'I Am Absolutely Mindblown:' California Driver Moves to Texas. Then She Tries to Get Insurance Through AAA

A California transplant got a harsh reality check about car insurance costs when she tried to update her coverage after moving to the Lone Star State. 

The dramatic price increase left her questioning everything she thought she knew about Texas being a cheaper place to live.

In a video with more than 3,400 views, Tierra Quarles (@tierra.quarle) shares her disbelief after calling AAA to transfer her car insurance from California to Texas. What she discovered was far from the cost savings she expected.

"What car insurance do you guys have in Texas, because I am absolutely mind blown" Quarles says in the video. "I just called AAA, that's who I have my car insurance through, I paid $177 in California, absolutely absurd already, switch it to Texas, they told me that it's gonna be $297 for the first month, which is always bigger, then it'll go down to $288."

She says they told her that if she joined their onboarding program, she could get her rate down to $202.

“What the heck," she says. "I am about four or five seconds from just riding dirty because I just cannot fathom that for the opportunity that something might happen."

Without the onboarding program, that’s a $120 monthly increase, or $1,440 for the year. If she goes through the program, she’s still paying more than in California with a $25 increase, or $300 for the year.

“Who has the discounts? At this point, I don't care, The General, Geico, Progressive, who got it?” Quarles asks.

In an Instagram direct message Quarles said she knew California insurance was pricey, but was "utterly shocked whenever it was time to switch to Texas."

Quarles explained that she was told the high rates were due to Texas having so many uninsured drivers, but she finds the situation frustrating.

"I just feel like that is a penalty towards those who are actually paying and want to be insured," she said. "It really sucks for those who are following the law."

The rate increase has forced her to reconsider her coverage options, weighing whether she actually needs comprehensive and collision coverage or can give up extras like roadside assistance. Rather than seeing consistent price increases, Quarles wishes there was "some way to get like a rebate after like a six-month policy you haven't had any wrecks or anything like that."

Why is Car Insurance So Expensive in Texas?

Turns out Quarles isn't overreacting. Texas really does have some of the priciest car insurance in the country. 

Texas drivers pay 10% more for basic coverage and a whopping 21% more for full coverage compared to what most Americans shell out, MoneyGeek reports.

The state basically has everything working against drivers when it comes to insurance costs. Texas has more highways packed with more cars, going faster than almost anywhere else. The speed limit hits 85 mph on some roads, compared to 70 mph in most states, which means when crashes happen, they're uglier and more expensive to deal with.

Then there's the weather. Texas gets just about every natural disaster you can think of. The Office of Public Insurance Counsel points out that storms and weather events are getting worse and more frequent, and all that hail, hurricane, and tornado damage has to be paid for somehow—by coming out of everyone's premiums.

The Uninsured Problem

About one in five Texas drivers have no insurance at all, according to MoneyGeek. When these folks cause accidents (and they do), everyone else with insurance has to foot the bill through something called uninsured motorist coverage.

It's like being the only person in your friend group who actually pays for streaming services. You end up covering for everyone else.

Plus, Texas logged nearly 33,000 stolen vehicles in just three months at the end of 2024, which makes coverage more expensive for everyone.

Everything's More Expensive

The Office of Public Insurance Counsel explains that insurance companies need to collect enough money to pay for all the claims they expect, plus their business costs. Lately, that's gotten more expensive across the board.

New cars have technology that costs more to fix. A fender bender that used to be a cheap repair now involves replacing sensors, cameras, and computer systems. Add in higher labor costs, more expensive materials, and more people suing over accidents, and you've got a perfect storm of rising costs.

But Texas does regulate insurance companies, so they can't just charge whatever they want.

People who commented on Quarles’ post shared their own insurance woes.

“Lived in Dallas for 6 years, I only had insurance for 2 years. I was riding dirty the other 4,” one said.

“Try USAA since you have military discount,” a second added.

“Keep the insurance in California girl. When I moved to Georgia, that was my biggest mistake because now I pay $313,” another wrote.

Motor1 reached out to Quarles for comment via email and Instagram direct message. We'll update this if she responds.