The States With the Highest Car Insurance Rates, Ranked. See Where New York Lands
The gap between the country’s priciest and cheapest states for car insurance tops $2,400 a year, according to a new nationwide report.
New York isn’t the priciest state on the list. But its number sits closer to the top than many residents would like.
These are the states with the highest car insurance rates in the country right now, ranked from the most expensive on down.
Note: This is general information, not insurance advice. Coverage and rates are subject to change, so check the specifics with your insurer or agent.
1. Nevada
Nevada charges drivers more for car insurance than any other state in the country.
The average full-coverage policy runs $335 a month, according to ValuePenguin’s 2026 report on auto insurance rates.
ValuePenguin built this ranking by pulling quotes from 56 insurance companies through Quadrant Information Services, using the same 30-year-old driver profile in every state, then averaging the numbers for each one.
That’s about $4,020 a year.
Nevada also carries the second-highest projected rate hike of any state for 2026, an estimated 6.42%.
Nevada’s rate was already the nation’s highest, and it’s still rising.
2. Louisiana
Louisiana trails only Nevada for the highest car insurance rate in the country, an average of $327 a month for full coverage.
The cheapest and priciest quotes in Louisiana are only 34% apart, from $298 to $400, the tightest spread of any state in ValuePenguin’s report.
Room to move is tight.
Switching insurers in Louisiana barely lowers the bill.
The savings run far bigger almost everywhere else.
3. Florida
Florida drivers already pay the third-highest car insurance rate in the country, $311 a month on average for full coverage.
A speeding ticket barely dents that number.
The average Florida bill only rises 13%, to $351 a month, after one ticket, a smaller jump than in many other states on this list.
The starting point’s the problem.
4. Connecticut
Connecticut charges the fourth-highest rate in the country for full coverage, $305 a month on average.
Between insurers, though, the gap is enormous.
The cheapest full-coverage quote in Connecticut runs $127 a month, and the priciest runs $642, a gap of 406%, the widest of any state in ValuePenguin’s report.
Pick carefully.
5. Delaware
Delaware ranks fifth, and its price swing runs almost as wide as Connecticut’s: Drivers pay $302 a month on average for full coverage.
Delaware quotes range from $191 to $656 depending on the company, a difference of 243%.
It’s a small state with a big range.
Shop around first.
6. Rhode Island
Rhode Island rounds out the top six at $276 a month for the average full-coverage policy.
A driving under the influence (DUI) conviction changes everything.
That single conviction raises the average Rhode Island bill 127%, to $627 a month, according to ValuePenguin’s data.
One mistake means years of bills.
That’s a steep penalty.
7. Colorado
Colorado’s average full-coverage bill runs $272 a month, seventh-highest in the nation.
An accident costs more than a ticket does in Colorado.
The average Colorado bill jumps 55%, to $421 a month, after an at-fault accident.
One bad afternoon on I-25 does the damage.
It follows you for years.
8. Michigan
Michigan drivers pay $260 a month on average for full coverage, eighth-highest in the country.
A DUI conviction changes that fast.
The average Michigan bill rises 158%, to $670 a month, after a DUI conviction, well beyond what a ticket or an accident adds.
It nearly triples the price.
9. New Jersey
New Jersey costs less than the eight states above it, but not for long.
The average full-coverage bill runs $249 a month now, ninth-highest in the country.
New Jersey’s rate is about to rise again.
New Jersey’s rates carry the largest projected increase of any state in 2026, an estimated 10.46% at renewal, according to ValuePenguin’s report.
Nobody’s bracing harder.
10. Texas
Texas posts the tenth-highest car insurance rate in the country, $247 a month on average for full coverage.
Texas’s rate didn’t reach that number overnight.
Rates rose 60.97% between 2020 and 2025, the largest five-year increase of any state in the country, according to ValuePenguin’s report.
Nowhere else rose that fast.
11. Arizona
Arizona’s average full-coverage bill comes in at $236 a month, eleventh-highest in the country.
A speeding ticket costs Arizona drivers more than it costs drivers in many other states on this list.
The average bill rises 30%, to $306 a month, after just one ticket.
Slow down.
12. New York
New York’s average full-coverage bill lands at $226 a month, or $2,712 a year.
That’s the twelfth-highest number among the 50 states, and thirteenth if Washington, D.C. is counted alongside them.
It’s not the top of the list, but it’s well above the middle.
New York also carries the fourth-largest projected rate hike of any state for 2026, an estimated 6.02% at renewal.
There’s only one direction: Up.
What New York Requires Drivers to Buy
New York’s state law sets a floor under every quote on this list, and it’s higher than what many states require.
Drivers must carry at least $25,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, up to $50,000 per accident, plus $10,000 for property damage and matching amounts in uninsured motorist coverage.
New York also requires $50,000 in personal injury protection, which makes it a no-fault state, so your own insurer pays your medical bills after a crash no matter who caused it.
States with lower minimums, or no personal injury protection requirement at all, often post cheaper average quotes for that reason alone, not because their drivers are safer.
Why New York City Costs More
New York City pulls the statewide average up in ways the state number alone doesn’t show.
Rochester drivers pay an average of $2,395 a year for car insurance, according to Experian’s 2026 data.
Syracuse and Buffalo land in between, at $2,642 and $3,252.
Brooklyn drivers pay $6,186 a year on average, more than double what drivers pay in Rochester.
New York City also ranks among the top three U.S. metro areas for storm and hurricane-wind exposure, according to industry data cited in Experian’s report.
New York state itself lands in the nation’s top ten for auto theft rate, according to the same data.
The gap is wide.
Zip code moves the needle as much as the state line does.
What a Ticket Costs New York Drivers
New York drivers with a clean record pay an average of $2,957 a year for car insurance, according to Experian.
One violation changes that fast.
A single speeding ticket or moving violation raises the average New York bill to $4,009 a year.
Three or more incidents push it to $5,271.
New York’s points system keeps a violation on your driving record for up to four years, and a DUI-related conviction can stay for up to 15.
The record outlasts the ticket by years.
Psst! Want to see how every state stacks up, not just the top of the list? Use the tool below to sort the full ranking or search for your own.
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