How comparing car insurance gets you the best rates
Shopping around and comparing car insurance rates from multiple insurers could potentially save you hundreds of dollars a year. Why? Each auto insurance company has their own unique way of pricing coverage, so one company could be far more expensive than another for the same driver. Simply put, the policy you have may not be the cheapest option out there, even for the same exact coverage.
While it may be tempting to go with the first insurer you get a quote from, the most effective way to shop is to compare quotes from a minimum of three insurers at least once a year.
How to compare car insurance rates
You can use NerdWallet’s car insurance comparison tool to get matched with car insurance companies in your area. Simply input information like your age, vehicle type and driving history to get matched with insurers. You can also go directly to insurer websites for quotes, or work with an independent agent who can compare car insurance on your behalf. No matter the source, you will need to provide your personal data to get an accurate quote.
Here’s what to do to compare car insurance rates quickly, while still getting the right coverage for you.
1. Gather your information
To quickly and easily compare insurance online, you should have the following on hand:
2. Choose your liability limits
Liability insurance protects you from paying out of pocket for any damage or injuries you cause in a crash, and it’s required to drive in most places. If expenses after a crash go above your liability limits, you’ll be responsible to pay out of pocket. If you don’t have enough cash on hand, you could face a lawsuit. With bills for property damage and injuries easily reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars, NerdWallet recommends you get liability limits high enough to cover your net worth.
Be sure you understand your state’s requirements
Almost every state requires a minimum amount of car insurance to drive legally. If you work with an agent or comparison shop online, your state’s minimum car insurance requirements should automatically be included in your quote.
While liability insurance is almost always mandatory, some states also require uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, personal injury protection or medical payments coverage. To learn more about what these are, read our guide to the most common types of car insurance.
🤓Nerdy Tip
Minimum coverage car insurance will always be the cheapest option, but you’ll likely be underinsured — especially if you cause a bad accident. In that case, you could be left having to pay (or face a lawsuit) for any damage or injuries you cause. If you’re unsure how much car insurance to get, read our guide on how much car insurance you need.
3. Decide if you need full coverage
Full coverage car insurance is a term used for auto policies that include comprehensive and collision coverage. Combined, comprehensive and collision cover just about any damage to your own car after a wreck, regardless of who caused it, once you pay a deductible. If you have a loan or a lease on your vehicle, full coverage is probably required by your lender.
Full coverage policies are more expensive than simply buying your state’s minimum required policy. If you drive an older, less valuable car, though, it’s possible you don’t need full coverage. That’s because comprehensive and collision coverage only pay out up to your vehicle’s current market value, minus your deductible.
4. Collect and compare car insurance quotes
You should get car insurance quotes from at least three companies — ideally more. To be sure you’re getting the best deal, compare car insurance quotes from smaller, regional companies plus the big names, like Allstate, Geico, Progressive and State Farm.
To accurately compare quotes, ask the agent or company representative to find all discounts you’re eligible for. Plus, make sure you’re using the same coverage limits and deductible amounts for every company you get quotes from.
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Which car insurance is best?
Compare car insurance rates by age
Key insights 💡
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20-year-old drivers have the most expensive car insurance, with an average rate of $3,647 per year for full coverage and $1,035 per year for minimum coverage.
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The cost of car insurance levels out once a driver reaches 30, with an average of $1,822 a year for full coverage.
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Geico is the cheapest company for 20-year-olds, while American Family is cheapest for 30-year-olds.
Your age can have a big impact on your car insurance rate. For example, you might already know teen drivers have some of the highest car insurance rates on average, but they aren’t the only ones. Although your rates will likely decrease once you hit your thirties, most drivers tend to see higher rates once they reach their 70s.
Below are the average costs of full and minimum coverage, by age, for drivers with good credit and a clean driving history, according to our August 2024 analysis.
Compare insurance rates for 20-year-olds
Drivers around the age of 20 typically get higher car insurance rates because they are more likely to get into accidents than older drivers, on average. NerdWallet recommends comparing car insurance quotes to find the cheapest option available, even if it may not be as affordable as other age groups.
To get more insight into how your age affects your car insurance, we compiled average annual rates from nine of the 10 largest private passenger auto insurers in the country based on market share data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Data for Liberty Mutual wasn’t available.
Average annual rate for 20-year-olds, by company
Company Name | Full coverage rate | Minimum coverage rate |
---|---|---|
Allstate | $5,443 | $1,135 |
American Family | $2,681 | $1,004 |
Farmers | $6,175 | $2,015 |
Geico | $2,454 | $675 |
Nationwide | $4,122 | $1,743 |
Progressive | $3,399 | $959 |
State Farm | $4,584 | $1,199 |
Travelers | $3,300 | $848 |
USAA* | $2,627 | $641 |
*USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
Average annual rate for 20-year-olds, by state
Median full coverage rate | Median minimum coverage rate | State |
---|---|---|
$3,769 | $891 | Alabama |
$2,968 | $751 | Alaska |
$4,296 | $1,348 | Arizona |
$4,004 | $1,037 | Arkansas |
$2,909 | $803 | California |
$5,340 | $1,392 | Colorado |
$4,650 | $1,930 | Connecticut |
$5,491 | $2,252 | Delaware |
$5,606 | $1,423 | Florida |
$4,749 | $1,494 | Georgia |
$1,610 | $491 | Hawaii |
$2,815 | $726 | Idaho |
$3,554 | $1,113 | Illinois |
$3,185 | $904 | Indiana |
$2,796 | $636 | Iowa |
$3,687 | $957 | Kansas |
$5,687 | $1,594 | Kentucky |
$6,478 | $1,784 | Louisiana |
$2,993 | $1,017 | Maine |
$4,632 | $1,847 | Maryland |
$2,803 | $881 | Massachusetts |
$4,666 | $1,233 | Michigan |
$2,962 | $865 | Minnesota |
$3,849 | $993 | Mississippi |
$4,418 | $1,046 | Missouri |
$4,184 | $876 | Montana |
$2,906 | $789 | Nebraska |
$5,692 | $1,881 | Nevada |
$3,032 | $873 | New Hampshire |
$4,454 | $1,707 | New Jersey |
$3,709 | $950 | New Mexico |
$3,896 | $1,520 | New York |
$2,015 | $705 | North Carolina |
$2,962 | $703 | North Dakota |
$2,636 | $770 | Ohio |
$4,996 | $1,124 | Oklahoma |
$2,736 | $1,223 | Oregon |
$3,750 | $791 | Pennsylvania |
$6,408 | $2,211 | Rhode Island |
$4,459 | $1,552 | South Carolina |
$3,038 | $627 | South Dakota |
$3,890 | $1,067 | Tennessee |
$6,132 | $2,158 | Texas |
$3,481 | $1,280 | Utah |
$2,985 | $745 | Vermont |
$3,499 | $1,316 | Virginia |
$3,531 | $1,262 | Washington |
$3,534 | $1,622 | Washington, D.C. |
$3,528 | $1,028 | West Virginia |
$3,441 | $868 | Wisconsin |
$2,561 | $465 | Wyoming |
Compare car insurance rates for 35-year-olds
Because drivers around the age of 35 get in fewer accidents than younger drivers, they typically can get lower car insurance rates than 20-somethings.
Average annual rate for 35-year-olds, by company
*USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
Average annual rate for 35-year-olds, by state
Median full coverage rate | Median minimum coverage rate | State |
---|---|---|
$1,798 | $402 | Alabama |
$1,527 | $322 | Alaska |
$2,092 | $641 | Arizona |
$1,788 | $446 | Arkansas |
$1,622 | $462 | California |
$2,415 | $547 | Colorado |
$1,789 | $785 | Connecticut |
$1,923 | $877 | Delaware |
$3,069 | $810 | Florida |
$2,051 | $651 | Georgia |
$1,610 | $491 | Hawaii |
$1,164 | $319 | Idaho |
$1,558 | $465 | Illinois |
$1,449 | $409 | Indiana |
$1,440 | $286 | Iowa |
$1,788 | $474 | Kansas |
$2,415 | $666 | Kentucky |
$3,150 | $892 | Louisiana |
$1,245 | $388 | Maine |
$1,889 | $839 | Maryland |
$1,314 | $412 | Massachusetts |
$2,411 | $608 | Michigan |
$1,693 | $470 | Minnesota |
$1,857 | $503 | Mississippi |
$1,973 | $506 | Missouri |
$1,814 | $425 | Montana |
$1,486 | $346 | Nebraska |
$2,334 | $763 | Nevada |
$1,130 | $370 | New Hampshire |
$2,136 | $860 | New Jersey |
$1,834 | $440 | New Mexico |
$2,025 | $794 | New York |
$1,949 | $643 | North Carolina |
$1,572 | $367 | North Dakota |
$1,214 | $335 | Ohio |
$2,512 | $501 | Oklahoma |
$1,349 | $599 | Oregon |
$1,756 | $371 | Pennsylvania |
$2,476 | $900 | Rhode Island |
$1,942 | $630 | South Carolina |
$1,650 | $274 | South Dakota |
$1,839 | $445 | Tennessee |
$2,680 | $842 | Texas |
$1,458 | $554 | Utah |
$1,085 | $310 | Vermont |
$1,666 | $653 | Virginia |
$1,570 | $539 | Washington |
$1,737 | $857 | Washington, D.C. |
$1,693 | $495 | West Virginia |
$1,549 | $382 | Wisconsin |
$970 | $185 | Wyoming |
Compare insurance rates by driver history
Key insights 💡
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Full coverage for a 35-year-old good driver with good credit costs an average of $1,765 a year.
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A recent DUI increases that cost to an average of $3,237 a year.
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A recent at-fault accident costs an average of $2,599 a year.
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Having poor credit costs an average of $2,795 a year for full coverage.
Car insurance companies pay close attention to a variety of factors when determining rates. We’ve analyzed rates for a few of the most common driver “profiles” to give you an idea of how much insurance might cost for each one.
Use these links when comparing auto insurance rates for specific driver histories:
Compare car insurance rates for drivers with a DUI
After a DUI, your auto insurance rate will go up — in some cases, it could even double. But one thing you can control is your choice of insurance company. A DUI can affect car insurance rates for three to 10 years, so it’s a good idea to shop around for the best rates after getting a DUI.
Average annual rate for drivers with a DUI, by company
Below you can compare average car insurance rates from different companies for 35-year-olds before and after a DUI. Keep in mind that not all of these options are available in every state.
Company Name | Rate for drivers with a DUI | Rate for drivers with a clean record |
---|---|---|
Allstate | $3,455 | $2,276 |
American Family | $2,087 | $1,281 |
Farmers | $5,093 | $2,690 |
Geico | $3,052 | $1,303 |
Nationwide | $3,837 | $1,875 |
Progressive | $2,174 | $1,742 |
State Farm | $3,099 | $2,040 |
Travelers | $2,382 | $1,412 |
USAA* | $2,352 | $1,273 |
*USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
Average annual rate for drivers with a DUI, by state
In Oklahoma, the average insurance cost for drivers with a recent DUI is 35% higher, on average, than for similar drivers with no incidents — $882 more a year. However, in our analysis, a DUI in North Carolina added $5,698 to the annual cost of full coverage car insurance for 35-year-old drivers.
See below for how your state measures up.
Rate for drivers with a DUI | Rate for drivers with a clean record | State |
---|---|---|
$2,950 | $1,798 | Alabama |
$2,613 | $1,527 | Alaska |
$3,465 | $2,092 | Arizona |
$2,958 | $1,788 | Arkansas |
$4,302 | $1,622 | California |
$3,852 | $2,415 | Colorado |
$3,253 | $1,789 | Connecticut |
$3,893 | $1,923 | Delaware |
$4,262 | $3,069 | Florida |
$3,394 | $2,051 | Georgia |
$3,060 | $1,610 | Hawaii |
$2,347 | $1,164 | Idaho |
$2,983 | $1,558 | Illinois |
$2,909 | $1,449 | Indiana |
$2,611 | $1,440 | Iowa |
$3,239 | $1,788 | Kansas |
$4,435 | $2,415 | Kentucky |
$4,624 | $3,150 | Louisiana |
$2,549 | $1,245 | Maine |
$3,427 | $1,889 | Maryland |
$2,486 | $1,314 | Massachusetts |
$6,336 | $2,411 | Michigan |
$2,708 | $1,693 | Minnesota |
$2,909 | $1,857 | Mississippi |
$3,397 | $1,973 | Missouri |
$3,070 | $1,814 | Montana |
$2,454 | $1,486 | Nebraska |
$3,659 | $2,334 | Nevada |
$2,146 | $1,130 | New Hampshire |
$4,185 | $2,136 | New Jersey |
$2,805 | $1,834 | New Mexico |
$3,631 | $2,025 | New York |
$7,647 | $1,949 | North Carolina |
$2,837 | $1,572 | North Dakota |
$2,289 | $1,214 | Ohio |
$3,394 | $2,512 | Oklahoma |
$2,407 | $1,349 | Oregon |
$2,929 | $1,756 | Pennsylvania |
$4,652 | $2,476 | Rhode Island |
$3,534 | $1,942 | South Carolina |
$2,830 | $1,650 | South Dakota |
$3,240 | $1,839 | Tennessee |
$4,645 | $2,680 | Texas |
$2,701 | $1,458 | Utah |
$2,478 | $1,085 | Vermont |
$2,714 | $1,666 | Virginia |
$2,479 | $1,570 | Washington |
$3,296 | $1,737 | Washington, D.C. |
$3,119 | $1,693 | West Virginia |
$2,962 | $1,549 | Wisconsin |
$2,413 | $970 | Wyoming |
While your car insurance rate will almost always increase after a DUI, it’s clear that the amount it increases will depend partially on where you live.
Compare auto insurance rates for drivers with poor credit
Your credit history is one of the largest factors affecting your car insurance rate. In states where it’s allowed, carriers use credit history to determine how likely you are to file a claim.
Average annual rate for drivers with poor credit, by company
While rates may double for some drivers with poor credit, know that every company considers credit differently. An insurance company may evaluate your credit differently depending on which state you live in.
Drivers with poor credit insured by Nationwide could pay about 40% more a year, on average, compared with similar drivers with good credit. Meanwhile, the average price for full coverage from State Farm or Farmers rises 98% or more for drivers with poor credit compared with those with good credit.
Below you can compare average full coverage rates for 35-year-old drivers with poor credit by company.
Company Name | Rate for drivers with good credit | Rate for drivers with poor credit |
---|---|---|
Allstate | $2,276 | $3,312 |
American Family | $1,281 | $2,101 |
Farmers | $2,690 | $5,347 |
Geico | $1,303 | $1,874 |
Nationwide | $1,875 | $2,640 |
Progressive | $1,742 | $2,951 |
State Farm | $2,040 | $7,107 |
Travelers | $1,412 | $2,299 |
USAA* | $1,273 | $2,267 |
*USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
Average annual rate for drivers with poor credit, by state
Certain states prohibit the use of credit in setting car insurance rates, and how insurers treat credit differs from state to state. For example, state regulators in one state may allow more wiggle room for credit-based pricing than others, which leads to variations by state as well as by company.
Below you can compare average full coverage rates for 35-year-old drivers with poor credit by state.
Rate for drivers with good credit | Rate for drivers with poor credit | State |
---|---|---|
$1,798 | $3,277 | Alabama |
$1,527 | $2,205 | Alaska |
$2,092 | $3,183 | Arizona |
$1,788 | $2,986 | Arkansas |
$1,622 | $1,622 | California |
$2,415 | $3,970 | Colorado |
$1,789 | $2,837 | Connecticut |
$1,923 | $3,531 | Delaware |
$3,069 | $4,552 | Florida |
$2,051 | $3,238 | Georgia |
$1,610 | $1,610 | Hawaii |
$1,164 | $1,861 | Idaho |
$1,558 | $2,530 | Illinois |
$1,449 | $2,653 | Indiana |
$1,440 | $2,114 | Iowa |
$1,788 | $3,325 | Kansas |
$2,415 | $4,453 | Kentucky |
$3,150 | $4,719 | Louisiana |
$1,245 | $1,887 | Maine |
$1,889 | $3,262 | Maryland |
$1,314 | $1,314 | Massachusetts |
$2,411 | $4,311 | Michigan |
$1,693 | $3,126 | Minnesota |
$1,857 | $2,984 | Mississippi |
$1,973 | $3,284 | Missouri |
$1,814 | $3,037 | Montana |
$1,486 | $2,448 | Nebraska |
$2,334 | $3,591 | Nevada |
$1,130 | $1,863 | New Hampshire |
$2,136 | $3,990 | New Jersey |
$1,834 | $2,521 | New Mexico |
$2,025 | $3,914 | New York |
$1,949 | $2,396 | North Carolina |
$1,572 | $2,497 | North Dakota |
$1,214 | $2,045 | Ohio |
$2,512 | $3,403 | Oklahoma |
$1,349 | $2,044 | Oregon |
$1,756 | $2,831 | Pennsylvania |
$2,476 | $3,980 | Rhode Island |
$1,942 | $3,365 | South Carolina |
$1,650 | $2,843 | South Dakota |
$1,839 | $3,142 | Tennessee |
$2,680 | $4,608 | Texas |
$1,458 | $2,650 | Utah |
$1,085 | $2,151 | Vermont |
$1,666 | $2,790 | Virginia |
$1,570 | $1,933 | Washington |
$1,737 | $2,822 | Washington, D.C. |
$1,693 | $2,460 | West Virginia |
$1,549 | $2,254 | Wisconsin |
$970 | $2,576 | Wyoming |
*Credit is not used to price rates in this state.
California, Hawaii and Massachusetts don’t allow insurers to use credit when determining car insurance rates. In Washington, the legal code around this issue is being debated.
Compare insurance rates for drivers with an accident
Your driving history can affect auto insurance rates in different ways from one company to another. It’s a good idea to compare how each insurer’s car insurance rates stack up against the rest if you have a recent accident.
Average annual rate for drivers with an accident, by company
Below you can compare average full coverage rates for 35-year-old drivers with a recent at-fault accident by company.
Company Name | Rate after one at-fault accident | Rate for drivers with a clean record |
---|---|---|
Allstate | $3,523 | $2,276 |
American Family | $2,143 | $1,281 |
Farmers | $4,255 | $2,690 |
Geico | $2,207 | $1,303 |
Nationwide | $2,991 | $1,875 |
Progressive | $2,578 | $1,742 |
State Farm | $2,636 | $2,040 |
Travelers | $1,903 | $1,412 |
USAA* | $1,856 | $1,273 |
*USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
Average annual rate for drivers with an accident, by state
Here are the average full coverage rates for 35-year-old drivers with a recent at-fault accident by state:
Rate after one at-fault accident | Rate for drivers with a clean record | State |
---|---|---|
$2,536 | $1,798 | Alabama |
$1,947 | $1,527 | Alaska |
$3,234 | $2,092 | Arizona |
$2,705 | $1,788 | Arkansas |
$2,936 | $1,622 | California |
$3,501 | $2,415 | Colorado |
$2,603 | $1,789 | Connecticut |
$2,833 | $1,923 | Delaware |
$4,385 | $3,069 | Florida |
$3,135 | $2,051 | Georgia |
$2,190 | $1,610 | Hawaii |
$1,588 | $1,164 | Idaho |
$2,380 | $1,558 | Illinois |
$2,221 | $1,449 | Indiana |
$2,037 | $1,440 | Iowa |
$2,528 | $1,788 | Kansas |
$3,410 | $2,415 | Kentucky |
$4,483 | $3,150 | Louisiana |
$1,888 | $1,245 | Maine |
$3,212 | $1,889 | Maryland |
$2,010 | $1,314 | Massachusetts |
$3,406 | $2,411 | Michigan |
$2,428 | $1,693 | Minnesota |
$2,678 | $1,857 | Mississippi |
$2,524 | $1,973 | Missouri |
$2,860 | $1,814 | Montana |
$2,302 | $1,486 | Nebraska |
$3,574 | $2,334 | Nevada |
$1,824 | $1,130 | New Hampshire |
$3,239 | $2,136 | New Jersey |
$2,528 | $1,834 | New Mexico |
$2,895 | $2,025 | New York |
$3,046 | $1,949 | North Carolina |
$2,284 | $1,572 | North Dakota |
$1,688 | $1,214 | Ohio |
$3,112 | $2,512 | Oklahoma |
$2,083 | $1,349 | Oregon |
$2,600 | $1,756 | Pennsylvania |
$2,539 | $2,476 | Rhode Island |
$2,907 | $1,942 | South Carolina |
$2,348 | $1,650 | South Dakota |
$2,704 | $1,839 | Tennessee |
$4,174 | $2,680 | Texas |
$2,296 | $1,458 | Utah |
$1,689 | $1,085 | Vermont |
$2,468 | $1,666 | Virginia |
$2,184 | $1,570 | Washington |
$2,635 | $1,737 | Washington, D.C. |
$2,335 | $1,693 | West Virginia |
$2,321 | $1,549 | Wisconsin |
$1,640 | $970 | Wyoming |
Your rates will probably increase after an at-fault accident, so be sure to include the accident when you compare car insurance rates.
Compare car insurance companies
You can use NerdWallet’s reviews to compare car insurance companies and find the best fit for you. NerdWallet has researched policy options, consumer complaint data, customer satisfaction ratings, financial stability and other key factors for all of the country’s top auto insurance companies. We also researched many smaller, regional insurers.
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