People in dozens of states, including Colorado, have seen big jumps in their car insurance rates in the past year. The typical full-coverage car insurance premium for drivers in the Centennial State rose by 16. 8% in 2023 compared to prices the year before.
That increase is enough to put a dent in the budget of many Colorado residents. But based on the reasons why rates went up last year, many drivers may have to deal with the same thing in 2024.
As a Colorado resident, you may have noticed your car insurance rates going up year after year. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Colorado has some of the highest car insurance premiums in the United States. Since 2013, average car insurance rates in the state have increased by a whopping 53%!
So what’s behind these sky-high premiums? There are several factors that contribute to Colorado’s expensive auto insurance costs
Population Growth and Urbanization
Colorado is one of the fastest growing states in the country. The population has exploded in recent decades with over 86% of residents now living in urban neighborhoods and cities. With more cars on the road, insurers take on higher risks. Accident rates go up leading to increased claims and higher premiums for drivers. Dense urban areas also tend to have more car theft, vandalism, and accidents involving pedestrians.
Extreme Weather Events
From hail storms to flash floods, Colorado experiences some crazy weather. According to AAA, Colorado ranks second in the nation for hail damage per capita. Hail can easily total a car, leaving insurers with huge bills to repair or replace damaged vehicles. Severe weather also increases accident risk for motorists. More payouts for insurers means higher premiums for policyholders.
Rise in Distracted Driving
Distracted driving has become an epidemic across the United States. But Colorado topped the charts for cell phone related fatalities according to a 2021 report. Laws banning handheld phone use while driving took effect in 2020. However, enforcement has been challenging. More distracted driving means more car accidents and injuries, further driving up claim costs.
High-Value Vehicles
Trucks, SUVs, and luxury vehicles dominate Colorado roadways. With high home values, Coloradans can afford pricier rides. Insurers charge more to cover these high-value vehicles in the event of an accident or natural disaster. Comprehensive and collision coverage is also more expensive for luxury cars and SUVs.
Low Requirements for Driver Education
Compared to other states, Colorado has minimal driver education requirements. New drivers aren’t equipped with as much hands-on training and safety knowledge. This leads to higher accident rates among teen and new drivers. Requiring more rigorous driver’s ed could reduce accidents over time and lower rates.
Natural Disasters
Wildfires are becoming an annual threat across Colorado. Blazes like the Marshall Fire have left insurers paying out millions in home and auto claims. Climate change is also contributing to more severe weather events overall. As natural disasters become more frequent, expect premiums to follow suit.
Fraud and Exaggerated Claims
Fraudulent claims drive up costs significantly for insurers. Whether exaggerating injuries from an accident or staging a fake theft, insurance fraud is rampant in Colorado. Insurers have to cover losses from false claims. They pass on these costs by raising honest customers’ premiums.
Lawsuits and Litigation
Colorado doesn’t cap damages for pain and suffering lawsuits resulting from auto accidents. Large legal payouts get absorbed into insurers’ losses. When claim amounts are unlimited, companies compensate by increasing policyholders’ rates. Capping damages could help lower premiums.
Solvency Regulation
To ensure insurance companies can pay out claims, Colorado requires higher reserves than most states. Insurers then factor these solvency regulations into premium amounts. Stricter financial rules provide more consumer protection but at a cost.
Colorado Has the Nation’s Highest Auto Theft Rate
Car thefts can result in damages to vehicles and, in some cases, even total loss claims. If a car owner has comprehensive coverage, their insurance will pay for damages caused by attempted or actual auto theft up to the limits of their coverage. So, the rates of car theft in a given area are a big part of how much auto insurance policyholders pay each month.
Data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) shows that Colorado had the country’s highest auto theft rate in 2022, at 731 car thefts per 100,000 residents. This was a 10.6% increase over Colorado’s rate in 2021, which was also the highest in the U.S.
The most car thefts happened in the Pueblo area, with 1,086 thefts for every 100,000 people living there. Denver followed closely in 3rd place, with 1,062 car thefts per 100,000. Greeley cracked the top 10 across the U. S. too, with a rate of 589 thefts per 100,000 residents, good for 9th place.
In total, Colorado was home to 42,706 auto thefts in 2022. Wisconsin, which has almost the same population as the Centennial State, only had 11,709 car thefts. Colorado has a worryingly high number of car thefts, which is likely why car insurance companies charge more to cover these cars.
Why Colorado Car Insurance Rates Soared
A lot of the things that caused Colorado’s rate hikes in 2023 were also things that caused prices to rise across the U.S. S. There are, however, some trends and statistics that are unique to Colorado that can help explain why rates rose more there than in many other places.
Why Colorado Car Insurance Costs SO MUCH!
FAQ
Is Colorado an expensive state for car insurance?
How much is the average car insurance per month in Colorado?
Why is car insurance so expensive all of a sudden?
What is the state minimum for car insurance in Colorado?
Why are auto insurance rates rising in Denver?
The three Denver-area residents are among Coloradans reeling from rising auto insurance costs on top of higher grocery bills and other expenses. The insurance rates are expected to keep increasing over the next few years. Nationwide, auto insurance rates went up 20.6% over the past 12 months, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said.
Why are car insurance rates so high?
The basic law of supply and demand took over from there, causing parts prices to rise and increasing the cost of repairing vehicles. That reality inevitably led to higher car insurance rates. Customer satisfaction with insurers is sinking fast, according to a J.D. Power survey of more than 8,000 auto insurance policyholders.
Will my car insurance rate increase if I move to Denver?
If something has changed in your life, like moving from Fort Collins, where rates tend to be cheaper, to Denver which has pricier car insurance, you might see a rate increase when you update your policy..
Are car insurance rates up?
Car insurance rates are up 18.6% for the 12 months ended in July, according to Consumer Price Index data released Wednesday. That marked the third-largest jump in prices over the past year across all goods and categories that CPI tracks. Still, that’s an improvement from March, when car insurance rates were up 22.2% annually.