Cheap Car Insurance

Our Home Media study found that companies with the cheapest car insurance rates in 2022 include USAA, Erie Insurance, State Farm, Geico and Progressive.

Just because you’re required to have auto insurance doesn’t mean you have to pay a lot to get it. There are many ways to find the cheapest car insurance available to you so you can protect your vehicle and your wallet at the same time.

We at the Home Media reviews team have researched dozens of the best car insurance providers to find companies that provide both reliable and affordable car insurance. We’ll cover our top picks in this guide.

Cheapest Car Insurance Rates

According to our cost estimate data, the average 35-year-old driver with good credit and a clean driving history pays about $1,730 per year or $144 per month on average for full coverage car insurance in 2022. For minimum liability coverage, the average rate is $635 per year or $53 per month.

Cheapest Car Insurance by State

However, some states have cheaper car insurance than others. Below you can get a general idea of how states rank on average costs.

In some states, the smaller, local companies offer the cheapest car insurance. In others, national providers offer the best rates. One company that may be expensive in Nevada may offer some of the lowest rates available in Pennsylvania. While USAA is often the cheapest provider in most states, it’s not available to everyone due to eligibility requirements.

Cheapest Minimum Liability Insurance by State

Below is the cheapest minimum liability company in each state.

*USAA offered the cheapest rates across many states, but given that 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 is the cheapest full coverage insurance company in each state.

*USAA offered the cheapest rates across many states, but given that coverage is only available to military members and their families, its cost data is not provided in this table.

States With the Cheapest Car Insurance

Below are the five least expensive states for full coverage car insurance:

Most Expensive Car Insurance by State

And here are the top five most expensive states for full coverage car insurance:

State average costs can only tell you so much. One reason for this is because, even within a state, auto insurance rates can vary considerably. The provider that’s typically the cheapest car insurance company in a state might not be the cheapest in every zip code.

Cheapest Car Insurance for Drivers With a Recent Accident

Not everyone has the ideal driving history and situation to get the cheapest rates. Below, you can see some popular providers’ average full coverage car insurance rates for drivers with a recent accident:

Cheapest Car Insurance After a DUI

Getting convicted of a DUI will lead to a significant increase in car insurance rates. In fact, the average rate increase after one DUI is over 60% nationally. This number varies in different regions of the country and among providers.

Below are the cheapest monthly car insurance rates for drivers who have had one DUI compared to rates for those without a DUI:

Cheapest Car Insurance for Drivers With Bad Credit

Factors outside of your driving record can influence your car insurance premiums. To help calculate auto insurance rates, many providers use credit-based insurance scores. While a credit-based score includes the same factors as a regular credit score, including payment history and debt, the two scores weigh these factors differently.

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). That said, having a poor credit score can make it harder to get cheap car insurance in most other states. Having poor credit can increase rates almost as much (and sometimes more than) being convicted of a DUI.

Regardless of your credit score, you should get quotes from providers to find the cheapest car insurance. Here’s how rate estimates for some top providers change based on whether drivers have good or bad credit:

Car Insurance Rates by Age

On average, teenagers and young adults pay the most for car insurance. Rates generally start to decrease as you get older, drive better and gain more road experience. Rates begin to decrease at around age 25, level off around age 35 and then increase again after age 65.

Because providers view drivers without a recent driving history as more risky to cover, it’s usually more difficult for new drivers to get cheap car insurance. Drivers in this category include those with new licenses and lapses in car insurance, and as well as visitors and immigrants to the U.S.

Until you have a more established driving record, it may be cheaper for you to stay on a family member’s car insurance policy at first. After that, compare rates from companies when your policy is up for renewal.

Here’s how average full coverage rates change based on age:

Cheapest Car Insurance for 16-Year-Olds

Sixteen-year-olds pay around $6,912 for individual full coverage policies on average, but they can find much cheaper rates from providers like Erie, Auto-Owners and State Farm.

Cheapest Car Insurance for 18-Year-Olds

Our estimates show 18-year-olds pay about $4,958 per year for insurance. However, cheaper rates can be had with Erie, USAA, Auto-Owners and Geico.

Cheapest Car Insurance for 21-Year-Olds

Car insurance rates for 21-year-olds decline to $2,786 per year on average. The cheapest providers offer full-coverage rates under $2,000 per year.

Cheapest Car Insurance for 25-Year-Olds

Twenty-five-year-olds only pay slightly more than middle-aged drivers for car insurance. Our estimates show full coverage car insurance costs about $2,019 per year on average for this age group.

Cheapest Car Insurance for Seniors

Rates rise slightly as drivers enter their senior years since the risk of accident also rises. Average rates for 65-year-olds are around $1,648 per year.