OMAHA, NE (KMTV) — During the pandemic, most of America was parked and didn't travel as much which allowed car insurance rates to go down. But here in Nebraska, that wasn't necessarily the case.
Car insurance rates rose about 5% during the pandemic in Nebraska, but some Omaha residents are paying even more because of where they live.
"The most expensive zip codes in the Omaha area as a whole are downtown generally. Those people pay about $600 more per year for the exact same car insurance than those who live in a little bit more rural or suburban areas," said Nicole Beck, Communications Director for TheZebra.com.
Car insurance goes up when there are more accidents or claims in that area, and with the country opening back up, rates might not get any better.
"Since rates were already higher in Omaha than they were last year, they may get a little higher just simply because there are going to be more people on the road than there was last year," said Beck.
There have been many programs companies used to help their customers out during the pandemic.
"Companies took other steps to make life easier. These included suspending cancellations for non-payment for a certain time, allowing payment arrangements for past due balances, special programs for low mileage drivers and temporary price reductions," said Eric Dunning, Nebraska Director of Insurance.
Experts at TheZebra.com say there are ways you can lower your rates. They recommend shopping around for insurance every six to twelve months, bundling your car insurance with other plans like home or renters insurance, improving your credit score and getting married.
