Methodology: How We Source and Present Numbers

What kinds of numbers do you see here?

A number on this site is one of four kinds. Each kind has its own rules. Knowing which one you are reading tells you how far you can trust it.

• State rules: coverage limits, fees, penalties and deadlines.
• Statewide averages: what drivers in a state paid, on average.
• Published price estimates: what a study charged a stated kind of driver.
• Place data: hazard, population and crash figures for a county or city.

Each figure shows its source and date, so you can check it. A page also shows when we last reviewed it.

How do we check state rules?

We check each rule where the law lives: the statute, the state insurance department or the motor vehicle agency. Comparison sites are often out of date, so we use them only to spot questions people ask. Every value in our state data files links to its source page and carries a verification date. If we cannot confirm a value, it stays blank rather than guessed.

Official pages sometimes disagree. One Texas tips page words the $60,000 figure as a repair limit. The statute and the department’s own guide say it caps injury payments when two or more people are hurt. When that happens, the law wins, and we say which source we followed.

Laws also change. A 2025 Texas bill would have raised the minimums, but it never left committee. The current 30/60/25 limits stand. We track pending bills for that reason.

Where do statewide averages come from?

They come from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Its data covers private passenger auto policies in each state, written in 2024. It was released on October 1, 2026 (the report itself is dated September 2026), so it trails today’s prices. NAIC also revises past years when insurers send updates, so an older edition can differ from a newer one.

The measure we quote most is “average expenditure.” It adds up premiums for liability, collision and comprehensive coverage, then divides by the number of insured cars. It assumes every car has liability, but not every car has the other two. That is why it sits below a full-coverage price.

We always label an average with its year and say it is statewide. We never scale it down to a city or a driver. NAIC itself says state-to-state comparisons deserve a high degree of caution. Its figures ignore differences in coverage choices, state laws and traffic, and many other things vary too, such as weather, repair costs and legal costs.

Which price estimates do we publish?

We only use a published estimate if it meets every test:

1. It states how it was built.
2. It was published within the last 12 months.
3. It names the driver, car and coverage profile.
4. Its unit is clear, such as dollars per year per car.
5. It is not a state average dressed up as a quote.

We compare only like with like. A clean-record adult at full coverage is never mixed with a minimum-coverage figure or a young driver. We show the range across comparable sources, at most two figures from any one source, and we never copy a source’s table. If fewer than three comparable sources exist, we publish no price numbers at all.

Several analysts say their rates come from the same supplier. Three of them agreeing may be closer to one measurement than three. Where it applies, we tell you. Regulator tools are preferred. Still, one Texas tool’s newest sample rates were 16 months old at our check, so we treated them as background only.

What about hazard, population and crash data?

These describe places. They do not set or predict your price, and you should not read them as a forecast for your home or your drive.

• FEMA National Risk Index: version 1.20, December 2025, at county level. A rating describes the county, not a street. Pages that use it carry FEMA’s required notice that the product is not endorsed by FEMA.
• Census population estimates: the 2025 edition. A newer edition replaces older ones, so we update when a new one arrives.
• NHTSA crash data: the Fatality Analysis Reporting System counts fatal crashes. We pool 2020 through 2024 and treat 2024 as preliminary.

The data page lists versions and access dates.

What are the limits of our numbers?

Our numbers cannot tell you your quote. They lag the market, and sources can be wrong. We run automated checks that compare each page against saved source text, but errors can still slip through. Treat every page as background, not legal or financial advice, and confirm with your state insurance department.

How can you check a number yourself?

1. Find the “last reviewed” date near the top of the page.
2. Open the matching link in the page’s source list.
3. Check that the driver profile and year match your situation.
4. Compare any rule with your state’s insurance department.

Found a mistake? You can email [email protected] with the page and the official link. Confirmed fixes are listed on our corrections page. Read the wider editorial policy for how pages are written.

Bottom line

Use our rules and averages to understand your options, then get quotes for identical coverage. If a figure matters to your decision, click through to its source first.