Average cost of minimum coverage liability auto insurance is around $620 in the US and Full coverage car insurance with better liability protection costs just over $2000. However, the premium difference between the most expensive state (New York $1,371) and cheapest (Iowa $223) is a whopping $1,148 for a basic liability policy and (Florida $3183 – Maine $941) $2,242 for full coverage vehicle insurance. So, where you live affects your rates substantially as well as the level of coverage you have chosen.
Knowing how much the median premiums in your state can give you clues as to what you should roughly be expecting to pay and if the rates are expensive or cheap where you live. But automobile insurance companies look at driving and accident history of all the listed drivers, vehicle details, zip code, credit score, homeownership and marital status of the policyholder, as well as coverage required and many other details before they determine premiums. So, your premiums can be cheaper or a lot more expensive in comparison to the averages.
State by State Vehicle Insurance Prices
The table below shows the average auto insurance premiums in each state for the basic coverage required in that state in the first column. And the second column shows the average car insurance premium for full coverage in each state. So, not only would motorists find out about the average costs of two most popular types of policies but also they would be able to compare the costs between the two.
These figures are based on a middle-aged driver with clean driving and accident history, good credit score, driving 12,000 miles a year and owning a typical mid-range, fairly new sedan.
And the average full coverage auto insurance costs quoted on the table for each state is for a policy with $100,000/$300,0000/$50,0000 liability limits and a $500 deductible on both Collision and Comprehensive coverage. This study allows us to compare quotes across the states because the driver and other details used for estimating the premiums are the same.
We ranked the states from the cheapest to most expensive for each coverage level and showed it in brackets but kept the states in alphabetical order for ease of navigation.
Table: Annual Average Minimum Coverage vs Full Coverage Auto Insurance Costs Across the US
| State | Annual Average Minimum Coverage Car Insurance (rank) | Annual Average Full Coverage Auto Insurance (rank) |
| Alabama | $441 (24) | $1,843 (30) |
| Alaska | $421 (19) | $1,946 (36) |
| Arizona | $587 (37) | $1,810 (29) |
| Arkansas | $443 (25) | $1,907 (34) |
| California | $636 (41) | $2,291 (46) |
| Colorado | $500 (29) | $2,121 (44) |
| Connecticut | $620 (40) | $1,533 (19) |
| Delaware | $801 (45) | $2,103 (43) |
| District of Columbia | $607 (38) | $2,072 (41) |
| Florida | $1,128 (50) | $3,183 (51) |
| Georgia | $639 (42) | $2,085 (42) |
| Hawaii | $344 (12) | $1,275 (7) |
| Idaho | $267 (5) | $1,133 (3) |
| Illinois | $552 (34) | $1,806 (28) |
| Indiana | $327 (10) | $1,295 (9) |
| Iowa | $223 (1) | $1,315 (11) |
| Kansas | $416 (18) | $1,878 (31) |
| Kentucky | $678 (43) | $2,124 (45) |
| Louisiana | $815 (46) | $2,909 (49) |
| Maine | $225 (2) | $941 (1) |
| Maryland | $815 (47) | $1,971 (37) |
| Massachusetts | $429 (22) | $1,262 (4) |
| Michigan | $1,104 (49) | $2,691 (47) |
| Minnesota | $585 (36) | $1,760 (26) |
| Mississippi | $446 (26) | $1,771 (27) |
| Missouri | $490 (27) | $1,943 (35) |
| Montana | $310 (8) | $1,889 (33) |
| Nebraska | $359 (15) | $1,624 (24) |
| Nevada | $973 (48) | $2,779 (48) |
| New Hampshire | $319 (9) | $1,262 (5) |
| New Jersey | $782 (44) | $1,754 (25) |
| New Mexico | $346 (13) | $1,591 (23) |
| New York | $1,371 (51) | $3,139 (50) |
| North Carolina | $432 (23) | $1,446 (16) |
| North Dakota | $269 (6) | $1,302 (10) |
| Ohio | $338 (11) | $1,266 (6) |
| Oklahoma | $406 (17) | $1,998 (38) |
| Oregon | $616 (39) | $1,415 (13) |
| Pennsylvania | $428 (21) | $2,040 (40) |
| Rhode Island | $551 (33) | $1,886 (32) |
| South Carolina | $524 (31) | $1,532 (18) |
| South Dakota | $276 (7) | $1,553 (20) |
| Tennessee | $371 (16) | $1,429 (14) |
| Texas | $565 (35) | $2,019 (39) |
| Utah | $539 (32) | $1,510 (17) |
| Vermont | $238 (3) | $1,061 (2) |
| Virginia | $494 (28) | $1,439 (15) |
| Washington | $515 (30) | $1,410 (12) |
| West Virginia | $421 (20) | $1,580 (21) |
| Wisconsin | $358 (14) | $1,292 (8) |
| Wyoming | $263 (4) | $1,582 (22) |
| National average | $622 | $2,014 |
It is probably no surprise to see the worst rates in New York, one of the most densely populated states in the US, where there are a lot more traffic accidents. On the other hand, Idaho, one of the least populated with only 1.6 million residents, is probably the exact opposite of New York. Idaho benefits from large countryside and a competitive market. Plus, the lack of major cities keeps traffic accidents down. That is why Idaho is one of the cheapest states for vehicle insurance.
There are many factors like level of traffic, congestion, crime, litigations, hospital and vehicle repair costs and state legislations causing large automobile insurance price differences from one state to the other to a point that motorists living in expensive states may have to pay five times more than the ones living in the cheapest state.
The vehicle insurance premium difference between a basic state required policy coverage and a good full coverage policy is clear to see on the table. And there is no surprise there because a full coverage with a lot better liability limits provide a very good coverage for motorists against third party claims they may face and for their own vehicle damages.
On the other hand, most experts agree that basic liability policies aren’t really enough to provide sufficient liability coverage against third party claims. That is why motorists are advised to buy a higher level of liability car insurance to ensure they don’t have to pay the shortfall out of pocket. Often, many auto insurers and agents offer liability only coverage with higher limits than what is required by state rules.
Now you know how much auto insurance costs in your state on average for two popular types of coverage options and this information will help you in determining if you are paying a fair premium or too much. The next step is to get a few quotes, which take your details into account and tell you exactly how much you should pay for car insurance.