Las Vegas area auto insurance premiums rise well above national average in recent years

LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — The population of unincorporated Clark County, which includes those areas, not in any city and the largest part of the Las Vegas Valley has exceeded one million people for the first time, according to the County’s Department of Comprehensive Planning.

Officials say the countywide population is up two percent to 2.25 million. This likely means Las Vegas valley is seeing more traffic, more crashes, and other factors that influence auto insurance rates.

According to the insurance search engine, The Zebra, auto premiums across the valley have risen 31% since 2011. Local insurance premiums are about ten percent higher than the national average, which has risen about 20%.

Unlike some cities that may have weather-related issues, one of the valley’s biggest issues is auto theft. Michael Geeser with Nevada Insurance Council said fraud gets built into the insurance rate, so if fraud is limited, policy owners could also see a reduction in some of these exorbitant insurance policies people are paying.

According to The Zebra, the following Las Vegas area zip codes pay the most for car insurance:

1. North Las Vegas – 89030 – $2,768
2. Las Vegas – 89101 – $2,757
3. Las Vegas – 89102 – $2,753
4. Sunrise Manor – 89104 – $2,743
5. Las Vegas – 89106 – $2,741
6. Las Vegas – 89146 – $2,732
7. Las Vegas – 89107 – $2,706
8. Paradise – 89121 – $2,699
9. Las Vegas – 89110 – $2,694
10. Spring Valley – 89103 – $2,691

And these pay the least:

1. Bunkerville – 89007 – $1,482
2. Mesquite – 89027 – $1,498
3. Jean – 89026 – $1,585
4. Moapa Town – 89025 – $1,585
5. Laughlin – 89029 – $1,636
6. Cal-Nev-Ari – 89039 – $1,646
7. Moapa Valley – 89021 – $1,695
8. Boulder City – 89005 – $1,717
9. Searchlight – 89046 – $1,742
10. Indian Springs – 89018 – $1,818

In July 2018, Nevada's insurance minimums will change when set minimums increase.

Geeser said people who have to adjust their policy will expect to pay a few more dollars each month. This will give car owners more insurance coverage in the future as car repair and other costs continue to rise. Geeser recommends shopping for insurance to ensure you have the best policy at the best insurance rate.