See Car Insurance Rates by City and ZIP Code

Car insurance rates by city

Car insurance rates (quotes) are incredibly specific. Your car insurance costs will change based on your vehicle, driving record, and location — right down to your city and ZIP code. 

If you were to move to a new city, or even across town, your car insurance premium could get cheaper or more expensive, depending on your new ZIP code. We'll explain why these small changes could affect your premiums so much, and tell you about the cities with the highest and lowest car insurance premiums.

Why do your city and ZIP code impact auto insurance premiums?

Every location has its own set of risks, and insurers consider all of them when setting insurance premiums. Large cities with lots of traffic, high accident rates, more frequent car theft, and other risk factors tend to see higher than average premiums because insurers might view insuring a vehicle in these areas as riskier. Insurers may then charge higher premiums to cover the increased likelihood of having to pay out a claim in cities where claim filings are more common. Additionally, car repair costs in large cities tend to be higher, which can further drive up insurance rates.

Then there are places like Florida and Louisiana. These states often face natural disasters like hurricanes and floods because of their locations near the coast, which means car insurance can get pretty expensive there, especially in the state's largest cities.

Your specific ZIP code's impact on your rate stems from the same factors that affect rates across a city, but more heavily localized. For instance, two ZIP codes in the same large city could see very different rates if one is next to a busy freeway in a flood-prone area, while the other is in a higher-elevation residential area on the outskirts of the city.

While where you live is a key factor in determining your insurance rates, it's not the only thing insurers look at. They also consider other factors like age, driving history, past insurance records, and even your credit score. It's all part of how they figure out how much to charge you. It's a complex mix, but it's all about assessing risk.

Key location-based factors that impact the cost of auto insurance

Car insurance calculator by ZIP code

Curious to know how much car insurance costs in your city? Our car insurance calculator can help you get a good sense of what you could expect to pay for a policy. Just add some basic information along with your ZIP code in the calculator below to estimate how much your auto insurance could cost.

Next step - get a full quote 

Once you've seen our rate estimates, your next step is to get a detailed car insurance quote by clicking on the link that appears after your estimate is generated, and filling in some information about yourself, your vehicle, and any drivers who use your car. Don't worry, this whole process can take less than five minutes.

Once you've added all the necessary info, we'll generate real quotes from local insurers to help you see just how much you could save compared to your current rate. 

Tips to lower your premium in expensive cities and ZIP codes

Living in a city with high auto insurance rates can be especially frustrating since it's unlikely that someone can pack up and move just to save on their premiums. However, there are a few ways you can lower your monthly payment:

Cost of car insurance in the top 50 cities

Knowing the average premium in your city will give you a baseline that you can use to see if you're getting a fair quote. Just don't forget that if you have any other factors that insurance companies consider to be risky — like recent accidents or citations, spotty insurance history, or bad credit — you can expect your quotes to be higher.

In the following table[1] we've ranked average annual premiums in the top 50 US cities so you can see the most expensive and cheapest car insurance rates by city:

Car insurance costs by city year-over-year

The cost of car insurance has increased significantly in the past five years, rising around 48% on average. This impact has been especially pronounced in cities, where rates already tend to be higher than average. Here, you can see how much rates have changed for the 10 most expensive cities since 2022:

Car insurance rates by city and ZIP code FAQs