In a new study analyzing the average annual premiums for the 125 biggest cities in the U.S., financial advisor site NerdWallet determined the most expensive cities for auto insurance.
Related: See the study's analysis on the Least Expensive Cities.
The blame for higher rates in particular cities does not fall completely on the city's drivers. No-fault insurance laws, bad weather, traffic conditions and crime rates all affect insurance premiums.
To determine the most expensive cities, NerdWallet found the average car insurance rates in the nation's largest cities using the profile of a 26-year-old male with no history of accidents, insuring a 2012 Toyota Camry with extended coverage. Using that information, the site compiled a list of the Top 10 Most Expensive Cities for Car Insurance.
Click "next" to see the most expensive cities.
Photos provided by AP Images.
10. Philadelphia, Pa.
Average annual premium: $2,930.53
Philadelphia drivers face unfavorable car insurance laws because Pa. is a no-fault state. The city also faces cold winters and year-round congestion that can contribute to high car-insurance costs, the NerdWallet study says.
Cars drive around a downed limb after a winter storm in Philadelphia.
9. Miami, Fla.
Average annual premium: $3,168.75
Right off the bat, Miami is in a state with no-fault insurance and is victim to hurricanes, notes the study. It adds that Miami roads also suffer from extreme congestion, and Miami was ranked as the city with the rudest drivers in the U.S. in an AutoVantage "In The Driver's Seat" Road Rage study. According to an Allstate study, Miami has the ninth worst drivers in the U.S., which translates into Miami drivers having a 58.4% greater-than-average accident frequency.
A Miami driver examines the remains of his car after a tree fell on it during Hurricane Wilma in 2005.
8. Louisville, Ky.
Average annual premium: $3,255.99
Kentucky is a state with no-fault car insurance laws. In addition, Louisville is more dangerous than 83% of U.S. cities, and has an especially high number of auto thefts, says the study, citing a Neighborhoodscout.com analysis.
Cars stranded by flood waters in downtown Louisville, Ky. in 2009.
7. Jersey City, N.J.
Average annual premium: $3,266.63
New Jersey also has no-fault insurance. Drivers in Jersey City deal with high congestion and often face icy winters, the study says. On average, residents travel 35 minutes to work.
A Port Authority Police officer directs traffic at the Holland Tunnel entrance in Jersey City, N.J.
6. Hialeah, Fla.
Average annual premium: $3,271.86
Hialeah's drivers pay the highest premiums in Florida, says the study, blaming the state's no-fault insurance laws and frequent hurricanes.
A Hialeah, Fla. resident stocks up on water before Hurricane Isaac in 2012.
5. Baton Rouge, La.
Average annual premium: $3,363.73
Locals endure traffic congestion and roads in disrepair in Louisiana's capital, the study notes. The average annual premium accounts for 8.6% of the city's median household income, according to the U.S. Census.
Traffic extends down Interstate 10 heading towards Baton Rouge in anticipation of Isaac in 2012. According to AP, traffic in the greater Baton Rouge area has increased since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
4. Newark, N.J.
Average annual premium: $3,525.43
In addition to N.J.'s no-fault state law, Newark's high insurance rates may be a result of its close proximity to New York City, the study says. Newark drivers have an average commute of 31.3 minutes to work, which is higher than the national average of 25.4 minutes. Additionally, Newark drivers deal with the snowy and icy winters of the north.
Former Newark Mayor Cory Booker assists residents as they dig a vehicle out from snow in 2011.
3. Grand Rapids, Mich.
Average annual premium: $4,042.42
Grand Rapids drivers suffer from Michigan's no-fault insurance laws and bad weather, which deteriorates roads, says the study. Grand Rapids' potholes cost motorists $1,027 a year, according to TRIP, a non-profit.
A tow truck removes the first batch of hundreds of vehicles that were stranded at the Ionia County fairgrounds after storms caused flooding in 2009.
2. New Orleans, La.
Average annual premium: $4,309.61
The average annual cost for car insurance equals about 12% of New Orleans' median household income, according the census figures. Residents commute 22.8 minutes to work on average, and New Orleans has some of the worst maintained roads in the country, NerdWallet says. Louisiana also has a law that allows drivers to directly sue insurance companies after an accident.
Stacks of cars sit in a salvage yard in 2006, a year after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans.
1. Detroit, Mich.
Average annual premium: $10,723.22
Car insurance premiums are the highest in the nation in the Motor City. Drivers in Detroit face high rates because of the city's high crime rate and Michigan's no-fault insurance system. Insurance premiums in Detroit are not uniformly high, however, and premiums vary greatly, according to NernWallet. In the Rosedale Park neighborhood, State Farm offers a policy for $25,300 a year, while Hanover offers a policy for a fraction of that price at $4,854.
The abandoned 3.5-million-square-foot Packard car plant in Detroit in 2010.
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