The costliest cities for car insurance prove where you live matters more than how you drive

Auto insurance rates have long been one of the abiding mysteries of car ownership. Despite the overall decline in crashes over the past decade, auto insurance rates have steadily risen, driven by what insurers say are higher vehicle repair and health-care costs. Yet a new study also shows that no matter your driving record, a simple change of zip code can cause large swings in how much you pay.

The survey by NerdWallet looked for the highest and lowest annual auto insurance rates in 125 cities, using a profile of a 26-year-old man insuring a 2012 Toyota Camry with a $500 deductible, living in an urban zip code. Seven of the 10 lowest-cost cities were in North Carolina, where a unique set of laws caps rates and personal-injury awards while giving regulators broad control over price increases.