New York and Louisiana Drivers Pay for 14 Extra Months of Average Car Insurance Every Year, Study Finds

The average annual cost of full car insurance in the U.S. is $1,702 in 2026, covering both comprehensive and collision protection. But this is just the national average. The actual amount drivers pay to insure their vehicles varies widely based on their credit score, driving history, the type of car they drive, and the state they live in, which is why it pays to compare car insurance rates before renewing a policy.

While it’s well known which U.S. states have the most expensive car insurance policies, the Insuranceopedia team conducted a cost-gap analysis to find out how many extra months of average U.S. car insurance coverage drivers could pay for with the amount they spend above the national average. The results show just how large these insurance cost gaps have become.

According to Insuranceopedia.com, drivers in New York and Louisiana pay enough above the national average to cover nearly 14 extra months of car insurance each year. Here is how the other most expensive states rank.

Drivers in the 10 Most Expensive States Pay the Equivalent of at Least Six Extra Months of Average U.S. Car Insurance

Owning a car in America has become significantly more expensive in recent years. Rising insurance premiums are one of the key drivers behind this trend, alongside higher vehicle prices, financing costs, and repair bills. As a result, many Americans are finding car ownership increasingly difficult to afford, especially in states known for their costly car insurance policies.

To better explain the extra costs drivers face when insuring their vehicles in the ten most expensive states, Insuranceopedia compared each state’s average annual full-coverage car insurance premium with the U.S. national average of $1,702, then converted the difference into the equivalent number of months of coverage.

The analysis showed that drivers in all ten states pay the equivalent of at least six extra months of car insurance than the average U.S. driver, with half of the states paying well above that.

For instance, the average annual full-coverage car insurance premium in California in 2026 is $2,611, or $909 above the national average, making it the least expensive state among the ten costliest. When converted into monthly rates, that difference is enough to cover 6.4 extra months of coverage, and that’s in 2026 alone.

Drivers in Kansas, who pay $965 more for full-coverage car insurance than the average American, can cover an extra 6.8 months with that difference, while Rhode Island drivers can cover 6.9 months. The analysis showed Kentucky is the only remaining state on the list whose drivers pay closer to half a year of extra insurance costs, with 7.2 additional months. The next five states on the list are well above these figures.

Drivers in Michigan, Nevada, and Colorado pay roughly $1,300 more for full-coverage insurance policy than the national average, and that difference is enough to cover roughly nine extra months.

While all these states are far above the national average, New York and Louisiana are in a category of their own. With more than $3,600 for a full-coverage insurance policy, New Yorkers and Louisianans pay enough above the national average to cover nearly 14 extra months of insurance. In other words, the amount drivers pay to insure a vehicle in these two states is enough to cover more than two years of coverage for the typical American driver. Drivers in those states can offset some of the gap by shopping around — our breakdown of the cheapest car insurance in New York shows rates can vary by hundreds of dollars between top carriers.

In 15 States, Drivers Pay an Extra Year’s Worth of Average Car Insurance in Two Years or Less

While New York and Louisiana top the list, the large insurance cost gap is pretty common across the United States. In fact, according to Insuranceopedia’s analysis, drivers in 14 states will pay enough above the national average to cover at least six extra months of car insurance this year, while drivers in 26 states will pay enough to cover at least three extra months.

Looking at the numbers another way, drivers in 15 states will accumulate the equivalent of a full year’s worth of average car insurance in two years or less simply through the difference they pay above the national average. In New York, Louisiana, and Florida, that threshold is reached in less than a year.