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Andrew HurstAndrew HurstSenior Editor & Licensed Auto Insurance ExpertAndrew Hurst is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. His work has also been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, NPR, Mic, Insurance Business Magazine, ValuePenguin, and Property Casualty 360.
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Anna SwartzAnna SwartzSenior Managing Editor & Auto Insurance ExpertAnna Swartz is a senior managing editor and auto insurance expert at Policygenius, where she oversees our car insurance coverage. Previously, she was a senior staff writer at Mic.com, as well as an associate writer at The Dodo.
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Fabio Faschi, PLCS, SBCS, CLCSFabio Faschi, PLCS, SBCS, CLCSLicensed Property & Casualty Insurance ExpertFabio Faschi is a licensed property and casualty insurance agent. His expertise on home and auto insurance has been featured on Forbes, Consumer Affairs, Realtor.com, Apartment Therapy, SFGATE, Bankrate, and Lifehacker.
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Car insurance costs an average of $136 per month for a full-coverage policy. This means the average driver pays $1,638 per year for car insurance.
But that's just an overall average — what you’ll actually pay for auto insurance is based on your own personal details, like your age, driving history, and ZIP code.
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We calculated how much car insurance costs using rates from across the U.S. Our analysis takes into account all of the factors that can affect your policy, so you can understand how much auto insurance really costs — and compare car insurance rates based on your needs.
And if you're looking for new car insurance because your rates have gone up, you're not alone. Auto insurance costs have been on the rise thanks to factors like inflation and supply-chain disruptions, and that trend seems likely to continue in 2023. Knowing the average car insurance rates for your profile can help you be sure you're finding the best price.
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Where you live, including your state, city, and even your ZIP code are some of the most important factors that determine your car insurance rates.
The average cost of car insurance is $1,638 per year, but we found that the cost of car insurance in the most and least expensive states is separated by $1,786 per year.
There are a few reasons why the cost of car insurance varies so much based on your location. If your area is more densely populated, has higher crime rates, lots of uninsured drivers, or frequent natural disasters, that means more claims — and higher rates.
Average rates for male and female drivers ages 30, 35, and 45. Rates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Rates provided are a sample of costs. Your actual quotes may differ.
Methodology & why you can trust our rates
How we calculated average car insurance rates
Our team of data and insurance experts at Policygenius found the cost of car insurance for different types of drivers by analyzing hundreds of thousands of rates from every ZIP code and every state (including the District of Columbia).
Our rates for most people used the sample profile of a 30-year-old driver of a 2017 Toyota Camry with a clean driving record. This sample policy included coverage limits of:
Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
Property damage liability: $50,000 per accident
Uninsured/underinsured motorist: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
Comprehensive: $500 deductible
Collision: $500 deductible
In addition to finding the costs for most people using this information, we also determined how much car insurance costs for other drivers based on which states they live in; whether they have an accident, DUI, or other violation on their record; their gender; age; and coverage limits.
Some carriers may be represented by affiliates or subsidiaries. Rates provided are a sample of costs. Your actual quotes may differ.
The most expensive states for insurance
On average, auto insurance is most expensive in Florida, where rates are 71% more expensive than for most drivers nationwide. We found that the cost of car insurance in Florida is $96 more expensive per month, or $1,156 per year, compared to the national average.
Besides Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, and Nevada are the states with the most expensive average car insurance rates.
What if car insurance costs are too high in your state?
You can still get affordable coverage in states where average insurance costs are high. You can keep costs low by avoiding accidents and tickets, taking advantage of discounts, and by comparing quotes when it’s time to renew your policy — and switching companies if you find a better deal.
The cheapest states for car insurance
Car insurance is least expensive in Ohio. Rates for car insurance in Ohio are $84 per month (or $1,008 per year), which is $630 cheaper than the national average.
Car insurance costs are also low in Vermont, North Carolina, Idaho, and Maine, according to our analysis.
States that have the lowest insurance costs sometimes have lower minimum coverage requirements, making it tempting to opt out of certain types of coverage. But this is a bad way to save money, since going without enough insurance can leave you on the hook for after an accident.
Compare rates and shop affordable car insurance today
The cost of car insurance also varies by city, even within the same state. Average rates in one city can be hundreds or even thousands of dollars more expensive than another city in the same state, so you should be sure to compare quotes and estimate your costs before buying coverage.
The city with the most expensive car insurance prices is Detroit, where coverage costs $467 per month, or $5,609 per year — that’s $3,971 more each year than the national average rate. New York City, Miami, Philadelphia follow Detroit as the most expensive cities for car insurance.
Car insurance rates can cost thousands of dollars more per year at one insurance company compared to another. Our analysis found that the average cost of auto insurance can vary by as much as $91 per month (or $1,090 per year) across the largest companies.
While many top auto insurance companies use the same factors to set your rate — including your location, age, and driving history — not every provider evaluates these factors the same way.
In our analysis, USAA has the best car insurance rates among the largest providers. But since USAA is only an option for people in the military, GEICO more often has the most affordable insurance rates for most people.
Smaller insurers, like Auto-Owners Insurance, or even local companies, may have cheap rates, too.
Car insurance companies with at least $1 billion in written premiums, ordered from cheapest to most expensive.
How much car insurance costs by coverage type and amount
Your average cost of car insurance also depends on the kinds of coverage and the amount you want to get. A so-called full coverage auto insurance policy includes comprehensive and collision coverage in addition to liability, and raises the cost of insurance by hundreds of dollars a year.
Coverage type
Average monthly cost
Average annual cost
Liability
$54
$644
Collision
$32
$378
Comprehensive
$14
$168
Car insurance rates also depend on how much coverage you decide to purchase. Your auto insurance costs will go up even with a clean record when you choose full coverage over minimum coverage, add endorsements to a basic policy, and when you increase your liability coverage.
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On average, car insurance rates initially increase by 174% when you choose a full-coverage policy instead of getting the minimum amount, but your premiums only go up by 6% when you double your liability coverage.
State
Minimum coverage
Full coverage
Most coverage
Alabama
$51
$144
$167
Alaska
$36
$116
$127
Arizona
$53
$133
$149
Arkansas
$44
$147
$166
California
$50
$153
$170
Colorado
$45
$154
$176
Connecticut
$79
$155
$165
Delaware
$82
$179
$189
District of Columbia
$57
$150
$161
Florida
$104
$233
$264
Georgia
$68
$135
$157
Hawaii
$35
$101
$106
Idaho
$33
$91
$104
Illinois
$47
$111
$129
Indiana
$38
$101
$112
Iowa
$26
$97
$106
Kansas
$41
$128
$147
Kentucky
$78
$182
$203
Louisiana
$83
$211
$283
Maine
$37
$91
$107
Maryland
$75
$149
$166
Massachusetts
$51
$129
$147
Michigan
$74
$202
$210
Minnesota
$46
$118
$124
Mississippi
$45
$139
$160
Missouri
$47
$132
$146
Montana
$41
$158
$172
Nebraska
$35
$135
$158
Nevada
$80
$183
$203
New Hampshire
$39
$107
$108
New Jersey
$96
$185
$205
New Mexico
$38
$122
$139
New York
$81
$171
$191
North Carolina
$35
$90
$90
North Dakota
$34
$117
$124
Ohio
$32
$84
$95
Oklahoma
$41
$143
$163
Oregon
$64
$120
$132
Pennsylvania
$42
$139
$149
Rhode Island
$72
$153
$175
South Carolina
$65
$168
$178
South Dakota
$28
$124
$143
Tennessee
$38
$111
$126
Texas
$54
$152
$168
Utah
$56
$130
$140
Vermont
$32
$87
$106
Virginia
$48
$112
$123
Washington
$52
$144
$156
West Virginia
$52
$135
$157
Wisconsin
$29
$92
$97
Wyoming
$27
$116
$125
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Monthly costs of car insurance based on different coverage amounts of bodily injury liability coverage. Minimum coverage includes enough insurance to meet the state's legal requirements, while the "full" and "most" columns are for $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident and $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident.
How much car insurance costs by age
Along with your location and the amount of insurance you have, age is one of the most important factors when it comes to auto insurance rates. Drivers under 25 tend to pay much more for coverage because of their inexperience behind the wheel.
The average cost of car insurance before you turn 25 can be thousands of dollars more expensive per year than for older drivers. For example, car insurance costs a newly licensed 16-year-old $378 more per month ($4,541 per year) than someone who’s 25.
Join an existing policy for lower insurance costs
One of the best ways that you can find lower car insurance costs as a young driver is by joining your parents’ existing policy. We found that it’s $225 cheaper per month ($2,699 per year) for a teen to join an existing policy than to get their own.
Gen Zers have the most expensive costs of car insurance of any age group. Rates are $203 more expensive each month than average for these drivers and $200 more expensive than for the next youngest generation, millennials, and $213 higher than rates for Gen X.
Gender can also have a small effect on your car insurance rates. On average, male drivers pay just $10 more per month than female drivers for coverage (but effectively the same amount each month). And after age 25, the price is nearly equal for male and female drivers.
Gender
Average monthly cost
Average annual cost
Male
$136
$1,638
Female
$136
$1,628
A handful of states prohibit insurers from setting rates according to gender, including:
Your car insurance costs can be affected by whether you’re married, divorced, or single. We found that the cost of auto insurance is lowest for married drivers. If you’re married, your rates cost $5 less than average per month.
Being single or divorced means that your insurance costs will be more expensive. Car insurance costs drivers who are single $6 more per month than average, while rates are about $5 more expensive than average for single drivers.
Marital Status
Average monthly cost
Average annual cost
Divorced
$144
$1,723
Married
$133
$1,591
Single
$143
$1,721
How much car insurance costs after a driving violation
Your average car insurance costs will almost certainly get more expensive after a driving violation, like an accident or ticket. On average, a violation increases auto insurance rates by $69 per month, or $822 each year.
The average cost of car insurance changes differently depending on the violation. More serious violations usually lead to higher rate increases. For example, car insurance prices after a hit-and-run are $78 per month more expensive than for a driver cited for speeding.
Violation
Average monthly cost
Average annual cost
Increase vs. average
At-fault accident
$213
$2,555
55%
Driving with a suspended license
$260
$3,117
89%
Driving with an open container
$207
$2,485
50%
Driving with expired registration
$172
$2,068
25%
DUI
$263
$3,153
91%
Failure to stop at a red light
$177
$2,122
28%
Hit and run
$265
$3,182
93%
Illegal turn
$177
$2,123
29%
Improper passing
$179
$2,152
30%
Not-at-fault accident
$149
$1,784
8%
Reckless driving
$251
$3,013
82%
Speeding ticket
$190
$2,277
38%
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Table sorted alphabetically by violation.
When do you need an SR-22?
After a DUI or serious driving violation, your state may require you to prove that you have insurance by getting an SR-22 or FR-44 form. Both of these forms carry an additional fee on top of your increased insurance costs.
How much your car insurance is depends in part on credit score. Having poor credit can increase your insurance rates by as much — or more — than some serious driving violations.
The average cost of car insurance for drivers with poor credit is $260 per month. That’s $123 more expensive than the national monthly average.
On the other hand, your car insurance rates go down as your credit score improves. We found that for drivers with an excellent credit rating auto insurance costs $25 less each month than someone with a good rating.
Credit score
Credit range
Average monthly cost
Average annual cost
Excellent
800-850
$117
$1,400
Very Good
740-799
$129
$1,550
Good
670-739
$142
$1,703
Fair
580-669
$173
$2,073
Poor
300-579
$260
$3,117
In some states, car insurance companies aren’t allowed to use your credit score to calculate your rates, so if you live in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, Utah, or Washington your credit score won’t matter when it comes to car insurance.
What’s the difference between an insurance score and your credit score?
Insurance companies use your auto insurance score to estimate how likely you are to make a claim. It’s different — but very similar — to your credit score. If you have a lower credit score, you can assume that your insurance score is lower, too.
How much car insurance costs for different vehicles
We found that the cost of car insurance can change by hundreds of dollars a year depending on the car that you drive. Our analysis shows that electric cars cost $49 more each month than an SUV does. In fact, the costs to insure a small and regular-sized SUV are nearly the same.
The cost of car insurance for electric vehicles is $68 more than average per year, making these EVs the most expensive vehicles to insure.
The average cost of car insurance for SUVs is the cheapest, but we found that the Ford F-150 (a truck) is the most affordable vehicle to insure. Auto insurance rates for Teslas tend to be much more expensive. Insurance for a Tesla Model 3 and Y costs $1,000 more per year than for a Ford truck.
Vehicle
Average monthly cost
Average annual cost
Ford F-150
$146
$1,753
Honda CR-V
$148
$1,779
GMC Sierra
$151
$1,808
Toyota Tacoma
$152
$1,821
Subaru Outback
$152
$1,822
Chevrolet Equinox
$153
$1,841
Ford Escape
$155
$1,859
Jeep Wrangler
$156
$1,871
Toyota Highlander
$157
$1,885
Jeep Grand Cherokee
$160
$1,914
Ford Explorer
$160
$1,923
Subaru Forester
$161
$1,932
Nissan Rogue
$162
$1,939
Chevrolet Silverado
$164
$1,964
Toyota RAV4
$167
$2,005
Nissan Leaf
$170
$2,040
Honda Civic
$174
$2,084
Chevrolet Bolt EV
$174
$2,085
Toyota Camry
$174
$2,088
Toyota Corolla
$174
$2,090
Ram 1500
$176
$2,106
Honda Accord
$177
$2,121
Tesla Model 3
$231
$2,771
Tesla Model Y
$248
$2,974
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How the cost of car insurance changes over time
Car insurance tends to get more expensive each year — even for good drivers. From 2012 to 2021, the only year when costs fell was in 2020, when COVID unexpectedly changed the insurance industry.
Even by the first half of 2022, you can see that the cost of car insurance coverage had already increased by 4.6% compared to the previous year. [1]
Year
H1 change
H2 change
Annual change
2012
3.0%
4.2%
3.6%
2013
4.6%
3.9%
4.2%
2014
4.1%
4.4%
4.2%
2015
5.4%
5.4%
5.4%
2016
5.8%
6.6%
6.2%
2017
7.4%
8.0%
7.7%
2018
8.7%
6.2%
7.4%
2019
1.7%
0.2%
0.9%
2020
-4.9%
-4.4%
-4.6%
2021
3.7%
3.9%
3.8%
2022
4.6%
--
--
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More from Policygenius about car insurance costs
If you want to learn more about what drives the cost of car insurance, you can check out more of the news and research we’ve done about costs, rate changes, and factors that cause drivers to pay more for insurance coverage.
Car insurance rate changes
Nearly every year the cost of car insurance get more expensive for everyone, but what's to blame for higher prices?
There are even more factors that can affect your car insurance rates besides location, coverage levels, age, gender, marital status, car type, driving history, and credit score. The cost of car insurance can also be influenced by:
The company you choose: Even if you live in a state where rates are higher than average, some companies offer more competitive rates than others, which is why it’s important to shop around.
Discounts: Some of the most common car insurance discounts include savings for bundling policies, completing a driving safety course, and paying your annual policy in full.
Insurance history: You may pay more for car insurance if you've had past coverage with a high-risk provider or if you have a lapse in coverage on your record. If you have a history of consistent coverage and on-time payments, on the other hand, you could see lower rates.
Your annual mileage: If you use your car often, your auto insurance will cost more than for someone who drives infrequently.
Your job and education: In some states it's illegal for insurers to use your occupation and education to set rates. However, in many places you could pay more for car insurance if you're unemployed or if you didn't graduate from college
How to save money on car insurance
From the moment you start shopping around for auto insurance, there are a number of ways you can save. Even if you already have an existing car insurance policy, there are still some steps you can take to lower your premiums.
Bundle your home and auto insurance: Combining multiple policies (like your home and auto insurance) with the same company can earn you serious savings.
Take advantage of car insurance discounts: Check with an agent to make sure you’re getting every discount you can, including discounts for having certain safety features in your car, or for taking a defensive driving course.
Change your coverage limits: Not every driver needs the highest level of every coverage. We recommend liability levels of $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident in bodily injury liability and $100,000 per accident in property damage liability, typically written as 100/300/100 on your insurance policy.
Raise your deductible amount: A higher comprehensive or collision deductible (meaning the amount you have to pay out of pocket per claim) means lower premiums — just remember you may actually have to pay that amount when you file a claim
Shop around once a year: Even if you’re happy with your coverage, shopping for car insurance annually with Policygenius can help you save big and make sure you’re not paying too much for coverage.
Policygenius has found that the average cost of car insurance is $137 per month for a full-coverage policy. A minimum coverage policy is much cheaper at $52 per month, but this type of policy could leave drivers unprotected and force them to pay out of pocket for uncovered losses.
How much is insurance for a $1,000 car?
Drivers with cheaper cars typically pay less for coverage. You should still have relatively high liability limits, even if your car is a clunker, because you could easily cause thousands of dollars worth of damage in an accident. But if your car is worth less than a typical comprehensive or collision deductible and you would be fine paying out of pocket to replace it if it were stolen, you can limit your coverage to liability-only, and save by not paying for comp and collision.
How much is car insurance for a beginner?
Car insurance rates are often based on your age, but sometimes they’re actually based on your years of driving experience. That means that a newly licensed 40-year-old would pay as much as a newly-licensed-16-year-old (which is a lot). The good news is that inexperienced drivers will see their rates drop over time, as long as they maintain a clean driving record.
Do both owners of a car need insurance?
Every member of your household should be listed on your auto insurance policy unless they’re specifically excluded from your coverage. That means that if you and your spouse share ownership of the same car, you both need to be listed on the policy — otherwise you risk not being covered in an accident.
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Policygenius uses external sources, including government data, industry studies, and reputable news organizations to supplement proprietary marketplace data and internal expertise. Learn more about how we use and vet external sources as part of oureditorial standards.
Andrew Hurst is a senior editor and a licensed auto insurance expert at Policygenius. His work has also been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, NPR, Mic, Insurance Business Magazine, ValuePenguin, and Property Casualty 360.
Anna Swartz is a senior managing editor and auto insurance expert at Policygenius, where she oversees our car insurance coverage. Previously, she was a senior staff writer at Mic.com, as well as an associate writer at The Dodo.
Fabio Faschi is a licensed property and casualty insurance agent. His expertise on home and auto insurance has been featured on Forbes, Consumer Affairs, Realtor.com, Apartment Therapy, SFGATE, Bankrate, and Lifehacker.
