Best Cheap Car Insurance in Colorado for 2018

Car insurance rates can fluctuate greatly from one insurance company to the next and depending on personal factors such as your age, ZIP code, driving record and credit history.

To help you narrow the field and find the cheapest car insurance in Colorado, we researched rates from the nine largest insurers in the state and found the most affordable options for these categories:

Good drivers

Young drivers

Drivers with one at-fault crash

Drivers with poor credit

Retired drivers

Drivers with a military connection

ALSO IN THIS ARTICLE

Minimum car insurance requirements in Colorado

Alternative car insurance in Colorado

» FIND YOUR MATCH: Who’s the cheapest carrier for you?

Cheapest for good drivers

For drivers with no at-fault accidents, DUIs or moving violations.

Among the three cheapest car insurance options in Colorado for good drivers, State Farm delivered the best deal in our analysis, roughly $96 per month. Even if you have a sparkling driving record, it’s wise to compare rates among several insurers. We found that rates for good drivers varied by more than $1,400 in Colorado among the companies we compared.

Cheapest for young drivers

For drivers in their early 20s.

Young drivers are less likely than older ones to have large assets that would be at risk in a lawsuit. Therefore, they can often get by with less coverage and enjoy lower rates.

We looked at quotes for drivers in their 20s carrying the minimum coverage required in Colorado. State Farm delivered rates of $687 per year in our analysis, or about $57 a month, with Safeco and American Family not far behind.

Cheapest for drivers with one at-fault crash

An at-fault accident often triggers a rate increase on your car insurance, either at renewal time or when you decide to shop for a new policy.

The cheapest quote we found for a driver with one accident was $1,348 a year from State Farm, almost $200 higher than the best deal available to drivers of the same age with clean records and more than $700 better than the next-cheapest option in this category, American Family.

The most expensive quote for drivers with an accident in Colorado was over $3,500 a year, meaning there’s still plenty of reason to compare several rates even if you have a blemished record.

Cheapest for drivers with poor credit

For drivers placed in the “Poor Credit” tier.

Colorado car insurance companies can use your credit as a factor in determining rates, and those with poor credit will typically end up facing higher prices. The cheapest quote we found for this group was $2,120 a year from State Farm. That’s $969 more than the lowest estimate we found for good drivers of the same age with no credit problems.

The highest rate we found was more than $4,500 per year, highlighting the importance of shopping around for the best price. For almost every company we looked at, having poor credit resulted in higher rates than having an at-fault car accident on your record.

Cheapest for retired drivers

For drivers in their mid- to late 60s who no longer use their car for commuting.

How often you drive can play a big role in what you pay for insurance, which explains why retirees without a daily commute can get some of the cheapest car insurance in Colorado.

We researched rates for drivers in their 60s who travel half as much as the other groups we sampled. State Farm had the cheapest quote, at $920 a year. Coloradans over 55 can save even more by taking a DMV-approved safe driving course to receive a discount on car insurance premiums.

Cheapest if you have a military connection

If you’re an active member of the military or a veteran, or if you have an immediate family member who is, you’ll get a relatively low rate with USAA insurance, which isn’t available to the general public. USAA was the cheapest option overall for every category listed above, except for drivers with poor credit.

Minimum car insurance requirements in Colorado

Colorado drivers are required to carry liability insurance, which helps pay for others’ injuries or property damage if you’re responsible for a crash.

The minimum coverage levels you must buy in Colorado are:

• $25,000 bodily injury liability per person.
• $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident.
• $15,000 property damage liability per accident.

But it’s often best to buy more than the bare minimum to avoid being left vulnerable to lawsuits or major accident bills. You also want to consider other coverage types such as collision and comprehensive, which pay for damage to or theft of your own car.

Check out NerdWallet’s guide to state car insurance requirements.

Alternative car insurance in Colorado

Colorado is one of several states that make up the Western Association of Automobile Insurance Plans. Drivers who can’t get coverage on the open market because of past crashes or other factors can apply through the WAAIP to get insurance.

For more help finding Colorado car insurance at the most competitive price, try NerdWallet’s comparison shopping tool.

Here’s a summary of where you’ll find the cheapest car insurance in Colorado, by category: