Car insurance rates by age and gender
A driver’s age and gender also affect car insurance rates.[1] Teens, younger drivers, and men typically have higher risks for accidents, so they usually pay more for car insurance.
Costs by age
Generally, car insurance companies charge teenage drivers higher premiums due to their lack of experience behind the wheel and because inexperienced drivers are more likely to make mistakes that could lead to an accident.[5]
Teen drivers 16 to 19 years old have a fatal crash rate almost three times as high as drivers 20 and older, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[6]
The table below shows the average monthly cost of liability-only and full-coverage insurance for drivers by age group.
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.
Costs by gender
Male drivers tend to pay more for car insurance than female drivers because they tend to get in more accidents. Williams refers to it as the James Dean effect.
“The idea of living fast and looking good seems more pervasive amongst young male drivers than young female drivers,” Williams says.
Data from the CDC backs that up. The motor vehicle crash death rate for males ages 16 to 19 is three times as high as that for females in the same age group.[6]
On average, men pay 11% more for full-coverage insurance and 5% more for liability-only insurance than women. However, that data may be skewed by young male drivers. While male teenagers pay more for insurance than female teenagers, female drivers older than 25 — and particularly ages 40 to 60 — pay more for auto insurance than their male counterparts.[7]
But some states — including California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania — have laws prohibiting insurers from setting auto insurance rates based on gender.[7]