Top 50 U.S. States by Average Car Insurance Cost (Full Coverage), 2026 Edition
Top 50 U.S. States by Average Car Insurance Cost (Full Coverage), 2026
The 50 states ranked by NAIC average expenditure per insured vehicle — the cleanest, most comparable cross-state metric for auto insurance cost. Reference year: 2023 (latest NAIC data, published June 2025). Use this as a cost-environment map, not a personal quote.
Key takeaways
- Most expensive state: Florida — $1,863.82 per insured vehicle (index 145).
- Cheapest state: North Dakota — $807.77 (index 63), about 37% below the U.S. average.
- Spread: $1,056.05 between the top and bottom state — the most expensive state pays roughly 2.3× the cheapest.
- U.S. average rose 19.21% since 2019, reaching $1,281.60 in 2023.
- 16 states sit above the U.S. average; 34 states sit below it.
What this ranking actually measures
Most “average car insurance cost by state” pages on the web mix incompatible inputs: model-driver quotes, advertiser-weighted rates, and carrier filings. This page deliberately avoids that. It uses NAIC average expenditure per insured vehicle, a single regulator-grade metric calculated from aggregate written premium and exposure data across all insurers operating in each state.
NAIC explicitly cautions that direct state-to-state comparisons should be treated carefully, because the calculation uses aggregates and does not control for policyholder mix, vehicle mix, limits, deductibles or differences in state legal frameworks. That is why this ranking is framed as a cost environment map — useful for setting expectations, but not for predicting your personal premium.
Methodology
Reference year: 2023 — the latest year in NAIC’s 2023 Auto Insurance Database Average Premium Supplement (released June 2025).
Ranking universe: 50 U.S. states. The District of Columbia appears in NAIC tables but is excluded here so this remains a true “Top 50 states” list.
Metric: NAIC “Average Expenditure” per insured vehicle (USD/year).
Monthly: annual ÷ 12.
Index vs. U.S.: (state ÷ U.S.) × 100, where U.S. = $1,281.60.
Top 10 most expensive states (2023)
The most expensive cost environments by average expenditure per insured vehicle. Use these as a baseline — then drill down to your ZIP and coverage details when shopping.
| Rank | State | Annual | Monthly | Index (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | $1,863.82 | $155.32 | 145 |
| 2 | New York | $1,752.55 | $146.05 | 137 |
| 3 | Louisiana | $1,749.22 | $145.77 | 137 |
| 4 | New Jersey | $1,572.86 | $131.07 | 123 |
| 5 | Georgia | $1,555.08 | $129.59 | 121 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $1,539.47 | $128.29 | 120 |
| 7 | Maryland | $1,477.34 | $123.11 | 115 |
| 8 | Delaware | $1,462.03 | $121.84 | 114 |
| 9 | Nevada | $1,461.47 | $121.79 | 114 |
| 10 | Colorado | $1,452.82 | $121.07 | 113 |
Chart 1 — Top 15 most expensive states
USD per insured vehicle per year, 2023Full ranking: all 50 states (2023)
Sorted from most to least expensive. Index is each state divided by the U.S. average ($1,281.60) × 100.
| Rank | State | Annual | Monthly | Index (US=100) |
|---|
Note: NAIC tables also include the District of Columbia (not a state). It is excluded here to keep this a true Top-50 states ranking.
Top 10 cheapest states (2023)
The lowest-cost insurance environments. Index values run 27%–37% below the U.S. average. A lower average expenditure does not guarantee a cheap personal quote — it just means the aggregate spend per insured vehicle in that state is lower.
| Rank | State | Annual | Monthly | Index (US=100) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | North Dakota | $807.77 | $67.31 | 63 |
| 49 | Maine | $856.28 | $71.36 | 67 |
| 48 | Idaho | $863.96 | $72.00 | 67 |
| 47 | Iowa | $869.46 | $72.46 | 68 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $888.07 | $74.01 | 69 |
| 45 | Vermont | $893.16 | $74.43 | 70 |
| 44 | Wisconsin | $921.55 | $76.80 | 72 |
| 43 | North Carolina | $925.08 | $77.09 | 72 |
| 42 | Indiana | $926.42 | $77.20 | 72 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $936.15 | $78.01 | 73 |
Chart 2 — U.S. range: min → max with U.S. average
North Dakota $807.77 → Florida $1,863.82In 2023 the spread between the cheapest and most expensive state is $1,056.05; Florida’s average expenditure is roughly 2.31× North Dakota’s.
Why average expenditures differ by state
NAIC notes that state-to-state differences are driven by a complex set of factors, not a single cause. The same factors appear across the highest-cost states (Florida, Louisiana, New York) and explain why much of the upper Midwest and northern New England sit near the bottom of the ranking.
- Loss costs — repair labor, parts, medical and legal costs per claim.
- Frequency and severity — accident rates, theft rates, claim payouts.
- Exposure — population density, traffic density, miles driven.
- Weather — hurricane, hail, flood and wildfire exposure.
- Coverage mix — how often drivers buy collision and comprehensive in addition to liability.
- State law — no-fault vs. tort, minimum limits, rate-filing regimes, use of credit-based scoring, telematics rules.
- Economics — disposable income, fraud and litigation environment, uninsured-motorist share.
A state can rank high for very different reasons. Florida and Louisiana stand out for litigation and weather exposure; Michigan’s ranking historically reflected its no-fault PIP system; New York reflects density, theft and litigation costs. These structural factors move slowly, which is why the top of this ranking has been broadly stable for years.
How to use this ranking when shopping
Treat the ranking as a calibration tool, not a price prediction. If you live in a top-cost state, the “default environment” is working against you and the gap between cheap and expensive carriers for the same driver tends to be wider — so it pays to compare quotes from at least three or four insurers and to check usage-based programs.
If you live in a low-cost state, the biggest wins usually come from setting limits and deductibles thoughtfully, keeping physical damage coverage aligned with the actual cash value of your vehicle, and stacking the standard discounts (multi-policy, safe-driver, paid-in-full, autopay).
In all states, the best long-run rate-control levers are still clean driving record, realistic coverage limits, and periodic re-shopping — most carriers raise renewal rates faster than they cut them.
Frequently asked questions
Which U.S. state has the most expensive car insurance in 2023?
Florida, at $1,863.82 per insured vehicle per year — 45% above the U.S. average — based on NAIC’s 2023 average expenditure data.
Which state has the cheapest car insurance in 2023?
Among the 50 states, North Dakota is the cheapest at $807.77 per year, roughly 37% below the U.S. average.
Is NAIC average expenditure the same as a full-coverage quote?
No. Average expenditure is the aggregate written premium for liability, collision and comprehensive divided by liability-insured car-years. It is a market-wide statistic. Your personal premium depends on driver profile, vehicle, ZIP code, limits and deductibles, credit-based insurance score (where allowed), and claims history.
Why are Florida and Louisiana so expensive?
NAIC attributes high state premiums to a combination of weather exposure, theft and repair costs, medical and legal costs per claim, traffic density, and state-specific rate and tort laws. Florida and Louisiana score high on most of these dimensions simultaneously.
How often is this data updated?
NAIC publishes the Average Premium Supplement annually, typically in the middle of the following year. The 2023 reference data on this page was released in June 2025; the full 2022/2023 Auto Insurance Database Report was adopted in December 2025.
Sources
- NAIC — primary source. 2023 Auto Insurance Database Average Premium Supplement, June 2025. PDF.
- NAIC. Release note for the 2023 supplement (countrywide averages). naic.org.
- NAIC. 2022/2023 Auto Insurance Database Report, adopted December 2025. PDF.
- Insurance Information Institute (convenience mirror). iii.org.
Last reviewed: May 2026. Editorial standard: regulator-grade primary sources; no carrier-paid placements.
