There are probably several reasons not to live in Alaska on a full-time basis – especially if you don’t like ice, snow or Sarah Palin – but another reason if you own a car, is that it is the most expensive state in the USA in which to repair said car.
According to a study conducted by the RepairPal Institute, car repairs are more costly in colder, northern states and no state is colder and more northern than Alaska.
For purposes of their study, the RepairPal Institute – one of the most popular auto repair sites on all o’the internet – conducted original research on the average cost of common auto repairs in all 50 U.S. states and compared the average cost of three common auto repairs (water pump, alternator, and brake pad replacements) on three popular car models (2010 Ford F-150, 2010 Honda Accord, and 2010 BMW 328i).
According to RepairPal, the Top 25 most expensive states for auto repair are (average repair cost per state in parentheses)…
1. Alaska ($1,374)
2. Michigan ($1,289)
3. Connecticut ($1,271)
4. Massachusetts ($1,246)
5. Missouri ($1,226)
6. New Hampshire ($1,225)
7. Nevada ($1,224)
8. Washington ($1,220)
9. Illinois ($1,215)
10. Pennsylvania ($1,214)
11. California ($1,212)
12. Minnesota ($1,212)
13. Colorado ($1,207)
14. Maryland ($1,204)
15. Arizona ($1,193)
16. New Jersey ($1,192)
17. Oregon ($1,192)
18. Virginia ($1,192)
19. Ohio ($1,188)
20. Delaware ($1,185)
21. Wisconsin ($1,182)
22. Kansas ($1,181)
23. New York ($1,181)
24. Georgia ($1,177)
25. Montana ($1,175)
Meanwhile, on the other, more pleasant end of the spectrum, are the top 25 least expensive [or “most affordable”, depending on how you like to soften the blow] states for auto repair…
1. West Virginia ($1,033)
2. Kentucky ($1,087)
3. Arkansas ($1,088)
4. Wyoming ($1,095)
5. Mississippi ($1,102)
6. Oklahoma ($1,122)
7. Maine ($1,125)
8. Idaho ($1,130)
9. Nebraska ($1,131)
10. South Dakota ($1,140)
11. Utah ($1,143)
12. Iowa ($1,148)
13. Vermont ($1,149)
14. Alabama ($1,153)
15. Louisiana ($1,154)
16. North Dakota ($1,155)
17. Rhode Island ($1,155)
18. Tennessee ($1,155)
19. Florida ($1,159)
20. Indiana ($1,160)
21. South Carolina ($1,166)
22. New Mexico ($1,168)
23. North Carolina ($1,170)
24. Texas ($1,171)
25. Hawaii ($1,174)
Other interesting findings include:
The national average for the three common auto repairs measured in the study is $1,176. This ranges from Alaska (17% above the national average) to West Virginia (12% below the national average).
The top five U.S. states by population ranked #9 (Illinois), #11 (California), #23 (New York), #27 (Texas), and #32 (Florida) on the ‘most expensive’ list.
Four out of the top five most affordable states for auto repair are located in southern states (as defined by the U.S. census). In general, the South is the most affordable region in the U.S. for auto repairs. Northern, colder climate states meanwhile, top the list for most expensive.