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36+ years of combined experience covering insurance.
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1.5+ billion auto insurance rates analyzed by our team of experts.
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700+ auto insurance companies analyzed in over 29,000 U.S. cities. (See our top picks.)
NerdWallet writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines to ensure fairness and accuracy in our writing and data analyses. Read our criteria for evaluating auto insurance companies.
For a smooth shopping process, follow these five steps when you’re ready to compare car insurance.
1. Gather vehicle and driver information
You’ll need the details below for all the drivers and vehicles in your household:
Drivers
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Occupation and marital status.
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Accidents or traffic violations in the past five years.
Vehicles
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Vehicle identification number (VIN).
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Current insurer (if applicable).
If you’re shopping for other policies along with car insurance, like homeowners or renters insurance, make sure you also have information about your home on hand. Learn more about getting home insurance quotes.
2. Know your coverage amounts
The default limits you’ll see in an online car insurance quote may not match the coverage you want to buy, so decide how much coverage you want before you start shopping. You can typically customize your quote by adjusting the liability limits and adding options such as comprehensive and collision coverage.
If you already have a policy you’re happy with, grab your most recent car insurance declaration page and refer to it when choosing the coverage amounts for each quote.
3. Ensure a fair comparison
Once you’ve started entering your information and collecting quotes, make sure all the offers have the same coverage limits and deductibles. Check for optional features, too, such as roadside assistance or accident forgiveness.
4. Research the companies
The last thing you need after an accident is a company that delays your claim or doesn’t respond to calls, so it pays to do your research. Pay particular attention to complaint records and customer satisfaction to make sure the company will be easy to work with if you have a claim. Auto insurance reviews are a good place to find that information.
Also, make sure the companies have the features you care about. For example, if you’d rather file claims online than call an agent, check whether the insurer’s website allows you to do that. Got a side hustle driving for Uber or Lyft? See if the company offers rideshare insurance.
5. Consider the whole package
If you’re shopping for another policy along with your auto insurance, such as a home or renters policy, make sure you’re happy with the price and coverage there, too. Although bundling can offer discounts and convenience, in some cases you may find better prices or coverage by buying your policies from two separate companies.
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Tips from Reddit users on comparing car insurance
We sifted through Reddit forums to get a pulse check on how users feel about comparing car insurance. People post anonymously, so we cannot confirm their individual experiences or circumstances.
Many Redditors are frustrated about rising insurance costs and the time and effort that go into getting car insurance quotes. People want to find a way to get quotes quickly and reliably, but find it hard to do so.
Here are some of the car insurance shopping tactics Redditors shared:
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Shopping around regularly to try and find better deals. (Hint: We’ve got a free comparison tool right here.)
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Using their car insurance quotes as leverage to see if insurers can match or beat another company’s quote.
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Working with a local independent insurance agent.
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3 ways to get car insurance quotes
There are three main ways to shop for car insurance, each with pros and cons. You can get car insurance quotes from:
Pros
- You can reach out to as many companies as you’d like, including big-name insurers like State Farm that typically don’t sell their policies through independent agents.
- You can often quickly customize your coverage options online to see how they impact your quote.
Cons
- You can reach out to as many companies as you’d like, including big-name insurers like State Farm that typically don’t sell their policies through independent agents.
- No access to smaller insurers, like Safety or Auto-Owners, that don’t sell directly to consumers.
Comparison sites let you shop with multiple companies at once. (Fun fact: NerdWallet offers its own comparison tool you can try.)
After you enter some basic information about yourself and your vehicle, the site will match you with one or more car insurance companies. Keep in mind that you may not see a list of personalized rates at this stage — you’ll often need to visit each company’s website individually to provide more information and get your final price.
Pros
- Saves you time by shopping with several companies at once.
- Ideal for users who want to buy online instead of making phone calls.
- Comparison sites generally pass some of your information on to the insurer, so you don’t have to type it all in again.
Cons
- Depending on your circumstances, you may not see as many options as you want.
- Expect follow-up phone calls or emails, as comparison sites often share your personal information with other insurers and brokers.
- May partner with a limited number of carriers.
A final option is to work with an independent insurance agent or insurance broker. This is often a local professional who will take your information by phone or in person, then shop around for insurance on your behalf. An agent or broker may be a good fit for people with complicated insurance needs — if you have a spotty driving history, for example, or you’re trying to get quotes for multiple cars, a house and an umbrella policy for extra liability coverage.
Pros
- Often has access to smaller regional insurers that may not offer online quotes.
- Saves you time by comparing rates for you.
- Can answer questions and give personalized guidance.
Cons
- Generally requires at least one initial phone call.
- Your options are limited to insurance companies the agent or broker works with.
- Brokers may charge a fee.
Car insurance rates vs. quotes
A car insurance quote is an estimate of what you might pay for an auto policy. Insurers use information you provide, like your age and location, to determine the quote.
Once you move forward with purchasing the policy, the insurer will dig deeper into who you are and look at things like your driving history and credit-based insurance score to calculate the actual price you will pay. This final price is called a premium.
Car insurance rates are projections of what drivers with specific characteristics would pay for different amounts of coverage with different insurers. Each average rate on this page is the median of thousands of rates provided by Quadrant Information Services.
Comparing car insurance rates can help you determine which companies are worth requesting a quote from, so you can compare those, too. We recommend comparing car insurance quotes from at least three companies to make sure you get the best deal.
Comparing quotes side by side
Below are three hypothetical auto insurance quotes, along with advice on how to compare them. All three quotes feature the same standard coverage with the following limits and deductibles:
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Bodily injury liability coverage: $100,000 per person and $300,000 per crash.
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Property damage liability coverage: $50,000 per crash.
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Uninsured motorist coverage: $100,000 per person, $300,000 per crash and $50,000 for property damage.
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Collision and comprehensive coverage, each with a $1,000 deductible.
GEICO has the lowest rate, but Liberty Mutual’s quote includes a “Deductible Fund,” which effectively reduces your collision deductible by $50 every six months. Is that worth an extra $25 a year to you? Travelers’ rate is the highest of the three, but you might decide that its extra perks are worth the price.
We also recommend comparing the companies themselves, not just the quotes. Here’s a quick look at how the ones above stack up based on NerdWallet’s research:
All three companies have strong star ratings and lots of discounts, but Travelers has the fewest consumer complaints. If customer service is your top priority, you might consider paying a little more for the Travelers policy. But if you want an affordable price from a solid company and don’t need any extra perks, GEICO’s quote is probably the way to go.
More sample car insurance rates
Checking out average auto insurance rates for drivers like you can give you an idea of how much you can expect to pay. The sections below focus on a few key factors — age, driving history, credit and location — that may affect your premiums.
Rates by age
Your age can have a big impact on your car insurance rates. Teens pay the most, with rates typically decreasing once you hit your 30s and going up again in your 70s.
These are average full coverage car insurance rates in the U.S. for a driver with a clean record and good credit:
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Average annual rates for young drivers, by company
These are full coverage insurance rates for 20-year-old drivers with good credit and no recent accidents, DUIs or traffic violations.
Company Full coverage Minimum coverage Allstate $6,852 $1,412 American Family $4,169 $1,461 Farmers $7,926 $2,657 GEICO $3,635 $953 Nationwide $6,195 $2,242 Progressive $3,972 $1,119 State Farm $4,785 $1,207 Travelers $4,058 $1,156 USAA* $3,244 $826 *USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
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Average annual rates for millennials, by company
These are full coverage insurance rates for 35-year-old drivers with good credit and no recent accidents, DUIs or traffic violations.
Company Full coverage Minimum coverage Allstate $2,961 $733 American Family $2,139 $690 Farmers $3,863 $1,174 GEICO $2,004 $482 Nationwide $2,728 $962 Progressive $2,155 $635 State Farm $2,169 $497 Travelers $1,709 $538 USAA* $1,464 $371 *USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
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Average annual rates for seniors, by company
These are full coverage insurance rates for 70-year-old drivers with good credit and no recent accidents, DUIs or traffic violations.
Company Full coverage Minimum coverage Allstate $2,801 $742 American Family $2,051 $775 Farmers $3,502 $1,162 GEICO $1,965 $536 Nationwide $2,494 $951 Progressive $1,846 $627 State Farm $1,960 $484 Travelers $1,632 $599 USAA* $1,258 $365 *USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
Rates by driving history
Having a DUI or at-fault accident on your record will cause your rates to go up — or even double. But each car insurer prices these incidents a little differently, so it’s worth shopping around for the best rates.
These are average full coverage car insurance rates in the U.S. for a 35-year-old driver:
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Average annual rate for drivers with a DUI, by company
Here are the average full coverage rates for drivers with a recent DUI 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.
*USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
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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.
*USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
Rates by credit
You might be surprised to learn that 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.
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.
These are average full coverage car insurance rates in the U.S. for a 35-year-old driver:
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Average annual full coverage rates for 35-year-old drivers with poor credit, by company
Below you can compare average full coverage rates for 35-year-old drivers with poor credit by company.
*USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
Rates by state
Because insurance regulations and cost of living vary from state to state, where you live can have a big impact on your car insurance rates. Click on your state in the map below to see our roundup of the cheapest auto insurance companies there.
We nerd out on car insurance
NerdWallet’s editorial team takes pride in providing highly-researched resources that empower our readers to make informed decisions about their car insurance.
Here’s why you can trust NerdWallet:
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We analyze the data. NerdWallet updates our published car insurance rate averages once a month. To do that, we rigorously analyze more than 500 million auto insurance rates from across the country provided by Quadrant Information Services.
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We are unbiased. NerdWallet’s content is solely editorial, and is never influenced by our business partners and advertisers. Learn more about how we write in our editorial guidelines.
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We do our homework. All of our auto insurance content is diligently fact-checked before publication. Additionally, our editorial team regularly evaluates and reviews many of the auto insurance companies we write about. This means the star ratings you see on our company reviews remain up-to-date.
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