What you pay for auto insurance depends on a wide variety of factors that include more than just getting into accidents or receiving speeding tickets. If you're shopping around for insurance or if you want to know why your insurance rates have gone up despite having a good record, consider these four things you may not even realize affect how much you pay.

Your Credit Score

Your credit score can influence a surprising number of things, and your insurance rates are no exception. Some insurance companies will look at low credit scores and deem that driver a high risk. This doesn't necessarily mean they think you are more likely to get into accidents – rather, they may assume that a low score means there's a greater chance you may not pay a bill on time.

The problem is many insurance companies may not tell you that this is a factor when they're trying to sell you a policy. If you're shopping around, be direct and ask whether your score will impact your rate, or if any changes are due to your score. If so, you may be able to work something out.

Your Marital Status

Married couples get a lot of benefits, including lower insurance rates. Statistics say that a married person is a safer driver, and that accidents they are involved in tend to be less expensive to cover. Unfortunately, if you're single, this can count against you regardless of your driving record. If you are married, it couldn't hurt to contact your insurance company to verify that everything in their records is up to date, especially if you were only just recently married.

Your Mileage

Surprisingly, the age or total mileage of your car doesn't affect rates as much as you might think. What matters to insurance companies is how much you are currently driving. If you've gotten a new job with a longer commute, or are spending more time on the road, your rates may go up even if nothing else has changed. Insurance companies assume that if you are driving more, there is a greater risk that you will be in an accident.

However, the inverse of this is also true. If you've suddenly stopped driving as much as you used to, contact your insurance company – if the difference is big enough, you could see your rates drop.

Your Location

Some risk is determined by zip code, but it also has to do with the type of area you live in and its population density. Residents of inner cities will see higher rates than those in rural areas because of the number of cars on the road, which can increase the risk of an accident. A higher population means more claims, so even if you haven't moved, you could see a rise in rates if people are steadily moving into your city.

What's more, a higher population means that there are more people driving without insurance, and unfortunately your rates may go up in order to cover for them.