Our car insurance estimator can calculate your average monthly rate for three coverage levels and recommend the best for you in just a few minutes – without giving out any personal information.
Car insurance rates continue to increase, so it’s imperative to shop around regularly. Rates can vary greatly depending on where you live, how old you are, whether you are married or own a home and other factors.
Whether you’re shopping to insure a new car, looking for insurance for a teen or trying to find car insurance prices in different states, getting car insurance estimates and comparing quotes could save you hundreds of dollars each year.
Keep reading to learn how to estimate your annual and monthly car insurance costs.
How do you estimate the cost of car insurance?
With the car insurance estimator tool, you can see prices for three coverage levels based on your personal profile in five quick steps. After getting an initial estimate, compare car insurance quotes for the same coverage levels and types and budget accordingly.
What information do I need for the car insurance estimator tool?
You won’t have to give out personal identifying information to use the car insurance estimator — just some basic details:
- ZIP code
- Current insurance status
- Vehicle ownership status
- Age
- Homeowner or renter
Key Highlights- The car insurance estimator tool gives you a personalized estimate of how much car insurance will cost.
- Insurance providers use factors such as your location, age, credit history and type of vehicle to calculate your car insurance rates.
- Shop for a new policy at renewal time – every six months – or when you add a driver, get married or buy a new car to ensure you have the cheapest policy.
Which factors do companies use to rate car insurance?
Various rating factors determine how much you will pay for car insurance and depend on state laws and insurer guidelines about calculating car insurance rates.
In general, the top rating factors affecting your car insurance estimate are:
- Vehicle make and model
- Age and years of driving experience
- Geographic location
- Marital status
- Driving record
- Annual mileage
- Credit history
- Coverage, liability limits and deductibles
“Getting car insurance estimates from multiple insurers will help you reduce your insurance rate. It can also help you to discover previously unattended insurance needs,” says Siwei Gao, the Thomas and Rebecca Coffey Professor of Insurance Studies at Eastern Kentucky University. “Many people set their car insurance to auto-renew in case of an unintentional policy lapse. This is smart – with one caveat – you may forget to re-evaluate your insurance strategy for a long period of time. It’s a good idea to be reminded to get a car insurance estimate annually.”
How does your car type affect your car insurance estimate?
Auto insurers track which cars are involved in the most crashes and have the worst injury records. Those factors impact the cost of liability insurance, which covers the damage you cause to others, not your car’s damage.
Insurers also know which cars are expensive to buy and repair or are stolen more frequently, and those factors drive up the cost of collision and comprehensive coverage. Calculations about the risk of a particular car are made independently.
See the average rates for car insurance by type of car in the table below.
| Vehicles | Average Rates |
|---|---|
| Vans | $1,443 |
| Trucks | $1,684 |
| SUVs | $1,729 |
| Tesla Model 3 | $2,917 |
| Cars | $2,164 |
| Electric vehicles | $2,407 |
| Convertibles | $2,427 |
How does your location affect your car insurance estimate?
Car insurance companies look at factors such as theft, vandalism, accidents, claims and fraud, which helps insurers discern the risk associated with insuring your car in that ZIP code. All other factors being the same, your ZIP code can change your rate by hundreds of dollars.
“Regardless of whether you want full coverage or the cheapest minimum amount, it is a good move to shop around,” says David C. Marlett, managing director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center at Appalachian State University. “Insurers have widely different pricing models and it is often surprising how much they can differ. This is a quick and easy process that can easily save you hundreds of dollars in premiums.”
How does your age affect your car insurance cost?
Auto insurers penalize inexperience – the less experienced the driver, the higher the rates — because statistically, inexperienced drivers crash – a lot. Therefore, young drivers are the riskiest to insure and car insurance rates reflect this risk.
Of course, most inexperienced drivers are teenagers and those younger than 25. So, young drivers pay significantly more, in general, than older drivers. Rates are cheapest for drivers in their 40s, 50s and early 60s.
FAQs: How to estimate the cost of car insurance
How do companies estimate car insurance costs?
Car insurance companies will give you a quote based on several factors listed above—your age, location, vehicle make/model, driving record, credit score and annual mileage. But while one company may charge you more for an accident, another may not—the same goes for tickets and adding a teen driver to your policy, for example—because each company evaluates risk differently.
So, it’s always a good idea to compare car insurance rates every six months—at minimum annually —to ensure you have the most affordable policy.
How much car insurance do I need?
CarInsurance.com recommends liability limits of 100/300/100 with full coverage for most drivers, which protects you for up to $100,000 in bodily injury for one person, $300,000 in bodily injury per accident and $100,000 in property damage per accident.
Liability coverage
Liability insurance provides bodily injury and property damage protection for other drivers if you’re found at fault in an accident, up to the limits of your policy. Buy car insurance with high enough limits to protect your finances in case of a car accident.
“Chances are that you will need more liability insurance than the state requires because accidents cost more than the minimum limits,” says Mark Friedlander, director of corporate communications for the Insurance Information Institute. “If you are found legally responsible for bills that cost more than your insurance covers, you will have to pay the difference out-of-pocket, which could be financially devastating for you and your family.”
Collision coverage
Full coverage car insurance includes both comprehensive and collision coverages, each serving a crucial role in safeguarding your vehicle. Collision coverage pays for damages to your car resulting from an accident, regardless of who is at fault. This is particularly important in scenarios such as colliding with another vehicle or hitting an object like a tree or guardrail.
Comprehensive coverage
On the other hand, comprehensive coverage protects against non-collision-related damages, such as those caused by theft, vandalism, natural disasters or hitting an animal. Having full coverage ensures that you are financially protected in a variety of situations, reducing the risk of significant out-of-pocket expenses and providing peace of mind while on the road.
f you have an expensive vehicle or one you can’t afford to replace, you should also purchase collision and comprehensive coverage.
Other types of car insurance include:
Learn more: How much car insurance do I need?
How does your driving record impact your insurance cost?
Your driving record is paramount to a car insurance company. Safe drivers get a discount from standard rates for keeping a clean driving record, while drivers with moving violations are riskier and could pay a surcharge in addition to standard rates.
Generally, a minor violation, such as a speeding ticket, can boost your average rates by 26% to 43%. If you have a major violation like a DUI, your rates can increase even more. The more risk you appear to be to your auto insurer, the more you will pay.
How does your credit rating affect car insurance pricing?
Insurance companies routinely check your credit rating to create your premium—except in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan and Washington—where state law prohibits credit from being a pricing factor. In Oregon and Utah, policies can’t be canceled or not renewed due to credit history.
Credit scores help insurance companies assess a potential customer’s risk level. Research has shown that people with lower credit scores (typically 600 or lower) are more likely to file claims.
Read more: What is an auto insurance score and why does it matter?
Final thoughts
When it comes to getting the cheapest car insurance for you, make sure to comparison shop annually. As your life circumstances change—getting married, adding a teen driver, after an accident—it’s crucial to get quotes from several companies so you are getting the cheapest possible rates.
Resources & Methodology
Methodology
CarInsurance.com’s estimator tool relies on 2022 data from Quadrant Information Services of average auto insurance rates for nearly every ZIP code in the United States with rates using a 2022 Honda Accord and data from 10 large carriers. Averages for customized rates are based on drivers’ ages and gender for the following coverage levels: state minimum liability, liability of 50/100/50 and 100/300/100 with a $500 deductible on comprehensive and collision. Hypothetical drivers have good driving records and good credit.
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Laura Longero
Executive Editor
Laura Longero is an insurance expert and Executive Editor at CarInsurance.com, where she specializes in helping consumers navigate the complexities of the financial and insurance industries. She has 15 years of experience educating people about finance and car insurance. Prior to joining CarInsurance.com, she worked as a reporter and editor at the USA Today Network. Her expertise provides readers with practical guidance, helping them make informed choices about their financial and insurance needs.
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John McCormick
Editorial Director
John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.
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Leslie Kasperowicz
Executive Editor
Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.
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Nupur Gambhir
Managing Editor
Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.