Car Insurance and life change
We at the Guides Auto Team have researched dozens of the best car insurance companies to find out which providers offer the cheapest car insurance rates. In this guide, we highlight the cheapest car insurance companies, rates and quotes and cover our top picks overall in detail.
The cheapest car insurance costs $27 per month on average, based on our cost estimates.
Of major national insurers, Geico is typically the cheapest car insurance provider.
Nationwide provides the cheapest average rates for drivers with a DUI.
State Farm generally offers the cheapest car insurance for drivers with an accident or speeding ticket.
Geico has the cheapest car insurance on average for drivers with poor credit.
The best way to find the cheapest car insurance is to get a quote from at least three providers.
What Is the Cheapest Car Insurance?
The cheapest car insurance rates are $27 per month ($324 per year) for minimum-liability coverage from the Grange. In most states, minimum car insurance coverage is the cheapest option available as it only pays for others’ medical bills and property damage in accidents you cause.
Best Cheap Car Insurance
Of the major national car insurance companies, Geico offers the cheapest average rates ($39 per month and $468 per year) for minimum-liability coverage. However, the cheapest car insurance available varies from driver to driver.
What’s the Cheapest Place To Get Car Insurance?
Because insurance premiums are based on personalized criteria like your location, driving history and credit score, the best place to get car insurance isn’t the same for everyone. Here are the companies that provide the cheapest minimum-liability auto insurance options on average for several driver profiles:
Cheapest overall: Geico as the cheapest major provider at $39 per month, the Grange as the cheapest local provider at $27 per month
Cheapest for military members and their families: USAA at $28 per month
Cheapest car insurance for teens: Erie Insurance at $284 per month for 16-year-old drivers
Cheapest car insurance for seniors: Erie Insurance at $102 per month
Cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers: Nationwide at $239 per month for drivers with a DUI, State Farm at $157 per month for drivers with an accident and $150 per month for drivers with a speeding ticket
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with poor credit: Geico at $173 per month
*The price information above includes average rate estimates for a 35-year-old driver with a good credit history and clean driving record, unless otherwise stated.
Cheapest Car Insurance Companies
When it comes to major national providers, American Family Insurance, State Farm, Geico and Liberty Mutual consistently offer some of the cheapest car insurance. The criteria we use to determine the cheapest car insurance companies takes rate estimates for minimum-liability and full-coverage policies from Quadrant Information Services and the number of discounts offered by each provider into account.
Top 10 Cheapest Car Insurance Companies
The table below highlights overall cost ratings, average rates for minimum-liability and full-coverage policies, and the number of discounts offered by the cheapest nationwide car insurance companies:
*While USAA received our highest cost score, its services are limited to military members, veterans and their families.
**The rate estimates above are for a 35-year-old driver with a clean driving record and good credit history.
Cheap Local Car Insurance Companies
The cheapest local car insurance companies are the Grange, Erie Insurance, Country Financial, Auto-Owners Insurance and Elephant Insurance. You can learn more about each provider’s costs and discount opportunities below.
Cheapest Car Insurance Rates
Below, we highlight national and state car insurance rates for minimum-liability and full-coverage auto insurance. The average national cost by company is based on our estimated analysis for a 35-year-old married driver with a good credit rating and a clean driving record.
Cheapest Car Insurance Coverage
While minimum-liability coverage is the cheapest level of coverage available in most states, most car insurance quotes include estimates for full-coverage policies for those who want a higher level of protection. Below, we highlight the cheapest nationwide car insurance rates for both coverage types:
Cheapest Liability Car Insurance
The cheapest minimum-liability car insurance rates are offered by Auto-Owners, Erie, Geico, State Farm and Nationwide. The table below provides a complete list of companies that offer the cheapest state minimum coverage:
*USAA car insurance is limited to military members, veterans and their families.
Read more: Cheapest Liability Car Insurance
Cheapest Full-Coverage Car Insurance
Nationwide offers the cheapest full-coverage car insurance from a major national provider, with average rates of $107 per month ($1,281 per year). The cheapest car insurance rates for a full-coverage policy are offered by Erie and Nationwide:
*USAA car insurance is limited to military members, veterans and their families.
Read more: Cheapest Full-Coverage Car Insurance
Cheapest Car Insurance by State
Depending on the state you live in, the cheapest car insurance rates can be notably lower or higher than the national averages we’ve previously discussed. The cheapest provider in each state also varies considerably.
In the sections below, we highlight the providers offering the cheapest car insurance rates in each state for minimum liability and full coverage auto insurance.
Cheapest Minimum-Liability Insurance by State
The table below highlights the cheapest minimum liability insurance in all 50 states. Each row lists the cheapest company and annual cost estimates for the lowest rate in each state:
*USAA offered the cheapest rates across many states, but since coverage is only available to military members and their families, its cost data is not provided in this table.
Cheapest Full-Coverage Insurance by State
Below are the cheapest full-coverage auto insurance rates in each state. Each row lists the cheapest company and annual cost estimates for the lowest rate in each state:
*USAA offered the cheapest rates across many states, but since coverage is only available to military members and their families, its cost data is not provided in this table.
Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes
While the cost information above can help you find the best rates available, you won’t know for sure what your rate could be until you compare car insurance quotes. In addition to location and coverage level, auto insurance companies take even more personalized factors into account when determining what you should pay for a policy.
In the sections below, we break down the cheapest car insurance quotes for drivers that fall into several categories that are important when determining car insurance rates, including age, driving history and credit score.
Cheapest Car Insurance by Age
Age plays a key role in determining car insurance rates. In the sections below, we highlight the cheapest car insurance rates for young drivers and seniors.
Cheap First-Time Car Insurance
Below, we highlight the cheapest car insurance rates for young drivers, broken down by age.
Cheapest Car Insurance for 16-Year-Olds
Sixteen-year-olds pay around $6,912 for individual full-coverage policies on average. Erie, Auto-Owners and State Farm offer the cheapest full-coverage car insurance for 16-year-olds:
Read more: Car Insurance for Teens
Cheapest Car Insurance for 18-Year-Olds
Our estimates show that 18-year-olds pay about $4,958 per year for insurance on average. The cheapest full-coverage car insurance rates for 18-year-olds are offered by Erie, Auto-Owners and Geico:
*USAA car insurance is limited to military members, veterans and their families.
Read more: Car Insurance For 18-Year-Olds
Cheapest Car Insurance for 21-Year-Olds
Full-coverage car insurance rates for 21-year-olds decline to $2,786 per year on average. The cheapest car insurance rates for 21-year olds are offered by Geico, Auto-Owners and Erie:
*USAA car insurance is limited to military members, veterans and their families.
Read more: Car Insurance for 21-Year-Olds
Cheapest Car Insurance for 25-Year-Olds
Our estimates show that full-coverage car insurance costs about $2,019 per year on average for 25-year-olds, which is only slightly more than middle-aged drivers. However, Geico and Erie offer the cheapest auto insurance rates for 25-year-old drivers:
*USAA car insurance is limited to military members, veterans and their families.
Read more: Car Insurance for 25-Year-Olds
Cheapest Car Insurance for Seniors
Auto insurance rates rise slightly for drivers entering their senior years, because the risk of an accident also rises. Average national rates for 65-year-olds are around $1,648 per year, but Erie, Geico and Auto-Owners tend to offer lower rates:
*USAA car insurance is limited to military members, veterans and their families.
Read more: Cheapest Car Insurance for Seniors
Cheapest Car Insurance for High-Risk Drivers
Not everyone has the ideal driving history and situation to get the cheapest rates. In the sections below, you can see some popular providers’ average full coverage car insurance rates for drivers with a recent accident, speeding ticket or DUI.
Cheapest Car Insurance After a DUI
Below are the cheapest monthly car insurance rates for drivers who have had one DUI compared to rates for those without a DUI:
*USAA car insurance is limited to military members, veterans and their families.
Nationally, average car insurance rates increase by over 60% after one DUI. This number varies in different regions of the country and among providers.
Cheapest Insurance for Drivers With Accidents
State Farm, Nationwide and Geico typically offer the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers with a recent accident.
*USAA car insurance is limited to military members, veterans and their families.
Cheapest Insurance for Speeding Tickets
Nationwide, State Farm and Geico offer the cheapest car insurance rates for those with a speeding ticket on their driving records:
*USAA car insurance is limited to military members, veterans and their families.
Read more: Auto Insurance for High-Risk Drivers
Cheapest Car Insurance for Drivers With Bad Credit
Having a poor credit score can make it harder to get low-cost car insurance. Many providers use credit-based insurance scores to help calculate auto insurance rates for drivers that live in states where the practice is allowed.
Here’s how rate estimates for some top providers change based on whether drivers have fair or bad credit:
*USAA car insurance is limited to military members, veterans and their families.
**Insurers aren’t allowed to use credit scores to help determine auto insurance rates in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan (these states were excluded from this part of our analysis).
Read more: How To Get Car Insurance If You Don’t Have Good Credit
Cheapest Car Insurance Deals
Most companies provide an array of car insurance deals and discounts for drivers. The table below shows which car insurance discounts some of the top-rated insurers offer, which we’ll explain in further detail below.
Best Cheap Car Insurance Companies
Below are thorough reviews of our top recommendations for the cheapest car insurance companies based on average rate estimates. The following providers stand out from the competition for their quality in coverage, discounts, customer service and strong industry reputations.
Read more: Best Car Insurance Companies
