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44 Revealing Pickup Truck Owner Demographics for 2023

Andrew Cilio
By: 

Andrew Cilio

 / Dec 19 2022
44 Revealing Pickup Truck Owner Demographics for 2023

Take a second to picture a pickup truck. It could be that big, beautiful new model with a lift kit and all the bells and whistles, or it could be Ol’ Reliable sitting in your driveway. It could be an off-roading juggernaut or a humble work truck. It could be towering above traffic in an urban jungle, or it could be towing a horse trailer on a ranch. Anything goes.

Now, who do you picture driving it? What do they look like? Where do they live? What do they do in their spare time? Chances are, they look like you—but is that an accurate representation of the typical pickup owner today?

Below, we've compiled some of the most interesting, up-to-date pickup truck owner demographics and statistical data available to help answer the question: who buys pickup trucks? Some might surprise you, some might not. Either way, the facts are illuminating.

Contents
  1. Pickup Truck Owners by Age
  2. Pickup Truck Owners by Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation
  3. Pickup Truck Owners by Living Arrangement
  4. Pickup Truck Owners by Education Level
  5. Pickup Truck Owners by Income
  6. Pickup Truck Owners by Location
  7. Pickup Truck Owners by Use
  8. Pickup Truck Owners by Leisure Activity
  9. Pickup Truck Statistics
  10. Pickup Truck Ownership in Summary
  11. Pickup Truck Owner Demographic FAQs
  12. Final Takeaways on Pickup Truck Owner Demographics

Pickup Truck Owners by Age

As pickup trucks grew in popularity over the generations, they hit a boom with Gen Y. So far, it doesn't look like Gen Z will continue the growth trend, making millennials the biggest buyer group.

  1. 42% of pickup truck owners are between the ages of 50 and 64, according to a 2022 survey of over 2,000 American respondents between the ages of 18 and 64. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  2. Millennials overtook sales of larger pickups from baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and were on pace to beat Gen X buyers (born between 1965 and 1976) as the top buyers of midsize and compact pickups as of 2021, according to J.D. Power Vice President of Data and Analytics Tyson Jominy. (CNBC)
  3. In a 2020 survey of people who bought pickup trucks during the pandemic, 40% of Gen Z/millennial truck owners (those between 18 and 39 years old) said they would either probably or definitely own an electric truck within the next decade. (CarGurus)

Graphic stating that millennials buy more midsize, full-size, and heavy-duty pickups than any other generation.

Pickup Truck Owners by Race, Gender, and Sexual Orientation

There isn't much reliable data available on these factors, but based on what is available, most pickup truck owners report identifying as white. Meanwhile, the numbers show that pickup ownership skews male pretty heavily. 

  1. A 2020 study found that out of 46,000 respondents, 84% of pickup truck owners identified as white. (Streetsblog USA's analysis of Strategic Vision's New Vehicle Experience Study)
  2. The same study found that 16% of pickup buyers identified as belonging to a racial or ethnic minority group. (Streetsblog USA's analysis of Strategic Vision's New Vehicle Experience Study)
  3. According to that study, 88% of pickup buyers identified as male. (Streetsblog USA's analysis of Strategic Vision's New Vehicle Experience Study)
  4. 7% of pickup buyers identify as LGBTQ+. (Statista Consumer Insights)

Pickup Truck Owners by Living Arrangement

According to U.S. Census Bureau data, around 15% of American adults live alone. Pickup owners are slightly more likely to live alone and a little less likely to live with a spouse or significant other.

  1. 18% of pickup truck owners reported living alone. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  2. 28% reported living in a couple household and 22% reported living with partners and children. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  3. 29% have children. (Statista Consumer Insights)

Pickup Truck Owners by Education Level

Ever wonder how many Ph.D. holders drive pickups? Turns out, not many. In fact, pickup owners as a whole tend to have less educational experience than the rest of the country. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that over 90% of American adults have at least a high school-level education, compared to 70% of pickup owners.

  1. 41% of pickup owners graduated high school and have no additional education. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  2. 28% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  3. 24% have attended technical or vocational school. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  4. Only 1% hold a Ph.D. (Statista Consumer Insights)

Graphic showing that Only 70% of pickup owners hold a high school-level education, which is 20% less than the national completion rate.

Pickup Truck Owners by Income

Compared to the median household income of all Americans, pickup owners tend to come from households with a pretty high total income. And while you might imagine the typical pickup driver to hold a blue-collar job, only around 1 in 10 is considered a skilled laborer.

  1. 69% are considered low- or middle-income with a nearly even split. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  2. Pickup owners' median household income is just over $108,000. (Streetsblog USA's analysis of Strategic Vision's New Vehicle Experience Study)
  3. Households with pickup trucks have a 53% higher median income, according to 2021 census data. (U.S. Census Bureau)
  4. 11% work as skilled laborers. (Streetsblog USA's analysis of Strategic Vision's New Vehicle Experience Study)
  5. 1% identify as farmers by trade. (Streetsblog USA's analysis of Strategic Vision's New Vehicle Experience Study)

Graphic of bar graph stating that households with pickup trucks have a 53% higher median income than the average US household.

Pickup Truck Owners by Location

It's probably not a surprise that fewer than 1 in 10 pickup drivers live in a densely populated urban area, but you may be surprised by how few live in rural areas.

  1. 25% live in a rural community. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  2. 51% live in small- to medium-size towns. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  3. 25% live in big cities. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  4. 40% live in the suburbs. (Streetsblog USA's analysis of Strategic Vision's New Vehicle Experience Study)

Graphic showing bar graph of pickup ownership by location

Pickup Truck Owners by Use

Truck companies love to brag about their model's towing capacity in their ads, but the fact is most pickup owners don't actually put those hitches to work to tow much of anything. You're actually a little more likely to see them used for off-roading, and more than twice as likely to see them hauling cargo in the bed.

  1. Only 25% of pickup owners utilize their truck's towing capabilities more than once per year, according to data Strategic Vision President Alexander Edwards supplied to The Drive. (The Drive's analysis of Strategic Vision's New Vehicle Experience Study)
  2. Over 30% take their pickups off-roading more than once a year. (The Drive's analysis of Strategic Vision's New Vehicle Experience Study)
  3. 65% haul cargo with their pickups at least once a year. (The Drive's analysis of Strategic Vision's New Vehicle Experience Study)
  4. On average, pickup drivers spend more time commuting than drivers of any other vehicle class, according to a 2017 National Household Travel Survey. (Federal Highway Administration)
  5. The most popular reason to buy a truck for Gen Z/millennial pickup truck buyers (18-39 years old) during the pandemic was for travel/road trips (40%), while the most popular reason for buyers who were older than 39 was for leisure, hobbies, or projects (38%). (CarGurus)

Pickup Truck Owners by Leisure Activity

If you guessed that pickup owners like watching football, hunting, camping, and hiking, you'd be right. They also tend to be history buffs, pop culture consumers, and all-around automotive enthusiasts.

  1. Pickup owners are 20% more likely to hunt and fish than other Americans. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  2. Pickup owners are 14% more likely to be interested in outdoor activities than other Americans. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  3. At 55%, their most common interests are movies, shows, and music. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  4. 36% claim to be interested in history. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  5. Pickup owners are 11% more likely to be interested in vehicles in general than other Americans. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  6. Pickup owners are 4% less likely than other Americans to be interested in reading. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  7. 26% use vehicles recreationally. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  8. Nearly half (43%) enjoy hiking. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  9. Only 26% are interested in fitness—8% less than other Americans. (Statista Consumer Insights)
  10. Pickup owners' favorite sport is football (80%), followed by baseball (52%) and basketball (43%). At 11%, their least favorite sports are tennis and soccer. (Statista Consumer Insights)

Pickup Truck Statistics

To give a little more context to the demographics above, here are some general pickup truck statistics to give you a fuller picture of the overall pickup-buying market.

  1. 17.5% of registered vehicles in the U.S. are pickup trucks, according to 2020 federal data. (U.S. Department of Transportation)
  2. 17.1% of all vehicles produced or imported are pickup trucks, according to 2021 federal data, a YoY increase of 2.7%. (U.S. Department of Transportation)
  3. The average pickup truck engine size is 4.25 liters, according to a 2021 EPA report, the lowest since 1998. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
  4. Light-duty models are the most popular pickup type, with the biggest segment of buyers ages 35 to 44. (Statista estimates; Cox Enterprises; IHS Markit)
  5. After decades of growth, federal economic research shows that light pickup sales declined between 2005 and 2009, but have risen steadily ever since, peaking at over 14 million units in April 2021. (Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis)
  6. According to Hearst sales data, the best-selling light truck in the U.S. is the Ford F-Series by a margin of 27.5%. (Hearst)

Pickup Truck Ownership in Summary

In some ways, pickup owners probably look a lot like what many advertisements and stereotypes paint them as, but in other ways they may be much more nuanced. So while you can't expect the numbers above to describe every single one of them exactly the same, here's a portrait of the typical pickup driver.

Infographic summarizing pickup ownership demographics.

Pickup Truck Owner Demographic FAQs

What Percentage of Americans Own Trucks?

17.5% of the vehicles registered in America are pickup trucks, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Since one person can register multiple trucks, this isn't an exact representation of the number of Americans who own them, but it should be fairly close.

What Percentage of Trucks Are Owned by Men?

88% of pickup truck owners identify as male. Of those who own pickups, males are also 23 times more likely than female pickup owners to buy aftermarket products to modify or upgrade their rides.

What Is the Most Popular Truck in America?

The Ford F-150 is the best-selling pickup truck in America—and has been for over four decades. The F-Series as a whole sells over 27% more units than the Dodge Ram, the next highest seller.

Final Takeaways on Pickup Truck Owner Demographics

Whatever your picture of pickup owners looks like, the facts above probably reinforced some of your assumptions and challenged others. For example, it's probably not shocking that most identify as males who like cars, sports, and outdoor recreation. However, you may not have expected that most of them don't use their trucks for towing, work in blue-collar industries, or live in rural areas.

No matter your lifestyle and whether you use your truck for recreation, work, or as an everyday commuter, you might find you align with some of the statistics above—or none of them. Pickups are for everybody, so it shouldn't be surprising if you don't fit into any of these neat little boxes.

Word on the Trail

As always it was a painless and fast experience. That's why I will always go to you rather than another place to get the things I need for my truck. A huge thanks once again.

celestetom
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