Household vehicle ownership has changed over the last six decades. In 1960, over twenty percent of households did not own a vehicle, but by 2010, that number fell to less than 10%. The number of households with three or more vehicles grew from 2% in 1960 to nearly 20% in 2010. Before 1990, the most common number of vehicles per household was one, but since 1990, the most common number of vehicles is two. Starting in 1980, more than 50% of American households owned two or more vehicles.

Household Vehicle Ownership, 1960-2010
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Supporting Information

Household Vehicle Ownership, 1960–2010 (percentage)
YearNo
Vehicles
One
Vehicle
Two
Vehicles
Three or
More Vehicles
196021.5%56.9%19.0%2.5%
197017.5%47.7%29.3%5.5%
198012.9%35.5%34.0%17.5%
199011.5%33.7%37.4%17.3%
20009.4%33.8%38.6%18.3%
20109.1%33.8%37.6%19.5%

Sources:
1960-1990 - U.S. Department of Transportation, Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, Journey-to-Work Trends in the United States and its Major Metropolitan Area, 1960–1990, Cambridge, MA, 1994, p. 2-2.
2000 data - U.S. Bureau of the Census, American Fact Finder, factfinder.census.gov, Table QT-04, August 2001.
2010 data - U.S. Bureau of the Census, American Community Survey, 2010 data, Table CP-4.

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