Drivers across the country will be paying more for their auto insurance this year, according to a report from ValuePenguin.com. While that includes North Carolina, drivers in the Tar Heel State are expected to pay less than their counterparts on other states.
Rates are expected to increase by 12.6% across the US in 2024, thanks to rising repair costs and frequent severe weather. That’s an even bigger jump than 2023, when rates rose 11.2%. The average cost of full coverage car insurance across the US going in 2024 is $1,984 per year, or about $165 per month.
“Auto insurance rate increases in North Carolina are significantly lower than the rest of the country,” Divya Sangameshwar, insurance expert and spokesperson for ValuePenguin.com, told Carolina Journal in an emailed statement. “Based on our analysis of approved rate filings submitted at the end of last year — we found that insurers are going to raise rates by an average of 4.3% in 2024. However, this is still significantly higher than in 2021 and 2022 — when auto insurance rates actually declined in the state.”
The average cost of auto insurance in North Carolina in 2024 is the fifth lowest in the country at $1308/year. The state’s average premiums are 34% lower than the national average.
However, Sangameshwar says auto insurance rates vary by 59% across the 857 cities and towns in the state. The cheapest places in the state to get auto insurance are Atlantic Beach, Beaufort, Harkers Island, Marble, and Pine Knoll Shores, where premiums are 15% lower than the state average.
The most expensive places to get auto insurance in North Carolina are Newell, where rates are 34% above the state average; in Cumberland and Brunswick counties; and, in Charlotte, where rates are 20% above the state average.
Electric vehicle (EV) owners may get a break by not paying for gas, but that isn’t the case for some insuring their vehicles. They include Tesla owners and other luxury EVs like the BMW i4 or the Ford Mustang Mach E, which carry higher insurance rates. North Carolinians looking to save money from the switch to an EV will find it cheaper to insure those such as the Volkswagen ID 4, Chevrolet Bolt EV, Kia EV6, or the Hyundai Ioniq5.
Another group of drivers who will see a steep increase in their premiums in 2024 are those who had a traffic violation in 2023. North Carolina drivers see the largest average increase in the amount they’ll pay for full coverage auto insurance after a ticket, accident, or DUI — averaging 134%.
To put this into perspective, a driver who got a ticket will pay $1800 a year on average for auto insurance. If they got into a crash for which they were found to be at fault, their premiums will average $2,184 a year, and if they have a DUI, then their premiums will average $5,808 a year.
More rate hikes are coming to the state, as well. In 2025, North Carolina will face increased minimum liability limits for all auto insurance policies, and drivers will see their rates rise again as a result.