Most Expensive States for Car Insurance? CT Ranks Fifth in Survey of 50 States

Connecticut is fifth, but Michigan has been first for five consecutive years in an annual comparison of car insurance rates.  Connecticut is 34 percent more expensive than the national average, according to the criteria used in the state-to-state comparison. When the website insure.com looked to compare car insurance rates, they worked with Quadrant Information Services to calculate car insurance rates for a 40-year old man seeking full coverage from six different major carriers. They tabulated the price quoted in 10 zip codes for every state, looking for the average of a 2018 model-year version of America’s 20 best-selling vehicles.

Their finding: car insurance rates can vary widely depending on the state you call home, and numerous other factors. Connecticut was near the top – in the middle of the top ten most expensive states for car insurance, based on this criteria.  A year ago, Connecticut ranked third.

The website’s analysis pointed out that high vehicle density is one culprit for higher than average premiums. They noted that Connecticut is the fourth densest state in the country and “tons of cars piled into a small space leads to accidents, which leads to claims, which ends in high car insurance rates.”

The top five states with the highest rates were Michigan ($2,239), Louisiana ($2,126), Florida ($2,050), Rhode Island ($1,852) and Connecticut ($1,831).  Rounding out the top ten most expensive states for car insurance, according to the survey, were Washington DC ($1,827), California (1,731), Georgia ($1,668), Delaware ($1,600), and Texas ($1,589).

Across the Northeast, Vermont ranks lowest in the entire country at just $932.  New Hampshire was also among the lowest, at $1,039.  Massachusetts ranked number 38, with an annual premium of $1,176.

Most Expensive State for Car Insurance? Michigan Ranks First, CT is 17th

The most expensive car insurance rates in the nation are in Michigan.  Connecticut ranks 17^th.   It is the third consecutive year that Michigan has topped the list. Connecticut’s average of $1,367 is 3 percent above the national average of $1,325.  The average rate in Connecticut jumped by 24 percent from 2015 to 2016, according to the survey.  The Connecticut data was compiled in February.  Among the New England states, Rhode Island was ranked tenth, averaging $1,608, Massachusetts ranked 21^st at $1,325. Maine had the lowest rates, at $808 annually.

Insure.com’s 2016 state-by-state comparison of auto insurance premiums found that Montana captured the No. 2 spot for the second year in a row. New Jersey broke into the top five for the first time ever, Louisiana was No. 4, and Oklahoma rounded out the top five.

On the flipside of the cost coin, Maine led the way for the cheapest car insurance in the country. Maine has been in the top three for the least expensive car insurance for all six years of the study, according to insure.com. This year, Ohio came in No. 2, Wisconsin was three, Idaho took fourth, and New Hampshire earned No. 5.

The annual study compiles rates from six large insurance carriers in 10 ZIP codes in every state. Rates were for the same full-coverage policy for the same driver -- a 40-year-old man with a clean driving record and good credit. The rates are an average for the 20 best-selling vehicles in the U.S. in order to present more accurate rates for the average driver – without high-end sports or luxury cars skewing the data. Each model was rated on its cheapest-to-insure trim level.

The national average for a full-coverage policy as featured in the Insure.com report came in at $1,325 this year – a slight increase from last year’s average of $1,311. Rates varied from a low of $808 a year in Maine to a budget-busting $2,738 in Michigan. Insurance rates in Michigan are more than double (107 percent) the national average.

Insurance rates are influenced by a number of different factors. Everything from traffic, crime rates, state and local laws, the percentage of uninsured drivers, as well as the number of insurance companies competing in a market can all result in higher or lower insurance premiums in your state.

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. Insure.com averaged rates in each state for the cheapest-to-insure 2016 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.