The 5 Most Expensive States for Auto Insurance

The national average annual full-coverage auto insurance premium sits at $2,237 as of June 2026, according to Insurify's open dataset. Drivers in the five most expensive states pay an average of $3,308 — about 48% more than the U.S. average.

Here's where premiums are highest in mid-2026, ranked from worst to … slightly less worst.

1. Maryland — $3,646/yr

Maryland narrowly takes the top spot for most expensive state in our open dataset, edging past Rhode Island in the latest readings. The average premium is 63% higher than the national average, and as we covered in a separate analysis, Maryland has seen one of the largest 5-year increases of any state in the dataset — up 66% from $2,193 in 2021.

What's driving it: widespread PIP coverage that pays actual medical costs (Maryland is an at-fault state, but insurers must offer PIP and many drivers keep it), dense I-95 corridor traffic, and recent litigation expanding uninsured-motorist coverage.

2. Rhode Island — $3,611/yr

Rhode Island is essentially tied with Maryland at the top. The average premium is 61% higher than the national average and represents a 37% increase from where Rhode Island was at the start of 2021 ($2,644).

What's driving it: high vehicle theft and break-in claims in dense urban areas of Providence, an aging vehicle fleet that pushes up comprehensive claims, and a small market that limits carrier competition.

3. Georgia — $3,109/yr

Georgia is up 45% from January 2021 ($2,141) and 39% above the current national average. Atlanta's traffic congestion and accident frequency are well-known cost drivers, but the state's tort system — which permits direct-action lawsuits against insurers — also adds claim-cost pressure that ripples into premiums statewide.

4. Delaware — $3,100/yr

Delaware has historically been an expensive state and remains one in 2026 ($3,100 vs. $2,465 in January 2021, a 26% increase). Notably, Delaware has grown slower than its top-5 peers — partly because it started from a higher base.

What's driving it: the state's two largest population centers (Wilmington and Dover) skew the average; rural Delaware drivers see premiums substantially below the state mean.

5. South Carolina — $3,075/yr

South Carolina rounds out the top 5 at $3,075 — about 37% above the national average and 52% above its own 2021 starting point ($2,025).

What's driving it: catastrophe exposure (hurricanes, hail), a recent surge in uninsured drivers that pushes uninsured-motorist coverage costs up across the entire pool, and high comprehensive claim severity.

Honorable mentions (close to the top 5)

• Nevada — $3,039. Heavy fluctuation around the Las Vegas market; rural NV is much cheaper.
• New York — $2,840. Still working its way down from an anomalous stretch of elevated readings in the source data during 2025, so treat this one with some caution.
• Florida — $2,835. Catastrophe exposure, fraud claim costs, and a litigious environment.
• Louisiana — $2,504. Historically the most expensive state in the country; has eased considerably from its 2024 peak above $3,300.

What's notable about the top of the list

A few patterns are worth flagging:

Geographic clustering on the East Coast. Four of the top five states are on the Atlantic seaboard. Maryland, Delaware, Rhode Island, and South Carolina share elevated catastrophe exposure and dense urban populations.

PIP-heavy markets are overrepresented. Florida (a true no-fault state) and Maryland (an at-fault state where insurers must offer PIP and many drivers carry it) appearing at or near the top reflects the cost dynamics of first-party medical-claim payouts, which are unusually exposed to medical-cost inflation.

Louisiana's improvement is meaningful. Long the most expensive state in the country, Louisiana has fallen out of the top 5 in 2026 after sustained legislative tort reform. It is the clearest data-point for the argument that state policy can move premiums materially in a 2–3 year window.

The gap between expensive and cheap is enormous. Wyoming's average ($1,118) is less than 1/3 of Maryland's. Even within the same general region, neighboring states can differ by 50%+.

What to do if you live in one of these states

The bigger your state's average, the bigger the dispersion within the state — meaning the spread between the cheapest and most expensive carrier for an identical driver profile is wider in expensive states than cheap ones. That makes shopping more valuable, not less.

Three concrete steps:

1. Get quotes from at least 4 carriers, including at least one regional (Erie in the mid-Atlantic, Auto-Owners in the South, etc.). Regional carriers often beat national carriers by 15–25% in their core states.
2. Check whether your credit improved in the past 12–24 months. Most states allow credit-based insurance scores, and a tier upgrade can move your premium 10–20%.
3. Reassess coverage limits. Drivers in high-cost states are often overpaying for coverage they don't need (e.g., comprehensive on an older vehicle worth less than the deductible plus coverage cost).

For a directional estimate on how your situation compares to your state's average, try our Rate Impact Calculator. To see the underlying data behind this ranking, see the full open dataset.

Premier Auto Savings is not affiliated with Insurify. Data reproduced under their public attribution policy.