Original research

RV dealer deserts: 97.6% of Americans live within 50 miles of a dealer, but the West has real gaps

We measured the straight-line distance from the centre of every US county to the nearest of the 3,519 RV dealers in our directory, and weighted it by population. 2.4% of Americans, about 8.1 million people, live in a county whose centre is more than 50 miles from a dealer. Outside Hawaii, only about 607,000 people are more than 100 miles away.

By the RV Dealerships research desk · Published October 25, 2026

Key findings

  • Most Americans have a dealer nearby. 97.6% of the population lives in a county whose centre is within 50 miles of an RV dealer in our directory. The median county is 19.6 miles from one.
  • 2.4% are more than 50 miles away, about 8.1 million people in 337 of 3,144 counties.
  • 0.6% are more than 100 miles away, in 67 counties. Most of those 2.0 million people are in Hawaii, where we list no RV dealer; elsewhere the figure is about 607,000.
  • The farthest lower-48 county is Humboldt County, Nevada, 154.2 miles from the nearest dealer, followed by Mora County, New Mexico (146.7) and Nye County, Nevada (140.0).
  • Wyoming, Nevada and New Mexico are the mainland states with the biggest gaps: 22.1%, 19.7% and 18.0% of residents live more than 50 miles from a dealer. In Alaska it is 45.3%.

Share of each state's residents more than 50 miles from a dealer

Share of residents whose county centre is more than 50 miles from an RV dealerUnder 1%: CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV. 1% to 5%: AL, AR, AZ, CO, LA, ME, MI, MN, ND, OK, OR, UT. 5% to 15%: CA, ID, KS, MS, MT, NE, SD. 15% or more: AK, HI, NM, NV, WYAK: 15% or moreAKME: 1% to 5%MEVT: Under 1%VTNH: Under 1%NHWA: Under 1%WAID: 5% to 15%IDMT: 5% to 15%MTND: 1% to 5%NDMN: 1% to 5%MNIL: Under 1%ILWI: Under 1%WIMI: 1% to 5%MINY: Under 1%NYRI: Under 1%RIMA: Under 1%MAOR: 1% to 5%ORNV: 15% or moreNVWY: 15% or moreWYSD: 5% to 15%SDIA: Under 1%IAIN: Under 1%INOH: Under 1%OHPA: Under 1%PANJ: Under 1%NJCT: Under 1%CTCA: 5% to 15%CAUT: 1% to 5%UTCO: 1% to 5%CONE: 5% to 15%NEMO: Under 1%MOKY: Under 1%KYWV: Under 1%WVVA: Under 1%VAMD: Under 1%MDDE: Under 1%DEAZ: 1% to 5%AZNM: 15% or moreNMKS: 5% to 15%KSAR: 1% to 5%ARTN: Under 1%TNNC: Under 1%NCSC: Under 1%SCDC: Under 1%DCOK: 1% to 5%OKLA: 1% to 5%LAMS: 5% to 15%MSAL: 1% to 5%ALGA: Under 1%GAHI: 15% or moreHITX: Under 1%TXFL: Under 1%FLUnder 1%1% to 5%5% to 15%15% or more
Population-weighted, using Census 2023 county estimates. Hawaii has no RV dealer in our directory, so all of its residents fall in the top band.

Twenty-seven states and DC have fewer than 1% of residents more than 50 miles from a dealer. In most of the East and Midwest, dealers sit along every interstate and the question is which one to pick, not whether one is in reach. The gaps open up across the Great Basin, the high plains and the Four Corners, where counties are huge and towns are far apart.

States with the largest share of residents more than 50 miles from an RV dealer
Hawaii100%No dealer listed
Alaska45%See note
Wyoming22%29 mi
Nevada20%21 mi
New Mexico18%22 mi
South Dakota13%21 mi
Mississippi12%23 mi
Montana9%23 mi
Nebraska7.8%17 mi
California6.5%12 mi
Idaho5%16 mi
Kansas5%16 mi
Utah4.7%10 mi
Minnesota4.4%14 mi
North Dakota4.2%21 mi

Average miles = distance from each county centre to the nearest dealer, weighted by county population. Alaska's average is dominated by remote boroughs with no dealer within reach and is not comparable, so we leave it out. Download this table (CSV)

The farthest counties

In the lower 48, the longest straight-line distance from a county centre to a dealer is 154.2 miles, in Humboldt County, Nevada. Nine of the fifteen farthest counties are in Nevada, New Mexico and Montana, three each. Driving distances are longer than these straight lines.

Lower-48 counties farthest from an RV dealer (miles, straight line)Humboldt County, NV: 154 mi; Mora County, NM: 147 mi; Nye County, NV: 140 mi; Dawes County, NE: 135 mi; Esmeralda County, NV: 131 mi; Union County, NM: 129 mi; Cook County, MN: 125 mi; Valley County, MT: 124 mi; Millard County, UT: 123 mi; Harney County, OR: 122 mi; Garfield County, MT: 121 mi; Custer County, MT: 118 mi; Yuma County, CO: 118 mi; San Miguel County, NM: 118 mi; Val Verde County, TX: 115 miHumboldt County, NV154 miMora County, NM147 miNye County, NV140 miDawes County, NE135 miEsmeralda County, …131 miUnion County, NM129 miCook County, MN125 miValley County, MT124 miMillard County, UT123 miHarney County, OR122 miGarfield County, MT121 miCuster County, MT118 miYuma County, CO118 miSan Miguel County,…118 miVal Verde County, …115 mi
Lower-48 counties farthest from an RV dealer (miles, straight line)
The 15 lower-48 counties farthest from an RV dealer
Humboldt CountyNV154 mi17,136
Mora CountyNM147 mi4,123
Nye CountyNV140 mi55,720
Dawes CountyNE135 mi8,133
Esmeralda CountyNV131 mi736
Union CountyNM129 mi3,964
Cook CountyMN125 mi5,639
Valley CountyMT124 mi7,474
Millard CountyUT123 mi13,437
Harney CountyOR122 mi7,440
Garfield CountyMT121 mi1,211
Custer CountyMT118 mi11,985
Yuma CountyCO118 mi9,862
San Miguel CountyNM118 mi26,668
Val Verde CountyTX115 mi47,720

Straight-line miles from the county's Census Gazetteer centre point to the nearest RV dealer in our directory. Download this table (CSV)

Larger counties far from a dealer

Among counties with at least 50,000 residents, the biggest gaps outside Hawaii are Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska (231.2 miles, 94,840 people), Nye County, Nevada (140.0 miles), Maverick County, Texas (98.3 miles), Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska (98.1 miles), Apache County, Arizona (83.3 miles) and Humboldt County, California (81.9 miles).

What it means if you live in a dealer desert

Buying the RV is a one-time trip. Warranty work is not. Our RV Dealer Review Index found that 63.3% of low-star dealer reviews are about problems after the sale, and every one of those means another drive back to the lot. If you are 100 miles from the nearest dealer, plan for that before you buy.

  • Ask whether warranty work can be done at a service center closer to home. Manufacturer warranties differ on where covered repairs can be done. Check the terms in our RV warranty comparison.
  • Buy where you will get service, not just where the price is lowest. A few hundred dollars saved two states away can cost more in fuel and days off for each warranty visit.
  • Plan the pickup. If you buy far from home, budget for a hotel night and a full walk-through before you sign, so you aren't driving back 150 miles for a missed item.
  • Ask about delivery. Some dealers deliver, especially towables. Our travel trailer dealer pages show which dealers list delivery.
  • Check the out-of-state paperwork. Buying across a state line changes how tax and registration work. See RV sales tax by state before you commit.
  • Compare dealers across the state line. In the gap states, the closest dealer is often in the next state. Browse RV dealers by state.

The infographic

RV Dealer Deserts · 202697.6% of Americans live within 50 milesof an RV dealerShare of each state's residents whose county centre is more than 50miles (straight line) from an RV dealer in our directory.2.4%of Americans are more than 50miles away154 mifarthest lower-48 county(Humboldt Co., NV)19.6 mimedian county distance to adealerResidents more than 50 miles from a dealerUnder 1%: CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, MO, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV. 1% to 5%: AL, AR, AZ, CO, LA, ME, MI, MN, ND, OK, OR, UT. 5% to 15%: CA, ID, KS, MS, MT, NE, SD. 15% or more: AK, HI, NM, NV, WYAK: 15% or moreAKME: 1% to 5%MEVT: Under 1%VTNH: Under 1%NHWA: Under 1%WAID: 5% to 15%IDMT: 5% to 15%MTND: 1% to 5%NDMN: 1% to 5%MNIL: Under 1%ILWI: Under 1%WIMI: 1% to 5%MINY: Under 1%NYRI: Under 1%RIMA: Under 1%MAOR: 1% to 5%ORNV: 15% or moreNVWY: 15% or moreWYSD: 5% to 15%SDIA: Under 1%IAIN: Under 1%INOH: Under 1%OHPA: Under 1%PANJ: Under 1%NJCT: Under 1%CTCA: 5% to 15%CAUT: 1% to 5%UTCO: 1% to 5%CONE: 5% to 15%NEMO: Under 1%MOKY: Under 1%KYWV: Under 1%WVVA: Under 1%VAMD: Under 1%MDDE: Under 1%DEAZ: 1% to 5%AZNM: 15% or moreNMKS: 5% to 15%KSAR: 1% to 5%ARTN: Under 1%TNNC: Under 1%NCSC: Under 1%SCDC: Under 1%DCOK: 1% to 5%OKLA: 1% to 5%LAMS: 5% to 15%MSAL: 1% to 5%ALGA: Under 1%GAHI: 15% or moreHITX: Under 1%TXFL: Under 1%FLUnder 1%1% to 5%5% to 15%15% or moreSource: RV Dealerships analysis of 3,519 RV dealer listings, Census 2023 Gazetteercounty centroids and 2023 population estimates, Oct 2026.rvdealerships.org

How we did this

  • We used the centre point of each of 3,144 US counties and county equivalents (50 states plus DC) from the Census Bureau's 2023 Gazetteer county file, and county population from the Census Bureau's 2023 population estimates.
  • For each county we computed the great-circle (straight-line) distance to the nearest of the 3,519 approved RV dealers in our directory as of October 25, 2026. Driving distance is longer.
  • Population shares count everyone in a county as living at the county centre. The '50 miles' and '100 miles' figures are the share of the US population in counties whose centre is beyond that distance. State averages weight each county's distance by its population.
  • Hawaii has no RV dealer in our directory, so its counties are treated as having no dealer within reach. Several remote Alaska boroughs also have no dealer within our search radius; that is why we do not compare Alaska's average distance with other states.
  • Coverage depends on our listings. A dealer missing from the directory would make nearby counties look farther away than they are.

Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, 2023 Gazetteer Files: Counties, accessed October 25, 2026
  2. U.S. Census Bureau, County Population Totals: 2020-2023 (Vintage 2023), accessed October 25, 2026
  3. RV dealers listed on RV Dealerships (3,519 approved listings), accessed October 25, 2026
  4. RV Dealerships analysis, October 2026

Cite this: RV Dealerships, "RV dealer deserts: 97.6% of Americans live within 50 miles of a dealer, but the West has real gaps," October 25, 2026, https://rvdealerships.org/rv-dealer-deserts/

Spotted an error or have newer data? Tell us and we'll check it and update the page.

Questions people ask

How far is the average American from an RV dealer?

Close. 97.6% of Americans live in a county whose centre is within 50 miles of an RV dealer in our directory, and the median county is 19.6 miles from one. Only 2.4%, about 8.1 million people, live in counties more than 50 miles away.

Which US county is farthest from an RV dealer?

In the lower 48, Humboldt County, Nevada, at 154.2 miles in a straight line from its centre to the nearest dealer we list. Mora County, New Mexico (146.7 miles) and Nye County, Nevada (140.0 miles) are next. Remote parts of Alaska and all of Hawaii are farther.

Which states have the fewest RV dealers nearby?

Outside Hawaii and Alaska, Wyoming has the largest share of residents more than 50 miles from a dealer (22.1%), followed by Nevada (19.7%), New Mexico (18.0%), South Dakota (12.9%) and Mississippi (12.0%).

Should I buy an RV from a dealer far away?

It can save money, but plan for service. Most low-star dealer reviews in our data are about problems after the sale, which means return trips. Confirm whether an authorized service center near you can do warranty work, and do a full walk-through before you sign.

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