States with the least-expensive car insurance
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Cheapest States To Insure A Car
Drivers in Maine, Ohio and Idaho pay a third less than the national average to insure a new car, according to a new data analysis from Insure.com.
Motorists in Michigan pay by far the most, nearly 90 percent more than the national average.
Click on the image above to find out which are five least-expensive states, ranked on the average cost to insure 2015 editions of the 20 best-selling vehicles, and how they compare with the national average.
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What You Drive Matters, But It's Usually Not The Biggest Factor
“The car you drive matters, of course,” said Insure.com consumer analyst Penny Gusner. “But where you live usually matters more.”
Insure.com surveyed rates from six major carriers across multiple ZIP codes in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., averaging rates for the 20 best-selling vehicles nationwide. Those models, led by the Ford F-series pickup, represented 40 percent of the US new-car market in 2014.
- Image Credit: Toyota
Where You Live Matters More Than What You Drive
Last year’s best-selling car, the Toyota Camry LE, costs an average of $1,363 nationwide to insure for Insure.com’s sample driver, a 40-year-old homeowner with a clean record. But that same driver would pay as little as $843 in Maine and as much as $2,662 in Michigan.- Image Credit: State of Michigan
Michigan has the most expensive insurance in America
Here are the five most-expensive states and how they compare with the national average. As you'll see, no state even comes close to Michigan when it comes to expensive car insurance.
47. Florida: $1,742, 33% more than the national average
48. Louisiana: $1,774, 35% more
49. District of Columbia: $1,799, 37% more
50. Montana: $1,886, 44% more
51. Michigan: $2,476, 89% more
- Image Credit: State of Maine
Maine has the cheapest auto insurance rates in America
Maine: $805, 39% less than the national average of $1,311- Image Credit: State of Ohio
Ohio has the second cheapest auto insurance rates in America
Ohio: $843, 36% less than the national average of $1,311- Image Credit: State of Idaho
Idaho has the third cheapest auto insurance rates in America
Idaho: $877, 33% less than the national average of $1,311- Image Credit: State of Iowa
Iowa has the fourth cheapest auto insurance rates in America
Iowa: $886, 32% less than the national average of $1,311- Image Credit: State of New Hampshire
New Hampshire has the fifth cheapest auto insurance rates in America
New Hampshire: $905, 31% less than the national average of $1,311- Image Credit: AP
Geico Gecko
You can see how all states compare at Insure.com’s Car Insurance Comparison page.
What accounts for dramatic differences from state to state, even for the same driver in the same car?
“Laws make a big difference. Each state makes its own rules, and some of them result in bigger or more frequent insurance claims,” Gusner said.
Other factors that influence rates can include high theft rates, widespread fraud and a higher concentration of drivers in urban areas, Gusner said. Those also mean rates change not just from state to state but from ZIP code to ZIP code.
“Your driving record and your car are the same no matter where you live,” she noted, “but change your ZIP code just a couple of towns the wrong way and your rates can double.”
Methodology
Insure.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services to calculate auto insurance rates from six large carriers (Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, Nationwide, Progressive and State Farm) in 10 ZIP codes per state. Rates were compiled in January 2015.
We averaged rates in each state for the cheapest-to-insure 2015 model-year versions of America’s 20 best-selling vehicles and ranked each state by that average. Rates are for comparative purposes only within the same model year.
Rates are based on full coverage for a single, 40-year-old male who commutes 12 miles to work each day, with policy limits of 100/300/50 ($100,000 for injury liability for one person, $300,000 for all injuries and $50,000 for property damage in an accident) and a $500 deductible on collision and comprehensive coverage. The hypothetical driver has a clean record and good credit. The rate includes uninsured motorist coverage. Actual rates will depend on individual driver factors.