SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RECORD

A MoneyGeek analysis of the costs of car insurance in California show an average cost of $1,343 annually, while nationwide average is $1,244.

Researchers have determined that California ranks among the most expensive places to live in the United States, surpassed only by Hawaii, Washington D.C., and Massachusetts. Local small business owners attribute part of this high cost of living to the "tort tax" burden shouldered by residents.