Just looked into which states actually have the lowest car prices and dealer fees combined - kind of wild how much it varies. Like, you could be paying thousands more just because of where you live.

So Oregon and Montana top the list mainly because they have zero sales tax on cars. That's a huge deal. Oregon's got the cheapest dealer fees too, something like $353 even for new cars. Montana's similar but their car prices run pretty high - over 15% above average - but the tax situation makes up for it.

New Hampshire's another no-tax state with solid prices, actually around 5% below what you'd pay nationally. Delaware too, though their dealer fees are higher.

What surprised me was Hawaii - cars there are actually cheaper than the national average, like 3-4% less. And Alaska made the top 4 even though new cars average $58k there (way above average) because their dealer fees are literally the lowest in the country at like $315. That's insane.

If you're in a state with sales tax, you're probably looking at paying more. North Carolina's got 7% tax, New Mexico even higher at 7.6%. The affordability really comes down to whether your state taxes car sales and how much dealers charge to process the paperwork.

Basically, if you're shopping for the lowest car prices and can't relocate, at least know what you're up against. Some states you're just fighting an uphill battle with taxes and fees.