Compare Car Insurance Rates (June 2023)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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:

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.

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$126/mo

Buick$128/mo

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$255/mo

Maserati$243/mo

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:

Your vehicle’s accident rates

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

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.

Theft rates in your location

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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:

• Insurify

• The Zebra

• Jerry

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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].

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.

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:

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.”

Driving and fatality trends

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.

Insuring the nation’s top 3 most popular vehicles

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.