6+ years writing about insurance, travel, and personal finances
Contributor to brands like Credible
In addition to insurance, Nick specializes in writing about business, entrepreneurship, personal finance, and travel. He’s been featured in myriad web publications, including Fox Business.
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Licensed auto and home insurance agent
4+ years in content creation and marketing
As Insurify’s home and pet insurance editor, Danny also specializes in auto insurance. His goal is to help consumers navigate the complex world of insurance buying.
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Updated November 20, 2024
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Table of contents
The average monthly cost of car insurance in Missoula is $148, slightly higher than the state average of $121 and slightly lower than the national average of $154. Drivers pay an average of $97 per month for liability coverage and $199 per month for full coverage.
Your car insurance rates could be higher or lower, depending on things like your driving record, age, and location. You should always compare car insurance quotes from multiple insurance companies before buying a policy.
State Farm is the cheapest car insurance company in Missoula.
Montana drivers must carry liability car insurance.
Insurers in Montana can consider your credit history when determining your rates.
Cheapest car insurance companies in Missoula
The average cost of car insurance in Missoula varies, but you should do more than just seek out the cheapest car insurance companies. Cheap car insurance rates should be weighed against factors like customer service satisfaction, financial stability, and any coverage or discount restrictions for policyholders.
Rates shown in the table below are for the state of Montana.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. ▲▼ | Full Coverage ▲▼ | Liability Only ▲▼ | Best For ▲▼ |
---|---|---|---|---|
State Farm | 9.3 | $105 | $45 | Cheap rates |
USAA | 9.4 | $112 | $49 | Military members and their families |
Safeco | 8.3 | $117 | $53 | Roadside assistance |
Our editorial team spent more than 350 hours developing the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score and scoring insurance companies. The IQ Score objectively analyzes and calculates a score for insurers using more than 15 crucial criteria. The team weighted criteria by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings.
We rate each company on a 1 to 10 scale based on five categories: financial ratings, customer satisfaction, affordability, customer support and transparency, and availability. Insurify updates ratings once a year or as more recent information becomes available.
- Third-party financial ratings: Insurify uses data from AM Best, S&P, Moody’s, and more to compare insurance companies’ credit and ability to pay out future claims.
- Customer satisfaction: To calculate this score, Insurify analyzed more than 28,000 customer reviews across 155 car insurance companies. We also consider third-party ratings from J.D. Power, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Trustpilot.
- Affordability: Our data scientists analyzed more than 90 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partners across the U.S., as well as available discounts, to calculate an affordability score.
- Customer support and transparency: This measures coverage options, ease of claims filing, and the insurer's transparency surrounding discounts, coverages, and claims process.
- Availability and reach: Insurify scores availability and reach by identifying the number of states in which insurers offer coverage and company size by market share.
Best insurer for cheap rates: State Farm
User Reviews | 4.2 |
---|---|
IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 9.3 /10 |
Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $54/mo |
Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $119/mo |
Drivers appreciate the helpful local agents and initial service but dislike the high prices and frequent rate increases.
Drivers appreciate the helpful local agents and initial service but dislike the high prices and frequent rate increases.
Ronald
November 19, 2024
State Farm Experience: 35 Years+
David
November 19, 2024
Too expensive
Ronald
November 18, 2024
Very Expensive Auto and Home
You can find the lowest average car insurance cost for both liability-only and full-coverage policies in Missoula through State Farm. It’s the largest insurer in the country by market share, has an A++ AM Best rating, and earned an AA S&P Global Rating.
Lowest rates in Missoula
Industry leader in policies underwritten with a strong financial rating
Gap insurance not available
High number of complaints in Montana on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index
Best insurer for military members and their families: USAA
User Reviews | 4.9 |
---|---|
IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 9.4 /10 |
Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $45/mo |
Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $99/mo |
Drivers appreciate the ease of working with the carrier, competitive rates, and responsive service but dislike the price increases and lack of rideshare add-ons in some areas.
Drivers appreciate the ease of working with the carrier, competitive rates, and responsive service but dislike the price increases and lack of rideshare add-ons in some areas.
Gloria
November 15, 2024
Not Good for Claims
Martin
November 11, 2024
Price Shopping
Rena Sabine
November 8, 2024
Disappointing and inflexible service
USAA is a great choice for Missoula drivers who are active or retired members of the military and their immediate family members. It has some of the cheapest average car insurance costs in Missoula and benefits that competitors don’t, like travel deals, 24/7 home security, and moving and storage discounts.
Exclusive discounts and incentives
Offers multiple types of insurance products
Limited only to military members, veterans, and their families
No 24/7 customer service
Best insurer for roadside assistance: Safeco
User Reviews | 4.5 |
---|---|
IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | 8.3 /10 |
Liability Only Liability-only insurance, sometimes called minimum-coverage insurance, pays for bodily injury and property damage to others in an accident the policyholder causes. It does not pay for the insured’s own damages. | $56/mo |
Full Coverage Full-coverage car insurance generally includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage, and may include other optional coverages such as uninsured motorist coverage. Collision covers a policyholder’s repair or replacement costs in case of an accident. Comprehensive covers damages caused by non-accident events. The average quote displayed here reflects policies with the following coverage limits: $50,000 bodily injury liability per person; $100,000 bodily injury liability per accident; $50,00 property damage liability per accident; $1,000 collision deductible; and a $1,000 comprehensive deductible. | $109/mo |
Drivers appreciate the polite and helpful customer service and fair pricing but dislike the significant rate increases and difficulty reaching agents.
Drivers appreciate the polite and helpful customer service and fair pricing but dislike the significant rate increases and difficulty reaching agents.
Sarah
November 10, 2024
Too Expensive
Bonnie
November 2, 2024
The Price of Car Insurance
Harris
October 31, 2024
Just Fine
Safeco offers low rates for car insurance in Missoula, as well as insurance policies for homeowners and renters. While it doesn’t offer an extensive number of optional coverages, its roadside assistance service can provide drivers with peace of mind in the event of a breakdown. This service includes towing, battery jumping, gas refill, repairs, and locksmiths.
Extensive emergency roadside assistance benefits
Various discounts available
Limited bundling potential
Poor Trustpilot customer service reviews
How to get the cheapest car insurance in Missoula
Just as a variety of factors affect average rates — like location, gender, marital status, crime rate, and population density — a variety of savings opportunities are available for getting cheap car insurance at the best price possible.
Look for discounts. Some insurers place a special focus on family insurance policies by offering discounts for young adults with good grades or clean driving records. Others offer discounts for military members, low-mileage drivers, and longtime policyholders.
Consider bundling insurance products. Many car insurance companies also offer life insurance, business insurance, renters insurance, homeowners insurance, and boat insurance. Most will help you get great insurance coverage for a good deal when you bundle these policies together.
Research the cheapest vehicles to insure. The year, make, model, and safety features of a vehicle affect the cost of car insurance, which is why it’s a good idea to research the national average of car insurance before you purchase a new or used vehicle.
Compare car insurance rates. The best car insurance companies are competitive, which is why you should compare different rates annually to ensure you’re still getting the lowest rate.
Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Missoula
Liability coverage policies often have the lowest rates because they only provide bodily injury and property damage for the driver or structure that you hit when you cause a car accident. They don’t cover damage to your vehicle or injuries to you and your passengers.
Local businesses like Marcure Insurance or Summit Insurance Agency, as well as national insurers, state minimumprovide liability-only car insurance that meets state-minimum requirements. State Farm has the cheapest average rate for liability-only policies, at $45 per month, as shown in the table below comparing it to competitors.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Average Monthly Quote ▲▼ |
---|---|
State Farm | $45 |
USAA | $49 |
Midvale Home & Auto | $50 |
Safeco | $53 |
Progressive | $57 |
Farmers | $83 |
GEICO | $87 |
Allstate | $91 |
Bristol West | $92 |
The General | $100 |
Foremost | $105 |
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Missoula
Full-coverage policies usually cost more than liability-only policies because they have additional optional coverages, like collision and comprehensive, that pay for things like injuries and vehicle damages.
A full-coverage auto insurance policy might be the right coverage for a driver who commutes from Great Falls to downtown Missoula and wants protection from weather, animal, and vandalism damage.
Because only liability insurance is mandated by the state, one independent insurance agency, like Montana Central Insurance, may define full-coverage car insurance differently than another insurer, like Treasure State Insurance.
The table below shows State Farm as the cheapest insurer for Missoula full-coverage policies, at $105 per month, and compares that to the average car insurance quotes from other insurers.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Average Monthly Quote ▲▼ |
---|---|
State Farm | $105 |
USAA | $112 |
Safeco | $117 |
Midvale Home & Auto | $125 |
Progressive | $132 |
Farmers | $186 |
GEICO | $202 |
The General | $202 |
Foremost | $205 |
Allstate | $208 |
Bristol West | $224 |
Cheapest recent rates near Missoula, Montana
Drivers using Insurify have found quotes as cheap as $59/mo for liability only and $89/mo for full coverage in Missoula and other Montana cities.
*Quotes generated for Insurify users in and around Missoula, Montana within the last 10 days. Last updated on November 20, 2024
*Quotes generated for Insurify users in and around Missoula, Montana within the last 10 days. Last updated on November 20, 2024
Car insurance requirements in Montana
Most states, including Montana’s neighbors North Dakota and Idaho, require drivers to maintain liability coverage. However, the minimum limit is set state by state; Montana, for instance, has a higher property damage liability requirement than Washington, Utah, and Colorado.
Montana is an at-fault state, which means the at-fault driver is financially responsible for the damage they cause. The state’s minimum car insurance requirements are as follows:[1]
Coverage ▲▼ | Minimum Requirements ▲▼ |
---|---|
Bodily injury liability | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident |
Property damage liability | $20,000 per accident |
Once you’ve met the minimum coverage requirements, you may want to consider options for additional coverage, such as:
Collision coverage
Collision coverage pays for losses caused by colliding with another vehicle, a telephone pole, or other structure.
Comprehensive coverage
Comprehensive coverage pays for a loss not caused by a collision, such as from fire, theft, vandalism, or animal damage.
Uninsured motorist coverage
Though optional, you must formally fill out paperwork declining uninsured motorist coverage, or your insurer will provide it to you by law. Uninsured motorist coverage pays for your injuries and your vehicle’s damages when an at-fault driver doesn’t have insurance.
Medical payments coverage
Medical payments coverage pays for medical expenses you and your passengers incur from an accident.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident
Dozens of types of incidents on your driving record can increase car insurance rates, including speeding tickets, at-fault accidents, and other moving violations that either cause or increase the chances of causing an accident. People with safe driving habits tend to get better rates than people with bad marks on their driving records.
Driving under the influence (DUI) is one of the quickest ways to see your premium prices rise, and with a DUI comes other personal finance strains, like legal expenses. In Montana, more than half of all traffic fatalities involved impaired driving — one reason why the state has one of the highest fatality rates from impaired drivers in the country.
Insurance Company ▲▼ | Clean Driving Record ▲▼ | With Speeding Ticket ▲▼ | With At-Fault Accident ▲▼ | With DUI ▲▼ |
---|---|---|---|---|
State Farm | $45 | $63 | $61 | $70 |
USAA | $49 | $69 | $67 | $76 |
Midvale Home & Auto | $50 | $70 | $68 | $78 |
Safeco | $53 | $75 | $72 | $83 |
Progressive | $57 | $81 | $78 | $89 |
Farmers | $83 | $116 | $112 | $129 |
GEICO | $87 | $122 | $118 | $135 |
Allstate | $91 | $128 | $123 | $142 |
Bristol West | $92 | $129 | $125 | $143 |
The General | $100 | $141 | $136 | $156 |
Foremost | $105 | $148 | $143 | $164 |
Average cost of car insurance by age
Age plays a significant role in Montana car insurance rates. Generally, rates decrease after age 25 as drivers gain experience but then increase around age 70 as older drivers face health, mobility, or medication issues that increase their likelihood of accidents.
Unfortunately, car crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the state of Montana.[2] That fact, coupled with their inexperience, is why teen drivers have the highest rates, as shown in the table below comparing average monthly quotes for different ages.
Age ▲▼ | Average Monthly Quote ▲▼ |
---|---|
Teens | $321 |
20s | $255 |
30s | $192 |
40s | $156 |
50s | $155 |
60s | $139 |
70s | $150 |
Missoula car insurance quotes by credit tier
Montana car insurance laws allow insurers to consider a driver’s credit history when calculating insurance premiums for new customers. They factor this information into an insurance score, which is then used to calculate your rates.
Missoula drivers with excellent or good credit typically get lower rates than drivers with poor credit.
Rates by Credit Tier
Missoula car insurance FAQs
Finding the best car insurance can be tricky. Below, you’ll find answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about car insurance in Missoula.
How much is car insurance in Missoula?
Car insurance in Missoula costs an average of $148 per month. Drivers pay $97 per month for liability coverage and $199 for full coverage, on average. The city’s car insurance rates are more expensive than the state average of $121 and less expensive than the national average of $154.
Who has the cheapest car insurance in Missoula?
State Farm has the cheapest car insurance in Missoula, with an average rate of $75 per month. State Farm customers in Missoula pay an average of $45 per month for liability coverage and $105 per month for full coverage.
What are the best car insurance companies in Missoula?
With an Insurify Quality (IQ) Score of 4.5 out of 5, an A++ (Superior) financial strength rating from AM Best, and various discounts, State Farm is the best car insurance company in Missoula. Other top insurers include USAA and Safeco.
Methodology
Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.
Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).
Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:
- Bodily injury limits between state-minimum rates and $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Property damage limits between $10,000 and $50,000
- No additional coverage
- Comprehensive coverage with a $1,000 deductible
- Collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.
Related articles
More cities in Montana
Sources
- Montana Department of Justice - Motor Vehicle Division. "Insurance and Verification."
- Montana Department of Transportation. "Teen Drivers - Reality Check."
Nick Dauk is a freelance writer specializing in business, entrepreneurship, personal finance, and travel. His work has been featured in Fox Business, BBC, The Edge, Business Insider, and Bisnow. Nick is a first-generation college graduate, having majored in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Central Florida. His eclectic coursework, combined with previous managerial roles in the retail and broadcast television industries, have helped him develop an interdisciplinary approach to writing.
For nearly a decade, Nick has created content for mom-and-pop businesses and global corporations. As a travel writer, his global adventures have also been featured on Inside Hook, Houston Chronicle, Culture Trip, and Matador. When he's not traveling, Nick can be found in Orlando spending time with his wife and toddler.
Licensed auto and home insurance agent
4+ years in content creation and marketing
As Insurify’s home and pet insurance editor, Danny also specializes in auto insurance. His goal is to help consumers navigate the complex world of insurance buying.
Featured in