On average, drivers pay $248 per month for car insurance in Washington, according to 2021 rates.
Compare all car insurance quotes in one place
Washington's roads will let you see parts of the rain forests in Olympic National Park, the coulees in the Columbia Plateau, and a view of staggering Mt. Rainier. With the beautiful outdoors, who wants to do something as mundane as commute to work or school?
There's always the weekend for exploration because over 79 percent of the state’s 7.6 million residents live in the Greater Seattle, Clark County, or Spokane metros. Traffic and congestion go right along with driving in urban areas. Could all the people contribute to Washington having the 18th most expensive car insurance in the U.S.?
Insurify's comparison tool will help you make sure you're getting the best possible quote based on your needs and location. You can have peace of mind you're not paying any more than the average price in your state, and customers save $48 per month on average.
At $455, it would take 31 hours of minimum wage work for a teenager to pay the average cost of car insurance in Washington. Good grades, sports, and other extracurriculars become a challenge with that high price. Young adults in their 20s see more than a $175 price slash compared to the less-experienced teenage drivers.
It's the Washingtonians in their 30s, 40s, and 50s who finally slide below the average monthly cost for residents of the state. Seniors pay nearly $300 less than the youngest age category of driver.
| Age | Avg. Monthly Rate |
|---|---|
| Teens | $455 |
| 20s | $274 |
| 30s | $212 |
| 40s | $231 |
| 50s | $203 |
| 60s | $176 |
| 70s | $184 |
| >80s | $193 |
Men in Washington pay an average of $16 per month more than women for car insurance. There are a couple reasons behind that trend: men drive more expensive vehicles, and women statistically tend to be less risky drivers––and are therefore less expensive to insure.
| Gender | Avg. Monthly Rate |
|---|---|
| Male | $256 |
| Female | $240 |
In Washington, married drivers pay an average of $25 less than their single counterparts for car insurance. That may not seem like much, but it averages out to over $300 per year. That’s because insurance companies generally consider married drivers to be less risky to insure than singletons.
| Marital Status | Avg. Monthly Rate |
|---|---|
| Married | $231 |
| Single | $256 |
Washington requires drivers to carry liability insurance to pay if they injure others or damage their property. The law says you must have $25,000 in bodily injury liability per person and $50,000 per accident, and $10,000 in property damage liability per accident. If you want to protect your car, buy comprehensive and collision coverage.
It’s perfectly legal in Washington for insurance companies to use credit score as a factor in determining car insurance rates.
It's no big deal for most Washingtonians because the difference between poor, average, and good is just $7 or less. When you move from good to excellent credit, that's when you see $20 savings per month, which translates to $240 a year. Washington drivers with credit scores of over 800 are in an excellent position to save on their premiums.
| Credit History | Avg. Monthly Rate |
|---|---|
| Poor | $240 |
| Average | $245 |
| Good | $247 |
| Excellent | $224 |
"Safety first" is not just a mantra that saves lives. It also saves money. Common sense tells us that the safest drivers will pay the least, and safe drivers qualify for "good driver" and "accident-free" discounts. But what if your record is less than perfect?
Drivers with a speeding ticket in Washington will pay $14 more per month on average—plus fines. Drivers with an at-fault accident on their insurance record should expect to see monthly rates increase by around $40. Accidents happen, but driving safely and keeping a clean record are the best ways to avoid rate hikes. Remember, violations and accidents will stay on your insurance history for years to come. Still, you can still take a defensive driver course to reduce your monthly payment.
| Driving History | Avg. Monthly Rate |
|---|---|
| No Violation | $237 |
| At-Fault Accident | $277 |
| Speeding | $251 |
Washingtonians can expect premiums to differ depending on location, company, and vehicle. The Evergreen State continues to march upwards, with over 109,000 people moving to Washington in 2019. Will insurance prices rise with the population?
When you're already in the top half of states for insurance costs, you want to see monthly premiums go down. Washington’s residents should try Insurify’s comparison tool to see 10+ real quotes and unlock savings and discounts. In less than two minutes, you could find the coverage you deserve at a price you can afford.
There are many different factors that go into the how expensive your car insurance is. That said, some of the reasons why you could be paying so much for your insurance include: living in a state with high minimum insurance requirements, being a young or new driver, committing past traffic offenses like at-fault accidents or DUIs, and having a low credit score.
Auto insurance costs will vary between locations and insurance carriers, depending on the county Washington. Insurify analyzed the latest data for the five most populous cities in Washing ton to find you the cheapest quotes in each of these metropolitan areas.
'The way to find the carrier with the best auto insurance ratings in Washington and save on your insurance premiums is to compare quotes from all companies in your area. Use a car insurance quotes comparison site like Insurify to compare up to 10+ real quotes for your specific driver profile and unlock savings and discounts. Rates can fluctuate greatly based on whether you''re a safe driver or a high risk one, but you should never overpay. Insurify provides the cheapest car insurance quotes and companies in your area in just a few seconds.'
During the past three years in the United States, national premium costs have risen an average of 4.5 percent annually. In states where quotes have risen, this figure has been 7.8 percent; and in those where rates have fallen, prices have decreased by approximately 6.0 percent. Individual rates by state will of course vary depending on the driver’s history and a multitude of factors.
