LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Is your car draining your wallet? Nevada is now the most expensive state in the country for car ownership, with skyrocketing insurance rates, rising gas prices, and costly maintenance making it harder for drivers to stay on the road.

The cost of owning a car in Nevada has reached a new high—over $6,100 per year, the most expensive in the nation. For Las Vegas drivers, those costs feel even heavier.

“This just cost me $70 to get a wash,” said Las Vegas resident Curtis Ford, who owns a Jeep Wrangler and knows firsthand how expensive it is to keep a car running in the city.

“I think with car washes, maintenance, car note, and insurance—it’s pretty expensive,” he added.

Insurance Costs Driving Up Expenses

The biggest factor pushing Nevada’s car ownership costs above the national average? Auto insurance.

PREVIOUS REPORT: Nevada drivers brace for soaring auto insurance premiums

Nevada drivers brace for soaring auto insurance premiums

“Las Vegas is a 24-hour town,” said Rob Bhatt, an insurance expert with LendingTree.

According to Bhatt, Nevada’s sky-high insurance rates are the primary reason for the state’s record-breaking ownership costs.

“The biggest culprit in this is insurance premiums. Insurance is higher in Nevada than in other states, and that’s driving up the annual cost of ownership,” he explained.

Bhatt says some of the same things that make Las Vegas an exciting place to live also raise insurance risks.

“You just have more people on the roads coming off shifts at midnight and 1 o’clock and other early morning hours that you wouldn’t see in other areas,” Bhatt said.

Ways to Save on Car Ownership

So, what can Las Vegas drivers do to cut costs? Bhatt suggests shopping around for insurance, raising deductibles, and bundling policies to reduce expenses.

“Each company uses different systems to calculate rates. Getting multiple quotes may help you find a better deal,” he said.

And if you’re looking to save even more, Bhatt recommends considering a used car instead of a new one.

“You might have slightly higher maintenance costs, but if you have a lower car payment, that helps. Manufacturing standards have improved, so a car with 50,000 or 60,000 miles can still last a long time,” Bhatt said.

For Ford, the price of car ownership in Las Vegas feels like a never-ending expense—one that drivers have little choice but to accept.

“I guess you have to bite the bullet if you want to ride what you want to ride,” he said.

Want to see how Nevada stacks up? You can find the full LendingTree report on car ownership costs here. Plus LendingTree offers a tool to help you shop around for the best auto insurance rates here.