How income shapes the hunt for a new vehicle in America

Key findings:

• Franchise dealers remain the most common option overall (46% of U.S. adults).
• Dealerships are a high-income stronghold: 66% of higher earners would buy their next car from a franchise dealer.
• Lower-income shoppers look elsewhere: 38% would turn to a private seller — far above the 22% of high earners.
• Middle-income buyers lead digital adoption: 32% say they’d consider an online marketplace.

Vehicle buyers today have more options than ever: traditional lots, digital listings, used-car superstores, private sellers, even auctions. Now throw in online as a channel for automobiles that’s come up in the recent past and you see that Americans aren’t moving in one unified direction. Instead, they’re spreading out across a mix of channels, each offering something different: convenience, price flexibility, trust, or simply availability.

YouGov Profiles data shows that, overall, nearly half of U.S. adults (46%) say they’d consider buying their next vehicle from a franchise dealer, keeping dealerships in the top position among the general population. 

But a meaningful share of consumers are looking elsewhere: similar proportions would consider a private seller (33%), independent/speciality dealer (32%), 30% would consider an online marketplace, and 28% say they’d use a used-car supermarket. 

Income adds another layer of nuance to those choices.

Higher-income Americans: the most committed to franchise dealerships

Higher earners (income higher than 200% of the median) show the strongest attachment to franchise dealers at 66% — not just higher than other groups, but the highest figure for any channel across the dataset. 

At the same time, this group is the least likely to consider car auctions (8%). At a distant second from franchise dealers are independent/speciality dealers (31%), followed by online marketplaces at 27%. Just over two in ten would consider private sellers (22%) and used car supermarkets (22%). 

Middle-income Americans: the most balanced, and the most digitally open

Middle-income customers (income between 75% and 200% of the median) stand out for a different reason. They are the most open to online marketplaces (32%) and independent and speciality dealers (35%). That said, the top pick among even middle-income Americans are franchise dealers (51%).

A third of this group (34%) say they would consider private sellers, 28% would consider used car supermarkets and 14% are open to car auctions.

Lower-income Americans: more varied in their channel preferences

Lower-income adults (with incomes below 200% of the median) show a more dispersed set of choices. They lead on willingness to buy from private sellers (38%) and show the highest openness to car auctions (15%).

A third (34%) say they would consider franchise dealers, the lowest level across the income groups.

Interest across other channels remains relatively even: 30% would consider online marketplaces, 30% independent or specialty dealers, and 29% used car supermarkets. Rather than clustering around one dominant option, lower-income shoppers appear to keep multiple paths open, a pattern distinct from the more concentrated preferences seen among higher-income buyers.

Prefer not to say / don’t know: a more undecided and dealership-leaning group

Among Americans who choose not to share their income, over half (53%) would consider franchise dealers, while their interest in other channels is comparatively muted. Nearly a quarter lean toward private sellers (23%) or online marketplaces (22%), and 26% would consider used car supermarkets. 

Americans are choosing different routes to purchase vehicles. Franchise dealers still anchor the market, but income shapes whether shoppers lean toward structured environments, digital tools, or flexible informal channels. As buying pathways continue to diversify, understanding these income-driven patterns will be key for anyone trying to meet consumers where they actually are.

Methodology

YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys, rather than a single limited questionnaire. Figures are drawn from responses collected between November 2024 and November 2025, using a 52-week dataset updated weekly. Data is nationally representative of adults (18+) in the US and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race.

Photo by Erik Mclean on Unsplash