If you hate paying more than you have to for car insurance, you’ll want to shop around. NerdWallet’s August 2025 analysis shows that average rates can vary by thousands of dollars a year from one company to another. That’s some serious potential savings.
NerdWallet’s rate comparison tool can show you just how much rates vary for drivers in your area. When you get a quote through NerdWallet, that quote is specific to you. We recommend comparing quotes from a few companies to make sure you get the best deal.
Filter for average rates near you
Company | NerdWallet rating | Full coverage | Liability-only |
|---|---|---|---|
| USAA* | 5.0/5 | $139 | $28 |
| Travelers | 5.0/5 | $148 | $42 |
| Progressive | 4.5/5 | $185 | $54 |
| GEICO | 4.5/5 | $190 | $41 |
| State Farm | 5.0/5 | $205 | $42 |
| Nationwide | 4.0/5 | $206 | $71 |
| American Family | 5.0/5 | $215 | $60 |
| Allstate | 4.5/5 | $328 | $71 |
Shopping for car insurance with NerdWallet
We help you get car insurance quotes in a few quick steps:
Tell us a bit about you and your driving history.
Give us the basics about your vehicle.
See if you're eligible for discounts.
We use what we know about carriers and what they offer to show good matches for you. From there you can get a personalized quote.
In all, the process takes just a few minutes.
Why trust NerdWallet
36+ years of combined experience covering insurance.
1.5+ billion auto insurance rates analyzed by our team of experts.
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.
What you need to get car insurance quotes
For a smooth shopping process, you’ll want to gather some key info first.
Vehicle and driver information
You’ll need the details below for all the drivers and vehicles in your household:
Drivers
Date of birth.
Occupation and marital status.
Driver's license number.
Accidents or traffic violations in the past five years.
Vehicles
Year, make and model.
Vehicle identification number (VIN).
Mileage.
Year purchased.
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.
Coverage amounts
The default limits you’ll see in an online car insurance quote may not match the coverage amounts you want to buy, so decide how much coverage you want before you start shopping.
Auto policy limits are split into three categories, often listed like “25/50/15”. In that example, here’s what each number refers to:
25
A $25,000 bodily injury limit for each person’s injuries.
50
A $50,000 bodily injury limit per accident.
15
A $15,000 property damage limit per accident.
You can typically customize your quote by adjusting the liability limits and adding options such as comprehensive and collision coverage.
If you’re happy with your current policy, grab your most recent car insurance declaration page and refer to it when choosing your policy limits. Or check out our guide to how much car insurance coverage you need.
More Nerdy Perspective
I really dread customer service phone calls, so I sometimes end up procrastinating instead of taking action on important to-dos. The good news is you can compare auto insurance rates online and even get quotes from insurers without picking up the phone. This way you can make sure you're getting the best deal for your coverage without being put on hold.
Where 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:
You can call insurance companies one by one, or visit each of their websites to get individual quotes. Not sure which insurers to check? Start with our lists of the best car insurance and the cheapest car insurance companies.
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. (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.
» MORE: How to buy car insurance
How to compare car insurance quotes
Comparing car insurance quotes can help you save money, but it’s not the only consideration. As you shop around, follow these steps to make sure you’re getting a good value, too.
1. Ensure a fair comparison
Once you’ve started entering your information and collecting quotes, check that all the offers have the same coverage limits and deductibles. Note any optional features, such as roadside assistance or accident forgiveness.
If the policy limits or features don’t match exactly, make sure you understand the differences so you can factor them in as you weigh your options.
2. Research the companies
The last thing you need after an accident is a company that delays your claim or doesn’t respond to calls. 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, check that the companies have the features you care about. For example, if you’d rather file claims online than call an agent, see if 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.
3. 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.
- 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:
Shopping around regularly to try and find better deals. (Hint: We’ve got a free comparison tool right here.)
Using their car insurance quotes as leverage to see if insurers can match or beat another company’s quote.
Working with a local independent insurance agent.
Sample auto insurance quotes comparison
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:
Bodily injury liability coverage: $100,000 per person and $300,000 per crash.
Property damage liability coverage: $50,000 per crash.
Uninsured motorist coverage: $100,000 per person, $300,000 per crash and $50,000 for property damage.
Collision and comprehensive coverage, each with a $1,000 deductible.
Company | Coverage included | Quoted price |
|---|---|---|
Standard coverage only. | $2,000 per year. | |
Standard coverage plus declining deductibles. | $2,025 per year. | |
Standard coverage plus declining deductibles and accident forgiveness. | $2,250 per year. | |
These are fictionalized quotes for the purposes of illustration. | ||
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:
 NerdWallet rating 4.5/5 |  NerdWallet rating 4.0/5 |  NerdWallet rating 5.0/5 |
Discounts Great set of discounts | Discounts Great set of discounts | Discounts Great set of discounts |
Ease of use Above average | Ease of use Above average | Ease of use Above average |
NAIC complaints Close to expected | NAIC complaints More than expected | NAIC complaints Fewer than expected |
Bottom line With nationwide availability and a raft of discounts, GEICO is a popular, and often affordable, choice for car insurance. | Bottom line Liberty Mutual offers a long list of discounts, plus robust digital tools on its website and app. | Bottom line Travelers offers a broad range of coverage options and discounts to help you customize your car insurance policy. |
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.
A car insurance rate is a projection of how certain characteristics might affect what a driver pays, based on publicly available data about how insurers set their prices.
A car insurance quote is an estimate of what you might pay for an auto policy, based on the vehicle and driver information you provide to an insurance company.
A car insurance premium is determined once the insurer gathers even more information about you. It's the actual price you'll pay when the policy is issued.
The prices on this page are the medians of thousands of rates provided by Quadrant Information Services and analyzed by NerdWallet's editorial team.
Factors that affect car insurance quotes
Car insurance companies consider many different factors and driver characteristics when deciding how much they will charge for coverage — and each insurer has their own unique formula. The sections below focus on factors like age, driving history, credit and location, and show how much rates can vary for different drivers and from one company to the next.
Keep in mind that even if none of these factors change for you, your premium could still go up because of rising costs affecting the whole insurance industry.
Below you’ll find national average rates for a range of profiles, as well as the average 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.)
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:
Age 20
$5,145 per year
Age 35
$2,556 per year
Age 70
$2,350 per year
- Average annual rates for young drivers
These rates are for 20-year-old drivers with good credit and no recent accidents, DUIs or traffic violations.
Company Full coverage Minimum coverage Allstate $9,793 $1,666 American Family $5,217 $1,521 Farmers $9,568 $2,711 GEICO $4,105 $955 Nationwide $5,509 $2,054 Progressive $4,132 $1,141 State Farm $5,371 $1,218 Travelers $4,134 $1,100 USAA* $3,657 $745 *USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
- Average annual rates for millennials
These rates are for 35-year-old drivers with good credit and no recent accidents, DUIs or traffic violations.
Company Full coverage Minimum coverage Allstate $3,941 $846 American Family $2,583 $717 Farmers $4,492 $1,180 GEICO $2,275 $492 Nationwide $2,474 $846 Progressive $2,222 $649 State Farm $2,465 $503 Travelers $1,776 $506 USAA* $1,663 $341 *USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
- Average annual rates for seniors
These rates are for 70-year-old drivers with good credit and no recent accidents, DUIs or traffic violations.
Company Full coverage Minimum coverage Allstate $3,649 $884 American Family $2,430 $806 Farmers $4,098 $1,182 GEICO $2,229 $539 Nationwide $2,268 $847 Progressive $1,857 $642 State Farm $2,195 $489 Travelers $1,660 $563 USAA* $1,394 $334 *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:
Clean driving history
$2,556 per year
Recent DUI
$4,810 per year
Recent at-fault accident
$3,790 per year
- Average annual rate for drivers with a DUI
These rates are for full coverage policies for 35-year-old drivers with a recent DUI.
Company Median annual rate Median monthly rate Travelers $2,987 $249 Progressive $3,014 $251 State Farm $3,568 $297 American Family $3,577 $298 Nationwide $5,090 $424 GEICO $5,299 $442 Allstate $5,900 $492 Farmers $8,581 $715 USAA* $3,244 $270 *USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
- Average annual rate for drivers with an accident
These rates are for full coverage policies for 35-year-old drivers with a recent at-fault accident.
Company Median annual rate Median monthly rate Travelers $2,418 $202 State Farm $3,094 $258 Progressive $3,346 $279 American Family $3,765 $314 GEICO $3,889 $324 Nationwide $3,956 $330 Allstate $6,203 $517 Farmers $7,000 $583 USAA* $2,398 $200 *USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
Rates by 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.
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 with a clean driving record:
Good credit
$2,556 per year
Poor credit
$4,282 per year
- Average annual rates for 35-year-old drivers with poor credit
These rates are for full coverage policies for 35-year-old drivers with poor credit.
Company Median annual rate Median monthly rate Travelers $3,005 $250 GEICO $3,201 $267 Progressive $3,580 $298 Nationwide $3,582 $299 American Family $4,343 $362 Allstate $6,104 $509 Farmers $8,600 $717 State Farm $9,834 $820 USAA* $3,004 $250 *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.
» ESTIMATE YOUR COST: Car insurance calculator
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:
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.
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.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Why should I compare car insurance quotes?
Why should I compare car insurance quotes?
It’s tempting to stick with the same insurer you’ve had for a decade, but taking time to shop around could save you hundreds of dollars a year. Insurance companies change their rates regularly, so the policy that was the best deal three years ago may no longer be your best option. And because car insurance pricing is unique to each company, the cheapest carrier for your friend or family member may not be the cheapest option for you.
Where can I compare car insurance?
Where can I compare car insurance?
You can compare car insurance on NerdWallet, by going directly to insurer websites or by working with an agent.
Why are my car insurance quotes so high?
Why are my car insurance quotes so high?
You’re more likely to pay higher rates for car insurance if you’ve had a recent at-fault accident or DUI, you live in an urban area or you have poor credit, among other factors. For more information, see Why Is My Car Insurance So High?
Where can I get cheap car insurance?
Where can I get cheap car insurance?
Start by reading NerdWallet’s analysis of the cheapest car insurance, and then compare rates online from companies that offer the cheapest rates in your state. You can also work with an independent agent, who can get quotes from a variety of insurers. See how to get the cheapest car insurance rates.
What's the fastest way to compare car insurance?
What's the fastest way to compare car insurance?
It depends. If you don’t want to do the work yourself, you can contact an independent insurance agent. They’ll be able to pull quotes from multiple insurers on your behalf, so you can compare each company to see which is best for you. You can also try using an online comparison site to shop with several insurers at once.
Which car insurance is best?
Which car insurance is best?
The best insurance companies offer great customer service, a variety of coverage types to choose from, plus plenty of discounts and perks. You can read NerdWallet’s roundup of the best car insurance in the country to see our top picks. Spoiler alert: right now Travelers is the best company overall.
NerdWallet averaged rates based on public filings obtained by pricing analytics company Quadrant Information Services. We examined rates for men and women for all ZIP codes in all of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Although it’s one of the largest insurers in the country, Liberty Mutual is not included in our rates analysis due to a lack of publicly available information.
In our analysis, “good drivers” had no moving violations on record; a “good driving” discount was included for this profile. Our “good” and “poor” credit rates are based on credit score approximations and do not account for proprietary scoring criteria used by insurance providers.
These are median rates, and your rate will vary based on your personal details, state and insurance provider.
Sample drivers had the following coverage limits:
$100,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person.
$300,000 bodily injury liability coverage per crash.
$50,000 property damage liability coverage per crash.
$100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person.
$300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per crash.
Collision coverage with $1,000 deductible.
Comprehensive coverage with $1,000 deductible.
In states where required, minimum additional coverages were added. We used the same assumptions for all other driver profiles, with the following exceptions:
For drivers with minimum coverage, we adjusted the numbers above to reflect only the minimum coverage required by law in the state.
We changed the credit tier from “good” to “poor” as reported to the insurer to see rates for drivers with poor credit. In states where credit isn’t taken into account, we only used rates for “good credit.”
For drivers with one at-fault crash, we added a single at-fault crash costing $10,000 in property damage.
For drivers with a DUI, we added a single drunken-driving violation.
For drivers with a ticket, we added a single speeding violation for driving 16 mph over the speed limit.
We used a 2025 Toyota Camry LE in all cases and assumed 12,000 annual miles driven. We analyzed rates for drivers of the following ages: 20, 30, 35, 40, 50, 60 and 70.
These are rates generated through Quadrant Information Services. Your own rates will be different.