How Much Is Car Insurance in Delaware? (2023)

Car insurance rates can vary depending on several aspects, such as your chosen provider, age, location, coverage level, driving history, credit score and the number of drivers on your policy. For instance, State Farm is the cheapest provider of full coverage for drivers in their 30s through 50s at $881 per year, while Dairyland is the most expensive, charging $4,219 per year — a difference of $3,338.

In Delaware, the average car insurance policy costs $1,640 per year or $137 per month for full coverage. We found that your policy's coverage amount and your driving record have the most substantial impact on your premiums. To give you an idea of how much rates can vary, here's what Delaware drivers pay for full coverage, on average, based on their driving records:

• Clean record: $1,640 per year
• Speeding ticket: $2,012 per year
• DUI: $2,346 per year
• At-fault accident: $2,387 per year

You can find the cheapest rates with a minimum coverage policy, which costs an annual average of $939 in Delaware, but you will receive less protection than you would with a full coverage policy.

Delaware is one of the more expensive states for car insurance, ranking as the 5th least affordable state in our study. Full coverage policies in the state cost around $586 more per year than the national average of $1,054. Delaware's expensive car insurance rates could be attributed to its denser urban population, higher traffic rates, number of expensive insurers and increased vehicle theft rates. The personal injury protection (PIP) requirements set by the state also drive up premiums. Age and driving history can play a role in determining insurance rates, with teen drivers or those with poor records often facing higher premiums.

While cost averages can provide a general idea of expected prices, actual rates can vary significantly between insurance companies. The cheapest insurer for minimum coverage in Delaware is Travelers, which charges $464 per year ($904 per year for full coverage). The most expensive option, Dairyland, charges an annual $2,618 for minimum coverage ($4,219 per year for full coverage).

Liability-only policies are less expensive than full coverage plans. However, if you'd rather have better financial protection, you can find cheap full coverage insurance by shopping around and studying the options that are available to you.

The average cost of car insurance in Delaware can range from $939 per year for the absolute minimum coverage to $1,817 for the highest coverage possible. Insurance rates become more expensive as you increase your liability limits. Likewise, your premiums can rise by hundreds of dollars if you add comprehensive and collision insurance to your policy. To save money, you can consider increasing your deductible.

For most drivers, minimum coverage is the cheapest option for auto insurance. Minimum coverage car insurance in Delaware features the lowest liability limits and doesn’t have comprehensive or collision insurance.

You can increase your liability limits, which are often represented in shorthand as 50/100/50 or 100/300/100. A policy with liability limits of 50/100/50 means you’ll receive the following coverage:

• $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

Many insurers offer a maximum liability of 300/500/300. Liability insurance only covers medical bills and damages for others. You can boost your protection level to include coverage against damages to you or your car by adding comprehensive and collision insurance to your policy, which converts it to a full coverage plan.

Age is one of the key factors that affect the cost of car insurance, especially for very young or inexperienced drivers. We studied car insurance costs for new drivers and found that the following are the average full coverage premiums in Delaware by age group:

• 22–29: $1,998 per year
• 30–59: $1,640 per year
• 60+: $1,538 per year

Drivers in their 20s typically have to spend more on auto insurance. Rates will likely remain steady for middle-aged customers before increasing again after drivers reach the age of 60. In some cases, however, adults over 30 who are new drivers may face similar rates to drivers in their 20s.

Teen drivers in Delaware spend the most on auto insurance. For instance, a 16-year-old male with an individual policy pays a yearly average of $10,368. Joining a family plan is a cheaper alternative, costing only $3,358 per year. Rates can vary widely between car insurance providers, so your actual premium may differ considerably from these averages.

Insurance costs become more affordable as teens age and gain more driving experience. We found that a 19-year-old male on a family plan pays an average of $2,361 per year, while a 22-year-old pays an annual $2,011 for full coverage. We reviewed the options for cheap auto insurance in Delaware for teens to help you find the best possible rate.

In Delaware, a new car costs $2,034 per year to insure, while an older vehicle only costs $1,708 annually — a 19% difference. New cars with higher actual cash values (ACV) are more expensive to insure. They can be pricey to repair or replace following an accident and are usually at greater risk for theft. In turn, insurers tend to charge higher premiums for newer vehicles.

MoneyGeek recommends drivers of newer cars with higher ACVs consider purchasing full coverage auto insurance to receive sufficient financial protection against damages to their vehicles.

Drivers with a history of traffic infractions pay higher car insurance rates than those with clean driving records. You’ll pay the following rates in Delaware, on average:

• Clean record: $1,640 per year
• Speeding ticket: $2,012 per year
• DUI: $2,346 per year
• At-fault accident: $2,387 per year

Costs tend to increase in proportion to the severity of the offense, so expect a DUI to bump up your insurance premium more than a speeding ticket would. Comparing rates from several providers can help you find affordable car insurance for drivers with poor records in Delaware.

The cost of your car insurance can be significantly affected by your credit score. On average, drivers in Delaware with poor credit pay $1,847 per year, whereas someone with excellent credit only pays $845 per year. These are the average costs that Delaware drivers should expect to pay for full coverage based on their credit scores:

• Excellent: $845 per year
• Good: $1,030 per year
• Fair: $1,251 per year
• Below fair: $1,494 per year
• Poor: $1,847 per year

Some insurers may penalize drivers for having a lower credit score, so it’s necessary to shop around if you want to find the most affordable auto insurance in Delaware for drivers with poor credit.

Most buyers are often concerned about the affordability of auto insurance policies. Look at MoneyGeek’s answers to some frequently asked questions about average car insurance costs in Delaware to help you choose the insurer and policy that fits your budget.