The 15 states where insurance costs the least

As much as you’d like to escape insurance costs, your premiums are actually a smart way to manage risk and protect your financial well-being.

While the chance of an accident or catastrophe may be small, without insurance, you’d have to come up with signicant amounts of money on your own to rebuild your life, protect your family’s future or have life-saving surgery.

Protecting the things you care about — whether it’s your health or family — comes cheaper in some states than others. NerdWallet looked at major insurance costs as a percentage of income in all 50 states to see how much Americans are paying.

Here are the 15 states where people pay the least for their total cost of life, health, car and homeowners insurance.   

See also: The 10 states where insurance costs the most

15. Iowa: $4,857 (total average cost of insurance per year)

Health: $3,009

Life: $304

Homeowners: $779

Auto: $765

Median annual earnings: $41,086

Combined insurance cost as a percentage of earnings: 11.8%

14. Pennsylvania: $4,853 (total average cost of insurance per year)

Health: $2,918

Life: $304

Homeowners: $804

Auto: $827

Median annual earnings: $44,553

Combined insurance cost as a percentage of earnings: 10.9%

13. Tennessee: $4,844 (total average cost of insurance per year)

Health: $2,550

Life: $304

Homeowners: $1,008

Auto: $982

Median annual earnings: $38,620

Combined insurance cost as a percentage of earnings: 12.5%

12. Arkansas: $4,817 (total average cost of insurance per year)

Health: $2,205

Life: $304

Homeowners: $1,096

Auto: $1,212

Median annual earnings: $35,615

Combined insurance cost as a percentage of earnings: 13.5%

11. Virginia: $4,808 (total average cost of insurance per year) 

Health: $2,750

Life: $304

Homeowners: $843

Auto: $911

Median annual earnings: $48,945

Combined insurance cost as a percentage of earnings: 9.8%

10. Arizona: $4,675 (total average cost of insurance per year) 

Health: $2,588

Life: $304

Homeowners: $691

Auto: $1,092

Median annual earnings: $41,774

Combined insurance cost as a percentage of earnings: 11.2%

9. Nevada: $4,662 (total average cost of insurance per year) 

Health: $2,486

Life: $304

Homeowners: $674

Auto: $1,198

Median annual earnings: $41,135

Combined insurance cost as a percentage of earnings: 11.3%

8. Alabama: $4,587 (total average cost of insurance per year) 

Health: $2,144

Life: $304