A new study by Texas Appleseed and United Way of Greater Houston found auto-insurance prices rose 23.8% in 2022 and 25.5% in 2023.
More Harris County drivers dropping car insurance as prices increase, data showsMonday, April 6, 2026 11:34PMBetween car payments, gas prices, and toll roads, being a Harris County driver can get expensive.
Now, a social justice and policy group, Texas Appleseed, is looking towards lawmakers to reform auto insurance costs. A new study by Texas Appleseed and United Way of Greater Houston found auto-insurance prices rose 23.8% in 2022 and 25.5% in 2023. As of today, 14.4% of drivers in Harris County are uninsured. Even with the rising costs, in a car-centric city like Houston, auto insurance is one bill many can't outrun. "It's a doozy, right? I mean, you would rather put that money into a savings account or save up for a wedding ring," driver Sean McCanna said. Part of the rising number of uninsured drivers can be attributed to the rising cost of insurance, according to one of the study's authors, Ann Baddour. "It's increased on average more than 50% in Texas, and with a lot of struggles affording housing and affording basic needs, these kinds of price increases can really make or break a family budget," Baddour said. Right now, car insurance is more expensive if you're unmarried or live in certain zip codes. Baddour said if you have bad credit, you can pay three times more than someone with good credit, even if you have the same driving record."Coming up with something that is more streamlined and not using all of these non-driving factors to adjust the cost that makes it out of reach for the very people that it's more important that they have it," Baddour said. Baddour said their latest focus group wants to see standard pricing for liability coverage with increases based solely on driving history. A change that could save some drivers hundreds of dollars a year. Right now in Texas, drivers pay on average $238 a month or $2,856 a year. With non-driving factors like marriage continuing to impact costs, people like McCanna and his fiancée will have to wait for their wedding day to see their bill come down.Baddour said insurance works best when everyone has it, because if a non-insured driver hits you, you're the one who will see an increase on your bill, and if you don't have insurance, you could face fines and legal penalties. The problem now is for lawmakers to create consumer protections and make the price more manageable for more people.
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