Ohioans pay approximately $167 less per year for auto insurance than the U.S. average, according to a new report from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

The average auto insurance expenditure in Ohio for 2007 was $628 compared with the U.S. average of $795. The Ohio average declined from $642 in 2002.

The average homeowners’ insurance premium expense in Ohio has increased by 8 percent during the past two years, going from $530 in 2006 to $575 in 2008, according to Ohio Department of Insurance figures. That equates to a monthly increase of less than $2 per month during that time.

The average homeowners’ insurance cost of $530 in 2006 was the fifth-lowest among the states (tied with Delaware) and was well below the U.S. average of $804, according to industry statistics.

Competition helps to hold down Ohio’s insurance rates, according to the Ohio Insurance Institute, an insurance industry organization. Only Illinois and Indiana have more auto insurance providers than Ohio, and only Illinois and Pennsylvania have more homeowners insurance companies, the Ohio Insurance Institute said.