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Auto Insurance Rates Decrease in Most States

Insurance.com RateWatch reports trends in car insurance rates, based on more than a million comparison quotes a year. In February, rates quoted were higher than January's rates in 11 states and the District of Columbia, essentially unchanged in 7 states and lower in 28 states.

Show All States

Rate Changes by State

State	Feb 2010 Premium	$$ Changes	% Changes
AL	$1622	($43)	-2.6%
AR	$1865	($25)	-1.3%
AZ	$1528	$17	1.1%
CA	$1736	($57)	-3.2%
CO	$1496	($19)	-1.2%
CT	$2095	$63	3.1%
DC	$2904	$235	8.8%
DE	$2339	$25	1.1%
FL	$2151	$3	0.1%
GA	$1592	($51)	-3.1%
IA	$1292	$36	2.9%
ID	$1323	($58)	-4.2%
IL	$1435	($53)	-3.5%
IN	$1428	($75)	-5.0%
KS	$1607	$1	0.1%
KY	$2055	($42)	-2.0%
LA	$2359	($63)	-2.6%
MD	$2352	$63	2.7%
ME	$1317	$39	3.1%
MI	$1994	($39)	-1.9%
MN	$1776	$68	4.0%
MO	$1578	$41	2.6%
MS	$1944	($26)	-1.3%
MT	$1622	($109)	-6.3%
NC	$1503	($8)	-0.5%
ND	$1346	($74)	-5.2%
NE	$1505	($65)	-4.1%
NH	$1280	($204)	-13.8%
NJ	$2825	$123	4.5%
NM	$1719	($1)	-0.1%
NV	$1981	($40)	-2.0%
OH	$1183	($10)	-0.8%
OK	$1783	($47)	-2.6%
OR	$1479	($78)	-5.0%
PA	$2094	$1	0.0%
RI	$2212	($88)	-3.8%
SC	$1614	($42)	-2.5%
SD	$1570	$74	5.0%
TN	$1468	($15)	-1.0%
TX	$1852	($22)	-1.2%
UT	$1800	$10	0.6%
VA	$1571	$33	2.1%
VT	$1232	($31)	-2.5%
WA	$1798	($49)	-2.6%
WI	$1295	($44)	-3.3%
WV	$2009	($48)	-2.4%
WY	$1563	($164)	-9.5%

Largest Rate Increases

Maine3.1%
Minnesota4%
New Jersey4.5%
South Dakota5%
District of Columbia8.8%

Largest Rate Decreases

New Hampshire-13.8%
Wyoming-9.5%
Montana-6.3%
North Dakota-5.2%
Indiana-5%

U.S. Auto Insurance Rates Averaged $1,836 Annually in February

Auto insurance rates decreased nationally in February, falling by $8. The lowest average annual car insurance quotes dropped slightly, from $1,844 per year to $1,836 annually. This breaks a two-month stretch of rate increases and could herald a stabilization after last month's increases.

Car insurance rates increased 8% in total in 2008, but dropped dramatically in December 2008 and remained relatively level throughout 2009. While rates rose slightly in December of 2009 and January of 2010, average rates still haven't been as low as this February's – if you ignore the months of October and November of 2009 – since February 2008 ($1,828).

Rates Change Often

"Although auto insurance rates rose over the previous two months, they came back down a bit in February. And despite the small rises, rates are still lower now than they've been for most of the last two years. If the rate you're paying with your current company isn't going down or is even increasing, now is a good time to check that you’re getting the best deal."

-Sam Belden VP, insurance.com

RateWatch reports the lowest average annual car insurance rates quoted to consumers who compared rates at insurance.com.
The rates in this study came from more than a dozen leading auto insurance companies in 46 states and the District of Columbia.
More than 1 million drivers get comparison quotes from insurance.com each year.