If you’re in the market for an affordable used car for the first time in years, you’ll likely find your options more limited than before. And that’s whether you’re shopping in Columbia or around the country.
A recent study from ISeeCars testifies that the market share for used cars priced under $20,000 has dropped precipitously since 2019 — and that the Columbia and Jefferson City markets are right at national average.
Cars selling for less than $20,000 in Columbia and Jefferson City make up 11.6% percent of today’s total used-car market, the study says. In 2019, that number was 49.3%.
Used cars are shown for sale at a car lot in National City, California, U.S., June 15, 2022.
The national averages are almost identical, with just one degree of difference: these lower-priced used cars make up 11.5% of the market nationwide.
ISeeCars, a Boston-based “car search engine,” studied the prices of more than 2.6 million three-year-old used cars in January and June of both 2019 and 2025 to arrive at their numbers. The company found that, if you’re looking for something three years old, many best-selling models can no longer be purchased for less than $20,000.
Among them:
And Toyota’s Camry and Corolla
The average price of a three-year-old used car has increased more than 40% since the pandemic, the study noted.
“This loss of new car production during the pandemic between 2020 and 2022 set up today’s used car market scarcity,” iSeeCars executive analyst Karl Brauer said in a news release. “With prices substantially higher on popular high-volume models, used car shoppers are being forced to buy older models with more miles to stay within their budget.”
Prices for these used cars have jumped in Columbia and Jefferson City
ISeeCars ranked the top five price increases among three-year-old used cars in the local market, though not all jumped above the $20,000 threshold.
The top increase was among Toyota Camrys, which rose 40.8% to an average of $23,074. The rest of the top five is as follows:
Nissan Sentras, which jumped 38% to an average of $17,237
Chevrolet Equinoxes, which rose 28.9% to $21,956 on average
Toyota Corollas went up 26.6% to $18,189
And Kia Sportages rose 25.4% to hit an average of $19,555
Additionally, the Camry and the Equinox lost the greatest share of the local sub-$20,000 market, the study reports.
What other national trends are affecting the used-car market?
A few other findings should be of interest to used-car shoppers:
“In 2019 the sub-$20,000 price range made up the largest percentage (49.3%) of 3-year-old used cars,” the study notes. “But in 2025 the higher $20,000 to $30,000 price range now makes up the largest percentage (43%) of 3-year-old used cars.”
And relief isn’t necessarily a spin around the block away.
“With used car prices rising for the last three months, there’s no indication prices will drop anytime soon,” the study stated.
Read the full study at https://www.iseecars.com/what-happened-to-affordable-cars-study.
Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com. He’s on Twitter/X @aarikdanielsen.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Fewer used cars below $20,000 for sale in Columbia, nationwide: Study