TAMPA, Fla. — As gas prices hit record highs across Florida and the country, the last thing you probably want to hear is how much our cars are costing us.
Unfortunately, when it comes to making sure our cars are insured, Floridians are shelling out more for auto insurance than just about everyone else in the U.S.
That unpleasant news comes from two separate studies, one by Bankrate and the other by Coverage.
According to Bankrate, Florida ranks next-to-last when it comes to how much of a person's income is being spent on insurance coverage. On average, 4.42% of each person's yearly income goes to car insurance. And that yearly premium averages out to $2,762 per year. The financial website says only people in Louisiana are paying a higher percentage of their income on their cars.
The national average, in contrast, is only 2.57% of a person's income. And the average person is expected to pay about $1,771 for their annual premium.
But it gets worse if you live in the Tampa metro area. Bankrate says out of the 25 most-populated metro areas across the country, Tampa ranks 24th. What does that mean? Well, you're likely to pay about 4.94% of your yearly income on your car insurance. The average premium is also more, rounding out to about $3,017 per year.
Bankrate says multiple factors play into how much you'll pay for your car insurance, including your credit score, what kind of car you drive and your driving record.
Last year, Coverage said Florida drivers paid the most for full coverage car insurance. It explains one of the reasons for the high insurance rates is because the state is located in an area affected by extreme weather, particularly hurricanes and flooding, both of which can cause car damage.
The insurance website says Florida also ranks within the top four states with the highest number of uninsured drivers.