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Most expensive and cheapest car insurance rates by ZIP code in 2024
Location is one of the main factors in determining car insurance rates by ZIP code. These cities have the highest and lowest car insurance rates in 2024.
Erik J. Martin is a Chicago area-based freelance writer whose articles have been published by AARP The Magazine, The Motley Fool, The Costco Connection, USAA, US Chamber of Commerce, Bankrate, The Chicago Tribune, and other publications. He often writes on topics related to insurance, real estate, personal finance, business, technology, health care, and entertainment. Erik also hosts a podcast and publishes several blogs, including Martinspiration.com and Cineversegroup.com.
Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.
Dr. Brau teaches finance principles, entrepreneurial finance, financial planning, and corporate finance at Brigham Young University’s School of Business. His research includes issues related to initial public offerings, financial education, real estate, and entrepreneurial finance.
Curious why car insurance rates often increase from year to year? For example, why do you pay more for car insurance than a friend in another ZIP code?
The premiums charged by your insurance company are based on different criteria, such as your driving history, vehicle year/make/model and age. The city you live in can also impact how much you will pay for car insurance.
Keep reading to compare car insurance rates by ZIP code and which cities are the most expensive.
Written by:
Erik Martin
Contributing Researcher
Erik J. Martin is a Chicago area-based freelance writer whose articles have been published by AARP The Magazine, The Motley Fool, The Costco Connection, USAA, US Chamber of Commerce, Bankrate, The Chicago Tribune, and other publications. He often writes on topics related to insurance, real estate, personal finance, business, technology, health care, and entertainment. Erik also hosts a podcast and publishes several blogs, including Martinspiration.com and Cineversegroup.com.
Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.
Dr. Brau teaches finance principles, entrepreneurial finance, financial planning, and corporate finance at Brigham Young University’s School of Business. His research includes issues related to initial public offerings, financial education, real estate, and entrepreneurial finance.
Recently, CarInsurance.com collected automobile insurance premium data from every state and significant ZIP code in the country. Our analysis shows which cities/ZIP codes have the costliest car insurance rates and the least expensive automobile insurance rates, on average.
Living in a more rural ZIP code area can yield cheaper car insurance premiums than large metropolitan ZIP codes. Keep reading to learn which cities are more or less expensive for car insurance.
Average annual car insurance premiums
State Minimum: $511
50/100/50 Liability Only: $637
Full Coverage 100/300/100: $1,682
Most expensive car insurance rates by ZIP code
Below are the cities (based on ZIP codes) with the highest car insurance rates, according to 2022 data.
Most expensive ZIP codes for auto insurance
State
ZIP code
City
Annual premium
Michigan
48210
Detroit
$5,460
New York
11212
New York
$5,349
Louisiana
70145
New Orleans
$4,288
Missouri
63107
St. Louis
$3,851
Florida
33603
Tampa
$3,775
California
91205
Glendale
$3,615
Delaware
19801
Wilmington
$3,069
Pennsylvania
19142
Philadelphia
$3,056
Nevada
89106
Las Vegas
$3,019
Massachusetts
2119
Roxbury
$3,014
Other ZIP codes with pricey car insurance rates include Chicago ($2,919), Baltimore ($2,918) Lookout, Kentucky ($2,890), Newark, New Jersey ($2,807) and Providence, Rhode Island ($2,726). Remember, these are average rates across these ZIP codes within these states.
Which cities have the highest car insurance cost?
However, taking a closer look unveils the highest actual premium prices policyholders in many of the ZIP codes may end up paying (on a low-to-high range, not averaged out), although they will pay less on average for a policy in these cities:
Detroit, Mich.: $16,397
New York, NY: $13,850
St. Louis, Mo.: $10,332
Chicago, Ill.: $10,121
Wilmington, Del.: $7,679
Geoff Cudd, a Philadelphia-based consumer advocate and owner of FindTheBestCarPrice.com, says many factors play into why car insurance rates vary so greatly from location to location.
“Among them are social factors like population density, how many people are on the road, how high the theft rate is, and how many accidents occur in that state. There are also environmental factors like what road conditions are like in that state and how bad the weather is,” Cudd says.
Most expensive ZIP codes in the U.S. for auto insurance
State
ZIP code
City
Annual premium
Lowest rate
Highest rate
Michigan
48210
Detroit
$5,460
$1,666
$16,397
New York
11212
New York
$5,349
$1,831
$13,850
Louisiana
70145
New Orleans
$4,288
$2,203
$5,958
Missouri
63107
St. Louis
$3,851
$893
$10,332
Florida
33603
Tampa
$3,775
$1,942
$6,547
California
91205
Glendale
$3,615
$2,235
$5,744
Delaware
19801
Wilmington
$3,069
$1,466
$7,679
Pennsylvania
19142
Philadelphia
$3,056
$1,917
$7,370
Nevada
89106
Las Vegas
$3,019
$1,084
$6,133
Massachusetts
2119
Roxbury
$3,014
$1,330
$4,414
Illinois
60624
Chicago
$2,919
$1,326
$10,121
Maryland
21216
Baltimore
$2,918
$1,479
$4,810
Kentucky
41542
Lookout
$2,890
$1,922
$6,108
New Jersey
7102
Newark
$2,807
$1,509
$5,029
Rhode Island
2909
Providence
$2,726
$1,136
$4,510
Nebraska
69337
Chadron
$2,578
$874
$8,922
Texas
77201
Houston
$2,482
$1,382
$3,907
Connecticut
6604
Bridgeport
$2,472
$1,373
$7,636
Colorado
80219
Denver
$2,452
$1,270
$4,430
Wisconsin
53206
Milwaukee
$2,452
$936
$7,358
South Carolina
29933
Miley
$2,398
$1,393
$6,282
Arizona
85009
Phoenix
$2,325
$1,364
$3,971
Georgia
30032
Candler-McAfee
$2,312
$1,516
$3,690
Oklahoma
73105
Oklahoma City
$2,093
$1,067
$3,370
South Dakota
57770
Pine Ridge
$2,034
$1,128
$3,397
Minnesota
55130
St. Paul
$2,000
$1,406
$2,939
West Virginia
25674
Kermit
$1,958
$1,047
$3,088
Montana
59089
Wyola
$1,906
$962
$3,274
Indiana
46402
Gary
$1,895
$844
$3,782
New Mexico
87121
Albuquerque
$1,880
$1,131
$3,155
Mississippi
39086
Hermanville
$1,861
$1,057
$2,773
Washington D.C.
20001
Washington
$1,858
$862
$3,830
Kansas
67854
Jetmore
$1,851
$1,127
$3,349
Tennessee
38127
Memphis
$1,848
$1,138
$2,899
Arkansas
71644
Grady
$1,833
$1,097
$3,754
North Carolina
28212
Charlotte
$1,809
$1,101
$2,952
Wyoming
82716
Gillette
$1,804
$880
$2,890
Washington
98118
Seattle
$1,792
$1,024
$4,125
Utah
84104
Salt Lake City
$1,765
$859
$3,048
Oregon
97266
Portland
$1,736
$1,214
$2,276
Alabama
35218
Birmingham
$1,726
$1,022
$2,382
Iowa
51654
Thurman
$1,599
$985
$3,373
New Hampshire
3101
Manchester
$1,597
$840
$5,129
Alaska
99504
Anchorage
$1,590
$1,024
$2,272
North Dakota
58552
Linton
$1,583
$779
$3,184
Virginia
23222
Richmond
$1,549
$931
$3,966
Hawaii
96704
Captain Cook
$1,398
$1,055
$1,833
Ohio
44104
Cleveland
$1,275
$779
$1,906
Vermont
5073
Taftsville
$1,209
$756
$1,978
Idaho
83546
Pierce
$1,208
$794
$2,042
Maine
4491
Vanceboro
$1,204
$717
$2,416
Mark Friedlander, director of corporate communications for the Insurance Information Institute in St. Johns, Florida, explains that your ZIP code can significantly affect your out-of-pocket insurance costs.
“You could reside in a large city like Chicago or Los Angeles and pay significantly different rates based on what ZIP code you live in within that city,” he says.
On the other hand, there are plenty of areas in the U.S. where you will fork over much less for car insurance. See the table below for the cheapest car insurance rates by ZIP code and city, state and annual car insurance cost.
Cheapest ZIP codes for car insurance
State
ZIP code
City
Annual rate
Ohio
43456
Put In Bay
$861
Idaho
83716
Boise City
$973
Maine
4769
Presque Isle
$1,016
Iowa
50014
Ames
$1,085
Virginia
22802
Harrisonburg
$1,093
Oregon
97408
Eugene
$1,095
Indiana
46052
Lebanon
$1,103
Vermont
5488
Swanton
$1,107
North Carolina
28745
Lake Junaluska
$1,123
Tennessee
37604
Johnson City
$1,123
Five additional ZIP codes that boast lower rates are Ketchikan, Alaska ($1,150); Walnut Bottom, Pa. ($1,150); Anahola, Hawaii ($1,158); Howard, Wis. ($1,159); and Swanzey, New Hampshire ($1,161).
Which cities and ZIP codes have the cheapest car insurance?
Want to know where you can get the cheapest car insurance? Here are a few:
Corning, NY: $488
Northfield, Mass.: $495
Put In Bay, Ohio: $523
Lebanon, Ind.: $583
Boise City, Idaho: $642
See the table below for the cheapest ZIP codes for car insurance in the U.S.
Friedlander points to a simple fact: The city you live in often significantly affects car insurance premiums.
“Metro-area drivers pay much more for auto insurance than drivers in rural locations in the same state,” he says. “For example, drivers in the Chicago area pay much more for auto insurance compared to downstate Illinois cities.”
Additionally, ZIP codes with single-digit uninsured motorist rates “have lower average rates than those with uninsured motorist rates above 20%,” Friedlander says.
Drivers in ZIP codes with lower populations and accident rates will be charged less than motorists in cities with higher traffic volumes, accident frequencies and severity, vandalism, theft, crime rates and insurance payouts.
“Inflation is also contributing to higher auto premiums,” Friedlander says. “According to an analysis from the Insurance Information Institute, what we are now seeing are double-digit year-over-year increases in repair costs, driven by supply chain shortages of replacement parts and higher labor costs. Parts and equipment are up 12.6% year-over-year.”
Moreover, the cost of vehicles plays a huge role in the pricing equation for insurance. Friedlander says new vehicle prices are up 12.2% yearly, while used vehicle prices have increased by 40.5%.
Final thoughts: Car insurance rates by ZIP code
Car insurance companies assess many factors when setting rates, and your ZIP code is one of them — based on the number, severity or cost of car insurance claims, insurers assign different risk levels.
To estimate car insurance costs, input your coverage needs and location into our estimator tool.
CarInsurance.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services in 2022 for auto insurance rates for a 40-year-old male driver with a good insurance score (no violations) and a 12-mile commute with a full-coverage policy. The data includes auto coverage by ZIP code for 2022 and data from 2019 and 2022 vehicle data.
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Laura Longero
Executive Editor
Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.
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John McCormick
Editorial Director
John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.
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Leslie Kasperowicz
Managing Editor
Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.
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Nupur Gambhir
Managing Editor
Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.
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Erik J. Martin is a Chicago area-based freelance writer whose articles have been published by AARP The Magazine, The Motley Fool, The Costco Connection, USAA, US Chamber of Commerce, Bankrate, The Chicago Tribune, and other publications. He often writes on topics related to insurance, real estate, personal finance, business, technology, health care, and entertainment. Erik also hosts a podcast and publishes several blogs, including Martinspiration.com and Cineversegroup.com.