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.
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
