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"Insurance agents are likely always on the lookout for ways they can save prospective customers money in comparison with the coverage they have currently, and now new research suggests that a number of major cities in the U.S. pay far more than the national average for annual premiums. Consequently, dealing with people in those cities might be a great way to encourage more customers to switch policies. Far and away, the national leader in auto insurance policies is Detroit, where consumers can expect to pay an average of $10,723.22 per year for their coverage, according to a new study from the savings site Nerdwallet. The reason for this cost is that the state of Michigan has a no-fault insurance system - through laws that mandate significant compensation for those in accidents regardless of what caused them - and the Motor City in particular has a notably high crime rate. Well behind that figure, in second place, was New Orleans, where average annual costs come to $4,309.61, the report said. That's roughly 12 percent of the median household income in the city, due largely to the fact that the city maintains its roads extremely poorly, and state laws allow consumers to sue insurers after accidents. Grand Rapids, Michigan, wasn't far behind, with an average cost per year of $4,042.42, due again to the state's insurance laws, and also the fact that it generally gets poor weather that can increase claims. These were the only metro areas in which premiums exceeded $4,000. The rest of the list Rounding out the top 10 were cities from across the country, including Newark, N.J.; Baton Rouge; Hialeah, Fla.; Jersey City; Louisville, Ky.; Miami; and Philadelphia, the report said. All of their annual premiums fall into a range of between slightly more than $2,900 and more than $3,500. Meanwhile a separate examination found that the top five cities in the nation with the lowest yearly auto insurance costs were all in North Carolina. Because of the situation in many parts of the U.S., enterprising insurance agents may want to take the time to look into the ways in which they can better connect with people in the more expensive cities nationwide, who could be looking for significant savings on their coverage. Helping them to find reduced costs for car insurance could, in the end, be a benefit to both parties."

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