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Several factors can significantly affect your car insurance rates, including age, location, coverage level, driving history and more.

For example, the average cost of full coverage in California ranges from $1,001 per year (AAA) to $1,868 per year (Chubb). Rates for a driver over the age of 60 are $1,307, while someone in their 20s might pay $1,681. Credit score is not a factor in California, as the law prohibits insurance companies from using your credit score to determine your premium rate.

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2023

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Average Car Insurance Costs in California (2023)

California drivers pay an average of $1,343 per year for full coverage car insurance, but the average cost of car insurance can vary depending on factors like coverage amount and driving record. Drivers with violations might pay:

  • Clean: $1,343 per year
  • Speeding ticket: $1,944 per year
  • Accident: $2,205 per year
  • DUI: $3,375 per year

Rates can also vary depending on the insurer and your location within the state.

Driving Record
Annual Premium
Monthly Premium

Clean

$571

$48

Clean

$575

$48

Clean

$705

$59

Ticket

$815

$68

Ticket

$826

$69

At-Fault Accident

$942

$79

At-Fault Accident

$943

$79

Ticket

$1,010

$84

At-Fault Accident

$1,159

$97

Clean

$1,307

$109

Clean

$1,343

$112

DUI

$1,394

$116

DUI

$1,420

$118

Clean

$1,681

$140

DUI

$1,732

$144

Ticket

$1,882

$157

Ticket

$1,944

$162

At-Fault Accident

$2,167

$181

At-Fault Accident

$2,205

$184

Ticket

$2,418

$201

At-Fault Accident

$2,750

$229

DUI

$3,244

$270

DUI

$3,375

$281

DUI

$4,170

$347

Why Are Car Insurance Rates Expensive in California?

California is among the most expensive states for car insurance. On average, full coverage policies in the state costs more than the $1,343 nationwide average cost.

California’s expensive car insurance rates might be attributed to its high levels of traffic, expensive healthcare costs, costly auto repairs and severe weather and natural disaster risks. Depending on your driving history and other factors like age, you may pay even more.

Average Car Insurance Costs in California by Company

When it comes to auto insurance in California, the average cost does not reflect the actual cost since prices vary between companies. GEICO is the cheapest car insurance option, costing $419 for minimum coverage ($1,001 for full coverage).

Chubb is the most expensive insurer, costing around $791 annually for minimum coverage ($1,868 for full coverage). Generally, liability-only policies are cheaper than full coverage. California drivers can still find affordable full coverage rates by comparing multiple quotes.

Company
Annual Premium
Monthly Premium

GEICO

$411

$34

GEICO

$419

$35

CSAA

$420

$35

State Farm

$420

$35

CSAA

$428

$36

AAA California

$430

$36

AAA California

$450

$38

CSAA

$461

$38

Progressive

$480

$40

Progressive

$487

$41

GEICO

$490

$41

Mercury

$494

$41

Mercury

$508

$42

AAA California

$549

$46

State Farm

$554

$46

Kemper

$561

$47

Progressive

$571

$48

Travelers

$574

$48

Travelers

$576

$48

Nationwide

$590

$49

Nationwide

$613

$51

Mercury

$623

$52

State National

$625

$52

State Farm

$634

$53

Hartford

$634

$53

State National

$644

$54

Kemper

$646

$54

Capital Insurance Group

$654

$55

Travelers

$658

$55

Farmers

$661

$55

Capital Insurance Group

$678

$57

Farmers

$680

$57

Allstate

$692

$58

Allstate

$700

$58

Hartford

$731

$61

Allstate

$753

$63

State National

$758

$63

Capital Insurance Group

$759

$63

National General

$763

$64

Nationwide

$771

$64

Farmers

$772

$64

National General

$786

$66

Chubb

$791

$66

Chubb

$815

$68

Kemper

$856

$71

National General

$944

$79

Hartford

$959

$80

AAA California

$991

$83

AAA California

$1,001

$83

State Farm

$1,020

$85

GEICO

$1,075

$90

Progressive

$1,086

$90

Progressive

$1,087

$91

GEICO

$1,121

$93

Chubb

$1,134

$95

Mercury

$1,193

$99

National General

$1,218

$101

Mercury

$1,218

$101

Allstate

$1,229

$102

CSAA

$1,234

$103

National General

$1,238

$103

CSAA

$1,241

$103

GEICO

$1,284

$107

Allstate

$1,294

$108

State Farm

$1,306

$109

Progressive

$1,307

$109

AAA California

$1,315

$110

Nationwide

$1,330

$111

Capital Insurance Group

$1,336

$111

Hartford

$1,356

$113

CSAA

$1,373

$114

State National

$1,399

$117

Capital Insurance Group

$1,414

$118

Allstate

$1,431

$119

Nationwide

$1,442

$120

National General

$1,482

$124

State National

$1,505

$125

Travelers

$1,506

$126

Kemper

$1,523

$127

State Farm

$1,529

$127

Hartford

$1,565

$130

Travelers

$1,569

$131

Mercury

$1,582

$132

Capital Insurance Group

$1,592

$133

Farmers

$1,659

$138

Farmers

$1,696

$141

State National

$1,850

$154

Chubb

$1,868

$156

Travelers

$1,870

$156

Kemper

$1,874

$156

Nationwide

$1,876

$156

Chubb

$1,929

$161

Farmers

$2,008

$167

Hartford

$2,047

$171

Kemper

$2,273

$189

Chubb

$2,752

$229

Insurance Rates

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MONEYGEEK’S CALIFORNIA CAR INSURANCE CALCULATOR

When determining the cost of your auto insurance, insurance companies take into account factors such as your coverage level, age, location and driving history. To get a quick estimate of your car insurance in California, you can use MoneyGeek's car insurance calculator.

Average Car Insurance Costs in California by Coverage Level

Depending on the limits, California's auto insurance costs range from $551 per year for minimum coverage to $1,475 per year for full coverage with increased liability limits and a lower deductible. If you buy comprehensive and collision coverages, your annual rate will likely increase by several hundred dollars. As your liability coverage increases, so will the cost of your insurance. You can opt for a higher deductible if you want to save money on a full coverage policy.

Average annual car insurance rates by coverage tier

The state's most affordable policy only includes the mandated minimum coverages for California. These policies have the lowest liability limits and don't include comprehensive or collision insurance. For policies with higher liability limits, insurers may offer 50/100/50 or 100/300/100 limits. A 50/100/50 policy would provide coverage for:

  • $50,000 in bodily injury liability insurance per person
  • $100,000 in bodily injury liability insurance per accident
  • $50,000 in property damage liability insurance per accident

Most insurers provide a maximum liability of 300/500/300, which only covers damage or medical expenses to others. Those looking for protection for themselves and their vehicle must purchase comprehensive and collision insurance, which makes the policy full coverage.

Average Car Insurance Costs in California by Age

Age often affects the cost of car insurance, particularly for new or young drivers. In California, the average cost of a full coverage policy varies by age group as follows:

  • 22–29: $1,681 per year
  • 30–59: $1,343 per year
  • 60+: $1,307 per year

Although drivers in their 20s usually have to pay higher premiums for insurance, those between the ages of 30 and 59 tend to have relatively consistent rates before changing again after age 60. Middle-aged drivers who are new to driving may also pay a similar amount to young adults due to their lack of experience.

Age
Annual Premium
Monthly Premium

22-29

$705

$59

22-29

$1,681

$140

30-59

$1,343

$112

30-59

$575

$48

60 +

$571

$48

60 +

$1,307

$109

Average Car Insurance Costs in California for Teens

In California, teen drivers typically pay more for auto insurance than other age groups. The average cost for a 16-year-old on a family policy with full coverage is $3,772 per year, while individual policies cost around $4,458 annually. Keep in mind drivers under the age of 18 might not be able to buy auto insurance on their own.

Premiums decline as young drivers age. It costs 19-year-olds on family policy an average of $2,707 annually, while 22-year-olds pay an average of $2,095 per year. To find the best rates for teen drivers in California, it is important to compare different providers.

In most states, rates for male and female drivers can vary significantly, but in California, this practice is banned and rates are the same for both sexes.

Age
Annual Family Premium
Monthly Family Premium
Annual Individual Premium
Monthly Individual Premium

16

$3,754

$313

$4,390

$366

16

$3,772

$314

$4,458

$371

17

$3,740

$312

$4,104

$342

17

$3,758

$313

$4,167

$347

18

$3,528

$294

$3,865

$322

18

$3,543

$295

$3,921

$327

19

$2,699

$225

$2,888

$241

19

$2,707

$226

$2,925

$244

20

$2,766

$231

$2,734

$228

20

$2,776

$231

$2,768

$231

21

$2,408

$201

$2,380

$198

21

$2,414

$201

$2,404

$200

22

$2,090

$174

$2,189

$182

22

$2,095

$175

$2,211

$184

23

$2,148

$179

$2,088

$174

23

$2,153

$179

$2,109

$176

24

$2,058

$171

$2,000

$167

24

$2,062

$172

$2,020

$168

25

$1,903

$159

$1,845

$154

25

$1,907

$159

$1,864

$155

Average Car Insurance Costs in California for New Cars vs. Older Cars

In California, it is about 27% more expensive to insure a new vehicle than an older one, with the cost of full coverage for a new car being $1,818 per year and $1,432 for an older car, on average.

This is due to the higher actual cash value, cost of repairs and risk of theft. When an insurer pays out a claim, it is based on the actual cash value (ACV) of the vehicle, which decreases significantly over time since an old car is cheaper to insure. Drivers of newer cars in California should consider getting full coverage insurance, which covers the car owner for damages to their car caused by an accident in addition to liability for damages to others.

Model Year
Annual Premium
Monthly Premium

2012 Vehicle

$597

$50

2012 Vehicle

$603

$50

2022 Vehicle

$611

$51

2022 Vehicle

$616

$51

2012 Vehicle

$740

$62

2022 Vehicle

$754

$63

2012 Vehicle

$1,404

$117

2012 Vehicle

$1,432

$119

2022 Vehicle

$1,782

$148

2012 Vehicle

$1,792

$149

2022 Vehicle

$1,818

$151

2022 Vehicle

$2,287

$191

Average Car Insurance Costs in California by Driving Record

Drivers in California with traffic violations pay more for car insurance than those with clean driving histories. We compared average full coverage car insurance rates to illustrate the difference in cost.

  • Clean record: $1,343 per year
  • Speeding ticket: $1,944 per year
  • Accident: $2,205 per year
  • DUI: $3,375 per year

The more serious the driving offense, the higher the associated costs. A DUI will increase your car insurance premium more than a speeding ticket. To get cheap rates on car insurance for drivers with poor records, shop around and compare rates from multiple providers.

Driving Record
Annual Premium
Monthly Premium

Clean

$571

$48

Clean

$575

$48

Clean

$705

$59

Ticket

$815

$68

Ticket

$826

$69

At-Fault Accident

$942

$79

At-Fault Accident

$943

$79

Ticket

$1,010

$84

At-Fault Accident

$1,159

$97

Clean

$1,307

$109

Clean

$1,343

$112

DUI

$1,394

$116

DUI

$1,420

$118

Clean

$1,681

$140

DUI

$1,732

$144

Ticket

$1,882

$157

Ticket

$1,944

$162

At-Fault Accident

$2,167

$181

At-Fault Accident

$2,205

$184

Ticket

$2,418

$201

At-Fault Accident

$2,750

$229

DUI

$3,244

$270

DUI

$3,375

$281

DUI

$4,170

$347

Average Car Insurance Costs in California by City

Where you live in California can have a major impact on your car insurance premiums. Glendale drivers pay the highest amount for a full coverage policy annually, which is $2,115, while those in Santa Maria pay the least at $1,106. Car insurance rates are usually more expensive in cities with higher traffic and population density, such as Glendale.

City
Full Coverage Annual Premium
Minimum Coverage Annual Premium

Anaheim

$1,826

$802

Anaheim

$1,448

$648

Anaheim

$1,404

$639

Antioch

$1,753

$698

Antioch

$1,403

$570

Antioch

$1,360

$564

Arden-Arcade

$1,784

$793

Arden-Arcade

$1,430

$647

Arden-Arcade

$1,392

$641

Bakersfield

$1,553

$651

Bakersfield

$1,234

$527

Bakersfield

$1,199

$523

Berkeley

$1,673

$672

Berkeley

$1,342

$551

Berkeley

$1,305

$546

Burbank

$2,192

$973

Burbank

$1,733

$782

Burbank

$1,691

$774

Carlsbad

$1,544

$669

Carlsbad

$1,225

$542

Carlsbad

$1,194

$538

Chula Vista

$1,494

$619

Chula Vista

$1,189

$501

Chula Vista

$1,151

$497

Clovis

$1,546

$673

Clovis

$1,239

$549

Clovis

$1,201

$542

Concord

$1,640

$682

Concord

$1,315

$558

Concord

$1,278

$553

Corona

$1,706

$729

Corona

$1,351

$589

Corona

$1,312

$583

Costa Mesa

$1,690

$768

Costa Mesa

$1,342

$621

Costa Mesa

$1,305

$616

Daly City

$1,911

$762

Daly City

$1,528

$621

Daly City

$1,489

$619

Downey

$1,937

$816

Downey

$1,531

$657

Downey

$1,485

$649

East Los Angeles

$1,973

$840

East Los Angeles

$1,562

$677

East Los Angeles

$1,520

$670

El Cajon

$1,618

$690

El Cajon

$1,285

$560

El Cajon

$1,247

$554

El Monte

$2,015

$865

El Monte

$1,586

$693

El Monte

$1,544

$686

Elk Grove

$1,711

$732

Elk Grove

$1,370

$598

Elk Grove

$1,333

$593

Escondido

$1,551

$656

Escondido

$1,232

$533

Escondido

$1,196

$528

Fairfield

$1,544

$633

Fairfield

$1,241

$520

Fairfield

$1,205

$515

Fontana

$1,749

$729

Fontana

$1,384

$589

Fontana

$1,345

$583

Fremont

$1,615

$658

Fremont

$1,296

$540

Fremont

$1,257

$535

Fresno

$1,596

$670

Fresno

$1,281

$549

Fresno

$1,244

$543

Fullerton

$1,873

$816

Fullerton

$1,480

$657

Fullerton

$1,441

$650

Garden Grove

$1,884

$849

Garden Grove

$1,488

$682

Garden Grove

$1,449

$675

Glendale

$2,692

$1,144

Glendale

$2,115

$913

Glendale

$2,060

$903

Hayward

$1,716

$684

Hayward

$1,374

$559

Hayward

$1,333

$554

Huntington Beach

$1,700

$763

Huntington Beach

$1,349

$617

Huntington Beach

$1,317

$612

Inglewood

$2,200

$963

Inglewood

$1,740

$774

Inglewood

$1,696

$768

Irvine

$1,781

$784

Irvine

$1,411

$633

Irvine

$1,378

$629

Jurupa Valley

$1,667

$709

Jurupa Valley

$1,324

$573

Jurupa Valley

$1,283

$568

Lancaster

$1,850

$820

Lancaster

$1,462

$659

Lancaster

$1,424

$652

Long Beach

$1,895

$806

Long Beach

$1,497

$649

Long Beach

$1,456

$642

Los Angeles

$2,376

$1,022

Los Angeles

$1,877

$820

Los Angeles

$1,827

$813

Modesto

$1,748

$744

Modesto

$1,401

$608

Modesto

$1,361

$601

Moreno Valley

$1,714

$716

Moreno Valley

$1,357

$578

Moreno Valley

$1,317

$572

Murrieta

$1,575

$683

Murrieta

$1,250

$554

Murrieta

$1,215

$548

Norwalk

$1,846

$786

Norwalk

$1,460

$633

Norwalk

$1,418

$627

Oakland

$1,833

$732

Oakland

$1,469

$598

Oakland

$1,425

$594

Oceanside

$1,571

$679

Oceanside

$1,246

$550

Oceanside

$1,212

$545

Ontario

$1,729

$733

Ontario

$1,374

$594

Ontario

$1,330

$586

Orange

$1,651

$726

Orange

$1,310

$587

Orange

$1,274

$582

Oxnard

$1,586

$677

Oxnard

$1,260

$549

Oxnard

$1,222

$542

Palmdale

$1,903

$828

Palmdale

$1,507

$667

Palmdale

$1,463

$659

Pasadena

$2,021

$875

Pasadena

$1,598

$704

Pasadena

$1,551

$694

Pomona

$1,805

$764

Pomona

$1,432

$618

Pomona

$1,387

$610

Rancho Cucamonga

$1,676

$701

Rancho Cucamonga

$1,330

$568

Rancho Cucamonga

$1,293

$562

Rialto

$1,758

$726

Rialto

$1,391

$585

Rialto

$1,350

$579

Richmond

$1,744

$712

Richmond

$1,400

$583

Richmond

$1,359

$577

Riverside

$1,704

$722

Riverside

$1,351

$583

Riverside

$1,313

$578

Roseville

$1,632

$719

Roseville

$1,309

$587

Roseville

$1,277

$584

Sacramento

$1,659

$704

Sacramento

$1,331

$576

Sacramento

$1,292

$571

Salinas

$1,490

$603

Salinas

$1,199

$496

Salinas

$1,160

$490

San Bernardino

$1,726

$721

San Bernardino

$1,369

$583

San Bernardino

$1,328

$576

San Diego

$1,514

$643

San Diego

$1,202

$521

San Diego

$1,169

$517

San Francisco

$1,851

$749

San Francisco

$1,486

$613

San Francisco

$1,446

$610

San Jose

$1,606

$671

San Jose

$1,290

$551

San Jose

$1,256

$546

San Mateo

$1,552

$653

San Mateo

$1,249

$537

San Mateo

$1,216

$534

Santa Ana

$1,764

$769

Santa Ana

$1,399

$622

Santa Ana

$1,359

$616

Santa Clara

$1,611

$684

Santa Clara

$1,289

$559

Santa Clara

$1,256

$553

Santa Clarita

$1,822

$810

Santa Clarita

$1,444

$654

Santa Clarita

$1,406

$646

Santa Maria

$1,392

$568

Santa Maria

$1,106

$462

Santa Maria

$1,076

$458

Santa Rosa

$1,652

$663

Santa Rosa

$1,326

$543

Santa Rosa

$1,290

$538

Simi Valley

$1,702

$767

Simi Valley

$1,352

$621

Simi Valley

$1,317

$614

Stockton

$1,755

$722

Stockton

$1,407

$590

Stockton

$1,361

$583

Sunnyvale

$1,592

$672

Sunnyvale

$1,279

$551

Sunnyvale

$1,243

$545

Temecula

$1,599

$682

Temecula

$1,270

$552

Temecula

$1,236

$547

Thousand Oaks

$1,775

$791

Thousand Oaks

$1,408

$638

Thousand Oaks

$1,373

$633

Torrance

$1,704

$753

Torrance

$1,351

$608

Torrance

$1,316

$602

Vallejo

$1,720

$679

Vallejo

$1,378

$556

Vallejo

$1,336

$549

Ventura

$1,495

$665

Ventura

$1,189

$539

Ventura

$1,156

$534

Victorville

$1,765

$733

Victorville

$1,402

$594

Victorville

$1,356

$586

Visalia

$1,481

$615

Visalia

$1,179

$500

Visalia

$1,142

$495

Vista

$1,514

$657

Vista

$1,205

$533

Vista

$1,171

$529

West Covina

$1,871

$817

West Covina

$1,478

$656

West Covina

$1,439

$651

Insurance Rates

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FAQ About Car Insurance Costs in California

Navigating the process of shopping for car insurance in California can be overwhelming. To make it easier, we answered the most frequently asked questions about car insurance costs.

About Mark Fitzpatrick


Mark Fitzpatrick headshot

Mark Fitzpatrick is a senior content director at MoneyGeek with over five years of experience analyzing the insurance market, conducting original research and creating content that can be personalized for every buyer. He has been quoted on insurance topics in several publications, including CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.

Mark earned a master’s degree in Economics and International Relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his economics and insurance knowledge to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.