Clark Howard

Here are the most & least expensive states for car insurance in 2018

By Craig Johnson
By Craig Johnson

Auto insurance used to be one of those bills that was generally a manageable expense that justified itself by offering you peace of mind and protection from the actions of others. While it may still be mostly manageable — and no doubt necessary — it is increasingly an expense paid with vexation.

That's because car insurance rates are skyrocketing, particularly recently, according to a recent report from insurance search engine The Zebra. The findings, laid out in detail in the company's State of Auto Insurance Report, reveal that auto insurance premiums have reached an all-time high and are up a whopping 20% from 2011.

There are multiple reasons for the rising rates, most of them totally out of the driver's control. They include the expensive technology being built into vehicles these days and the higher frequency of accidents due to an increase in distracted motorists.

Whatever the reasons, though, the reality is that for the foreseeable future there is little relief for our wallets on the road ahead.

The average annual car insurance premium is $1,427, according to the report. The state with the highest rates is Michigan, the nation's auto capital. The state with the lowest average rates? North Carolina. Here is a state-by-state breakdown of auto average insurance rates:

Here’s a list of 2018 auto insurance rates by state

Alabama — $1,358
Alaska — $1,152
Arizona — $1,247
Arkansas — $1,458
California — $1,713
Colorado — $1,435
Connecticut — $1,544
Delaware — $1,700
District of Columbia — $1,464
Florida — $1,878
Georgia — $1,388
Hawaii — $1,079
Idaho — $1,018
Illinois — $1,120
Indiana — $1,133
Iowa — $1,015
Kansas $— 1,427
Kentucky — $2,050
Louisiana — $2,225
Maine — $927
Maryland — $1,240
Massachusetts — $1,201
Michigan — $2,610
Minnesota — $1,258
Mississippi — $1,800
Missouri — $1,334
Montana — $1,615
Nebraska — $1,184
Nevada — $1,802
New Hampshire — $1,083
New Jersey — $1,679
New Mexico — $1,331
New York — $1,582
North Carolina — $865
North Dakota — $1,230
Ohio — $1,037
Oklahoma — $1,542
Oregon — $1,377
Pennsylvania — $1,433
Rhode Island — $2,004
South Carolina — $1,361
South Dakota — $1,268
Tennessee — $1,315
Texas — $1,810
Utah — $1,112
Vermont — $1,027
Virginia — $901
Washington — $1,160
West Virginia — $1,378
Wisconsin — $1,040
Wyoming — $1,338

These numbers constitute a convergence of several factors that modern motorists face, according to Adam Lyons, founder and executive chairman at The Zebra.

"Insurance companies leverage thousands of data points to determine car insurance rates – things like your age, driving record, and even your credit score," Lyons says in a summary of the report. "Today, we're also seeing extraordinary forces like overnight tech innovation and devastating natural disasters impacting rates."

The Clark-approved way of finding affordable car insurance

Money expert Clark Howard says affordable insurance is out there— but it takes a lot of work to find it. Instead of using the internet, you may have to pick up the phone. “Comparison sites are really just lead generation services,” Clark says. “You have to shop individually with different insurers [by] calling them all.”

For more information on this, see how to shop for car insurance.

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