News flash for all you soon-to-be first-time owners out there: Owning a car is not cheap.
Of all the costs associated with being a car owner, car insurance premiums are one of the most important things to consider before purchasing a vehicle, especially since they can vary so much state-to-state.
Finding an affordable car insurance quote can do wonders for your peace of mind. Fortunately, thanks to a study conducted by Insure, we have an idea of how much car insurance costs in each state.
Without further ado, here's that handy list, with Washington D.C. thrown in for good measure.
1. Louisiana - $2,839
2. Michigan - $2,112
3. Florida - $2,082
4. California - $1,966
5. Missouri - $1,895
6. Washington D.C. - $1,881
7. Rhode Island - $1,801
8. Wyoming - $1,768
9. Texas - $1,710
10. Georgia - $1,705
11. Montana - $1,627
12. Connecticut - $1,580
13. South Dakota - $1,575
14. Colorado - $1,574
15. Arkansas - $1,462
16. Kansas - $1,454
17. Delaware - $1,443
18. Arizona - $1,417
19. Maryland - $1,410
20. South Carolina - $1,409
21. Minnesota - $1,407
22. Oklahoma - $1,393
23. New Mexico - $1,391
24. Nebraska - $1,383
25. Nevada - $1,380
26. Mississippi - $1,378
27. Alabama - $1,358
28. North Carolina - $1,326
29. Kentucky - $1,321
30. New Jersey - $1,319
31. Massachusetts - $1,314
32. West Virginia - $1,299
33. Washington - $1,298
34. Hawaii - $1,254
35. Utah - $1,250
36. North Dakota - $1,234
37. Oregon - $1,229
38. Tennessee - $1,206
39. Illinois - $1,205
40. Indiana - $1,189
41. Alaska - $1,175
42. New York - $1,163
43. Vermont - $1,151
44. Virginia - $1,033
45. Iowa - $1,032
46. Pennsylvania - $1,028
47. Ohio - $992
48. Idaho - $985
49. Wisconsin - $938
50. New Hampshire - $885
51. Maine - $858
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Now, if you were wondering how Insure exactly got these numbers and how the numbers changed from 2020 to 2021, they provided some insight into their methodology.
Per Insure:
The top three most expensive states stayed the same for the third year in a row, with Michigan and Louisiana switching spots and Florida finishing in third place. California moved up a spot to finish fourth this year. Missouri jumped up 25 spots to round out the top five most expensive states for auto insurance.
While Missouri moved into the big leagues this year, there is a $944 difference between the Show Me state and first place Louisiana. The reason these states come with sky-high premiums varies; everything from unique insurance schemes, high-density populations, tons of uninsured drivers and costly lawsuits will always push up premiums.
When it comes to low-priced states, the top two stayed the same, with Maine being the cheapest state in the country for auto insurance and New Hampshire coming in a close second. Wisconsin moved up one spot to third while Idaho and Ohio filled out the top five.
In Maine, the average premium is $858, which is 40% less than the national average. In a bit of an anomaly, the average premium dropped from last year in the top five least expensive states, which may indicate that the coronavirus drove down insurance prices last year as drivers stayed at home.
As the numbers clearly show, the difference between states can be huge. Louisiana drivers are paying $1,981 more on average than drivers in Maine. The national average this year came in at $1,428, which is a decrease of 6% from last year. In fact, rates dropped in almost every state (it rose or stayed the same in nine states), which illustrates how dramatically COVID-19 impacted car insurance rates.
This post was originally published in November 19, 2018.