: 5,862,424
8. Philadelphia, PA
> Most popular car: Honda CR-V
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.0%
> Population: 6,079,130
7. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, FL
> Most popular car: Toyota RAV4
> Pct. of total new car sales: 3.8%
> Population: 6,090,660
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6. Washington, DC (Hagerstown, MD)
> Most popular car: Toyota RAV4
> Pct. of total new car sales: 2.5%
> Population: 6,196,585
5. Houston, TX
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 5.1%
> Population: 6,884,138
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4. Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX
> Most popular car: Ford F-150
> Pct. of total new car sales: 6.3%
> Population: 7,320,663
3. Chicago, IL
> Most popular car: Hyundai Tucson
> Pct. of total new car sales: 2.7%
> Population: 9,508,605
2. Los Angeles, CA
> Most popular car: Honda Civic
> Pct. of total new car sales: 4.3%
> Population: 13,249,614
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1. New York, NY
> Most popular car: Honda CR-V
> Pct. of total new car sales: 2.7%
> Population: 19,294,236
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