Paying the price: Auto insurance rates for SouthCoast residents vary widely by zip code

Jun. 15--The theory that city residents pay more for automobile insurance than their rural counterparts is supported by the data, including on the SouthCoast.

The majority of New Bedford residents pay an average $1,656 annually for their insurance, the 27th highest rate in the state, but city residents who share a zip code with the less densely populated Dartmouth have their average cost drop to $1,530 annually.

As you move to South Dartmouth, the price drops even more, to an average of $1,349.

Diane M Taveira experienced the price changes herself. She posted on the SouthCoasttoday Facebook page that, when she lived in Dartmouth, "it was 120 [a month] now I just moved to New Bedford and now I have to pay 165."

A change of zip code also affected Jimmie Conrad, but he benefited, posting that, "It was cheaper for me for moving to Dartmouth."

Visit gatehousenews.com/carinsurance/home/site/SouthCoastToday.com to find your zip code

Some Acushnet residents also appear to be affected by their proximity to the city. Residents who share a zip code with New Bedford share their average cost of $1,656 for insurance, but residents in the more rural area of the town (with a different zip code) pay an average of $332 less a year.

Fairhaven prices are similar to Acushnet at $1,331 a year, but as you move out to the tri-town, there's yet another drop in price. Mattapoisett residents pay an average of $1,141 annually. Average cost does jump back up when you get to Wareham, to $1,374, but so does the population density.

These numbers also show that some of the state's lowest income residents are paying some of the highest prices for automobile insurance. The median annual household income in the Whaling City is $40,626, according the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2013-17, but residents pay an average of $515 more on insurance annually than Mattapoisett residents, where the annual median household income is $85,870.

According to Massachusetts General Law 175 E, when determining automobile insurance rates, "Consideration shall be given, to the extent applicable, to past and prospective loss experience within and outside the commonwealth." Which means that auto insurers can base their rates on the amount of accidents and other claims that happen in a certain area.

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