Car insurance in Mississippi

Posted on September 25, 2014

Mississippi is one of the few states that do not require vehicle owners to carry car insurance. Instead, Mississippi offers local drivers the option of posting cash bonds to cover the costs associated with auto accidents. However, most of us don’t have fifty or sixty grand lying around, and accidents are prohibitively expensive. So car insurance is a must-have for Mississippi drivers. Scroll down to learn more about Mississippi car insurance. This page provides the latest available stats, facts and premium rates on insurance for owners of vehicles in the state of Mississippi. Find out how to choose the right car insurance package at the lowest possible rates.

Mississippi Minimum Liability Coverage

The minimum liability required by Mississippi state law is 25/50/25 for each vehicle owned. That means $25,000 in coverage against personal injury, $50,000 in coverage against injury to others and $25,000 in coverage against property damage.

Although research professionals at the Insurance Information Institute recommend 100/300 coverage for each vehicle owned in the United States, most Mississippi residents stick to the minimum coverage. Experts also recommend Uninsured Motorist (UMI) coverage in Mississippi, which has the highest percentage of uninsured vehicles of all U.S. States.

Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in Mississippi

The penalty for getting caught driving an uninsured vehicle in Mississippi is a $500 fine and a suspended license for up to one year. Statistics show that roughly twenty-eight percent (28%) of vehicles on Mississippi roads are uninsured. This is partly because many drivers cannot afford the insurance premiums in such a poor economy.

Auto Insurance Rates in Mississippi

The average annual auto insurance premium in the state of Mississippi was $1,277 in 2016. This was only slightly lower than the national average, which was $1,347 at the time. Still not bad, considering that Mississippi has the highest rate of uninsured drivers of any U.S. state. According to statistical reports from Top50States.com, it is no coincidence that Mississippi also ranks highly in deaths related to speeding. This, combined with a perpetually poor economy, helps explain Mississippi’s higher-than-expected car insurance premiums.

Low Cost Car Insurance Programs in Mississippi

Auto insurance carriers in most states offer discounts to entice vehicle owners to use their services. Mississippi is no exception. Available low cost auto insurance deals include Accident Free discounts, Good Driver discounts, Good Student discounts, Multiple Automobile discounts, Multiple Policy discounts, Passive Restraint discounts and Vehicle Safety discounts, for instance. The best way to score a low cost car insurance package is to qualify for as many special discounts as possible.

Obtaining Auto Insurance Quotes in Mississippi

According to recent online comparisons, consumer reviews, and customer satisfaction ratings, Mississippi’s favorite auto insurance providers are big-name carriers like Allstate, Geico, Liberty Mutual, State Farm and 21^stCentury Insurance. Still, many Mississippi drivers opt for local carriers like Direct General. Some drivers even choose independent carriers. In any case, Mississippi is home to many thousand insurance agents who provide comprehensive auto insurance at competitive rates. Contact agents to compare quotes. Ask about their discounts.

Mississippi Car Insurance

If you plan on buying Mississippi car insurance, here’s how Mississippi drivers can reduce premium rates on their auto insurance policies. Drivers in Mississippi who wish to purchase car insurance can simply scroll down to find all the info they need regarding car insurance in the state of Mississippi, and the various deals and discounts that auto insurance companies offer.

Learn about the amounts and types of car insurance coverage Mississippi drivers need. Scan a list of the 10 largest car insurance companies in the state of Mississippi, as well as a list of the 10 largest car insurance companies in America. Study Mississippi poverty statistics, unemployment info, population data, median incomes, and other details that influence car insurance premiums in the state of Mississippi.

There’s even a statewide average annual premium rate for a Mississippi car insurance policy. Find out where Mississippi ranks among states in terms of the cost of car insurance premiums. Also take a look at average rates for eight different zip codes in the state of Mississippi.

Read on for advice on how to lower your premiums on Mississippi car insurance.

Mississippi Car Insurance Statistics

Mississippi is known for being one of the nation’s poorer states. The unemployment rate in Mississippi is approximately 5 percent, a bit above the national average unemployment rate of 4.4 percent, but nothing too alarming. However, the poverty rate in Mississippi is about 22 percent, quite a lot higher than the national average poverty rate of 13.5 percent. In fact, Mississippi has the highest poverty rate of any state in America.

The state of Mississippi has a resident population of just under 3 million people, according to a census bureau population estimate from 2015. Surprisingly, Mississippi ranks 32^nd among states in land area, 32^nd among states in total population, and 32^nd among states in population density as well.

A recent study determined that the statewide average annual premium rate for a car insurance policy in Mississippi was about $1,277, somewhat lower than the national average car insurance rate, which was around $1,355 at the time. Mississippi is neither the cheapest nor the priciest state in America to buy car insurance. In fact, the state ranks 25^th in terms of average car insurance premium rates.

Recently, a group of analysts at the Insurance Research Council analyzed a sample of Mississippi drivers. The statistical results revealed that more than 25 percent of registered vehicles in the state of Mississippi are uninsured. Among states, Mississippi has the highest rate of uninsured drivers. This is probably due to the state’s high poverty rate.

The median resident age of the population of Mississippi is about 37 years.

The Largest Mississippi Car Insurance Companies

There are so many Mississippi car insurance companies that it can be a daunting task having to choose one. You can go for one of many major companies, or choose from any of several smaller, regional carriers. A bit of research is all it takes to figure out which company you want. To get you started, here is a list of national favorites, followed by a list of the largest car insurance carriers in the state of Mississippi.

A research study determined that the ten largest car insurance companies in the United States are 1) Allstate Insurance, 2) State Farm Insurance, 3) Geico, 4) Progressive Insurance, 5) Nationwide Group, 6) AAA, 7) Liberty Mutual Insurance, 8) 21^st Century Insurance, 9) GMAC, and 10) AIG, in that order. These major carriers were ranked by the annual dollar amount of written premiums.

Now, compare the ten largest car insurance companies in America to the ten largest car insurance companies in the state of Mississippi, by reading the list shown below. These companies were similarly ranked by the total amount of direct annual premiums written. Each company’s revenue reveals its total market share within the state of Mississippi.

Rank	Company	Premiums ($)	Market Share (%)
1	State Farm Group	$391,831	26.02
2	Southern Farm Bureau Casualty	$188,602	12.53
3	Progressive Insurance Group	$148,752	9.88
4	Allstate Insurance Group	$144,807	9.62
5	Berkshire Hathaway Insurance	$85,090	5.65
6	Nationwide Group	$82,967	5.51
7	USAA Group	$69,650	4.63
8	Alfa Insurance Group	$55,223	3.67
9	Liberty Mutual Insurance	$54,922	3.65
10	Shelter Insurance Companies	$39,990	2.66

As you can see, State Farm Insurance is clearly the most favored auto insurance company in Mississippi, claiming more than one out of every four car insurance policies sold in the state. Still, the best insurance company for you depends on who you are. There is essentially no such thing as The One Best Mississippi Car Insurance Company.

Cutting Costs on Mississippi Car Insurance

Drivers in the state of Mississippi can reduce their rates on Mississippi car insurance premiums by quite a bit of money every year. They need only to compare online quotes, and then get every single discount for which they qualify. Here’s how Mississippi drivers can lower their car insurance rates to a minimum.

First, read a fair number of current consumer reviews from no less than five Mississippi car insurance companies. Auto insurance companies are (more or less) competitive, although they will vary slightly in their demographic areas of expertise. Going over consumer reports is a good start to choosing the right auto insurance company to fit your needs. Of course, all car insurance carriers get negative reviews. Try not to let this worry you too much.

When you are finished reading reviews, you should make a list of your most viable options for Mississippi car insurance. List at least five auto insurance carriers you like. Then visit the website of each insurance company and get a series of online quotes, using the same demographic info for every quote. You can compare online quotes not only from one car insurance company to another, but also for different Mississippi zip codes from the same car insurance company. For example, you can type in your home zip code, your work zip code, and your school zip code.

Certain discounts will be automatically applied to your online quote, such as a discount for paying online, or a student discount, or a senior discount, for instance. Still, be sure to locate the list of discounts on every Mississippi auto insurance company website you visit. If necessary, you can always call an agent to inquire about which discounts apply to you. You really need to jump on the discounts. An agent is unlikely to do this extra work for you.

Discounts on auto insurance for which you might be eligible include billing discounts, payment discounts, occupational discounts, vehicle discounts, safety feature discounts, anti theft device discounts, safe driver discounts, low mileage discounts, senior discounts, good student discounts, and multiple policy discounts, among others.

Comparing quotes and digging up discounts is the probably the best way to reduce your rates on Mississippi car insurance.

What Types Of Car Insurance Do Mississippi Drivers Need?

Auto insurance laws in the state of Mississippi require drivers to purchase liability coverage amounts of at least $25,000 for bodily injury to others, $50,000 in per-accident coverage, and $25,000 to cover the cost of property damage. Generally speaking, state minimum requirements are not normally enough to pay the costs of repairs and/or medical bills that can result from auto accidents.

That’s why United States insurance experts suggest that Mississippi drivers purchase higher coverage amounts than the minimum state law requirement. Experts recommend coverage amounts of $100,000 for personal injury protection, $300,000 against bodily injury to others, and no less than $50,000 to pay the cost of property damage.

Mississippi drivers should also buy similar coverage amounts of uninsured and underinsured motorist insurance (UMI). As if it isn’t bad enough that Mississippi has a sky high rate of uninsured drivers, even vehicles that do have insurance are typically underinsured, due to the low state-mandated minimum coverage requirements.

For even better protection, drivers in Mississippi can also opt for comprehensive and collision insurance. This coverage will pay the cost of many unfortunate occurrences that can happen to your vehicle. These include collisions, animal strikes, flooding, wildfires, falling trees, random flying objects, vandalism, and car theft, among other major mishaps.

Odd and Outdated Mississippi Traffic Laws

In the state of Mississippi, it is illegal to keep horses within 50 feet of any roadway.
In Ridgeland, it is illegal to have exterior burglar bars on your home if they are viewable to people in passing cars.
In Tylertown, it is against the law to shave in the middle of Main Street.

Best And Worst Zip Codes For Mississippi Car Insurance

Mississippi car insurance premiums will change between zip codes, due to changes in population densities, unemployment rates, poverty rates, resident median ages, median income levels, crime statistics, and the percentage of uninsured drivers on the roads.

Here is a list of the four most expensive zip codes in the state of Mississippi to buy car insurance. Annual premium rates in these neighborhoods can range from about $940 to around $2,235.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
39086 (Hermanville)	11	5.60%	26.90%

This Claiborne County neighborhood is situated about 50 miles southwest of Jackson. Fewer than 1,800 people live here. The unemployment and poverty rates are above the state averages, which are already high compared to other states.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
39190 (Washington)	0	0%	0%

This zip code is located in Adams County, about 100 miles southwest of Jackson. There is no information for this neighborhood. This tiny, unincorporated rural community is located near the Natchez-Adams County Airport, along the lower Mississippi River, about 100 miles southwest of Jackson.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
39150 (Port Gibson)	25	16.80%	44.30%

Port Gibson is located just a few miles west of Hermanville. This Claiborne County zip code is home to fewer than 6,000 people. As you can see, unemployment is high in this neighborhood, and the poverty rate is more than twice the state average.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
39250 (Jackson)	0	0%	0%

No demographic information for this zip code. However, this neighborhood as one of the four most expensive zip codes to buy Mississippi car insurance.

Now compare the Mississippi zip codes mentioned above to the areas listed below. These are the four cheapest zip codes (on average) in the state of Mississippi to buy car insurance. Annual premium rates in these neighborhoods span from about $690 to around $1,845.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
39759 (Starkville)	133	12.70%	33.90%

More than 43,000 people live in this Oktibbeha County neighborhood. Unemployment and poverty are above the state average, yet car insurance is relatively cheap around here.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
39743 (Crawford)	23	16.90%	36.30%

The unemployment and poverty rates are also high in this Lowndes County zip code.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
39762 (Mississippi State)	5,130	30.50%	0.00%

This zip code, as the name suggests, is home to Mississippi State University. That’s why the median resident age in this neighborhood is only 19.5 years. There is no poverty around here because pretty much everyone in this zip code is enrolled at Mississippi State. Unemployment is high, however, and for the same reason.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
39776 (Woodland)	21	16.70%	24.70%

This Chickasaw County zip code is home to fewer than 1,600 people. Unemployment is high, but the poverty rate, believe it or not, is not too far above the 22 percent state average.

Overall, the state of Mississippi is home to 531 zip codes in 82 counties containing 433 incorporated towns, from Abbeville to Yazoo City and everywhere in between. There is a difference of several hundred dollars in annual premium rates between the cheapest and the priciest zip codes to buy car insurance in the state of Mississippi.

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