BUFFALO, N.Y. — Car insurance rates are up 7.1 percent in Buffalo and the weather is to blame.
A report by The Zebra, a car insurance search engine, said Buffalonians are paying more for their car insurance than the national average.
The average American pays $1,470 per year while those in the Buffalo metro area spend $1,539 each year.
"Buffalo-area drivers experience just about every kind of weather event - ice and snow, hail, wind, flooding - all of which can damage cars and cause accidents. Insurance costs have also been impacted nationally by accidents caused by distracted driving (driving while handling a phone or other device) and technology updates making cars more expensive to repair after a crash," Alyssa Connolly, Director of Market Insights with The Zebra.
The zipcodes with the highest rates are:
- 14211 - Buffalo - $2,000
- 14204 - Buffalo - $1,990
- 14203 - Buffalo - $1,954
- 14208 - Buffalo - $1,951
- 14213 - Buffalo - $1,946
The zipcodes with the lowest rates are:
- 14120 - North Tonawanda - $1,351
- 14132 - Sanborn - $1,356
- 14150 - Tonawanda - $1,357
- 14086 - Lancaster - $1,362
- 14091 - Lawtons $1,346
