If you have not shopped your auto policy in the last year, the table below tells you what you should be paying. Anything 25% above the number for your age and state is the carrier betting you will not check.
Pull three quotes this weekend. Most drivers can cut $60-$80 a month in twenty minutes. Real money.
Average premiums by age group
Age is one of the biggest rating factors in auto insurance. Insurers use historical claims data to price by age, and the spread between the cheapest and most expensive age groups is huge.
| Age Group | Avg Annual Premium (Full Coverage) | Avg Annual Premium (Liability Only) |
|---|---|---|
| 16-17 | $6,200 | $2,800 |
| 18-19 | $4,800 | $2,100 |
| 20-24 | $3,200 | $1,450 |
| 25-29 | $2,100 | $950 |
| 30-39 | $1,620 | $720 |
| 40-49 | $1,540 | $680 |
| 50-59 | $1,480 | $650 |
| 60-69 | $1,550 | $680 |
| 70+ | $1,820 | $790 |
These are national averages for a single driver with a clean record, a moderate vehicle, and standard coverage levels. Your specific rate will vary based on location, vehicle, and credit history (where allowed).
The steep teen rates reflect their crash rates. 16-17 year olds have roughly four times the per-mile crash rate of 25-64 year olds. The modest bump for drivers 70 and older reflects rising accident frequency as reaction times slow.
Average premiums by state tier
States cluster into rough tiers by overall cost. This is a simplified view. Rates vary by city and ZIP within each state, but the tiers give useful reference points.
| State Tier | Example States | Avg Full Coverage Annual |
|---|---|---|
| High cost | Florida, Michigan, Louisiana, New York | $2,400 - $3,800 |
| Above average | California, Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware | $1,900 - $2,400 |
| Average | Texas, Georgia, Illinois, Colorado | $1,500 - $1,900 |
| Below average | Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, North Carolina | $1,200 - $1,500 |
| Low cost | Idaho, Maine, Vermont, Iowa | $900 - $1,200 |
Michigan historically topped every state cost chart because of its unique unlimited personal injury protection requirement. Rate reform has brought it down a lot from peak. Florida now ranks highest in most surveys, driven by high uninsured driver rates, litigation frequency, and weather claims.
What a bad driving record actually costs
Carriers price driving incidents differently, but these ranges capture the market-wide averages for the three most common infractions.
Single at-fault accident: Rate increase of 35-50% from pre-incident premium, sustained for 3-5 years. On a $1,600 annual premium, that is $560-$800 added per year, or roughly $2,000-$3,500 in extra total cost before the incident ages off.
Single speeding ticket (15+ mph over): Rate increase of 20-30% for 3 years. On $1,600, that is $320-$480 per year in extra cost.
DUI conviction: Rate increase of 60-150% in the first year. Many standard carriers will non-renew the policy, forcing the driver into high-risk (non-standard) markets where base rates are already higher. A driver moving from a $1,600 standard market policy to a high-risk market policy can see total premium jump to $4,000-$6,000 per year.
Multiple incidents: The increases are not strictly additive, but they stack. A driver with both a speeding ticket and an at-fault accident in the past 3 years may find every major carrier declines to write their policy, leaving only non-standard options.
What drives the spread within a state
Even within a single state, individual rates can vary by 2-3x based on:
Vehicle: A 2024 pickup truck costs more to insure than a 2018 sedan because of higher replacement cost and higher theft rates. Sports cars and high-performance vehicles add a further surcharge.
Credit history: In most states, carriers use credit-based insurance scores as a rating factor. Drivers with excellent credit can pay 20-40% less than drivers with poor credit for identical coverage. California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts ban the practice.
Annual mileage: Drivers who commute less than 7,500 miles per year qualify for low-mileage discounts with most carriers, typically 5-15%.
ZIP code: Two drivers in the same city can pay very different rates based on their specific ZIP’s claims history, vehicle theft frequency, and traffic patterns.
How to get the right quote
The only way to know your actual cost is to pull quotes from at least four carriers. National averages are useful reference points, but your specific mix of age, ZIP, vehicle, driving history, and credit produces a rate that can be 40% above or below the average for your demographic.
Shop at every renewal, not just when you first buy. Rates move constantly. The carrier that was cheapest for you three years ago may not be competitive today. Worth shopping.