How much is car insurance in New York City, NY?

A lot of people who live inside of New York City decide not to purchase cars because alternative transportation is abundant. Additionally, these non-owners can live without the hassle of finding parking spaces or the expense of purchasing auto insurance in New York City.

However, if you do live in the city and decide to purchase a vehicle, you will need to spend some time comparing auto insurance policies and plans.

This is even more important because NYC auto insurance rates are relatively high when you compare them to other parts of the country.

If you do take the time to compare different insurers, you can be sure you get the right type of coverage and find a good deal.

Is New York City Car Insurance Expensive?

Typically, car insurance rates for densely populated urban areas tend to be higher than they are in small towns or rural areas. Of course, NYC is about the most densely populated city in the United States.

However, the state of New York is not one of the most expensive states to buy coverage in. It might be helpful to compare New York against some other places in the country.

Some selected average costs of full-coverage car insurance:

• New York State Average: $1,369
• New York City Average: $2,540
• United States Average: $1,510
• Washington, D.C Average: $2,006

You can see that the average cost of full-coverage auto insurance in the entire country is somewhat lower than the average cost in the whole state of New York. But the state also contains rural areas and small towns.

You might notice that Washington, D.C. rates are quite a bit higher than either the state of New York or the national average. Washington, D.C. is an area that is also densely packed with both cars and people.

Still, average rates for New York City auto insurance top D.C. average rates too. That might be because the actual population of Washington, D.C. is much lower than the population of NYC. A lot of people commute into Washington by car from surrounding suburbs and cities.

Your NYC Car Insurance Rates Probably Won’t Be Average

Of course, your own rates for New York City car insurance are unlikely to be average. New York insurance companies consider a lot of different things before they offer you a premium rate.

Depending upon your driving record, type of coverage, and several other things, your rates will be higher or lower than this average rate.

For one thing, these figures were calculated based on full coverage. This means that the policies contained liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage. Some drivers will only need to purchase liability coverage, and their premiums could be a lot cheaper. On the other hand, some drivers might purchase even more coverage or specify higher limits, so their policies will cost more.

Additionally, rates are based upon dozens of individual factors. These include the type of car that you drive, how much you drive every year, and your driving history. A few traffic tickets or an accident could drive up your average rates. Alternatively, you might qualify for different discounts that lower your rates below average.

How to Compare New York City Car Insurance Rates

If you want to be certain that you get a good deal on your coverage, you should spend some time comparing rates from different companies that do business in the city.

It is pretty easy to find an online quote form that will give you multiple price quotes to compare. You can figure out which insurers will offer you the lowest prices by using your PC or even your cell phone.

However, you might want to ask some questions before you purchase anything as important as coverage for your vehicle.

In that case, you should see contact information for insurance companies and local agents along with your quotes. Feel free to contact them before you make your final choice.

How to Find Cheaper New York City Car Insurance

Professional agents might even come up with some ways to save even more money than are listed online. For example, they might be able to help you bundle more than one type of coverage in order to get a better deal on your coverage.

People commonly bundle car insurance with homeowners and renters insurance in order to save money. But you can even bundle insurance on other vehicles or a boat.

Also, you might own a car in New York City, but you might only drive it on the weekends. If so, be sure to tell your insurer about your driving habits.

If you do not drive you car very often, you could qualify for much cheaper New York City car insurance rates as an occasional driver or with low-mileage discounts.

Some insurers might offer you discounts for parking your vehicle in a secure lot, buying a car with high marks on safety tests, and adding anti-theft systems to your car. It can take some time to figure out what you can do to lower the cost of your coverage.

But when you consider the fact that policies in New York are generally expensive, it might be worth it if you can save hundreds of dollars a year on your policy.

Non-Owner Car Insurance in New York City

Many residents of the city don’t buy their own cars, but they do need to borrow or rent vehicles from time to time. Even if you do not own a car, you still might need to concern yourself with insurance.

You can probably buy coverage from a rental car company. But you might find yourself paying quite a bit to insure your car at the rental car counter if you do lack your own insurance policy.

If you borrow a car, the owner’s insurance should cover you. But you have to depend upon the owner’s word that he is properly covered, and you could be taking a big risk.

It is illegal to drive without liability insurance in this state, and you could also be on the hook for a large bill if you do have an accident.

However, you might consider purchasing non-owner car insurance. If you rent frequently, these policies can provide coverage at a lower price than paying the daily rate.

Besides, if you buy your own policy, you will be sure that you are properly covered. Most auto insurers offer non-owner insurance policies, and you can contact them for more information and price quotes.

Can You Find Cheap Car Insurance in New York City?

It might not be possible to find really cheap NYC auto insurance rates. This is particularly true if you compare rates in the city against other parts of the country or even the state.

However, you can take some steps to make certain that you find the best deal on the right coverage for your needs.

These steps include comparing insurance rates, finding out what kind of coverage you need, and looking for discounts that can reduce your premium.

If you do that, you should be able to find the right New York City car insurance at the best possible price.