What Are the Average Car Insurance Rates by Age and Gender?
- Teens pay the highest car insurance rates of any age group.
- Drivers pay the most for car insurance between the ages of 16 and 21.
- Males usually pay more for car insurance than females, especially as teens and seniors.
What is the average car insurance cost by age?
The average cost of car insurance changes a lot as you age. Young drivers tend to pay the most expensive car insurance rates of any age group, mostly because of their high risk for accidents.
Drivers ages 16 through 21 pay an average of $4,180 a year. This is nearly twice the average car insurance rate of $2,101 a year for drivers of all ages.
Once you’re 21, you should see lower rates until you’re in your 60s if you keep a clean driving record. From 31 to 61, the average driver pays around $1,576 a year for car insurance.
Rates start to go up again from there, though, with drivers over the age of 80 once again paying more than $2,000 a year, on average.
Car insurance costs by age
| Age | Annual rate | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | $5,828 | $486 |
| 18 | $4,137 | $345 |
| 21 | $2,576 | $215 |
| 26 | $2,046 | $171 |
| 31 | $1,716 | $143 |
| 36 | $1,654 | $138 |
| 41 | $1,605 | $134 |
| 46 | $1,561 | $130 |
| 51 | $1,516 | $126 |
| 56 | $1,494 | $125 |
| 61 | $1,487 | $124 |
| 66 | $1,525 | $127 |
| 71 | $1,606 | $134 |
| 76 | $1,783 | $149 |
| 81 | $2,051 | $171 |
| 86 | $2,429 | $202 |
What age group pays the highest car insurance rates?
Sixteen-year-olds pay the highest car insurance rates of any age group. They pay an average rate of $5,826 a year. This is more than three times higher than what the average 31-year-old pays, at $1,716 a year.
The main reason 16-year-old drivers pay so much for car insurance is that they get into a lot of accidents. Paying attention while driving and following the rules of the road can help you save money.
The age group that pays the second-highest car insurance rates are 18-year-old drivers, at $4,137 a year, followed by 21-year-olds.
What age group pays the lowest car insurance rates?
Drivers aged 51 to 61 pay the cheapest rates for car insurance of all age groups. This age bracket pays an average rate of $1,499 a year. Insurers find this range is the best combo of low risk and high driving experience.
Drivers 31 to 50 pay the next-cheapest rates. While they still pay lower rates than teens, they tend to do more commuting than older drivers. This raises their risk of filing claims, which also raises their rates.
How does gender affect car insurance rates?
Males pay 4% more than females for full coverage car insurance, on average. The difference between the genders is most obvious between the ages of 16 and 26.
From age 36 to about 46, male drivers pay lower car insurance rates than females. Otherwise, rates for males and females stay stable from age 31 to 71.
Car insurance rates by gender
| Age | Female average | Male average | % difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | $8,360 | $9,135 | 9% |
| 18 | $6,098 | $6,827 | 12% |
| 21 | $3,403 | $3,764 | 11% |
| 26 | $2,412 | $2,552 | 6% |
| 31 | $2,259 | $2,266 | 0% |
| 36 | $2,209 | $2,181 | -1% |
| 41 | $2,145 | $2,127 | -1% |
| 46 | $2,101 | $2,106 | 0% |
| 51 | $1,981 | $1,993 | 1% |
| 56 | $1,908 | $1,937 | 2% |
| 61 | $1,901 | $1,922 | 1% |
| 66 | $1,985 | $2,008 | 1% |
| 71 | $2,083 | $2,182 | 5% |
| 76 | $2,309 | $2,448 | 6% |
| 81 | $2,517 | $2,771 | 10% |
| 86 | $2,668 | $3,038 | 14% |
Why do males pay more for car insurance than females?
Male drivers pay more for car insurance than females because they are more likely to speed, not wear a seat belt and drive while intoxicated than females. Car insurance companies charge males higher rates to offset the higher chance of an accident and a claim.
At what age does car insurance go down for females?
Female drivers see the biggest decrease in car insurance rates between ages 18 and 21, when they see a 44% drop in rates.
At age 31, rates for female drivers stabilize, then start to increase again at 61.
At what age does car insurance go down for males?
Car insurance rates start dropping once a male driver is over 16 years of age. The biggest drop for males, a 44% decrease, happens between the ages of 18 and 21.
Car insurance rates for men stabilize after age 26, with rates then staying fairly even until age 71 if you keep a clean driving record. Car insurance rates for men usually go up again after that.
How to get cheap car insurance as a young or senior driver
Teen drivers
Teen drivers who want more affordable car insurance should compare quotes from several companies before buying or renewing a policy. This will help you see which company gives the best price and coverage. Use the same coverage limits in each quote so it’s a fair comparison.
You should also see if you can get any car insurance discounts. Car insurance companies offer different discounts to try to win your business. Good discounts for teens include:
- Driver’s education discount: Some companies give a discount if you finish a certified driver’s ed class.
- Distant student discount: If you go to college 100 miles or more away and leave your car at home, some insurance companies offer a discount.
- Good student discount: If you have at least a 3.0 GPA, many companies will lower your rate.
Senior drivers
Senior drivers should also look at the discounts available to them when comparing car insurance quotes. Discounts that can help seniors save money on car insurance include:
- Bundling: Bundling your car insurance policy with a renters or home insurance policy from the same company can get you a discount on both policies.
- Mature driver: Many car insurance companies offer a discount for drivers 55 and older. You may need to complete a defensive driving course to earn these savings.
- Low mileage: Some insurers offer a discount if you don’t drive very much.
- Senior group: Some car insurers offer discounted rates through senior groups, like AARP. For example, the Hartford offers exclusive rates for AARP members.
Frequently asked questions
Age affects car insurance rates because it’s one of the strongest markers of driving risk. Car insurance companies use age to help gauge how likely a driver is to be in an accident or file a claim.
Gender impacts car insurance rates because male drivers are more likely to drive recklessly. Because of this, males often pay more than females of the same age for car insurance.
Teenage male drivers are more likely to be in an accident than teenage females. According to a 2020 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, 16- to 19-year-old male drivers were three times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than female drivers of the same age.
To offset this risk, auto insurance companies charge higher rates for boys.
These seven states don’t let companies use gender while calculating car insurance quotes:
- California
- Hawaii
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Montana
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
Methodology
LendingTree uses insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services using publicly sourced insurance company filings. Car insurance rates are based on an analysis of hundreds of thousands of quotes for a typical driver. Your own rates may be different.
Unless noted otherwise, car insurance 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. Our sample teen driver is an 18-year-old male with a clean driving record.
Full coverage car insurance policies include collision, comprehensive and liability coverage in Indiana and Ohio:
- 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
- Personal injury protection: Minimum limits if required in that state
- Collision: $500 deductible
- Comprehensive: $500 deductible
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