How to Compare Car Insurance Rates 2024

Comparing car insurance quotes from companies is one of the best ways to get the coverage you need at the cheapest price. Drivers pay $1,976 a year for full-coverage car insurance and $773 a year for minimum-coverage insurance, on average.
Find the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes in Your Area

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LendingTree is compensated by companies on this site and this compensation may impact how and where offers appear on this site (such as the order). LendingTree does not include all lenders, savings products, or loan options available in the marketplace.
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How to compare car insurance

To compare car insurance, start by getting quotes from several companies over the phone or online. They will ask for details about yourself and your vehicle before they send you a quote.

Once you get quotes from three or more insurance companies, compare them side by side. After comparing rates, we recommend looking at customer reviews of the insurance companies you’re considering. Being insured by a company with great customer service can be helpful if you ever have to file a claim.

Another option for getting and comparing car insurance quotes is to use a quote-comparison website. On these sites, you share your personal and vehicle info once and get quotes from several companies.

Compare car insurance coverages

Before comparing quotes, you should determine how much car insurance coverage you need. You need to get enough coverage to meet your state’s requirements, but you can buy additional coverage if you want.

The most common types of car insurance are:

  • Liability: Liability covers injuries and property damage you cause to others in an accident.
  • Collision: Collision pays to repair or replace your vehicle after an accident damages or destroys it.
  • Comprehensive: Comprehensive pays to repair or replace your car if something other than a collision damages or destroys it. This includes damage from natural disasters, animals, vandalism or theft.

Other common types of insurance include:

  • Uninsured motorist (UM) covers your injuries as well as damage to your vehicle if a driver without car insurance injures you or your passengers.
  • Personal injury protection (PIP) covers injuries to you and/or your passengers after an accident, no matter who causes it. Medical payments or MedPay provides similar coverage.

How to compare car insurance companies

Comparing rates and ratings for car insurance companies can help you find the best company for your needs. You can also tailor your quote by adding coverages. Some car insurance companies offer optional coverages that other companies don’t offer.

Compare cheapest car insurance companies

State Farm is the cheapest car insurance company for most drivers. It charges $124 a month for full-coverage car insurance, on average, and $50 a month for liability car insurance.

MMG is the cheapest car insurance company overall, but it only sells policies in eight states. Its rates average $31 a month for liability and $75 a month for full coverage.

CompanyFull coverageLiability coverage
MMG$902$375
Concord$977$478
Texas Farm Bureau$1,036$401
USAA*$1,199$398
Erie$1,270$497
Island Insurance$1,319$418
Acuity$1,361$478
Hanover$1,372$336
Safety$1,392$571
Westfield$1,481$439
Pemco$1,483$464
State Farm$1,487$597
Mercury$1,596$511
Country Financial$1,600$623
Umialik$1,602$598
Arbella$1,629$720
Co-Op$1,635$437
Grange$1,638$570
Auto-Owners$1,690$516
Travelers$1,919$835
American Family$1,920$728
Shelter$1,927$762
Farm Bureau$1,931$548
Geico$1,937$727
Grinnell Mutual$2,015$421
Progressive$2,032$791
Nationwide$2,226$963
Plymouth Rock$2,236$853
Amica$2,548$1,098
Allstate$2,609$1,158
The Hartford$2,688$1,007
UAIC$2,886$1,577
Nodak$2,917$553
Safeway$3,080$1,391
Farmers$3,091$1,188
NJM$3,382$3,125
AAA$3,835$1,520

Find the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes in Your Area

Compare car insurance customer service ratings

State Farm, USAA and American Family all have great customer satisfaction ratings from J.D. Power. They also have low complaint index ratings from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and great scores from LendingTree’s own ratings.

We rated car insurance companies based on their cost, discounts, coverage, usability and third-party ratings.

CompanyCustomer satisfaction score (higher is better)Complaint Index rating (lower is better)LendingTree Score
Allstate8140.653.2
American Family8280.154.1
Farmers8020.803.1
Geico8180.913.7
Liberty Mutual7981.21Not rated
Nationwide8060.342.8
Progressive8120.653.8
State Farm8330.704.5
Travelers8060.614.4
USAA*8760.954.1

Sources: J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study (regional averages) and National Association of Insurance Commissioners (2022 data).

J.D. Power’s 2023 Auto Insurance study evaluates customer satisfaction based on the billing process, policy information, claims, interaction, policy offerings and price of insurance companies. Higher scores are better.

NAIC’s Complaint Index ratings measure complaints from insurance companies. A company with a lower score gets fewer complaints than expected of a company of its size.

Compare car insurance discounts

The price tied to your car insurance quote is only the beginning. Insurance companies can offer different types of discounts and savings. You may be able to make your policy cheaper if you qualify for one or more discounts.

Some of the most common car insurance discounts that could save you money are:

  • Multi-policy discount: Many insurers will lower your premium if you bundle more than one policy with them. This could mean a car and home insurance policy, car and renters insurance, or even car and boat insurance. Some insurers call this a multiline or bundling discount.
  • Multi-car discount: If you insure more than one vehicle with the same insurance company, you may get a discount.
  • Anti-theft discount: You may earn a discount if your car has a theft-prevention device or system.
  • Defensive driving discount: Some insurance companies will discount your rate if you take a defensive driving course. However, they often limit the discount to drivers 55 and older, so contact your insurer for more info.
  • Good student discount: If you’re a student and get good grades, you might get a discount.

Compare car insurance by state

Where you live can have a major impact on how much you pay for car insurance.

Maine drivers pay the lowest full-coverage car insurance rates, at an average of $92 a month. Michigan has the highest average full-coverage rates at $387 a month.

As for the cheapest liability car insurance — which only covers damage to another person when you’re at fault — South Dakota has the lowest rates, at an average of $29 a month, followed by Wyoming at $31 a month.

StateFull coverageLiability coverage
Average$1,970$772
Alabama$1,979$717
Alaska$1,532$605
Arizona$2,683$1,079
Arkansas$1,879$622
California$1,867$571
Colorado$2,542$897
Connecticut$2,346$1,088
Delaware$2,482$1,283
Florida$2,990$1,206
Georgia$1,832$790
Hawaii$1,643$609
Idaho$1,227$413
Illinois$2,109$848
Indiana$1,511$533
Iowa$1,663$444
Kansas$1,991$616
Kentucky$2,295$1,183
Louisiana$2,719$948
Maine$1,100$501
Maryland$2,051$1,093
Massachusetts$2,068$757
Michigan$4,638$1,849
Minnesota$1,884$743
Mississippi$1,796$662
Missouri$1,908$686
Montana$2,174$574
Nebraska$1,909$470
Nevada$2,958$1,368
New Hampshire$1,146$537
New Jersey$2,236$1,393
New Mexico$1,953$632
New York$2,030$1,059
North Carolina$1,305$532
North Dakota$1,858$522
Ohio$1,329$532
Oklahoma$2,119$656
Oregon$2,115$1,092
Pennsylvania$1,861$603
Rhode Island$2,636$1,213
South Carolina$1,808$803
South Dakota$2,016$351
Tennessee$1,554$505
Texas$1,833$696
Utah$2,261$989
Vermont$1,232$417
Virginia$1,598$715
Washington$1,534$651
Washington DC$2,082$949
West Virginia$1,701$659
Wisconsin$1,540$503
Wyoming$1,437$370

Compare car insurance quotes by driving history

Drivers with speeding tickets or accidents on their records usually pay more for car insurance than those with clean records.

A speeding ticket on your record raises your car insurance rate by 23%, on average. An accident can increase your rate by 49%, and a DUI can increase your rate by 84%.

Although most insurance companies will raise your rate if you don’t have a clean record, they can weigh these risks differently. This means that your rate may not go up significantly if you have a bad driving record, depending on the insurance company.

CompanySpeeding ticketAccidentDUI
State Farm$1,616$1,843$4,402
Allstate$3,073$4,125$3,875
American Family$2,352$2,980$3,114
Farmers$4,252$4,598$4,758
Geico$2,493$3,341$4,584
Nationwide$2,839$3,460$4,376
Progressive$2,606$3,026$2,547
Travelers$2,468$2,699$2,893
USAA*$1,457$1,658$2,252

Why you should compare car insurance quotes

Comparing car insurance quotes is the easiest way to get all the car insurance coverage you need for the cheapest rate.

Different insurance companies often offer different quotes for the same policy. That’s because each company uses its own method to come up with your quote.

One insurer may find that your vehicle make and model are more important than where you live. Or it might think your insurance claims history is a bigger deal than a competitor does.

When should I compare car insurance?

We recommend comparing your car insurance rate and coverage at least every 12 months.

If your driving record changes or you update your policy, your car insurance rate may go up. Insurance companies can also change their policies, which might impact your car insurance rate.

You may find that another company will give you a cheaper rate for the same coverage you have now.

Frequently asked questions

For starters, you should get as much car insurance as your state requires. The same is true of whatever your lender or lessor requires if you finance or lease your car.
 
Beyond that, you should consider factors like the age of your vehicle, how much it’s worth, how much you could afford to pay for repairs if it’s damaged, and more.
 
You should also consider your net worth. If you injure someone in an accident, a long hospital stay or lawsuit could burn through the state-minimum requirements quickly. After that, you may have to pay any remaining costs out of your own pocket.

The main ways to save money on car insurance are to compare quotes and see if you qualify for any discounts. Reviewing your coverage types and amounts may help, too. If you have coverage you don’t need, reducing or removing it could save you money.

Methodology

LendingTree uses insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services using publicly sourced insurance company filings. Rates are based on an analysis of hundreds of thousands of car insurance quotes for a typical driver. Prices are shown for comparative purposes only. Your own rates may be different.

Unless noted otherwise, quotes are for a full-coverage policy for a 30-year-old man with good credit and a clean driving record who drives a 2015 Honda Civic EX.

Minimum-liability policies provide liability coverage with the state’s required minimum limits.

Full-coverage policies include collision, comprehensive and liability coverage:

  • Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
  • Property damage liability: $25,000
  • Uninsured motorist: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident if required in that state
  • Uninsured and/or underinsured motorist bodily injury: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident
  • Personal injury protection: Minimum limits, where required by law
  • Collision: $500 deductible
  • Comprehensive: $500 deductible

Overall satisfaction ratings are from the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study. Complaint ratings are based on NAIC data from 2023.

*USAA is only available to current and former members of the military and their families.

Our team of insurance experts rated insurance companies based on several categories. These categories include average rates, discounts, coverage options, third party customer service ratings, and app / website experience. We weighted these categories based on what customers value in an insurance company.

For 3rd party customer service ratings, we included NAIC’s Complaint Index scores and financial strength ratings from A.M. Best. NAIC Complaint Index scores are used to determine how satisfied customers are with their claims, while financial strength ratings from A.M. Best reflect the ability to pay out claims.