State profile · KY · CMS + NAIC
Kentucky drivers average $1046/yr for auto insurance, ranked #35 of 51 states by expenditure; federal marketplace denial filings are not reported for this state-based exchange.
The verdict
Kentucky runs its own health-insurance marketplace, so federal claim-denial data isn't reported here, but drivers pay an average $1046 a year for auto cover, below the $1191 national average (the 35th-most-expensive of 51 states), up 10% since 2019.
2019: $947 average expenditure
$947 avg expenditure
2020: $918 average expenditure
$918 avg expenditure
2021: $902 average expenditure
$902 avg expenditure
2022: $938 average expenditure
$938 avg expenditure
2023: $1046 average expenditure
$1,046 avg expenditure
What this shows Kentucky drivers' average auto cost rose 10% between 2019 and 2023.
Year over year, Kentucky's average auto expenditure rose 11.5% from 2022 to 2023, part of a 10% increase (+$99) since 2019. See the full 5-year state-by-state comparison.
Kentucky auto rates in detail →Kentucky: $1046/yr average auto expenditure (this state)
$1,046 avg expenditure
Arkansas: $1051/yr average auto expenditure
$1,051 avg expenditure
Tennessee: $1050/yr average auto expenditure
$1,050 avg expenditure
New Hampshire: $987/yr average auto expenditure
$987 avg expenditure
Nebraska: $980/yr average auto expenditure
$980 avg expenditure
No issuer-level claim-denial data is reported for Kentucky in the current CMS dataset.
Evidence map
The order below follows the evidence with the greatest bearing on this state record, while keeping the CMS claims filing, NAIC cost series, and state-rule context distinct.
Auto-cost position
Kentucky's 2023 average auto expenditure was $1046, 35th of 51 jurisdictions by cost and 12.2% below the national average. The figure reflects the coverage mix recorded by NAIC, not an individual driver's quote.
State insurance rules
Kentucky is one of 12 no-fault auto-insurance states: drivers file injury claims with their own insurer's Personal Injury Protection coverage regardless of who caused the accident, rather than suing the at-fault driver. Kentucky's insurance commissioner is an appointed office (in most states, by the governor), not an elected position -- one of 39 states structured this way.
Nearest expenditure peers. By average auto expenditure, Kentucky's closest peers in PlainInsurer's dataset are Tennessee ($1050/yr) and Arkansas ($1051/yr) -- both within a few dollars of Kentucky's own $1046/yr.
Border comparison. Kentucky borders Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Kentucky's auto costs run higher than 5 of them and lower than 2, by average auto expenditure -- geography is one of several factors (alongside regulation and risk pool) that shapes these differences, not a direct cause.
Kentucky operates a state-based health-insurance marketplace, so its issuers are not in the federal CMS Transparency-in-Coverage file. For health-plan denial data, consult the Kentucky Department of Insurance and the state exchange directly.
Rate regulation and guaranty-fund coverage are state-specific, so a state record can differ from an insurer's national average. Sources: CMS Transparency in Coverage PUF PY2026; NAIC 2023 Auto Insurance Database; Insurance Information Institute; Ballotpedia.
State insurance-department directory links come from NAIC. PlainInsurer is not affiliated with NAIC or CMS.
Every figure on PlainInsurer comes directly from NAIC MCAS and CMS Transparency in Coverage data; no editor types in numbers. See our editorial standards or methodology, or report an error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Grades measure only the published complaint/denial data; we don't recommend any insurer or policy.