Just did some research on car buying and found something interesting - turns out where you live makes a huge difference in what you actually pay. Like, way more than I thought. The cheapest state to buy cars isn't always obvious, and some of the findings surprised me.

So I looked into data from a few years back (August 2023) comparing new and used car prices, sales taxes, and dealer fees across different states. The average new car was going for around $48k back then, but depending on your state, you could save thousands or end up paying way more for the same vehicle.

Oregon came out on top - zero sales tax and the second-lowest dealer fees in the country. Montana's another solid option with no sales tax and super cheap dealer fees despite having higher car prices overall. New Hampshire also ranks high because of no sales tax and lower-than-average car prices. Then you've got states like Delaware and Alaska where the cheapest state to buy cars advantage comes from different factors - Delaware has no sales tax but higher dealer fees, while Alaska has the lowest dealer fees nationwide even though cars cost over 20% more.

On the flip side, places like North Carolina have higher sales taxes and moderate dealer fees, but still manage to be relatively affordable. New Mexico and Wisconsin also made the list as cheaper options, though their sales taxes are higher.

The thing is, dealer fees vary wildly - Oregon's running around $350 for used cars while Wisconsin's hitting $2,000+. Add that to state sales tax and car prices, and you could legitimately save thousands by buying in the right state. It's wild how much location matters for something like this. If you're in the market for a car, definitely worth checking what the cheapest state to buy cars situation looks like for your region before making a decision.