Car Insurance Rates by State: Average Cost in 2026

Your location significantly impacts what you'll pay for car insurance. Insurers evaluate state-specific factors, including traffic congestion, road quality, repair costs, weather risks, vehicle theft rates, and the number of uninsured drivers, when setting premiums. States prone to hurricanes, hail, or flooding face higher costs because natural disasters generate expensive claims. Areas with high auto theft see steeper rates since replacing stolen vehicles is costly. Understanding average car insurance costs in your state helps you budget for coverage and identify potential savings opportunities.

The map below shows average annual premiums for full coverage policies, which typically include liability, comprehensive, and collision coverage.

The table below shows the average annual premiums for minimum liability coverage in each state, along with the state-mandated minimum coverage requirements.

Beyond geography, average car insurance rates by age and gender affect premiums in most states, though California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania prohibit gender-based pricing.

Twelve states operate under no-fault systems, with two additional states requiring PIP despite being at-fault jurisdictions:

• Delaware: $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident
• Florida: $10,000
• Hawaii: $10,000
• Kansas: $4,500
• Kentucky: $10,000 (optional—drivers can reject no-fault provision)
• Massachusetts: $8,000 per person/per accident
• Michigan: Levels vary
• Minnesota: $40,000 per person/per accident
• New Jersey: $15,000 (optional—drivers can choose full tort or limited tort)
• New York: $50,000
• North Dakota: $30,000
• Oregon: $15,000
• Pennsylvania: $5,000 (optional—drivers can choose full tort or limited tort)
• Utah: $3,000

PIP is a type of car insurance coverage that only covers medical expenses, not property damage. In most no-fault states, property damage claims still follow at-fault rules where the responsible driver's insurance pays for repairs. Michigan stands out as an exception, requiring separate property protection insurance.

No-fault states can still determine liability after an accident. The responsible party may be liable for property damage and medical expenses that exceed state-specific thresholds.

We found that states such as Florida, California, Colorado, Louisiana, and New Jersey have the highest car insurance rates in the country. Beyond location, understanding which vehicles are most expensive to insure can help you make smarter purchasing decisions.

Louisiana is the most expensive state for full coverage car insurance, at $3,481 per year. See the top five below:

• Louisiana: $3,481 per year
• Florida: $3,229 per year
• Washington, D.C.: $3,209 per year
• Colorado: $3,171 per year
• California: $2,967 per year

At $1,455 per year, New Jersey is the most expensive state for minimum coverage. Drivers in these states pay the highest rates on average for minimum liability car insurance:

• New Jersey: $1,455 per year
• Florida: $1,418 per year
• Nevada: $1,372 per year
• Washington, D.C.: $1,244 per year
• Connecticut: $1,234 per year

We found that states such as Vermont, Ohio, Maine, Nebraska, and Iowa have the lowest car insurance rates in the country.

Vermont has the lowest full-coverage car insurance rates, averaging only $1,624 per year. Many drivers can also reduce their premiums by taking advantage of car insurance discounts for seniors and other age-based savings opportunities.

• Vermont: $1,624 per year
• Hawaii: $1,652 per year
• Ohio: $1,687 per year
• Maine: $1,705 per year
• Wyoming: $1,713 per year

On average, Wyoming is the cheapest state for minimum coverage, at $294 per year. The following states boast the cheapest liability-only car insurance rates, on average, for minimum liability coverage:

• Wyoming: $294 per year
• Iowa: $384 per year
• Vermont: $398 per year
• Idaho: $415 per year
• Nebraska: $425 per year

You may still have some questions regarding car insurance rates by state. Here are our answers to a few of the most common ones.

MoneyGeek analyzed auto insurance quotes across all 50 states to determine the auto insurance companies with the cheapest rates. The cheapest premiums were calculated by gathering quotes for comprehensive and collision coverage of 100/300/100 with a $1,000 deductible for a 40-year-old male with a clean driving record.