Rhode Island: The Little State with Big Car Insurance Costs
Lisa Steuer McArdle
· 3 min read
Some people would believe that smaller states would mean less traffic, fewer accidents and, consequently, cheaper
car insurance
. But unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be the case for tourist states along the water like Rhode Island
. In fact, according to our data here at
Jerry
, the average monthly insurance premium for Rhode Island residents is $76 dollars over the East Coast average for women and $69 dollars over for men.
East Coast vs West Coast car insurance rates
We reviewed more than 574,000 car insurance quotes for drivers in all states on the east and west coasts. We sourced the data from our more than 1 million total customer quotes provided between July 2020 to July 2021.
By doing this, we found that residents of East Coast states like Rhode Island with no violations pay, on average, 45% more per month than West Coast residents. That works out to about $80 more a month.
We also found some differences in what women and men pay for car insurance, with women on the East Coast paying on average $73 more per month, while men on the East Coast pay $86 more per month than West Coast drivers.
In fact, most of our data shows that in most states on the east and west coasts, men pay more than the women in that state.
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Why is car insurance so expensive in Rhode Island?
MORE: Are East Coast Drivers Actually More Aggressive? Here's What the Data Says
When it comes to analyzing the data on just a state-by-state basis, there are numerous theories behind why car insurance is so expensive in Rhode Island.
According to
WalletHub
, Rhode Island is the second-most densely populated state. Population-dense states and cities tend to see higher premiums because they usually see more accidents and more frequent claims. Yet another factor is the high car repair costs in the state. The report also says that more people in Rhode Island are driving, which means there are more accidents, and thus more claims and payouts. There were approximately 76 fatal crashes in the state in 2018, versus 52 fatal crashes in 2014.
In addition, with increased car insurance costs, more drivers are going uninsured. According to WalletHub, 15% of drivers lacked even minimum
liability insurance
in Rhode Island in 2015. Unfortunately, the cost of uninsured drivers is passed on to consumers through higher premiums.WalletHub reports that In Rhode Island, the average collision claim raises a driver’s rates by $1,660.20 in Rhode Island. This amounts to $4,981 over the course of three years.
Where you live in Rhode Island also affects how much you pay for car insurance. According to
U.S. News
, Woonsocket, RI, residents pay the lowest rates for car insurance at 14% less than the average rate, while residents of the state capital of Providence pay an average of 16% more. Save with Jerry
If you live in Rhode Island or another state with high car insurance rates, the best way to save is to compare car insurance quotes. Luckily,
Jerry
can help. The app compares quotes from up to 50 different insurance companies for you in under a minute, without any long forms to fill out.
Jerry will send you quotes that compare to your current coverage—and as a licensed broker, it takes care of your insurance needs from start to finish. The app also monitors your car insurance rate every six months on an ongoing basis.
