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Your auto insurance rate depends on who you are as a driver, as well as your age, your credit, your vehicle, and your location. How insurance companies weigh these attributes is reflected in your premium. You could end up paying a lot more by choosing the wrong company or failing to compare enough companies.
For example, having a limited driving history or a poor credit score can be a very big factor for one company but not so much for other.
Some companies offer the best rates if you have a squeaky-clean record, but are more expensive if you don’t. Others are quite the opposite, offering reasonable rates for high-risk drivers who otherwise find it too expensive to get insured elsewhere.
A driver with good credit can save more than $40 a month by finding the cheapest insurer instead of the most expensive in the state. Savings can be even bigger for drivers with poor credit or a recent at-fault accident. Those drivers might lower their car insurance costs by more than $70 a month.
Which Company Offers the Cheapest Insurance?
We analyzed rates from top insurance companies and assessed common rating factors to determine which insurer provides the lowest-priced car insurance quotes — even for young motorists or high-risk drivers. Find out the average yearly rate of some of the top carriers in the tables below.
On average, USAA offers America’s cheapest auto insurance rates — just $545 per six-month policy. The caveat here is that USAA’s coverage is only available to active-duty military, veterans, or their family members.
Among the surveyed car insurance companies, USAA was the cheapest based on our average profile. Our individual profile might not reflect your rates, but you can use our auto insurance premiums as a jumping-off point to explore options from multiple car insurance companies.
Average car insurance rate by coverage level
Depending on your level of coverage, your premium will vary. The average auto insurance policy includes $50,000/$100,000 of bodily injury and $50,000 of property damage coverage with collision and comprehensive deductibles at $500. If you’re leasing or financing your vehicle, you might be required to carry gap insurance as well. Below are some average auto insurance rates based on coverage levels across the US.
| Coverages | 6-Month premium | Monthly premium |
| State Minimum | $310 | $51 |
| 50/100/50 BI/PD | $360 | $60 |
| 100/300/100 BI/PD | $408 | $68 |
| State Min with 1000 Comp/Coll DED | $638 | $106 |
| 50/100/50 BI/PD with 1000 Comp/Coll DED | $686 | $114 |
| 100/300/100 BI/PD with 1000 Comp/Coll DED | $733 | $122 |
| State Min with 500 Comp/Coll DED | $726 | $121 |
| 50/100/50 BI/PD with 500 Comp/Coll DED | $774 | $129 |
| 100/300/100 BI/PD with 500 Comp/Coll DED | $821 | $136 |
The less coverage you have, the less your premium will cost. However, it’s generally recommended to keep your liability coverage as high as possible to ensure your assets are protected. If your vehicle has any considerable value or you’re thinking of selling it in the future, make sure you add comprehensive and collision coverage.
Comparing car insurance rates by age and insurance provider
Car insurance rates for teenage drivers
If you have teenage dependents — or if you’re a teen driver yourself — you know insurance is expensive. In many cases, adding a teen to your car insurance plan can nearly double your premium. Of the most popular car insurance companies in the US, State Farm, GEICO, and USAA are the cheapest coverage options for teen drivers.
Car insurance comparison: young adult drivers
The age of 25 is a turning point for car insurance savings. But no matter how much you save, you’re probably still paying more than you’d like. In order to find the cheapest car insurance for 25-year-olds, we created a default user profile and gathered rates from eight popular auto insurance companies.
Car insurance for seniors
Between the ages of 30 and 60, car insurance rates don’t fluctuate much based only on age. As you reach your late 50s and 60s, age becomes a more important determinant of your rate. For a typical senior-aged married couple without children drivers, GEICO and USAA offer the cheapest rates, all other metrics constant.
Car insurance rates by gender
In states like California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Montana, there is no difference in car insurance premiums for men and women. In other states, the difference between car insurance rates for men and women is small — less than a 1% difference in car insurance premiums, nationwide.
6-Month Average Car Insurance Premiums by Gender
| Male | Female |
|---|---|
| $779 | $774 |
Although many people assume car insurance costs vary greatly between men and women, it’s a minor factor when you look at the bigger picture. However, gender does play a factor in premiums for young drivers. On average, male drivers between the ages of 16 and 19 pay almost $700 more per year than do female teens.
Car insurance comparison by driving history
Naturally, insurance companies use your driving past as an indicator of how you will drive in the future. It can be difficult to find affordable car insurance if you have a checkered driving history. While it’s very unlikely you will find an insurance company that won’t increase your premium after an at-fault accident or other violation, the degree of the rate increase will vary by company. Let’s compare rate increases for some common violations across major insurance companies.
At-fault accidents and car insurance rates
On average, an at-fault property damage accident will raise your premium by an average of $767 per year. Because most insurance providers will charge you for three years after an accident, this $767 increase equates to more than $2,301 in total fees. If you’re thinking of filing a claim, consider the overall cost of the claim versus what the claim would cost to pay out-of-pocket. Compare this $2,301 penalty — plus your deductible (if applicable) — to the out-of-pocket expense. While this is nice information to know before filing a claim, it won’t help if you’ve already filed a claim.
If you have an at-fault accident on your insurance history, consider USAA or State Farm.
Insurance cost comparison after a DUI conviction
In many states, a DUI is the most costly violation you can receive. In fact, in California, a DUI offense can stay on your insurance record for as long as 10 years. Based on our analysis of the most popular insurance companies, this could set you back an average of $1,200 per year in insurance rate increases during that 10-year period. To limit costs, do your due diligence and compare rates. State Farm and USAA are the cheapest insurance options after a DUI — consider starting your comparison process with those providers.
Compare car insurance by credit score
Another major contributor to your car insurance rate is your credit score. While it’s not directly related to your driving, car insurance companies believe your credit score says a lot about what kind of client you’ll be.
Comparing car insurance premiums with bad credit:
If you have very poor credit, the cheapest car insurance company is Nationwide. With this insurer, your premium could be $350 less than the average among major companies. Compared to drivers at the highest credit level, drivers with bad credit pay over $1,500 more per year for auto insurance. If you pay off a loan or otherwise improve your credit score, you should shop around for car insurance as your premium should change. This insurance benefit is yet another reason to keep your credit score up!
Six-month car insurance rates with good credit
As a driver gets into the higher credit tiers, car insurance rates get a little more competitive between companies. Although a driver with a credit score between 670-739 is still paying $100-plus more than a driver in the absolute highest credit tier, it’s possible to cut insurance costs by selecting USAA as your car insurance provider.
Six-month insurance premium comparison with great credit
For drivers in the top credit tier, USAA remains the cheapest car insurance company. At $159 less per year than the group average, USAA auto insurance typically costs a driver with exceptional credit $950 per year — about $79 per month.
Average car insurance rates by driver age
Age is a major component of auto insurance premiums. Age is a reliable indicator of how risky a driver you will be to your insurance company. In fact, you should consider shopping around for cheaper car insurance rates every year. The below data shows the relationship between age and car insurance rates.
Those aged 50 to 59 pay the least for car insurance, with all other variables constant. Teen drivers pay the most — about $419 per month for drivers 16-19 years ago. Once you turn 20, you should expect an average monthly drop in your insurance premium by about $253. Aside from very young and very old drivers, age doesn’t have a major impact on the average cost of auto insurance. Between the ages of 40 and 60, the average difference in premium is only $45. It’s important to consider other rating factors that could have a larger impact on premiums.
Average car insurance premium by driving record
Getting any type of violation — even a minor one — can have major impacts on your premium. For an at-fault accident, the average rate increase in 2019 was $384 per six-month policy — or $767 per year. Most insurance providers will raise rates for three to five years after any violation, ticket, or claim.
Average cost of car insurance by credit score
In all but a handful of states, your credit score is a major rating factor. According to the Federal Trade Commission, drivers with low credit not only file more claims than drivers with high credit but their claims tend to be more expensive. On average, drivers with Excellent credit pay $774 less for car insurance than drivers with very poor credit — all other rating factors constant.
* National annual average car insurance savings by new customers surveyed in 2020. Your results may vary according to current market conditions and individual information provided.
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