Study Finds South Carolina Has Highest Car Insurance Rates

Freeway Insurance has released new findings identifying the states with the highest car insurance rates in 2026, based on an analysis of actual customer policy data rather than quoted or estimated rates.

South Carolina had the highest average car insurance rate in the analysis, at $297.28 per month, followed by New York at $276.12 and Rhode Island at $254.01. Rhode Island also posted the sharpest year-over-year increase in the group, with its average premium rising approximately 26.6 percent compared with the first half of 2025.

Unlike many industry reports that rely on advertised rates or hypothetical driver profiles, Freeway's analysis is based on actual policy purchase transactions, providing a view of what Freeway customers in the analysis actually paid for coverage.

Across these 10 locations, the average monthly premium was approximately $245.85, more than double the $103.93 average among the 10 lowest-cost states.