Please respond to one (1) of the following two (2) bulleted items:· From the activity, the table shows Average Insurance Costs by State. Select two (2) states that are of interest to you.

Please respond to one (1) of the following two (2) bulleted items:

·         From the activity, the table shows Average Insurance Costs by State. Select two (2) states that are of interest to you. Next, speculate on three (3) possible reasons why the states you have chosen would have a difference in average insurance costs.

·         From the activity, select ten (10) states and calculate the mean and standard deviation for average insurance costs.  Next, calculate the mean and standard deviation for average insurance costs for all 51 states (including Washington, D.C.). Compare and contrast the means and standard deviations for the ten (10) states you selected and all 51 states.

(activity below )

You know that accidents, traffic tickets, and even your credit score can determine your auto insurance rates. But so can the state where you live. According to a just-released ranking of state-by-state costs from the web site Insure.com, average rates in the most expensive state -- Michigan -- are two and half times as high as in the cheapest state, Vermont.

"The rankings demonstrate how factors like state laws and the judicial system can be the driving force behind high rates," says Amy Danise, senior managing editor of Insure.com. After  Michigan, where the average rate is $2,541 a year, the second-highest rates are in Louisiana, where drivers pay an average of $2,453. Three other states had average rates above $2,000 a year: Oklahoma, Montana, and Washington, D.C.

Only Vermont ($995) averaged below $1,000. But South Carolina at $1,095 was not far above that mark. Both states encourage competition among auto insurers.

The high rates are roughly correlated with the proportion of uninsured drivers in a state, often in violation of state law. Uninsured drivers still have accidents, and their liability and personal injury costs are passed on to the rest of the state's drivers through higher insurance rates. In Oklahoma, nearly one-quarter of drivers on the road are uninsured. Economically hard-hit Michigan had 17% of drivers with no insurance and Louisiana 12%. "It's an economic problem. They just can't afford the rates," says Marc Eagan, president-elect of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of Louisiana.

Both the most and least expensive states also have locally-specific stories:

• Michigan is the only state that guarantees unlimited personal injury protection payments to people injured in auto accidents. Insurance companies pay up to $480,000 in each case, plus up to three years of lost wages. A state fund chips in on higher settlements. But assessments for that fund also add to rates.• Louisiana's judicial system tends to return large jury verdicts in cases involving auto accident injuries, according to insurance agents in that state. That means bigger payouts from insurance companies and thus higher rates.• Oklahoma has weird weather. It is one of the worst areas for tornadoes. And a storm last year dropped softball-sized hail on Oklahoma City. Widespread damage claims for battered cars helped push rates up. â€¢ Vermont (above) has lots of rural territory and very little traffic congesion. And with a fairly low level of lawsuits, competing insurers offer policies there.

To see how your state ranks, here is the full list of states and average insurance costs for each:1. Michigan, $2,5412. Louisiana, $2,4533. Oklahoma, $2,1974. Montana, $2,1905. Washington, D.C., $2,1466. California, $1,9917. Mississippi, $1,8968. New Mexico, $1,8969. Arkansas, $1,83610. Maryland, $1,80711. North Dakota, $1,79412. Connecticut, $1,78613. Rhode Island, $1,74714. Wyoming, $1,71415. Hawaii, $1,70716. South Dakota, $1,70717. Georgia, $1,67018. New Jersey, $1,66319. West Virginia, $1,63320. Kentucky, $1,62921. New York, $1,62722. Minnesota, $1,61423. Washington, $1,58424. Missouri, $1,56325. Indiana, $1,51826. Colorado, $1,50827. Texas, $1,49228. Delaware, $1,48929. Florida, $1,47630. Nebraska, $1,47031. Pennsylvania, $1,46832. Kansas, $1,46133. Alaska, $1,45434. New Hampshire, $1,33435. Massachusetts, $1,32836. Idaho, $1,32537. Alabama, $1,30638. Oregon, $1,30639. Nevada, $1,30040. Illinois, $1,29041. Arizona, $1,28042. Utah, $1,27243. Virginia, $1,23744. Iowa, $1,17945. North Carolina, $1,15446. Ohio, $1,15247. Tennessee, $1,14648. Wisconsin, $1,12849. Maine, $1,12650. South Carolina, $1,09551. Vermont, $995Vermont bridge photo from Flickr user dougtone Michigan car photo from Flickr user turtlemom4bacon More from MoneyWatch:

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