Average Cost Of Car Insurance

How Much Is Car Insurance?

According to our estimates, the average cost of full coverage car insurance was $1,730, or about $144 per month. The average annual cost of state minimum car insurance is $635.

Average Cost Of Car Insurance: Estimates By State

Below we have compiled the average cost of car insurance for each state at a yearly rate:

Your rates may be higher or lower than those listed above based on the many factors that insurers use to calculate car insurance premiums.

What Is Full-Coverage Car Insurance?

A full-coverage car insurance policy includes the six standard types of coverage. These are:

• Liability insurance. Liability insurance refers to both property damage liability and bodily injury liability. This coverage pays for damages and injuries sustained by another party should you cause a car accident.
• Collision coverage. This covers damages to your vehicle if you’re involved in a car accident or collision with a stationary object like a fence or a telephone pole.
• Comprehensive coverage. This covers damage to your car resulting from non-collision related issues such as theft, vandalism, damage from a natural disaster, or fire.
• Uninsured motorist coverage. This covers repair costs and medical payments should you get into an accident with an uninsured driver.
• Medical payments (MedPay). This covers medical expenses for you and your passengers regardless of who is at fault for the accident.
• Personal injury protection (PIP). This covers medical expenses, lost wages, and funeral costs for you and your passengers regardless of who caused the car accident.

Factors That Affect The Cost Of Car Insurance

While every insurer uses a different formula to determine your car insurance rates, many consider the same factors when setting policy prices.

The most prominent include:

• Age: Young drivers typically see the highest rates for car insurance. Rates drop most dramatically after drivers turn 25 and often continue to drop each year until around age 65.
• Driving history: Drivers with a recent at-fault accident, speeding ticket, or DUI see higher rates. Getting convicted of a DUI can increase your rates significantly.
• Gender: Men typically have higher car insurance rates than women, though this is not the case in every state. In California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania, insurers are not allowed to use gender to determine how much your car insurance rates will be.
• Marital status: Married drivers are less likely to file claims, so insurers offer lower rates to couples than to single drivers.
• Car: Your vehicle can determine your auto insurance rates. Many insurers offer discounts for new vehicles and cars that have safety devices and anti-theft features.
• Location: Both city and state have an impact on car insurance rates. Living in a densely populated area with a high number of traffic incidents will mean increased rates. You may also see higher rates if you park your vehicle in an area with high crime statistics.
• Credit score: Drivers with good credit are often offered better rates. In the states of California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts, insurers are not allowed to base auto insurance rates on credit history.
• Coverage: The more coverage you purchase, the higher your rates will be. You will get the cheapest auto insurance coverage by purchasing only the minimum required auto insurance. Full coverage policies with high limits for valuable cars are more expensive.
• Deductible: Most collision and comprehensive auto insurance policies include a deductible that you must pay before your insurer will cover damages. A higher deductible means a lower premium payment.

How Much Is Car Insurance For High-Risk Drivers?

High-risk drivers often see some of the highest car insurance premiums. Certain insurers will penalize drivers with a DUI, speeding ticket, or recent accident more than others. Our research shows that USAA provides some of the cheapest rates for high-risk drivers at about $1,765 annually.

The estimates below are for 35-year-old male drivers.

Average Cost of Car Insurance: Estimates for High-Risk Drivers

How Much Is Car Insurance For Teen Drivers?

Drivers under the age of 25 also see especially high rates for car insurance. In addition to purchasing a policy with a company that offers low rates for young drivers, you can reduce premiums by looking for discounts offered specifically to young drivers.

Many insurers offer reduced rates for students who have good grades, complete a driver safety course, or leave their vehicle at home while away at college. 

Below is a table showing annual and monthly

Average Cost of Car Insurance: Estimates for Teens

How Much Is Minimum Coverage Car Insurance?

If you’re trying to get the cheapest coverage possible, you can purchase only the state-required minimum car insurance coverage. Minimum coverage requirements vary by state, but most states require at least a liability insurance policy. Several states also require personal injury protection, medical payments coverage, and/or uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

Average Cost of Car Insurance: Liability Estimates by State

The table below shows the average liability coverage premiums paid by drivers in each state according to data provided to us by Quadrant Information Services. These rate estimates are based on a 35-year-old driver with a clean driving record and good credit.

Car Insurance Cost: Conclusion

The cost of car insurance is an important factor to keep in mind when choosing a provider. However, it isn't the only thing to consider. It can be worth paying a little more for better coverage with a provider that offers reliable claims service. A low-cost policy isn’t worth it if your insurer doesn’t pay out when it comes time to file a claim or draws out the claims process.

Best Low-Cost Car Insurance: Top Picks

We recommend getting auto insurance quotes from top insurers to compare cost and coverage options and find the best fit for your needs. Be sure to consider two of our top-recommended insurers: Geico and USAA.

Geico: Best Overall Provider

Geico is a national insurer and often the cheapest car insurance option for many drivers, especially those with clean driving records. 

The insurance company offers an easy-to-use rate calculator through its website, so it doesn’t take long to figure out how much car insurance with Geico might be. Customers can save by taking advantage of Geico discounts such as:

• Vehicle equipment discounts
• Accident-free discount
• Seat belt discount
• Defensive driving discount
• Driver education discount
• Good student discount
• Government employee discount
• Multi-vehicle discount
• Multi-policy discount

Read more: Geico insurance review

USAA: Best For Military Members

USAA has been providing quality car insurance coverage to its customers for almost 100 years, but it isn’t available for every driver. Policies with USAA can only be purchased if you are a member or veteran of the U.S. armed forces or if you have a parent or spouse that has an account with USAA.

USAA provides banking services as well as insurance products, which makes paying for your car insurance premium simple and easy. USAA has an online insurance quote tool and offers the following discounts to customers:

• Good student discount
• Good driver discount
• Military garage discount
• Bundling discount
• New vehicle discount
• Anti-theft discount
• Deployment discount
• Loyalty discount

Read more: USAA auto insurance review

How We Rate Insurers

Our review process aims to deliver consistent and unbiased assessments of car insurance providers. While there are multiple qualities that make a car insurance company successful, our review team focuses on those we believe are the most important for consumers:

• Cost: Cost can be difficult to compare between insurers because so many factors impact annual premiums. The cheapest insurer for one driver may not be the cheapest for another. To determine our cost score, we look at insurance rate estimates generated by Quadrant Information Services, discount opportunities, and consumer reports.
• Coverage: To determine our coverage score, we look at the number of coverage options available as well as coverage limits and deductible options. Our ratings also take into account additional services and benefits like roadside assistance.
• Reliability: It’s important that an auto insurer is able to meet its claims obligations. Companies with a strong financial strength rating from AM Best score best in this category. Established insurers with a long history of reliable service also receive positive marks
• Service: We comb through customer reviews on sites like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to learn about customer experiences. Insurers with a low volume of complaints score well in this area. We also consider the claims process, giving higher ratings to car insurance providers that offer easy-to-use claims apps.

*Data accurate at time of publication.