{"id":2575902,"date":"2026-03-04T07:21:59","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T12:21:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blue-state-drivers-are-getting-hammered-one-of-the-least-affordable-necessities-of-daily-life\/"},"modified":"2026-03-04T07:25:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-04T12:25:35","slug":"blue-state-drivers-are-getting-hammered-one-of-the-least-affordable-necessities-of-daily-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/blue-state-drivers-are-getting-hammered-one-of-the-least-affordable-necessities-of-daily-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Blue State Drivers Are Getting Hammered: &#8216;One of the Least Affordable Necessities of Daily Life&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fblue-state-drivers-are-getting-hammered-one-of-the-least-affordable-necessities-of-daily-life%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2575902&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>California drivers are <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >facing steep <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-joni-ernst-slams-bidenomics-for-rising-inflation\/\" title=\"WATCH: Joni Ernst Slams \u2018Bidenomics\u2019 For Rising Inflation\">auto insurance<\/a> cost increases<\/a>, even as many other states see price declines or stabilization.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; A Los Angeles Times report notes that teh top 10 California insurers were approved to raise premiums by an average of about 6%, on top of prior hikes.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; In recent years, rates have surged: roughly 15.4% in 2024 and 13% in 2023, with many insurers that write the majority of California auto coverage climbing more than one-third from 2023 to 2025.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The impact is felt by typical drivers: a person who paid the state\u2019s average premium of about $1,087 in 2022 could be paying hundreds more in 2026, and some individuals are facing much larger jumps. An example cited is a 60-year-old driver paying around $3,244 annually, despite discounts.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Analysts describe the trend as volatility in pricing rather than simple sticker shock, and consumer advocates say auto insurance is becoming one of the least affordable daily necessities.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Contributing factors cited include manufacturing costs and other variables, and this trend stands in contrast to national patterns where rates are generally declining or stabilizing.<\/p>\n<p>California\u2019s auto insurance landscape is characterized by sharp and ongoing premium increases that outpace national trends, fueling frustration among drivers.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s not exactly a secret that for idyllic as sunny California can be, the cost of living in the Golden State is utterly crushing.<\/p>\n<p>Food, gas, rent, mortgage, taxes&hellip; you name it, and California&rsquo;s cost is downright debilitating.<\/p>\n<p>But lost amid the hullabaloo of the aforementioned costs? The onerous cost of owning <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/from-working-at-mcdonalds-to-competing-at-the-olympics-meet-the-u-s-track-star-living-the-american-dream\/\" title=\"From Working At McDonalds To Competing At The Olympics, Meet The U.S. Track Star Living The American Dream\">car insurance<\/a> &mdash; and it&rsquo;s getting horrific.<\/p>\n<p>According to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/business\/story\/2026-03-02\/why-auto-insurance-rates-are-surging-in-california\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Los Angeles Times<\/a>, &ldquo;shocked&rdquo; has been the emotion of the week for California drivers who are getting utterly hammered by exorbitant car insurance costs.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/joe-biden-knows-he-messed-up-on-fracking-at-debate-and-is-now-doing-damage-control-the-daily-wire\/\" title=\"Joe Biden Knows He Messed Up On Fracking At Debate And Is Now Doing Damage Control | The Daily Wire\">outlet reported<\/a> that the top 10 insurers in California were approved to raise premiums by an average of 6 percent.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>That increase goes on top of a 15.4 percent hike in 2024, and a 13 percent bump in 2023.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Add it all up and rates by insurers who write about 85% of all California auto insurance have climbed on average more than one-third from 2023 to 2025,&rdquo; the Los Angeles Times reported.<\/p>\n<p>The outlet noted that a California driver who had previously paid the state&rsquo;s average premium of $1,087 in 2022 could be paying hundreds more in 2026 &mdash; and that&rsquo;s assuming they&rsquo;re a good, safe driver.<\/p>\n<p>But even that figure could be underselling things.<\/p>\n<p>The outlet spoke to one local, who is 60 and drives a 2010 SUV (though he owns other cars). The man, Jeff Phillips, is now paying an eye-watering $3,244 a year for coverage, despite having &ldquo;discounts&rdquo; applied.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t have any incidents that would have caused it to go up,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;So I was kind of shocked that it was going up as high as it was.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>One analyst suggested that it&rsquo;s not so much sticker shock as it is the unpredictability that has California drivers reeling.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the volatility of price,&rdquo; Pat Sullivan, editor of the Auto Insurance Report, told the Los Angeles Times. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s tough to stomach.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Auto insurance has become one of the least affordable necessities of daily life,&rdquo; one consumer advocate added.<\/p>\n<p>Several factors, such as the cost of manufacturing, have reportedly gone into these unsightly jumps.<\/p>\n<p>This has been an especially frustrating trend for Californians, given the state of the rest of the country.<\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/kmph.com\/news\/local\/california-drivers-see-third-highest-car-insurance-hike-despite-national-decline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KMPH-TV<\/a> reported, most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gubernatorial-candidate-waguespack-unveils-four-part-plan-to-fix-louisiana\/\" title=\"Waguespack reveals 4...step strategy to mend Louisiana.\">auto insurance rates<\/a> across the country are starting to decline.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;But in California, its a different story,&rdquo; the outlet noted.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s the third highest anticipated increase in the country and it comes at a time where overall insurance rates have flattened and in some states have actually come down so this is going to be a little disheartening to California motorists who are looking for some relief from car insurance,&rdquo; an insurance agent told KMPH.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Despite California\u2019s sunny reputation, the cost of living there is increasingly brutal, and car insurance is a particularly painful expense. The Los Angeles Times reports that drivers are \u201cshocked\u201d by rising premiums, noting that the state\u2019s top 10 insurers were cleared to raise rates by about 6% on average. This comes after a string of increases, including a 15.4% jump in 2024 and a 13% rise in 2023. In total, insurers that write roughly 85% of California\u2019s auto coverage have climbed rates by more than a third from 2023 to 2025. <\/p>\n<p>The impact can be seen in real dollars: a driver who paid California\u2019s average premium of about $1,087 in 2022 could be paying hundreds more by 2026, assuming they remain a safe driver. One resident, 60-year-old Jeff Phillips, now faces about $3,244 a year for coverage even with discounts, despite having no incidents to explain the hike. Analysts say it\u2019s not just sticker shock but the volatility of prices that\u2019s hard to swallow. Auto insurance has become one of the least affordable daily expenses for many Californians, with manufacturing costs and other factors contributing to these sharp jumps. By contrast, most auto-insurance rates across the country are trending downward; California\u2019s trajectory is the third-highest anticipated increase nationwide, a development that will be especially disheartening to motorists hoping for relief<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2575903,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-03-03T212244.774.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[18297,75037,8017,69910,75038],"class_list":["post-2575902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-affordability","tag-blue-states-2","tag-cost-of-living","tag-gas-prices-2","tag-transportation-costs-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-03-03T212244.774.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2575902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2575902"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2575902\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2575907,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2575902\/revisions\/2575907"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2575903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2575902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2575902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2575902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}