The most and least expensive states for car insurance 

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Full coverage car insurance costs $2,578 a year on average nationwide. However, how much you actually pay will depend on your situation and where you live is one of the biggest factors in whether your auto insurance premium lands above or below that figure.

Louisiana drivers pay the most, averaging $3,999 a year, which is $1,421 more than the national average. Michigan, Nevada, Florida and Washington, D.C., follow, each with an average premium above $3,400.

Vermont drivers pay the least, averaging $1,660 a year, which puts them $918 below the national average. New Hampshire, Ohio, Hawaii and Indiana round out the five cheapest.

Estimate car insurance costs in your state

Choose your state to see the average yearly and monthly cost of full coverage car insurance there, and how it compares with the $2,578 national average. The calculator also names the cheapest company in your state and shows how much you’d save with it compared with the state average.

Your state’s average gives you a benchmark for the quotes you get. A quote well above it is a reason to keep shopping.

These averages are for a 40-year-old driver with a clean record and good credit. Your own quote will depend on your age, driving record, car and ZIP code.

Estimate car insurance rates by state

Updated for 2026

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Average annual cost in Florida

$3,916 / year

52% above national avg.

Monthly premium

$326

Billed monthly

Cheapest provider

Travelers

$2,448 / year

Travelers saves you $1,468 (37%) vs. Florida's average.

Based on the state average ($3,916) vs. Travelers rate ($2,448)

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How much does car insurance cost in each state?

Car insurance costs vary widely by state, with full coverage premiums ranging from $1,660 to nearly $4,000 per year. Louisiana has the most expensive car insurance, averaging $3,999 a year. Michigan, Nevada, Florida and Washington, D.C., round out the five most expensive. A mix of severe weather, high repair costs, heavy traffic and frequent lawsuits after crashes pushes rates up in these states.

As Brigham Young University finance professor Jim Brau explains, “If driving in one state is more dangerous than another, insurance companies will charge higher rates for their policies.”

On the other end of the spectrum, Vermont offers the lowest average full coverage premiums in the country. Drivers there pay $1,660 a year, well below the national average, thanks to fewer claims, lighter traffic, and lower population density. New Hampshire, Hawaii, and Ohio also rank among the most affordable states to get car insurance.

Graph

Table

State	Full coverage premium	Liability-only premium	State-minimum premium
Alabama	$2,116	$610	$574
Alaska	$2,167	$605	$588
Arizona	$2,420	$896	$768
Arkansas	$2,942	$753	$689
California	$3,444	$985	$897
Colorado	$3,181	$753	$651
Connecticut	$2,742	$1,130	$1,048
Delaware	$3,157	$1,449	$1,300
Florida	$3,916	$1,635	$1,228
Georgia	$2,503	$964	$860
Hawaii	$1,757	$549	$477
Idaho	$1,901	$638	$594
Illinois	$1,938	$579	$527
Indiana	$1,894	$548	$506
Iowa	$2,460	$523	$481
Kansas	$2,496	$781	$698
Kentucky	$2,624	$778	$721
Louisiana	$3,999	$1,338	$1,033
Maine	$1,808	$478	$469
Maryland	$1,999	$929	$810
Massachusetts	$2,429	$882	$789
Michigan	$3,964	$1,390	$1,303
Minnesota	$2,591	$903	$852
Mississippi	$2,397	$701	$628
Missouri	$2,151	$616	$563
Montana	$2,476	$570	$521
Nebraska	$2,095	$585	$515
Nevada	$3,963	$1,414	$1,212
New Hampshire	$1,689	$608	$567
New Jersey	$3,122	$1,505	$1,395
New Mexico	$2,577	$650	$562
New York	$2,596	$1,451	$1,279
North Carolina	$2,638	$681	$681
North Dakota	$2,439	$608	$564
Ohio	$1,783	$513	$475
Oklahoma	$2,993	$637	$585
Oregon	$2,048	$922	$834
Pennsylvania	$2,327	$603	$460
Rhode Island	$2,878	$1,039	$845
South Carolina	$2,417	$874	$785
South Dakota	$2,575	$490	$450
Tennessee	$2,235	$641	$613
Texas	$3,106	$928	$841
Utah	$2,356	$916	$850
Vermont	$1,660	$435	$392
Virginia	$1,835	$706	$693
Washington	$2,389	$695	$638
Washington, D.C.	$3,465	$1,052	$918
West Virginia	$2,415	$720	$587
Wisconsin	$2,343	$680	$569
Wyoming	$2,061	$367	$339

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Which states have the highest car insurance premiums?

Louisiana has the most expensive car insurance in the country, and the other states at the top of the list face many of the same pressures. Injury laws raise medical payouts, lawsuits and fraud inflate claims, and car theft, severe weather and uninsured drivers add more. When an uninsured driver causes a crash, insured drivers’ own coverage often pays, which raises premiums for everyone.

The table below lists the 10 most expensive states for car insurance, starting with the highest average premium.

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Which states have the cheapest car insurance premiums?

Vermont has the cheapest car insurance in the country, averaging $1,660 a year for full coverage, which is 36% below the national average. States at the low end of the list tend to have less traffic, fewer accidents, less severe weather and fewer uninsured drivers, which leaves insurers paying out fewer claims.

Why does car insurance cost more in Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, Florida and D.C.?

Full coverage tops $3,400 a year in Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, Florida and Washington, D.C. Injury claims, lawsuits, car theft, storms and uninsured drivers push costs up in each one.

• Louisiana drivers pay $3,999 a year, 55% above the national average. They file more than twice as many injury claims per person as the national average, which raises medical and legal costs for insurers.
• Michigan drivers pay $3,964 a year, 54% above the national average. Every driver must carry personal injury protection, which pays medical bills after a crash no matter who caused it, and policies default to unlimited medical coverage.
• Nevada drivers pay $3,963 a year, 54% above the national average. The state has the third-highest vehicle theft rate in the country, and rising repair costs and fraud add to claims.
• Florida drivers pay $3,916 a year, 52% above the national average. Hurricane and flood risk is priced into every policy in the state, and every driver must carry $10,000 in personal injury protection, a common target for fraud.
• D.C. drivers pay $3,465 a year, 34% above the national average. D.C. has the highest vehicle theft rate in the country and the third-highest share of uninsured drivers.

How have car insurance rates changed over the past few years?

Car insurance got more expensive in most states from 2024 to 2025, though how much varied widely. In some states, premiums barely moved, while drivers in Washington, D.C., New Jersey and Idaho saw double-digit increases. A smaller group of states saw rates fall, including North Carolina and Nevada.

Nationally, the trend has started to turn, with car insurance prices falling over the past year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The table below shows each state’s average full coverage premium in 2024 and 2025 and how much it changed.

How much do drivers pay for liability-only insurance in each state?

Liability-only car insurance ranges from $367 a year to more than $1,500, depending on the state. Where your state falls in that range depends on what coverage the law requires and how often drivers there get hurt, file claims or drive without insurance.

Liability-only insurance pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people. It won’t pay to repair your own car, which is why many drivers add collision and comprehensive coverage.

The rates in the table are for 50/100/50 liability limits, which pay up to $50,000 per injured person, $100,000 per accident for injuries, and $50,000 for property damage. That meets or exceeds the liability minimum in every state. The table below shows the average annual premium for this coverage in each state

What are the most expensive states for liability-only car insurance?

Florida, New Jersey and New York have the highest premiums for a 50/100/50 liability-only policy, with Florida topping the list at over $1,600 a year. High accident rates, congested roads, and costly claims are the driving factors.

Cheapest states for liability-only car insurance

Vermont, Wyoming, and Maine have the lowest liability-only car insurance premiums, with annual averages ranging from $435 to $478 for a 50/100/50 policy. These lower rates are driven by fewer claims, smaller populations, and lower overall repair costs.

How much does minimum car insurance cost in your state?

State minimum car insurance costs the most in New Jersey, Michigan, Delaware, New York and Florida. All five require personal injury protection, which pays your own medical bills after a crash, so even the most basic policy costs more there.

Each state sets its own minimum liability limits, and those minimums often won’t cover a serious accident, which leaves you to pay the rest. That’s why many drivers buy higher limits.

The table below shows the average annual premium for state minimum coverage in each state.

Why do car insurance costs vary by state?

Each state has regulations regarding premiums determined by certain factors such as population density, weather, and driving incident data. When looking at driving data, insurance companies consider collision and claims records by state and identify risk areas and price accordingly. There are also state-mandated insurance laws that insurance companies must abide by and provide insurance coverage options for. These can vary in cost. 

For example, some states are tort states — where the at-fault driver’s insurance pays for the other driver’s injuries and property damage. On the other hand, some states are no-fault states — where your insurance pays for your medical costs when you’re involved in an accident, regardless of who is at fault. 

What your state requires you to carry coverage for — liability minimum, medical coverage or personal injury protection (PIP) — can impact insurance premiums.

Which states don’t require car insurance?

All U.S. states except New Hampshire require drivers to carry some form of coverage. Drivers in the Granite State are not mandated to carry car insurance. Still, they must prove they have sufficient funds to meet the state’s financial responsibility requirements should they be in an accident.

How can moving states affect your car insurance premiums?

Relocation has been trending for several years as more people seek new opportunities and affordable living. However, it’s important to consider how your car insurance could be impacted when setting up a new life in a new state. 

Before you pack the moving truck, calculate the cost of living in your soon-to-be new home state. Knowing how your everyday expenses will vary from ZIP code to ZIP code and how much you can anticipate spending (or saving!) on home and car insurance is valuable. 

Typically, car insurance rates are partially based on an area’s claims history — thefts, break-ins, accidents — and crime rates in your new hometown help determine car insurance premiums. It will also help to consider your potential commute and how that may impact your premium (or provide a low-mileage discount!).

How can you save money on car insurance?

One easy way to find cheap car insurance in your state is to ask your insurance company about available discounts. Here are several common cost-saving discount options:

• Maintain a clean driving record to earn a safe driver discount.
• Bundle home, auto, and life policies to save on premiums.
• Keep good grades to qualify for a student discount.
• Enroll in online statements and autopay to receive a discount.
• Drive fewer than 10,000 miles a year to get a low-mileage discount.
• Complete defensive driving courses to earn a safe driver discount.

What our expert says

Q: Why do car insurance rates vary so much from state to state?

Dr. James BrauJoel C. Peterson Professor of Finance Brigham Young University

It all comes down to risk. If driving in one state is more dangerous than another, insurance companies will charge higher rates for their policies. For example, suppose most of the population in one state lives in a very large city where there are relatively more wrecks and thefts. In that case, insurance rates will be higher than in another state where maybe there aren’t as many people and the rural areas don’t have these problems as much.

Methodology

Insure.com editors collected rates from Quadrant Information Services for 40-year-old male and female drivers driving a Honda Accord LX with good insurance scores, no violations on record, a 12-mile commute and 10,000 annual miles for the following coverage limits-

• State minimum liability only insurance 
• Liability only insurance policy with limits of 50/100/50
• Full coverage policy with limits of 100/300/100 and $500 collision and comprehensive deductibles

We analyzed 75,263,537 records, 34,588 ZIP codes, and 169 insurance companies nationwide. Rates are for comparison purposes only; your exact premium may vary.

Read more about our research standards and methodology.

Katrina Raenell

Contributing Researcher

 

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Katrina Raenell is a writer, editor and educator with 20 years of experience in content and communications for international organizations, nonprofits and start-ups. In her previous roles, she was a communications manager for study abroad, content project manager for higher education and finance websites, reported on arts and culture, and was a managing editor for an online health and wellness publication.