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American Family, State Farm and Progressive offer the cheapest car insurance to typical adults with a clean record.
Among the largest available car insurers, the price difference between the cheapest company, American Family, and the fifth-cheapest, GEICO, is almost 50%. This is one example of how much you may save by comparing car insurance rates from multiple companies when you shop.
Company | Minimum-coverage average | Full-coverage average |
---|---|---|
$868 | $1,498 | |
$838 | $1,566 | |
$943 | $1,991 | |
$1,157 | $2,149 | |
$1,034 | $2,387 | |
$1,374 | $2,553 | |
$1,406 | $2,561 | |
$1,275 | $2,584 | |
* | $516 | $1,110 |
Annual rates are for minimum and full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with a good driving record. *USAA is only available to current and former members of the military and their families. |
Location is considered a significant factor that insurance companies use to set premiums. Your rates reflect the costs of doing business in your community, which include:
State | Cheapest insurer | Average annual rate |
---|---|---|
Alabama | State Farm | $956 |
Alaska | Allstate | $824 |
Arizona | State Farm | $1,173 |
Arkansas | GEICO | $668 |
California | CSAA | $834 |
Colorado | State Farm | $1,273 |
Connecticut | Travelers | $1,305 |
Delaware | State Farm | $1,423 |
District of Columbia | Erie | $783 |
Florida | GEICO | $1,109 |
Georgia | Auto-Owners | $1,002 |
Hawaii | GEICO | $724 |
Idaho | State Farm | $495 |
Illinois | State Farm | $903 |
Indiana | Auto-Owners | $615 |
Iowa | State Farm | $521 |
Kansas | State Farm | $600 |
Kentucky | State Farm | $1,151 |
Louisiana | State Farm | $1,520 |
Maine | State Farm | $495 |
Maryland | State Farm | $1,264 |
Massachusetts | Safety | $1,071 |
Michigan | Progressive | $2,842 |
Minnesota | State Farm | $857 |
Mississippi | State Farm | $769 |
Missouri | State Farm | $900 |
Montana | State Farm | $750 |
Nebraska | Farm Bureau | $678 |
Nevada | State Farm | $1,760 |
New Hampshire | Hanover | $561 |
New Jersey | GEICO | $1,246 |
New Mexico | State Farm | $849 |
New York | Progressive | $1,571 |
North Carolina | Farm Bureau | $549 |
North Dakota | American Family | $522 |
Ohio | Progressive | $1,023 |
Oklahoma | Progressive | $985 |
Oregon | State Farm | $1,658 |
Pennsylvania | Progressive | $847 |
Rhode Island | Amica | $1,615 |
South Carolina | Auto-Owners | $1,065 |
South Dakota | Farmers | $351 |
Tennessee | Farm Bureau | $785 |
Texas | GEICO | $967 |
Utah | State Farm | $991 |
Vermont | State Farm | $409 |
Virginia | Farm Bureau | $1,026 |
Washington | State Farm | $1,129 |
Washington DC | Erie | $783 |
West Virginia | State Farm | $740 |
Wisconsin | State Farm | $762 |
Wyoming | GEICO | $458 |
Rates are for minimum-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with a good driving record. |
In the U.S., each state has its own unique set of laws that govern car insurance, and these laws can significantly impact the rates drivers pay. The laws determine minimum coverage requirements, meaning some states may require more insurance, raising the cost.
Some states have "no-fault" laws, where each person's insurance covers their injuries, regardless of fault, often leading to higher rates. The rules around teen driving, penalties for not having insurance and requirements based on weather and road conditions also play a role. Even the use of credit scores in determining rates varies by state. These state-specific laws create variations in insurance costs, making it essential to understand your state's regulations to find the best policy for your needs.
Car insurance rates for drivers between 30 and 60 are the lowest because they are generally considered the safest age group. Drivers in this age range pay an average of 11% less per year for car insurance than 25-year-olds. The difference in rates is even smaller for drivers between 30 and 60, with a 60-year-old only paying $108 less per year than a 30-year-old.
Teen drivers are a high-risk group for insurance companies. They have the highest crash rates of any age group, and they are more likely to be involved in accidents that result in serious injuries or death. As a result, auto insurance companies charge teen drivers significantly higher rates than older drivers. open_in_new
For example, a typical 25-year-old is charged 62% less for car insurance than a typical 18-year-old. This is because insurance companies know that 18-year-olds are more likely to make risky driving decisions, such as speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or not wearing a seatbelt.
Teen drivers can save money on car insurance by being added to a policy with a parent open_in_new or guardian. This is because insurance companies view teen drivers as a higher risk than older drivers, and they charge them higher rates as a result. However, when teen drivers are added to a policy with a more experienced driver, their rates are typically lower.
There are a few things to keep in mind when adding a teen driver to your car insurance policy. First, make sure to compare rates from multiple companies. Second, see if any companies offer discounts for families with teens who maintain good grades or complete an approved driver education course. Finally, be sure to keep your teen's driving record clean, as even one at-fault accident can significantly increase your rates.
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance for 18-year-old drivers, charging an average rate of $330 a month. You may get even cheaper coverage from USAA, but you or your family must have military ties to qualify.
Other companies that offer cheap car insurance to 18-year-olds open_in_new and other teen drivers: American Family, GEICO, Erie and Mercury. Erie is only available in 12 states (plus the District of Columbia), though, and Mercury in 11 states.
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Senior citizens typically pay higher car insurance rates open_in_new than middle-aged drivers. This is because insurance companies view senior citizens as a higher risk than middle-aged drivers, due to factors such as slower reflexes, decreased vision and increased medical conditions.
The increase in rates is gradual, with a 65-year-old driver only paying 2% more for car insurance than a 60-year-old. However, the rate increase becomes more significant as drivers age. A 75-year-old driver pays 22% more for car insurance than a 60-year-old.
State Farm offers the cheapest car insurance for senior drivers among national carriers, with an average monthly rate of $67.
American Family and Progressive are also affordable options for seniors, with average monthly rates of $68 and $78, respectively.
Company | Average annual rate | |
---|---|---|
State Farm | $799 | |
American Family | $814 | |
Progressive | $933 | |
GEICO | $1,040 | |
| Nationwide | $1,106 |
Travelers | $1,267 | |
Allstate | $1,357 | |
Farmers | $1,421 | |
USAA* | $529 | |
Rates are for minimum-coverage car insurance for a 65-year-old male with a good driving record. *USAA is only available to current and former members of the military and their families. |
Your driving history plays a big role in determining your car insurance premiums. Insurance companies use your past driving incidents as an indicator of your future risk. So, if you've had a speeding ticket, a DUI/DWI conviction or an at-fault accident, your rates could go up.
But don't worry, your past doesn't dictate your rates forever. Over time, with safe driving habits, you can work toward reducing your rates and restoring your record.
The amount that insurance rates can increase after a traffic violation or accident can vary depending on the type of violation. For example, a speeding ticket can cause your rates to increase by 20%, while a DUI can cause your rates to increase by as much as 74%.
Incident | Average annual rate | Rate increase with incident |
---|---|---|
Clean record | $2,136 | 0% |
Accident | $3,087 | 45% |
DUI | $3,719 | 74% |
Speeding ticket | $2,560 | 20% |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male. |
Most insurance companies add a surcharge to your rates for three to five years after a ticket or accident, but certain severe offenses may affect your rate for a longer period.
If your current company is surcharging you for an incident that occurred more than three years ago, consider shopping around for a company with a shorter look-back period.
Erie, USAA and State Farm offer the cheapest car insurance rates to drivers after an at-fault accident. open_in_new
Erie’s average rate of $127 a month for drivers with a prior accident is $40 a month cheaper than any other insurer and is by far the lowest of the companies we surveyed.
Also, State Farm only charges drivers with an accident 20% more than drivers with a clean record, while Mercury increases rates for drivers with an accident by 74%.
Company | Average annual rate | Rate increase with accident |
---|---|---|
Erie | $1,519 | 27% |
USAA | $2,007 | 48% |
State Farm | $2,029 | 19% |
American Family | $2,846 | 60% |
Progressive | $3,231 | 59% |
Nationwide | $3,326 | 36% |
Mercury | $3,435 | 74% |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with an at-fault accident on his driving record. |
Erie, State Farm and USAA offer the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers with a prior DUI open_in_new , which is known in some states as driving while intoxicated/impaired (DWI) or operating while intoxicated/impaired (OWI).
Erie’s average rate for drivers with a prior DUI, $172 a month, is the cheapest of the providers we sampled by $27.
That said, Erie’s rates for a driver with a DUI are 72% open_in_new higher than those for a driver with a clean record, while USAA increases rates for drivers with a DUI by 89%. Progressive’s rates in this case are only 27% higher.
Company | Average annual rate | Rate increase with DUI |
---|---|---|
Erie | $2,066 | 72% |
State Farm | $2,390 | 40% |
USAA | $2,562 | 89% |
Progressive | $2,585 | 27% |
American Family | $2,619 | 47% |
Mercury | $3,263 | 65% |
Allstate | $3,585 | 47% |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with a DUI on his driving record. |
Erie, USAA and State Farm also offer the cheapest rates to drivers with a speeding ticket open_in_new .
The overall cheapest car insurance after a speeding ticket can be found at Erie, based on our data. It charges $109 a month, on average – $26 cheaper than closest competitor USAA.
State Farm only charges 8% more to drivers with a speeding ticket. Mercury and Progressive each increase their rates on drivers with a speeding ticket by 32%.
Company | Average annual rate | Rate increase with ticket |
---|---|---|
Erie | $1,306 | 9% |
USAA | $1,625 | 20% |
State Farm | $1,846 | 8% |
American Family | $2,053 | 16% |
Mercury | $2,609 | 32% |
Progressive | $2,679 | 32% |
GEICO | $2,878 | 21% |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with a speeding ticket on his driving record. |
If you have poor credit, Nationwide and American Family are two of the cheapest car insurance companies. Nationwide has the cheapest rates, with an average monthly premium of $175. American Family is a close second, with rates that are just slightly higher.
Company | Average annual rate: poor credit | Average annual rate: good credit |
---|---|---|
Allstate | $5,924 | $3,633 |
American Family | $2,529 | $1,474 |
Farmers | $4,396 | $2,620 |
GEICO | $3,706 | $1,995 |
Nationwide | $2,099 | $1,385 |
Progressive | $4,472 | $2,274 |
State Farm | $4,146 | $1,777 |
Travelers | $3,551 | $2,453 |
USAA | $2,214 | $1,444 |
Average | $3,770 | $2,124 |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with a good driving record. |
Your credit history can affect your car insurance rates. In states where insurance companies can use credit history, drivers with good credit typically pay less for car insurance open_in_new than those with poor credit. This is because insurance companies view people with good credit as being less likely to file claims.
There are five states that prohibit insurance companies from using credit history to set rates: California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts and Michigan. If you live in one of these states, your credit history will not affect your car insurance rates.
On average, drivers with good credit pay 44% less for auto insurance than those with poor credit, although credit-scoring practices vary by state and insurance company.
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Gender is a major factor in car insurance rates open_in_new , especially for teen drivers. Young women typically pay less for car insurance than young men because insurance companies view them as being safer drivers.
State Farm and American Family are two of the cheapest car insurance companies for teen women. State Farm's average monthly rate for teen women is $323, which is 22% less than what State Farm charges teen men. American Family's rates are just slightly higher.
Company | Average annual rate: women | Average annual rate: men |
---|---|---|
Allstate | $5,909 | $7,242 |
American Family | $4,242 | $5,347 |
Farmers | $8,485 | $8,405 |
GEICO | $5,624 | $6,769 |
Nationwide | $6,866 | $9,092 |
Progressive | $7,702 | $8,913 |
State Farm | $3,879 | $5,000 |
Travelers | $10,845 | $13,770 |
USAA | $2,946 | $3,460 |
Average | $6,278 | $7,555 |
Rates are for full-coverage policies for 18-year-old male and female drivers with good driving records. |
Even for older drivers, gender can still account for a portion of the price difference between quotes. For example, Progressive charges men 5% less for car insurance than women with all other factors being equal. GEICO's rates for a 35-year-old woman are 4% less than those for a 35-year-old man.
Understanding your car insurance quote requires awareness of various factors that influence the cost:
Whether you shop for car insurance online, by phone or in person, the process for comparing quotes is similar for each channel or combination of channels.
The biggest advantage of shopping for insurance online is that you can typically request and compare quotes 24/7.
Your driver’s license and the declaration page open_in_new for your current car insurance policy, if you have one, are the two most important documents to gather when you begin shopping for car insurance.
Along with containing vital details about your current car insurance policy, your declaration page also contains your car’s vehicle identification number (VIN). If you can’t find your declaration page, dig out your vehicle registration form or any other document containing your VIN.
To get an accurate car insurance quote, you typically need to provide the following information to the insurance company:
You should also be prepared to provide documentation needed for any discounts you may qualify to receive.
For example, if you’re seeking a good-student discount for your teen driver, you should at least know your child’s grade-point average. After you purchase your policy, you typically get a few days or longer to submit documents that confirm your eligibility for any discounts you receive.
Giving some consideration to the amount of car insurance coverage you need before you begin comparing quotes generally makes shopping easier.
An insurance company won’t sell you a policy that does not meet your state’s minimum car insurance requirements. However, a minimum-coverage policy may not meet all your insurance needs.
Here are some of the most common reasons to consider adding optional insurance coverages to your policy or choosing coverage limits that exceed your state’s minimum requirements:
Your current auto policy’s declarations page shows your current coverages and limits. If you’re happy with your policy as is, you can request quotes with similar amounts.
If these or other details are listed inaccurately, contact the insurance company to correct them.
As you compare car insurance quotes, make sure the coverages and limits match. If one quote shows a dramatically lower rate than the others, make sure it does not contain dramatically less coverage.
Erie, State Farm and Progressive are the cheapest large car insurance companies in the U.S. State Farm offers the cheapest car insurance in 27 states, while Progressive is cheapest in six states and Erie has the lowest rates in four.
American Family, State Farm, and Progressive offer the cheapest car insurance to typical adults with a clean record.
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance for 18-year-old drivers, charging an average rate of $330 a month. You may get even cheaper coverage from USAA, but you or your family must have military ties to qualify.
In our recent 2023 analysis the average Annual rate for Geico is $2,387, compared to Progressive at $1991. Making Progressive on average a cheaper option than Geico.
Five states ban or limit the use of credit scores for car insurance rates. In states where it is allowed, insurance companies use credit reports to assess your payment history and debt load, not your income. Having your credit pulled for a car insurance quote does not affect your credit score.
Age and driving history are the two biggest factors in determining your car insurance rates. Insurance companies also consider gender, location, credit score, vehicle and more.
Your state’s minimum car insurance requirements are a good starting point for deciding how much car insurance coverage to get, but most people need more. Typically, the minimum-required car insurance does not provide enough coverage to protect you and your vehicle in the event of a claim. Liability insurance only covers damage and injuries you cause others.
Full-coverage car insurance is necessary if you want coverage against damages and injuries after an accident you're responsible for, as well as theft or vandalism of your car. If you have a new or expensive car, opt for full-coverage car insurance.
Choosing the right car insurance for first-time drivers can be challenging, given the many options available. However, there are certain types of coverage that first-time drivers should strongly consider: Liability Insurance, Collision Coverage, Comprehensive Coverage, Personal Injury Protection (PIP), and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage.
Car insurance is cheapest for drivers aged 55 to 65 years old. Teen drivers, on the other hand, can see car insurance rates that are more than quadruple the amount charged to 55-year-olds.
Our research shows that 18-year-old women are charged less for car insurance than their male counterparts, while 35-year-old women are charged more. Some states, including California, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, ban the use of gender as a car insurance rate factor.
Progressive is the most popular auto insurance company in the country in respect to market share, followed by State Farm, Geico and Allstate.
Full coverage" isn't a specific type of policy offered by insurance companies, but rather a term often used to describe the combination of several standard types of car insurance. Typically, when people refer to full coverage insurance, they're talking about a policy that includes the following: Liability Insurance, Collision Insurance, Comprehensive Insurance.
You should review your insurance plan and coverage once per coverage period (usually every six to 12 months). This allows you to identify if your insurance provider has increased premium costs and/or decreased coverages. A QuoteWizard study found that switching car insurance companies could save you up to 30% or more on premiums, depending on your situation.
QuoteWizard is not an insurance provider. We are an online insurance marketplace that connects insurance shoppers to insurance agents serving your community. Our platform enables you to receive three to four quotes with a single secure form. Participating agents pay us a fee for delivering the information they need to prepare a quote for you.
Rates shown in this analysis are based on non-binding quotes for full-coverage car insurance obtained from Quadrant Information Services.
Unless otherwise noted, the typical driver is a 35-year-old male who drives a 2014 Honda LX for an average of 13,500 miles a year.
Full-coverage car insurance includes the following coverages, limits and deductibles:
Prior incidents include the following types of accidents or violations:
Price comparisons are based on an analysis of rates available from the largest insurance companies in each state and Washington D.C., with the following exceptions: