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Report: Most Expensive States for Car Owners

Mississippi tops a new list of the priciest places in the US for car ownership while New Hampshire is the least expensive.

By Claire_Martin Sep 18, 2012 7:21PM

A new report shows that car ownership in notoriously car-reliant states such as California is not nearly as expensive as it is in some Southern states. 


Mississippi tops a new list compiled by Carinsurance.com of the most pricey states for car ownership in the country. To come up with the figures for what it's dubbed the Automotive Misery Index, the website factored in gas prices, cost of car insurance, average number of miles driven and household incomes. The report was based on car insurance for the popular, moderately priced 2012 Honda Accord EX. 

"A new Honda Accord costs pretty much the same in Bakersfield or Biloxi," Des Toups of CarInsurance.com told The Detroit News. "But keeping it on the road will hurt a lot more in Mississippi." That's because in Mississippi, the tally for gas expenses and auto insurance for the average annual mileage logged by drivers is $4,277 -- 11.6% of the average household income for residents. 

Trailing closely behind Mississippi are Oklahoma, Louisiana, West Virginia and Georgia. High mileage and above-average insurance rates put a dent in Oklahomans' wallets, while the highest auto insurance premiums in the nation account for Louisiana's prominence on the Automotive Misery Index. 


On the other end of the spectrum, Maine lays claim to the country's lowest insurance rates, which helped that state secure a relatively low misery ranking of 36. California was smack in the middle of the pack at No. 24 on the list of states. 

New Hampshire, where drivers take to the roads an average of just 14,133 miles per year and earn a hefty $65,948 average household income, also boasts below-average insurance rates. These factors helped secured its status as the least expensive state for car owners. Alaska, Connecticut, Colorado and Washington rounded out the bottom five.
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