Which Cities in New York State Have the Cheapest Auto Insurance?

Last Updated on February 2, 2019

For motorists, New York State is quite varied in a lot of ways; its home to expansive, curvy, and mountainous roads, busy city streets, and highways that can get jam-packed with bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Given the varied landscape and driving conditions of New York – as well as the sheer size of the state – it’s no wonder why the cost of auto insurance varies so much from location to location. It really is true that where you live and drive your car in the Empire State can have a huge impact on how much you can expect to pay for car insurance.

If you currently live in New York or you are thinking about moving there, you might be wondering where you can find the least expensive auto insurance. We don’t blame you! The more you can save on your insurance coverage, the more money you’ll have in your pocket, right? To find out where the cheapest rates were, ValuePenguin assessed the rates of dozens of cities throughout the state for a hypothetical motorist, a male aged 32 years old. Their research revealed that the cost of insurance in the following cities is significantly less expensive than other locations in New York.

Cheapest Places To Insure Your Car In New York

So, where can you find the least expensive car insurance rates in New York? In the following cities and towns:

• Corning. If you want to pay the least amount possible for your auto insurance coverage in New York State, head to Corning. This city, which is situated in Steuben County on the Chemung River in the Upstate region, has the lowest rates of any city in the Empire State. We found that our hypothetical motorist, who drove a mid-sized sedan with a high safety rating, would pay, on average, more than 30 percent lower if he lived in Corning than he would if he lived anywhere else. Average annual rate – $994.
• Bath. The next cheapest place for car insurance in New York is also located in Steuben County. Whether the town was named after the English city with the same name or Lady Bath, the daughter of a prominent landowner of the area, is much debated; however, what isn’t up for debate is the affordability of car insurance when compared to other cities and towns in the state. Our sample driver (a 30-year-old male who drives a mid-sized sedan with a high safety rating), paid about 30 percent lower for his car insurance coverage in Bath than he did in other cities throughout the state; just slightly more expensive than the cost in Corning. Average annual rate – $1016.
• Elmira. Moving right along, the next New York State city where you can find affordable prices for auto insurance coverage is in Elmira. The city is, again, situated in Upstate New York, but it’s in Chemung County. Several famous individuals have called Elmira home, including author Mark Twain and his wife, Lily Clemons, as well as Don Zimmer, a Major League Baseball player. Residents of the city also pay some of the least expensive prices for car insurance, too; about 31 percent less than the average cost across the state of New York. Average annual rate – $1024.
• Wellsville. Head over to the mountain town of Wellsville in Allegany County, which sits on the Genesee River, and you can also expect to pay a fair price for your auto insurance coverage. Here, the cost of a policy also costs about 30 percent less than cities throughout New York State. Average annual rate – $1030.
• Olean. Last on the list of the least expensive cities for auto insurance in New York State is Olean. This city is located in Cattaraugus County, the largest city in the county, and the entertainment, financial, transportation, and business center, as well. It’s also a principal city New York’s Southern Tier region. Based on our research, we found that the residents of this Upstate City paid an average of 29 percent less for their auto insurance coverage than the average cost of coverage in the state. Average annual rate – $1036.

Summing It Up

Car insurance is an absolute must in New York State; but, if you’re looking to pay the least amount possible for a policy that meets the minimum requirements and will give you the coverage you need to be protected when you’re on the road, then you are going to want to check out one of the five cities mentioned above.

Why is insurance in these cities cheaper than any other city in New York State? Is it because they’re all located in the Upstate region, is it because people here are safer drivers? We don’t have the answer to that question, but we do know for sure that the residents of these cities in the Empire State do pay a lot less for their auto insurance coverage than the residents of any other city in the great state of New York.