Report: Auto Premiums Lower in Caldwells, West Essex

Garden State residents continue to lead the nation in the cost of auto insurance – and that number may be climbing, according to a recently published report.

But in a twist for Essex County residents, especially those in the Caldwells and West Essex towns including Fairfield and Essex Fells, residents there pay less than the statewide average in premiums – and they have Morristown to thank for it, a published report Tuesday said.

Residents of the townships belong to the greater Morristown territory based on their zip codes and because of that, Caldwell pays the second-least expensive rates.

The grouping, which also includes Essex County towns such as West Caldwell, Fairfield and North Caldwell, pays $1,550 on average for car insurance (27.3 percent below the state average), according to onlineautoinsurance.com and published on NorthJersey.com.

Nearby, Verona and Cedar Grove, part of the Montclair zip code, pay an average premium of $1,990, or 6.7 percent lower than the $2,130 statewide figure.

Insurance brokers base rates on several factors, including crime rates, population density and racial breakdown figures.

At the high end of the spectrum in Essex County, Newark residents average $2,780 per quote (30.4 percent above the average).