Compare Car Insurance Rates (June 2023)

Learn about the factors affecting your auto insurance rates. Compare quotes to find the best deal.

Updated May 19, 2023

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Auto insurance quotes comparison: Everything you need to know

Car insurance rates differ widely, which is why it’s important to compare quotes before buying a policy. Several factors determine your rate, including your age, location, driving record, level of education, and the kind of car you drive. Each insurance company has its own unique way of weighing these factors, which is why the same policy may be priced differently based on where you’re getting a quote from.

To help you better understand how car insurance quotes work and how to compare them to find a better policy, we’ve developed a comprehensive guide with the average rates from every major auto insurance company for every state and different driver groups.

Quick Facts
  • Car insurance rates for the same driver may vary significantly between different companies.

  • Differences in companies and quotes make it important to compare car insurance if you want to save money.

  • The average American driver pays $212 a month for car insurance.

  • Comparing quotes with Insurify can save you up to $717 a year.

Compare car insurance quotes by age

Insurance rates vary dramatically with age. Generally, younger drivers pay more than older drivers who have more experience on the road. Teen drivers have the most expensive car insurance premiums of any age group in every state. And insurers generally categorize drivers younger than 25 as high-risk drivers. Luckily, some insurance companies are cheaper for younger drivers than others.[1] Using an online comparison tool could help young drivers find options that are more affordable than their current insurance.

Insurance CompanyAverage Monthly QuoteAverage Monthly QuoteAverage Monthly QuoteAverage Monthly QuoteAverage Monthly QuoteAverage Monthly QuoteAverage Monthly QuoteAverage Monthly Quote
State Farm$280$101$99$97$85$78$99$99
GEICO$301$193$169$172$162$139$120$105
Progressive$574$228$206$211$217$183$189$148
Allstate$440$231$198$205$193$167$142$124
USAA$291$167$142$138$133$117$106$103
Liberty Mutual$649$296$248$260$256$220$184$224
Farmers$707$319$295$273$268$229$204$118
Nationwide$379$192$164$200$178$147$144$148
American Family$521$209$213$209$188$166$139$135
Travelers$450$180$178$166$158$130$123$147
Amica$643$468$408$398$362$316$280$238
Bristol West$722$393$352$324$322$294$292$319
AAA$629$348$378$336$379$304$192$200
Dairyland$699$372$338$311$296$257$292$317
Erie$261$137$125$116$109$97$85$92
The Hartford$698$310$253$221$179$156$139$220
National General$512$267$222$198$202$170$213$147
State Auto$608$280$252$236$115$197$178$168
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

Insurify’s car insurance experts have shared a wealth of knowledge for drivers of all ages. Check out our guides to car insurance tips, quotes, and discounts:


Car Insurance Quotes for Teenagers
Car Insurance Quotes for College Students
Car Insurance Quotes for Seniors

Compare car insurance quotes by state

The state where you live and drive heavily affects your car insurance rate. Variables like legislation, population density, crime rates, and weather patterns affect your likelihood of filing a claim.

Nearly every state requires drivers to have bodily injury liability and property damage liability insurance. You’ll need to buy at least your state’s minimum coverage requirements, and you may choose higher coverage limits if you want more protection.

Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
  • Insurify uses an in-house, proprietary method to rate and review the best car insurance companies. The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 crucial criteria, including average premiums, customer satisfaction, discounts, third-party ratings, and more, to calculate a final score for a company.

    Criteria are weighted by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings. With the IQ Score, Insurify is able to provide quantitative ratings for drivers to better compare car insurance companies and make informed decisions to meet their coverage needs.

In summary:

  • Rhode Island has some of the most expensive car insurance premiums in the country, with the cheapest quote being $182.

  • Indiana has some of the cheapest premiums, with the cheapest quote at just $36.

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Compare car insurance quotes by driving history

Your driving history, which includes any previous accidents, speeding tickets, and DUIs, gives insurers an indication of your risk and how likely you are to file a claim.

Insurers typically consider people with imperfect driving records as risky, and they charge them high car insurance rates to make up for the added risk. However, some companies specialize in insuring high-risk drivers and are more likely to provide them with affordable rates.

Regardless of your driving history, Insurify has resources for drivers with all kinds of driving records. Check these out:


Cheap Insurance for Drivers with a Bad Driving Record

Cheap Insurance for High-Risk Drivers

Cheap Insurance for Drivers with a Clean Record

Quote Price by Driving Violation

Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

Compare car insurance quotes for drivers with a DUI

Potentially losing your driver’s license is far from the only consequence of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Drivers who have been caught driving under the influence typically have to pay 30% more for their car insurance policy compared to drivers with a clean record.

People with a DUI may also find it difficult to find an insurance company willing to file an SR-22 form on their behalf. Check out some of the cheapest SR-22 insurance quotes below:

Insurance CompanyAverage Quote for Driver with a Clean RecordAverage Quote for Driver with DUI
AAA$379$753
Allstate$212$422
American Family $227$451
Amica Mutual$408$811
Bristol West$375$746
Dairyland$354$704
Erie$132$263
Farmers$316$630
GEICO$178$354
Hartford$248$493
Liberty Mutual$284$564
National General$240$478
Nationwide$182$362
Progressive$238$474
State Auto$256$508
State Farm$175$348
Travelers$172$341
USAA$152$302
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Cheap Car Insurance for Drivers with a DUI

Cheap Car Insurance for Drivers with a DUI

Compare auto insurance quotes for drivers with an accident on record

An at-fault accident on your record can lead to a 20% increase in your car insurance rates. However, some companies offer accident forgiveness programs to drivers with a clean record, which guarantees your rates will remain the same even after an accident.

Compare car insurance quotes by credit score

Historically, drivers with a lower credit score are more likely to file insurance claims, presenting a higher risk to insurance companies.[2]

As a result, insurers take your credit history into account in most states. Five states — California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Washington — have banned insurers from using your credit to set rates.

Insurance CompanyAverage Monthly QuoteAverage Monthly QuoteAverage Monthly QuoteAverage Monthly Quote
Allstate$328$212$194$164
American Family$351$227$207$175
Amica Mutual$632$408$373$316
Bristol West$581$375$343$290
CSAA$587$379$346$293
Dairyland$549$354$324$274
Erie$205$132$121$102
Farmer$490$316$289$245
GEICO$276$178$163$138
Hartford$384$248$227$192
Liberty Mutual$439$284$259$219
National General$372$240$220$186
Nationwide$282$182$167$141
Progressive$369$238$218$184
State Auto$396$256$234$198
State Farm$271$175$160$135
Travelers$266$172$157$133
USAA$235$152$139$117
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
300-600
Fair/Poor$384
601-660
Average$248
661-780
Good$227
781-850
Excellent$192

Regardless of your credit tier, you can always take steps to find cheaper car insurance. Find more resources for finding cheap car insurance here:

Car Insurance for Drivers with a Good Credit Score

Car Insurance for Drivers with a Bad Credit Score

Compare car insurance rates by make and model

Your vehicle’s make and model influence your car insurance rate depending on how easy it is to replace the vehicle’s parts and how much it typically costs to make repairs. For this reason, luxury cars are more expensive to insure than standard models. Overall, sedans are the most expensive car type to insure, while minivans are the cheapest.

Cheapest

Known for their accessible pricing and dependability, insurance for Fiat, Buick, and Subaru vehicles costs the least.

Fiat
Fiat$126/mo
Buick
Buick$128/mo
Subaru
Subaru$133/mo

Most Expensive

Not only do these car brands make cars that have high starting prices, but they're also the most expensive to insure.

Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo$255/mo
Maserati
Maserati$243/mo
Tesla
Tesla$242/mo

Other factors that affect car insurance prices

Your car insurance quote takes numerous factors into account. Some seem obvious, like your driving record and the value of your vehicle, but others are less so. Check out some of the lesser-known factors that affect your car insurance rates:

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Your vehicle’s accident rates

Driving a vehicle with a history of higher accident rates will increase your auto insurance premium rates.[3]

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Cost of repairs on your vehicle

Some vehicles’ parts are expensive to replace and will most likely make your auto insurance premiums higher. Foreign cars are typically more expensive to insure than domestic cars for this reason.

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Theft rates in your location

Living in a ZIP code with frequent vehicle theft and vandalism will cause your auto insurance rates to increase.

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Your annual mileage

Your estimated annual mileage shows how much you’re on the road and, therefore, how much you’re at risk for an accident. Drivers with low mileage typically pay less for car insurance than drivers in higher-mileage categories.

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Safety features on your vehicle

Auto insurance companies offer safety discounts for certain features, but these features don’t always make your auto insurance cheaper. Extra safety features can be expensive to repair or replace.

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Primary use of car

Auto insurers also take into account how you use your vehicle. A car used to commute to work or school will be more expensive to insure because you most likely drive during peak traffic hours.

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Claims you’ve filed in the past

Filing claims, whether it’s for an accident you weren’t at fault for or a fender bender that you were at fault for, will drive up your insurance premium. The more claims you file, the bigger a risk you are to insure.

How to compare auto insurance rates: Find the right policy

Drivers looking to get accurate car insurance quotes should take the following steps:

  1. Gather personal information you’ll need to get a quote, such as:

    • Date of birth

    • Driver’s license

    • Address

  2. Determine what kind of coverage you need. Some common coverage options include:

    • Liability-only coverage

    • Collision coverage

    • Comprehensive coverage

  3. Compare quotes using a car insurance comparison tool.

insurify-flow-screenshot

What is a car insurance comparison tool?

A car insurance comparison tool allows drivers to compare auto insurance rates from multiple companies at the same time. With Insurify, you simply need to enter some information about your vehicle, driving history, and desired coverage levels, and you’ll get quotes from multiple top insurers to compare side by side.

This keeps you from having to gather your information multiple times to get quotes from an individual insurer, saving you time and money. With Insurify, you have the option to save your information so that you can come back and easily compare quotes each time you renew your policy.

Be wary of so-called “quote-comparison” websites. Many are actually just lead-generation companies that pass your information along to insurance companies rather than providing real quotes. Make sure to read the website’s privacy disclosures closely — avoid ones that don’t operate independently of insurance companies.

How much does car insurance cost?

The national average cost of car insurance is $212 a month, according to Insurify data.[4] But how much you pay for car insurance depends heavily on factors like your location, coverage, and driving history.

Car insurance is a fixed monthly expense that you have to pay for as long as you plan on driving a car. There’s no reason to be paying more than you need to. The best way to find the cheapest car insurance policy available to you is by getting quotes from multiple insurance companies and identifying the one that gives you the best deal.

Very Cheap Car Insurance with No Deposit

Very Cheap Car Insurance with No Deposit

The best car insurance companies

A reputable car insurance company that fits your budget and provides robust coverage, quality customer service, and timely claims management is a tall order. Here are some factors to keep in mind while comparing car insurance companies:

  • Car insurance quote price

  • Customer service record

  • Claims service process

  • Financial strength

After crunching the numbers, here are the best car insurance companies, according to Insurify:

RankCompany NameAverage Cost Per Month(IQ) Score
1Clearcover
Best Overall
$19897
2Nationwide
Best for Safe Drivers
$18289
3American Family
Best for Families with Teen Drivers
$22789
4Safeco
Best for Drivers with Poor Credit
$20386
5Farmers
Best for Rideshare Coverage
31685
6Metlife
Best for Hassle-Free Claims
$15982
7Liberty Mutual
Best for Accident Forgiveness
$28482
8Mercury
Best for Face-to-Face Service
$24481
9Progressive
Best for Senior Drivers
$23880
10Travelers
Best for Young Drivers
$17280
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
  • Insurify uses an in-house, proprietary method to rate and review the best car insurance companies. The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 crucial criteria, including average premiums, customer satisfaction, discounts, third-party ratings, and more, to calculate a final score for a company.

    Criteria are weighted by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings. With the IQ Score, Insurify is able to provide quantitative ratings for drivers to better compare car insurance companies and make informed decisions to meet their coverage needs.

Best Insurance Companies

Best Insurance Companies

What is the best car insurance comparison site?

The best car insurance comparison sites tend to be sites that provide users with accurate quotes, such as:

In order to get the information you’re looking for, these sites may ask you for a range of information to get you an accurate quote. This includes:

  • Your car’s make, model, and year

  • Your age, gender, marital, and employment status

  • Your address and whether you’re a homeowner

  • Your credit score, education level, and driving record

In your search for the perfect policy, be careful which sites you give your personal information to. A lot of these are lead-generation websites that exist to sell your data, leaving you with an inbox full of spam.

To make sure you’re not wasting your time and giving away your data, check out our list of the best insurance comparison sites to find sites that will help you save time and money while keeping your data secure.

Cheap car insurance quotes comparison

To keep your quotes low, you should be mindful of the following:

  • Your level of coverage: Fewer coverage add-ons and lower limits will keep your car insurance costs low, but they also might leave you vulnerable to out-of-pocket costs in the event of an accident.

  • Your selected deductible: The higher your deductible, the lower your car insurance costs. However, you should make sure you can afford to pay your deductible in the event of an accident.

  • Discounts: Insurance companies have discounts for everything — from owning a home to earning a 3.5 GPA at school. Most insurance-comparison sites will ask you questions to ascertain which discounts you’re eligible for. Make sure to answer those correctly to keep your quotes low.

Car insurance discounts

Most companies offer policyholders the chance to save with discounts. From good driver to mature driver discounts, you’ll most likely qualify for at least one or two if you know what to look for. Car insurance comparison sites typically include these discounts when displaying rates.

Discount TypeAverage Monthly Cost
No discount$134
Senior training$119
Student training$240
Military$128
Married$109
Home insurance bundle$106
AAA membership$125
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

Types of car insurance coverage

Car insurance policies aren’t one-size-fits-all. Most auto insurance policies encompass a mix of six main types of car insurance coverage, plus a few optional additions.

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Liability coverage

Nearly every state requires vehicle liability coverage. If you’re found at fault in a car accident, this type of coverage will help pay for damage to the other driver’s vehicle and any resulting medical bills for the other parties involved.

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Personal injury protection

Personal injury protection, or PIP, covers you and your passengers’ medical bills and lost wages in the case of an accident. Also known as no-fault insurance, PIP will help cover these bills regardless of who’s at fault in an accident.

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Medical payments

Medical payments coverage, also known as MedPay, is usually offered in non-PIP states. MedPay is a stripped-down version of PIP that will help cover hospital bills for you and your passengers after an accident, even if you’re not in a vehicle.

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Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage

Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage kicks in when you’re the victim of a hit-and-run or when you’re involved in an accident where the at-fault driver doesn’t have enough insurance to cover your damages. This coverage is currently required in 22 states[5].

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Collision coverage

Collision insurance covers damages if your vehicle collides with another car or object. If you’re driving a car you purchased with a car loan or other financing plan, you’ll probably be required to buy collision coverage.

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Comprehensive coverage

Comprehensive coverage kicks in when your car is damaged in a non-collision incident. This includes incidents of vandalism, theft, weather-related damage, and other acts of God. This is typically optional but usually required by your lender if you don’t own your car outright.

Full-coverage car insurance

A car insurance policy with both comprehensive and collision coverage in addition to liability coverage is considered a “full-coverage” insurance policy. Take a look below to see how much a full-coverage policy costs compared to a liability-only policy, based on your insurance company:

StateState Minimum CoverageFull Coverage
Alabama$139$226
Alaska$107$174
Arizona$177$263
Arkansas$154$271
California$133$272
Colorado$158$282
Connecticut$255$307
Delaware$277$344
District of Columbia$349$461
Florida$238$348
Georgia$72$133
Hawaii$109$171
Idaho$128$194
Illinois$102$172
Indiana$99$203
Iowa$127$225
Kansas$228$330
Kentucky$317$418
Louisiana$100$177
Maine$244$363
Maryland$149$186
Massachusetts$242$463
Michigan$136$206
Minnesota$150$240
Mississippi$167$279
Missouri$107$184
Montana$138$229
Nebraska$334$375
Nevada$83$106
New Hampshire$257$314
New Jersey$110$187
New Mexico$447$466
New York$67$126
North Carolina$105$180
North Dakota$115$186
Ohio$143$251
Oklahoma$157$248
Oregon$139$227
Pennsylvania$238$304
Rhode Island$217$302
South Carolina$129$237
South Dakota$115$202
Tennessee$190$304
Texas$142$220
Utah$98$183
Vermont$152$230
Virginia$172$216
Washington$276$301
West Virginia$147$233
Wisconsin$120$210
Wyoming$96$185
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

The average annual cost of car insurance

Projected annual rates for car insurance in 2023


Car insurance rates rose 9% in 2022, 4% more than Insurify projected in the 2021 Auto Insurance Trends Report. Insurify projects rates will rise another 7% in 2023, likely influenced by rising inflation rates, increasingly expensive repair costs, and more frequent and severe traffic accidents over the past year.

The climate may also affect car insurance rates. “If climate- and weather-related auto insurance claims increase, insurers will likely hike rates,” says Laura D. Adams, MBA, financial author, podcaster, and spokesperson. “When insurance becomes less affordable, more consumers may risk driving with too little or no coverage.”

In 2022, 8.8% of U.S. drivers reported an at-fault accident on record. These crashes cause 1.34 fatalities for every 100 million miles, meaning 1 in every 8,547 Americans die each year in motor vehicle accidents.

Southern states see the most life-threatening accidents. Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia all have at-fault accident rates higher than the national average. South Carolina has both the highest at-fault accident rate and highest crash fatality rate in the country.

Interestingly enough, though, more accidents doesn’t always mean more fatalities. Massachusetts had the second-most car accidents in the country in 2022 but also had the fewest traffic fatalities per capita and mile driven. This is likely due to many of the accidents being low-speed “fender benders” rather than life-threatening, high-speed crashes.

ford

Ford F-Series Pickup

$1,619

honda

Honda Civic

$1,962

Honda Accord

Honda Accord

$1,855

INSURIFY INSIGHT

Midsize sedans continue to be a popular choice for American consumers, but the most popular cars in the U.S. come from the Ford F-Series Pickup line. F-Series Pickups are well known for their reliability, carrying capacity, and popularity for both work and leisure. In fact, about 1 in 40 Americans drive these perennially popular trucks.

Coverage and discounts

Insurer discounts can lower premiums by up to 16%, which can get drivers cheap car insurance to save money significantly over time. Insurers grant these discounts to low-risk drivers for a variety of qualifications, such as having a clean record, low mileage, or participating in safety training programs.

Bundling with homeowners insurance

Average yearly savings

8.6%

Senior driver safety training

Average yearly savings

15.2%

Military service discounts

Average yearly savings

2.2%

Comparing auto insurance quotes FAQs

  • How do you compare auto insurance quotes online?

    To compare car insurance quotes and policies, you can use a comparison platform like Insurify, which offers drivers up to eight personalized quotes from top local and national providers. All you have to do is answer a few questions about you and your car, compare quotes, and buy your policy — all in one place.

  • How do you find the cheapest car insurance?

    The simplest way to find the cheapest car insurance is to compare quotes online. All you have to do is answer a brief questionnaire about your car, driving habits, and a few personal details.

  • Can you get multiple quotes at once?

    Yes, it’s possible to get multiple car insurance quotes at once on the same page. The best way to do this is by using an insurance comparison website. Typically, you should compare quotes from at least five different insurance companies before buying a policy.

  • How many insurance companies should you compare for quotes?

    To make sure you’re getting the best deal, Insurify recommends that you compare quotes from at least five different insurance companies.

  • What car insurance companies does Insurify work with?

    Insurify works with more than 200 of the nation’s top national and regional insurance companies, including Progressive, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, and Allstate.

  • Does comparing car insurance affect your credit?

    Comparing car insurance has no effect on your credit score. Insurance companies use a “soft pull” to check your credit based on information in your credit report. These pulls aren’t visible to lenders, and they won’t affect your credit score.

  • What app helps you find the cheapest insurance?

    Insurify’s insurance comparison app is your best bet for finding the cheapest insurance policy. Users can easily compare quotes from multiple insurers all in one place, adjust their coverage requirements, and buy a policy within minutes.

How to compare auto insurance — Advice from the experts

What kind of car insurance policy provides the most protection?

Jennie L. Phipps

Jennie L. Phipps

Specialist in Insurance and Personal Finance Writing

If your car loan isn’t paid off, you’ll want “full coverage” car insurance. That’s a policy that includes liability coverage, plus coverage that will pay for repairs to your car and/or a car you damaged. For people with assets, including savings, a large amount of liability coverage is also important. Liability coverage will pay for lawsuits filed against you after an accident. Liability insurance is sold in threes: individual injuries/total injuries/property damage. Policies with 100/300/100 liability limits offer the most protection.

Michael Omansky

Michael Omansky

Linkedin

Associate Professor in the School of Business and Information Sciences, Felician University

For more protection, you want to include a number of key items: liability, collision, personal injury protection, and underinsured/uninsured motorists.

If you have a leased or financed car – which is the case for most people – you would add in comprehensive to this.

However, you need to be prepared to pay for each of these components. Hopefully, your insurance company can give you a package deal.

Michael Mccloskey

Michael Mccloskey

Associate Professor in the School of Business, Temple University

There are four parts to a policy — the main parts are: Section A, Liability, which is what you do to other people; and Section D, Collision and Comprehensive, which covers damage to your own car. What will protect you most is to buy Collision and Comprehensive, which is the most expensive. Part C is Uninsured and Underinsured, which becomes less necessary if you go with Part D.

Comprehensive is basically all things that happen to your car that you don’t have to do with moving, such as vandalism; and collision is everything to do with moving, like hitting a tree, hitting another car, or another car hitting you.

On the liability side, you really need, or should have, enough coverage to be equal to what your home is worth. Most auto policies cap our around three- or five-hundred. But if you want maximum coverage, you should buy both Collision and Comprehensive.

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How are car insurance prices structured, and what can drivers do to keep their premiums low?

Paul Reynolds

Paul Reynolds

Linkedin

Insurance Editor, Money.com

What you pay for car insurance is determined by some factors you can’t control. Those include your age, gender, and (in many states) your credit score (worse scores align with a greater likelihood of filing claims, say insurers).

The good news is many other decisions you make also affect what you pay for insurance – and your choices can potentially reduce premiums. Those include the vehicle you drive, of course, and where you live; some cars and neighborhoods are more claims-prone than others, and insurers will price your premium accordingly. Avoiding tickets and driving in a way that minimizes the likelihood of accidents also helps tamp down what you pay – as can taking a defensive driving course.

Then come the policy options you choose. It can be wise to pick the highest deductible you can afford, to push down your premium (you may not want to pay smaller claims, anyway, since every claim you make can hurt your record and potentially raise your rate). You can also reduce coverage, but be careful. For instance, if you have substantial assets, like a home with equity, choosing liability coverage that isn’t well in excess of skimpy state minimums can leave you vulnerable to losing those possessions because of a costly claim.

Dr. Christopher Newman

Dr. Christopher Newman

Linkedin

Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Mississippi

There are many factors that affect car insurance prices. Some of the most common factors include the drivers’ age, gender, location, model and make of car, usage frequency, credit, and of course, his/her driving record. While some of these factors are uncontrollable, the best thing that drivers can do to keep their premiums low is to keep their driving record clean. For example, try to avoid speeding tickets and other driving citations all together, and make sure to take every action possible to remove them from your record if/when you do receive them (e.g., attend driving school if possible). Drivers can also opt for higher deductibles and/or avoid optional add-on coverages (e.g., optional vandalism coverage) in order to lower their premiums.

Marc Kalan

Marc Kalan

Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Rutgers Business School

Experience and age, geography (where you live), gender, cost of your vehicle and potential repair costs in the event of an incident, and of course levels of coverage desired are all contributing factors. But perhaps the single thing one can do most easily and effectively is to raise your deductible from a low level (say $500) to a much higher level (say $1500) and "self-insure" for that difference (in this case $1,000). I have been doing this for over 40 years and with minimal claims (not zero but minimal) my long-term savings have been in the many thousands of dollars.

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Why do some states have more expensive car insurance premiums than others?

Dr. Christopher Newman

Dr. Christopher Newman

Linkedin

Associate Professor of Marketing, University of Mississippi

Car insurance premiums often vary from state to state due to inherent differences in location-based risk. For example, some states have higher accident, theft, and vandalism rates than others, leading to more risk for the insurance companies, and thus, higher premiums for the drivers in those particular states. Other factors might include how urban or rural states generally are, typical road conditions in a state, and the number of weather-related incidents in the state. Of course, states also set their own minimum liability coverage requirements, further creating differences in premiums across state lines.

Marc Kalan

Marc Kalan

Assistant Professor of Professional Practice, Rutgers Business School

Car insurance companies look at their costs of doing business on a market-to-market basis with some areas of the country, such as the crowded Northeast where I live, experiencing a higher cost experience (more accidents, higher costs of labor and repairs, etc.) for that company to bear. In addition, different states mandate different levels of coverage for their citizens, which combined with factors already mentioned help them to calculate insurance premiums.

Dr. Yongqing Wang

Dr. Yongqing Wang

Professor of General Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Different states have different laws and requirements for car insurance. For example, almost all states require liability car insurance, while only some states require Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance. The premium would be higher if a state requires more car insurance policies.

In some states, the medical costs and car repair costs are higher. In some states, a car is more likely to be damaged by weather or be stolen. As a result, the premium would be higher.

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Sources

  1. Insurance Information Institute. "Auto insurance for teen drivers." Accessed May 2, 2022
  2. III. "Background on: Credit scoring." Accessed May 19, 2022
  3. Insurance Information Institute. "What determines the price of an auto insurance policy?." Accessed May 2, 2022
  4. Insurify.com. "2021 Insuring the American Driver Report." Accessed February 17, 2023
  5. Insurance Information Institute. "Background on: Compulsory Auto/Uninsured Motorists." Accessed February 17, 2023
Tanveen Vohra
Tanveen VohraEditorial Manager

Tanveen Vohra is an editorial manager at Insurify specializing in writing about property and casualty insurance. Through her work, she helps consumers better understand the components of their insurance policies so they can make smarter purchase decisions. She received a bachelor's degree from SUNY Buffalo. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.