Cessna 172 Market Report
Other · generated 2026-08-31 · fyiAero market data, FAA registry, NTSB, aircraft.com sold records.
Market summary
5,387in operation (FAA)
8for sale · 0.1% of fleet
$194kaverage asking
$192kmedian asking
18avg days on market
155registry transfers, 6 mo
10.8 yravg length of ownership
| Low | Avg | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asking price | $65k | $194k | $300k |
| Model year | 1956 | 1974 | 2001 |
| Airframe time | 6,010 | 8,952 | 12,200 |
| Days on market | — | 18 | 22 |
For sale & average asking by month reconstructed from listing history
| Month | For sale | Avg asking | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08 | 9 | $148k |
Features of aircraft for sale
| GPS navigator | 38% (3) | |
| ADS-B | 25% (2) | |
| Autopilot | 25% (2) | |
| GTN 750 / 750Xi | 12% (1) | |
| FIKI | 0% (0) | |
| Glass flight deck | 0% (0) |
Fleet & safety
889NTSB events, 10 yr
91fatal
43.4per 1,000 airframes
Where the fleet is based top states, FAA registry
| TX | 507 | |
| CA | 418 | |
| FL | 395 | |
| WA | 274 | |
| MI | 177 | |
| OH | 156 | |
| AK | 151 | |
| WI | 146 | |
| MN | 144 | |
| NC | 139 |
2,357 of 5,387 are individually registered.
Registry transfers by month new registration certificates, 12 mo
| 2025-09 | 45 | |
| 2025-10 | 40 | |
| 2025-11 | 28 | |
| 2025-12 | 31 | |
| 2026-01 | 28 | |
| 2026-02 | 26 | |
| 2026-03 | 28 | |
| 2026-04 | 29 | |
| 2026-05 | 21 | |
| 2026-06 | 29 | |
| 2026-07 | 44 | |
| 2026-08 | 5 |
Aircraft for sale 8 units · asking vs fyiEstimate
| Year | Reg | Serial | Asking | fyiEstimate | vs est | TTAF | Engine | Seller | DOM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | — | $65,000 | — | — | — | — | Robert Kulp Very nice straig | 15 | |
| 1958 | N3953F | 36853 | $140,000 | $124,500 | +12% | 6,010 | 51 | Owen Kanzler | 22 |
| 1963 | — | 17250434 | $100,409 | $120,000 | -16% | — | — | Graham Aviation Consulting & | 19 |
| 1968 | — | $300,000 | $153,500 | +95% | 6,600 | — | Easton Landon | 22 | |
| 1973 | N12192 | 17261873 | $119,950 | $202,000 | -41% | — | — | American Aircraft Sales Co | 22 |
| 1975 | — | 172-64490 | $244,499 | — | — | — | — | Aeromeccanica SA | 19 |
| 2000 | — | $285,000 | — | — | 11,000 | — | Ron Fernuik | 8 | |
| 2001 | — | $295,000 | — | — | 12,200 | — | Ron Fernuik | 22 |
Market by model year fleet · for sale · asking
| Year | Fleet | For sale | % | Low | Avg | High |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 1952 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 1953 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 1955 | 60 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 1956 | 565 | 1 | 0.2% | $65k | $65k | $65k |
| 1957 | 338 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 1958 | 314 | 1 | 0.3% | $140k | $140k | $140k |
| 1959 | 167 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 1960 | 4 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 1963 | — | 1 | — | $100k | $100k | $100k |
| 1965 | 1 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 1968 | — | 1 | — | $300k | $300k | $300k |
| 1972 | 266 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 1973 | 693 | 1 | 0.1% | $120k | $120k | $120k |
| 1974 | 806 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 1975 | 925 | 1 | 0.1% | $244k | $244k | $244k |
| 1976 | 520 | 0 | 0.0% | — | — | — |
| 2000 | — | 1 | — | $285k | $285k | $285k |
| 2001 | — | 1 | — | $295k | $295k | $295k |
fyiEstimate values by model year and airframe time
| Model year | Units | Avg fyiEstimate |
|---|---|---|
| 1958 | 1 | $124,500 |
| 1963 | 1 | $120,000 |
| 1968 | 1 | $153,500 |
| 1973 | 1 | $202,000 |
| Airframe hours | Units | Avg asking | Avg fyiEstimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6,000–7,999 | 2 | $220,000 | $139,000 |
Recent market activity last 60 days
| Date | Event | Aircraft | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-23 | Price change | 2001 | $315k → $295k |
| 2026-08-16 | Off market | 1958 N3953F | $140k |
| 2026-08-16 | Off market | 1973 N12192 | $120k |
| 2026-08-16 | Off market | 1968 | $300k |
| 2026-08-12 | Newly listed | 1975 | $244k |
| 2026-08-12 | Newly listed | 1963 | $100k |
| 2026-08-09 | Newly listed | 2008 N506BW | $149k |
| 2026-08-09 | Off market | 2008 N506BW | $149k |
| 2026-08-09 | Newly listed | 1977 N5205V | $160k |
| 2026-08-09 | Off market | 1977 N5205V | $160k |
| 2026-08-09 | Newly listed | 1956 N7294A | $49k |
| 2026-08-09 | Off market | 1956 N7294A | $49k |
| 2026-08-09 | Newly listed | 1961 N7538X | $69k |
| 2026-08-09 | Off market | 1961 N7538X | $69k |
| 2026-08-09 | Newly listed | 1958 N3953F | $140k |
| 2026-08-09 | Newly listed | 1973 N12192 | $120k |
| 2026-08-09 | Newly listed | 1968 | $300k |
Operating costs full cost analysis →
$21,238annual budget · 148 hrs
$88variable cost / hour
$0.81cost per nm
8.0gph fuel burn
fyiEstimate values are market estimates from comparable asking prices (which skew high versus sold prices), not certified appraisals. Fleet and ownership figures from the FAA Releasable Registry; "registry transfers" count new registration certificates issued. Sold records from aircraft.com reflect the last asking price, not the transaction price. Monthly history is reconstructed from when listings first and last appeared.
