States with the cheapest and most expensive car insurance rates in America

It’s no secret that where you live has an outsized impact on the cost of your car insurance, but did you know that drivers in some states pay almost three times the rates that drivers in other places do? MarketWatch’s new insurance study looked at the cheapest insurers, drivers who pay the most, and the states that offer the best insurance rates, showing that some people have it way better than others.

While the cheapest states for car insurance are that way because of the number and type of drivers, they also rely on certain insurers to provide the best rates. The least expensive state for car insurance is Vermont, with a $488 average, but the company that provides coverage for that amount is Union Mutual, an entity that only services New England and New York.

The 10 cheapest states for car insurance and the companies providing the rates:

Vermont: $488 per year / Union Mutual
South Carolina: $545 / American National
Idaho: $559 / USAA
Maine: $588 / Travelers
Ohio: $613 / Nationwide
North Dakota: $657 / USAA
Wyoming: $661 / American National
Washington: $712 / USAA
New Hampshire: $715 / USAA
North Carolina: $729 / Progressive

Even if you’re the best driver in the world, your insurance rates depend heavily on the other drivers in your area. If you live in a place like New York, where accidents are common, and the population is dense, you should expect to pay more than someone in Maine or Vermont, where there are far fewer drivers and less overall risk.

The 10 most expensive states for car insurance and the companies providing the rates:

New York: $2,169 / Progressive
Louisiana: $1,561 / Southern Farm Bureau
Michigan: $1,484 / USAA
California: $1,406 / Geico
Florida: $1,368 / Geico

MarketWatch also rated the cheapest insurers, with USAA coming out on top. Despite that, it’s important to note that many insurance companies operate regionally or with strict parameters on who can be a customer. USAA is only available to current or former members of the military and their immediate families, so the company’s affordable rates should be viewed in the context that they’re not available to everyone.