Updated: June 3, 2026
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Car insurance premiums have risen more than 20% since 2022, driven by higher repair costs, more frequent weather disasters and increased accident severity — not anything you did.
Switching insurers is the fastest lever available today. Travelers charges $99 per month for the same profile that costs $160 per month at Allstate — a $727 annual difference that exceeds the surcharge for a speeding ticket.
Your location, age, driving record, credit score and vehicle can create rate differences of thousands of dollars per year. None of them change overnight, but understanding which one is driving your rate tells you whether shopping will help or whether you're stuck waiting.
Most drivers who saw their premium go up did nothing to cause it. Car insurance premiums have climbed more than 20% since 2022, hitting clean-record drivers with good credit and no recent claims.
Three forces are responsible for most of the increase: higher repair costs, more frequent weather losses and a sustained rise in serious accidents.
Listen while our auto insurance expert, Mark Fitzpatrick, explores the reasons why car insurance and other insurance types have recently gone up in an interview with NPR's member station, WBUR.
Rate increases are not falling equally across all drivers. Four groups are absorbing a disproportionate share.
Drivers in Florida, Louisiana and California have seen the largest increases because those states combine weather exposure, litigation risk and — in California's case — a state ban on using credit scores that squeezes how insurers spread risk.
Drivers of newer vehicles have seen full coverage costs rise faster than owners of older cars because parts and labor costs for recent models have risen most sharply.
Drivers with violations — DUIs, at-fault accidents or poor credit — have seen rates increase because the difference between their expected claim costs and a clean-record driver's costs has widened.
Young drivers, already the most expensive group to insure, have seen their rates rise on a larger base.
Car insurance rates reflect two types of factors: those locked in by your current circumstances and those you can change today.
Your insurer and your coverage level are within your control right now, and the difference between the best and worst choice on each can easily exceed $800 per year.
Your location, age, driving record, credit score and vehicle affect your rate, too — but none of those change overnight.
If you've been with the same insurer for more than two years without comparing quotes, you're more likely to be overpaying than someone who shops at every renewal. Insurers consistently quote new customers lower than they charge existing customers with the same profile. The only way to offset that loyalty penalty it is to get competing quotes.
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The insurer you choose is one of the largest variables in your rate — often larger than your driving record.
MoneyGeek's analysis of national insurers for adult drivers with good credit and a clean record finds an $800 annual gap between the cheapest and most expensive option: Travelers at $1,193 per year ($99 per month) versus Allstate at $1,920 per year ($160 per month). That $727 difference exceeds the annual surcharge for a speeding ticket.
| Travelers | $1,193 | $99 |
| State Farm | $1,414 | $118 |
| Progressive | $1,471 | $123 |
| Nationwide | $1,661 | $138 |
| Allstate | $1,918 | $160 |
| Farmers | $1,920 | $160 |
Every insurer uses its own model to weigh factors like age, location, vehicle and driving history differently. For example, Travelers and State Farm are the most competitive for clean-record adult drivers per MoneyGeek's analysis, but a driver with a recent DUI or poor credit may find a different insurer prices their profile more favorably. The only way to know which insurer is cheapest for your specific situation is to compare quotes from at least three insurers before each renewal.
Make sure to get as many discounts as possible included in your quote.
Insurers routinely quote new customers lower than they charge long-tenured customers with the same profile. If you haven't compared quotes in the past two years, request three competing quotes before your next renewal. If two come back more than 15% below your current rate, your insurer has re-tiered your pricing and switching makes financial sense.
How much insurance you buy is entirely within your control, within your state's minimums. State minimum liability-only coverage averages $62 per month nationally, compared to $140 per month for 300/500/300 full coverage with a $1,500 deductible — a $78 monthly difference, or $936 per year.
| State Minimum Liability Only | $62 | $740 |
| State Minimum Liability w/ Full Cov. w/$1,000 Ded. | $75 | $894 |
| State Minimum Liability w/ Full Cov. w/$2,000 Ded. | $98 | $1,177 |
| 100/300/100 Full Cov. w/$1,000 Ded. | $126 | $1,506 |
| 50/100/50 Full Cov. w/$500 Ded. | $126 | $1,517 |
| State Minimum Liability w/ Full Cov. w/$250 Ded. | $129 | $1,550 |
| 300/500/300 Full Cov. w/$1,500 Ded. | $140 | $1,676 |
| State Minimum Liability w/ Full Cov. w/$0 Ded. | $152 | $1,824 |
For drivers with financed or leased vehicles, the lender sets the floor: full coverage is required, and the lender typically limits how high a deductible you can carry. For drivers with paid-off vehicles, the decision comes down to whether the annual premium for collision and comprehensive is worth it relative to the car's value.
The standard rule: if your annual collision and comprehensive premium exceeds 10% of your vehicle's actual cash value, dropping to liability-only is worth serious consideration. A car worth $7,000 that costs $900 per year to cover for collision and comprehensive is close to that threshold. Any car worth less than $6,000 with a similar premium is past it.
Higher deductibles reduce premiums significantly. Moving from a $250 deductible to a $1,000 deductible saves $54 per month on average. But a deductible only helps if you can pay it after an accident.
Set your deductible at the highest amount you could pay out of pocket without borrowing. A $2,000 deductible you cannot cover leaves you with collision coverage you cannot use.
Understanding these factors tells you whether you are paying an appropriate rate or whether shopping across insurers will reveal better pricing for your specific profile.
Your state and ZIP code are among the most powerful variables in your rate. MoneyGeek's analysis of full coverage rates for adult drivers with clean records and good credit finds a $146-per-month difference between the most expensive state (Louisiana at $228 per month) and the cheapest (Maine at $82 per month).
That's a $1,752 annual difference for the same driver profile and the same coverage, driven entirely by geography.
| Alabama | $113 | $1,349 |
| Alaska | $108 | $1,292 |
| Arizona | $129 | $1,551 |
| Arkansas | $145 | $1,736 |
| California | $117 | $1,397 |
| Colorado | $158 | $1,893 |
| Connecticut | $138 | $1,649 |
| Delaware | $171 | $2,045 |
| District of Columbia | $187 | $2,244 |
| Florida | $182 | $2,180 |
| Georgia | $139 | $1,670 |
| Hawaii | $87 | $1,044 |
| Idaho | $84 | $1,000 |
| Illinois | $115 | $1,382 |
| Indiana | $89 | $1,070 |
| Iowa | $107 | $1,282 |
| Kansas | $120 | $1,444 |
| Kentucky | $139 | $1,672 |
| Louisiana | $228 | $2,734 |
| Maine | $82 | $981 |
| Maryland | $147 | $1,765 |
| Massachusetts | $112 | $1,346 |
| Michigan | $163 | $1,955 |
| Minnesota | $115 | $1,372 |
| Mississippi | $133 | $1,588 |
| Missouri | $138 | $1,653 |
| Montana | $137 | $1,647 |
| Nebraska | $123 | $1,477 |
| Nevada | $146 | $1,750 |
| New Hampshire | $92 | $1,102 |
| New Jersey | $154 | $1,845 |
| New Mexico | $126 | $1,507 |
| New York | $104 | $1,242 |
| North Carolina | $108 | $1,297 |
| North Dakota | $107 | $1,284 |
| Ohio | $113 | $1,353 |
| Oklahoma | $141 | $1,695 |
| Oregon | $120 | $1,442 |
| Pennsylvania | $116 | $1,385 |
| Rhode Island | $137 | $1,636 |
| South Carolina | $122 | $1,456 |
| South Dakota | $123 | $1,471 |
| Tennessee | $107 | $1,282 |
| Texas | $149 | $1,785 |
| Utah | $126 | $1,508 |
| Vermont | $87 | $1,047 |
| Virginia | $103 | $1,227 |
| Washington | $108 | $1,295 |
| West Virginia | $134 | $1,606 |
| Wisconsin | $93 | $1,114 |
| Wyoming | $98 | $1,168 |
Several of the most-searched states for expensive car insurance rank near the top for different reasons.
Louisiana combines the highest litigation rate in the country with significant hurricane and flooding exposure. Florida's rates reflect hurricane risk, a high rate of uninsured drivers and a history of insurance fraud that has increased costs for every insurer operating there. Michigan historically carried the highest rates in the country under its unlimited personal injury protection mandate; reforms in 2020 reduced costs, but it remains among the five most expensive states.
Age is the strongest single predictor of car insurance cost. A 16-year-old pays $664 per month for full coverage on average — more than five times what a driver between 26 and 64 pays at $126 per month. Rates fall sharply through the mid-20s as statistical models reflect lower accident rates with each year of driving experience.
A 25-year-old still pays $384 per month — three times the adult average — but the drop from 16 to 25 is steep: each year between those ages produces a rate decrease, from $664 down to $384.
| 16 | $664 | $7,962 |
| 17 | $621 | $7,452 |
| 18 | $582 | $6,988 |
| 19 | $522 | $6,262 |
| 20 | $500 | $5,994 |
| 21 | $460 | $5,519 |
| 22 | $443 | $5,310 |
| 23 | $428 | $5,134 |
| 24 | $418 | $5,012 |
| 25 | $384 | $4,606 |
| 26-64 | $126 | $1,506 |
| 65+ | $157 | $1,884 |
After 25, rates stabilize through the working years and rise again later in life. Drivers 65 and older average $157 per month — $31 more than the core adult rate, but a fraction of what young drivers pay.
Gender has a minimal effect for adults: male and female drivers converge by the mid-20s, though teenage boys pay more than teenage girls.
Violations stay on your record for three years in most states for moving violations like speeding and at-fault accidents. DUIs stay for five years in most states and longer in some.
Each violation adds a percentage surcharge on top of your base rate. A DUI raises the average adult driver's full coverage rate by 82%, from $126 to $229 per month — an extra $1,236 per year. An at-fault accident adds 43% ($54 per month). A speeding ticket in the 11-to-15-mph-over range adds 23% ($29 per month).
Violations also compound: a driver with both a DUI and an at-fault accident on their record can pay two to three times what a clean-record driver pays in the same ZIP code.
| Clean | $126 | $1,508 |
| Not At-Fault Accident | $132 | $1,587 |
| Speeding | $155 | $1,864 |
| Texting While Driving | $157 | $1,887 |
| At-Fault Accident | $180 | $2,154 |
| DUI | $229 | $2,752 |
Shopping three to six months before the three-year anniversary of your violation — when some insurers will price you as a clean-record driver — can produce a rate drop before your current insurer recalculates at your next renewal.
In most states, your insurance credit score affects your rate by more than your driving record does. Adults with poor credit pay $301 per month on average for full coverage, compared to $119 for drivers with excellent credit — a $182-per-month difference, or $2,184 per year, for the same coverage. The jump from good to fair credit alone adds $684 per year.
California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan ban the use of credit scores in auto insurance pricing. If you live in one of those four states, your credit score has no effect on your premium — you can skip this section.
| Excellent | $119 | $1,431 |
| Good | $126 | $1,508 |
| Fair | $183 | $2,198 |
| None | $207 | $2,488 |
| Below Fair | $231 | $2,771 |
| Poor | $301 | $3,608 |
You cannot improve your credit score overnight, but the long-term payoff is real: moving from poor to good credit is worth $175 per month in insurance savings alone, on top of the benefits to borrowing costs.
Low-income drivers in California, New Jersey or Hawaii may qualify for state-funded car insurance programs with reduced premiums. Maryland operates a similar program for drivers repeatedly rejected by private insurers. Eligibility is tied to income limits relative to the Federal Poverty Level.
Your car directly affects your rate. MoneyGeek analyzed 732 models (excluding 89 extreme outliers like the Bugatti Chiron) and found a $204-per-month difference between the cheapest and most expensive realistic options.
Case in point: the Isuzu Amigo costs $96 per month to insure; the Lamborghini Huracán costs $300. The Toyota Camry sits near the national median at $175 per month.
| Isuzu Amigo | $96 | $1,156 | 5 Most Affordable |
| Saturn S-Series | $100 | $1,196 | 5 Most Affordable |
| Dodge Stratus | $101 | $1,210 | 5 Most Affordable |
| Buick Encore GX | $101 | $1,213 | 5 Most Affordable |
| Nissan NV200 | $103 | $1,231 | 5 Most Affordable |
| Ford Mustang Mach-E | $174 | $2,089 | Closest to Median |
| Toyota Sienna | $174 | $2,083 | Closest to Median |
| Scion iM | $174 | $2,085 | Closest to Median |
| Toyota Camry | $175 | $2,095 | Closest to Median |
| Pontiac GTO | $175 | $2,104 | Closest to Median |
| Audi e-tron | $298 | $3,577 | 5 Most Expensive |
| Lamborghini Urus | $298 | $3,578 | 5 Most Expensive |
| Ferrari 612 | $299 | $3,584 | 5 Most Expensive |
| Lamborghini Huracán | $300 | $3,597 | 5 Most Expensive |
| Audi RS Q8 | $300 | $3,603 | 5 Most Expensive |
Newer, more complex vehicles cost more to insure because cameras, sensors and driver-assistance systems turn minor fender-benders into expensive repairs. If your car's annual collision and comprehensive premium exceeds 10% of its actual cash value, dropping to liability-only coverage is the better financial decision.
Car insurance costs have risen more than 20% since 2022 because the cost of what it covers has surged. Repair bills are higher due to vehicle complexity and labor shortages, weather-related claims increased substantially with 18 billion-dollar disasters in 2023 alone, and serious accident rates remain above pre-pandemic levels.
Insurers pass these costs through to policyholders at renewal. A driver who filed no claims and changed nothing about their profile can still see their premium rise because the average cost of covering a vehicle in their area went up.
Your insurer choice is the largest factor you can control — up to $800 per year for the same profile. After that, your location, age, driving record, credit score and vehicle all affect your rate in ways that cannot be changed immediately.
Among the factors you can't change, location and credit score tend to produce the largest rate differences: Louisiana drivers pay $1,752 more per year than Maine drivers for the same coverage, and poor-credit drivers pay $2,184 more per year than excellent-credit drivers.
Vehicles with lower repair costs, simpler technology and lower theft rates generate fewer and smaller claims, which produces lower premiums. Older models with widely available parts cost less to repair after a claim.
MoneyGeek's analysis of 732 models found the Isuzu Amigo costs $96 per month to insure while the Lamborghini Huracán costs $300 — the Toyota Camry sits near the median at $175 per month.
Market-wide repair costs, weather claims and accident severity increases are passed through to all policyholders at renewal, regardless of their personal record. A clean-record driver in a state with high weather exposure or litigation rates can see double-digit increases for reasons entirely outside their control.
Louisiana ($228/month), Florida ($182/month) and the District of Columbia ($187/month) carry the highest full coverage averages. Louisiana combines hurricane exposure with the country's highest litigation rates. Florida adds a high uninsured driver rate and fraud history. Michigan ($163/month) remains among the top five despite 2020 PIP reforms.
Yes, insurer choice and coverage level are the two largest controllable variables. MoneyGeek's data shows a $727 annual gap between Travelers ($99/month) and Allstate ($160/month) for identical coverage and profiles. Comparing at least three quotes at renewal is the single highest-leverage action available for any driver.
Rate data is sourced from Quadrant Information Services and reflects premiums for a 40-year-old driver with a clean record and good credit, averaged across male and female profiles. Full coverage rates reflect 100/300/100 liability with a $1,000 deductible unless otherwise noted. Vehicle model rates reflect MoneyGeek's analysis of 732 models. Weather and claims data sourced from NOAA and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Market trend data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index. Data reflects available figures through early 2026.
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 produces 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. No insurance company partnership influences his recommendations.
Mark holds a B.A. from Boston College and an M.A. in Economics and International Relations from Johns Hopkins University. He started his career in financial risk management at State Street and is also a five-time “Jeopardy!” champion.
