Updated: May 25, 2026
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Tennessee car insurance costs less than in most states. But sometimes drivers pay high premiums due to severe weather risks and the state's high uninsured motorist rate. Your location within Tennessee, age and driving experience affect your rate.
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Car insurance in Tennessee ranges from $47 per month for minimum coverage to $103 for full coverage. Drivers in Tennessee pay $260 less annually than the national average for full coverage and $156 less for minimum coverage.
| Minimum Coverage | $47 | $60 | $570 | $726 |
| Full Coverage | $103 | $124 | $1,233 | $1,493 |
Only 14 states have cheaper full coverage than Tennessee, which ranks 15th at $103 per month. Tennessee sits $4 above Massachusetts ($99) and $1 below Alabama ($104), placing it in the more affordable tier nationally. With rates ranging from Vermont's $75 to Florida's $243, Tennessee drivers pay moderate insurance costs.
| Vermont | $75 | $902 | 1 |
| Massachusetts | $99 | $1,193 | 14 |
| Tennessee | $103 | $1,233 | 15 |
| Alabama | $104 | $1,245 | 16 |
| Florida | $243 | $2,912 | 51 |
About 20% of Tennessee drivers carry no insurance. This forces insured drivers to pay higher premiums for uninsured motorist coverage.
Severe weather patterns across Tennessee generate hundreds of millions in annual insurance claims. Tennessee ranks among the top 10 states for tornado and hail damage.
Vehicle theft rates in Memphis and Nashville exceed national averages, and car thefts in both cities jumped 15% in 2023.
Tennessee's DUI conviction rate is high compared to neighboring states, which means a larger share of high-risk drivers paying elevated premiums.
Traffic density on I-40 through Nashville and I-240 around Memphis raises accident frequency and collision severity. Rural areas have longer emergency response times, which makes total loss claims more expensive. City rates are in a further section.
Travelers has the lowest full coverage rate in Tennessee at $78 a month. Auto-Owners is second at $79 and Farm Bureau third at $85.
Shopping around can save Tennessee residents up to $26 per month compared to pricier options like Farmers at $104 per month. These rates reflect real savings opportunities since all companies were quoted using identical driver profiles.
Read more: Cheapest and Best Car Insurance Companies in Tennessee
| Auto Owners | $32 | $79 | $383 | $943 |
| Farm Bureau | $27 | $85 | $324 | $1,021 |
| Travelers | $38 | $78 | $458 | $936 |
| Erie Insurance | $38 | $103 | $455 | $1,240 |
| Farmers | $53 | $104 | $636 | $1,250 |
Each insurer uses its own formula to weigh your driving record, location, age and vehicle. A company with a larger Tennessee customer base prices the same driver profile differently than one with fewer local policies.
Some carriers price aggressively for clean-record drivers. Others focus on higher-risk drivers who need coverage after accidents or violations. Your cheapest option depends on your specific profile, so comparing quotes directly is the only way to find it.
Coverage level alone can move your monthly premium by $75 in Tennessee, from $50 for minimum liability to $125 for the highest tier. Minimum liability coverage starts at $50 per month, while adding comprehensive and collision with a $1,000 deductible brings your cost to $61 per month. That extra $11 per month covers damage to your own vehicle from accidents, theft, vandalism and weather.
Lowering your deductible costs more than raising your liability limits in Tennessee. The most expensive coverage tier combines minimum liability with comprehensive and collision at a $0 deductible, reaching $125 per month because eliminating that deductible transfers all repair risk to your insurer.
| Minimum Liability Only | $50 | $596 |
| Min. liab. + comp/coll ($1,000 ded.) | $61 | $736 |
| Min. liab. + comp/coll ($2,000 ded.) | $83 | $999 |
| 100/300/100 liability + comp/coll ($1,000 ded.) | $106 | $1,276 |
| 50/100/50 liability + comp/coll ($500 ded.) | $107 | $1,285 |
| Min. liab. + comp/coll ($250 ded.) | $112 | $1,344 |
| 300/500/300 liability + comp/coll ($1,500 ded.) | $114 | $1,370 |
| Min. liab. + comp/coll ($0 ded.) | $125 | $1,506 |
Your deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket when filing a claim before your insurance begins. Higher deductibles lower your monthly premium, while lower deductibles mean less money upfront if you need to file a claim. Deductibles apply only to comprehensive and collision coverage, not to liability protection.
Tennessee requires drivers to carry minimum liability coverage of 25/50/25, meaning $25,000 in bodily injury protection per person, $50,000 per accident and $25,000 in property damage coverage. This minimum coverage pays for damage you cause to others, but won't fix your own car.
For example, the policy titled "100/300/100 liability + comp/coll ($1000 ded.)" breaks down as:
Learn more about types of car insurance coverages and how much car insurance you need.
Memphis is the most expensive city for car insurance in Tennessee at $142 a month for full coverage, which is 38% above the state average of $103. Johnson City is cheapest at $83. Hendersonville is second most expensive at $111. Full coverage varies by $59 a month across the state's 10 most populous cities, a $708 annual gap between the highest and lowest.
| Memphis | $142 | $66 |
| Bartlett | $126 | $58 |
| Clarksville | $107 | $51 |
| Nashville | $106 | $49 |
| Murfreesboro | $105 | $50 |
| Chattanooga | $101 | $47 |
| Knoxville | $99 | $46 |
| Jackson | $98 | $45 |
| Franklin | $95 | $43 |
| Johnson City | $83 | $38 |
Memphis's crime rates and traffic density keep full coverage at $142 a month — the highest among Tennessee's major cities. Johnson City's smaller size and lower crime rate produce the state's cheapest full coverage at $83 a month. The $59 gap costs Memphis drivers $708 more a year.
Adding a 16-year-old to a family policy in Tennessee costs $5,287 per year for males and $4,790 for females — a $497 difference that reflects how gender affects car insurance rates. Male teen drivers consistently pay higher premiums than their female counterparts due to statistical risk factors insurers use in Tennessee.
A 16-year-old on a family policy pays $5,287 per year compared to $7,728 on their own policy — saving $2,441 by staying on the family plan. Car insurance rates drop steadily as young drivers gain experience through their early 20s and level off around age 25.
| 16 | $7,728 | $5,287 |
| 17 | $6,266 | $4,866 |
| 18 | $5,181 | $4,476 |
| 19 | $3,746 | $4,159 |
| 20 | $3,286 | $3,922 |
| 21 | $2,707 | $3,735 |
| 22 | $2,460 | $3,554 |
| 23 | $2,207 | $3,413 |
| 24 | $2,012 | $3,252 |
| 25 | $1,798 | $2,897 |
Use our free calculator to estimate your Tennessee car insurance cost based on your driver profile.
Full coverage in Tennessee ranges from $106 per month for drivers with clean records to $172 after a DUI conviction. Drivers with spotless records pay $106 per month for comprehensive protection, while a speeding ticket bumps that cost to $133 per month; a 25% increase that costs an extra $319 annually. Violations affect rates for three to five years in Tennessee, though the timeframe varies by violation type.
A DUI conviction adds $66 per month to full coverage premiums, representing a 62% increase that costs drivers an additional $792 per year compared to clean records. Violations raise rates because they show a higher risk to insurers, who respond by adjusting premiums for high-risk drivers accordingly.
| Clean Record | $106 | $1,276 | — |
| Accident (not at fault) | $107 | $1,285 | 1% |
| Texting While Driving | $127 | $1,524 | 20% |
| Speeding | $133 | $1,595 | 25% |
| Accident (at fault) | $150 | $1,798 | 42% |
| DUI | $172 | $2,068 | 62% |
Multiple violations narrow your insurer options in Tennessee and can push you into the high-risk category, where fewer carriers will offer coverage and rates climb. Drivers can look for high-risk car insurance in Tennessee to meet their needs.
Tennessee allows insurers to use credit-based scoring; the premium gap between good and poor credit is $187 per month for full coverage. Drivers with excellent credit pay $100 monthly for comprehensive protection, while those with poor credit pay $287 monthly premiums. This 187% increase means bad credit costs Tennessee motorists an extra $2,244 each year.
Improving your credit score cuts insurance premiums over time. Lower-income drivers can pair credit improvement with rate shopping to lower costs from both sides.
| Good Credit | $46 | $100 |
| Bad Credit | $132 | $287 |
| Difference | $86 | $187 |
A Ford F-150 costs $125 a month for full coverage in Tennessee. A Tesla Model Y costs $200, which is a $75 gap that adds $900 a year. A Honda Civic falls in the middle at $128. Insurance costs by vehicle covers additional models.
Electric vehicles cost more to insure because parts and repairs are more expensive. The Model Y's battery pack, advanced sensors and proprietary components require specialized technicians and drive up claim costs.
| Ford F-150 | $62 | $743 | $125 | $1,501 |
| Honda Civic | $63 | $760 | $128 | $1,534 |
| Honda Accord | $65 | $782 | $132 | $1,582 |
| Toyota Camry | $68 | $816 | $138 | $1,655 |
| Toyota Prius | $68 | $818 | $138 | $1,661 |
| Toyota Rav4 | $71 | $846 | $143 | $1,721 |
| Tesla Model 3 | $84 | $1,006 | $170 | $2,038 |
| Tesla Model Y | $99 | $1,186 | $200 | $2,399 |
Tennessee car insurance ranges from $47 per month for minimum coverage to $103 for full coverage. Your actual rate depends on your driving record, age, credit score and coverage choices.
Tennessee's uninsured driver rate of 20% compared to the national average of 13% increases premiums for all drivers. Severe tornadoes, flooding and hailstorms across Tennessee generate costly comprehensive and collision claims that insurers pass on to policyholders.
We used this profile to determine auto insurance costs across all available ZIP codes and cities in the state:
Sections on cost by age and driving record use rates for those driver profiles, with all other factors held constant.
Minimum coverage is a state's minimum liability coverage. Full coverage is a policy with 100/300/100 liability limits and a $1,000 deductible for comprehensive and collision coverage.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut, is MoneyGeek's resident insurance expert. He has spent nearly a decade analyzing the market, first at LendingTree and now at MoneyGeek, where he has produced original research on hundreds of carriers and millions of rates across auto, home, renters, health and life insurance.
He covers economics and insurance at MoneyGeek, and his work has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR, among other outlets.
Like all MoneyGeek analysts, he draws on independent cost and consumer experience data, and no insurance company partnership influences his recommendations.
Fitzpatrick earned his degrees from Johns Hopkins University (M.A. Economics and International Relations) and Boston College (B.A.). He began his career in financial risk management at State Street. He's also a five-time “Jeopardy!” champion.
