WASHINGTON (TND) — U.S. drivers are paying an average of $2,543 a year – or $212 a month – for car insurance, which is a 26% increase from last year and a 52% increase from 2021, according to a new report from Bankrate.
Car insurance prices vary by state.
Indeed, Missouri saw the biggest price increase out of any state at 44%. Prices went from $1,943 in 2023 to $2,801 in 2024.
Florida, however, has the highest average premium — $3,945 – which is up $762 from 2023. Next on the list is New York ($3,840) followed by Louisiana ($3,618).
Meanwhile, drivers in Wyoming saw prices drop, though only by $1.
Several factors are driving those higher prices.
For example, your driving record, credit history and the type of car you drive play a role.
However, there are also factors we cannot control, like weather, which is why states like Florida and Louisiana consistently have higher prices than most states.
This is because insurance rates are determined with risk and historical data in mind.
Inflation, population density and traffic patterns also impact prices, so your premium is affected by where you live.
Additionally, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, increased crime rates – specifically car theft – can impact prices too.
Increased crime rates are going to translate to [paying] a higher premium for your vehicle,” NICB President and CEO David Glawe said.
On the subject of car theft, according to data on 40 U.S. cities from the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ), car thefts increased 23% last year.
On the other hand, carjackings – which involve direct conflict with the driver – decreased by 5%.
Between 2019 and 2023, car thefts went up 105% and carjackings went up 93%.
The National Insurance Crime Bureau found that there were 1,001,967 car thefts in the U.S. in 2022, which is the equivalent of roughly two cars per minute.
Based on data from CCJ, last year, cities with the highest carjacking rates per 100,000 people were Washington D.C., Baltimore, Memphis, Chicago and Denver.
Meanwhile, cities with the highest car theft rates were Dallas, Memphis, St. Louis, Baltimore and Rochester.
Additionally, data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau found Colorado, D.C. and Washington had the worst rates of car theft in 2022.
There is limited FBI data on carjackings and auto theft because the way law enforcement agencies collect this information is not streamlined. This data is also difficult to obtain at the national level.
It is also important to note that specific makes and models of cars are being targeted.
According to the Highway Loss Data Institute, theft insurance claims for Hyundais and Kias were ten times higher in 2023 compared to 2020, mainly because those cars lack some basic auto theft prevention devices.
Those companies agreed to a $200 million class action settlement last year to settle some of their customers’ claims that the cars are too easy to steal.
Based in New York, Stephen Freeman is a Senior Editor at Trending Insurance News. Previously he has worked for Forbes and The Huffington Post. Steven is a graduate of Risk Management at the University of New York.