Louisiana #2 Most Expensive State In U.S. for Owning and Driving an Auto

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According to Bank Rate.com, Louisiana is the second most expensive state in the US for driving an automobile. Cost: $2,555 (15 percent higher than the national average).

Louisiana tops all others when it comes to pricey car insurance. The average Louisiana driver spent $1,277 on an annual policy between 2007 and 2011, according to data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. For that kind of money, a typical U.S. driver could pay for 16 months of coverage and have enough money left over to buy a full tank of gas.

However, the price of gas is one of the few measures by which Louisiana beats most other states in terms of affordability. Residents paid an average of $3.29 for a gallon of regular gasoline in 2013, 6 percent less than the national average. Car repair costs in Louisiana keep pace with the national average. In fact, at $354 per year, spending on repairs in Louisiana is only 15 cents more than what the typical U.S. driver pays.