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Full Coverage Averages
• Annual Premium: $662
• Monthly Premium: $55
Read our Metromile review.
✓ Affordable pay-per-mile insurance
X Available in only eight states
Full Coverage Averages
• Annual Premium: $829
• Monthly Premium: $69
Read our Root review.
✓ Usage-based insurance
X Available in only 38 states
Full Coverage Averages
• Annual Premium: $1,419
• Monthly Premium: $118
Read our State Farm review.
✓ Available in all 50 states
✓ A variety of young driver discounts
X No gap insurance
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(855) 939-3117Compare QuotesAre you looking for auto insurance rates for under $70 per month? Car insurance prices have skyrocketed since 2021, increasing well over the rate of inflation.1 That’s why we researched hundreds of providers to find the best auto insurance companies that offer affordable rates without skimping on coverage. We use the latest industry data, independent ratings, and real-life customer experience to assess companies’ rates, claims process, and customer satisfaction.
For this review, we prioritized carriers with low rates that remain relatively stable at each renewal. We also analyzed rates by driver profile, so you can find the lowest premiums regardless of your age, driving record, or location. If you’re looking for the absolute cheapest rates in the U.S., both Root and Metromile offer rates from $55 to $69 per month. If you’re looking for nationwide coverage from larger providers, State Farm, GEICO, and Progressive offer rates as low as $99 per month across all 50 states.
Your auto insurance needs are unique to your circumstances. If you have a DUI, multiple accidents, or other violations, check out our reviews of the best auto insurance for a bad record. If you’re looking for the best auto insurance for seniors or the best auto insurance for teens, we’ve reviewed those, too.
Editor’s note: We updated this best cheap auto insurance review on April 23, 2024, with additional information on our methodology.
Below we’ve identified the cheapest car insurance companies based on the type of insurance or the type of driver seeking insurance. Here are the cheapest rates by category:
Cheapest By Category | Carrier | Average Monthly Rate | Average Annual Rate |
---|---|---|---|
Full coverage | Metromile | $55 | $662 |
Minimum coverage | USAA | $29 | $350 |
Large provider (available in all 50 states) |
GEICO | $99 | $1,194 |
Low credit score | GEICO | $207 | $2,485 |
Teens | State Farm | $364 | $3,516 |
Seniors | GEICO | $111 | $1,330 |
After a DUI | Progressive | $214 | $2,570 |
After a speeding ticket | GEICO | $165 | $1,974 |
Military members and veterans | USAA | $96 | $1,151 |
Electric vehicles | Auto-Owners | $125 | $1,500 |
Auto insurance companies determine your premium based on a variety of factors, including your age, gender, driving history, marital status, and location. As seen in the table above, providers can specialize in different types of insurance — like car insurance for seniors or for high-risk drivers — so your quotes will vary.
Best Cheap Auto Insurance Overall: Metromile
Cheapest Auto Insurance for Safe Drivers: Root
Cheapest Auto Insurance for Teens: State Farm
Cheapest Auto Insurance for Seniors: GEICO
Cheapest Auto Insurance After a DUI: Progressive
Features | Metromile | Root | State Farm | GEICO | Progressive |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Features | Metromile | Root | State Farm | GEICO | Progressive |
Average annual cost | $662 | $829 | $1,419 | $1,194 | $1,508 |
Student discount | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Bundling discounts (renters or homeowners insurance) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Discounts by age | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Review | Metromile review | Root review | State Farm review | GEICO review | Progressive review |
Metromile is, on average, the cheapest auto insurance provider in the country. Its annual cost is only $662, or $55 per month. Part of the reason Metromile can offer such low rates is because its pricing model is based on how much you drive, also known as pay-per-mile insurance. Metromile will track how many miles you drive each month and calculate your premiums based on how many miles you drive. The less you drive, the lower your rates will be.
Metromile specializes in pay-per-mile car insurance, meaning pay-per-mile insurance is the only type of plan you can get with Metromile. If you’re a low-mileage driver, these low-cost plans could be a great option for you.
Metromile will take into account other factors like credit score, driving history, and age to calculate your per-mile cost, but your monthly mileage is the most important factor. If you’re a teen driver or a driver with a bad driving record who doesn’t drive often, Metromile may offer better rates than competitors. Metromile claims you could save as much as $1,000 a year on car insurance if you drive less than 50 miles per week.2
If you’re still unsure about how pay-per-mile insurance works, here are a couple of examples displaying how Metromile may calculate your premium based on varying monthly miles driven.
Per-Mile Rate | Miles Driven Per Month | Flat Monthly Rate | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
---|---|---|---|---|
$0.05 | 500 | $45 | $75 | $900 |
$0.05 | 750 | $45 | $82.5 | $990 |
$0.05 | 1,000 | $45 | $95 | $1,140 |
Did You Know?
Americans drive around 9,400 miles per year on average, which is about 783 miles per month. If you drive well below that average, you can expect to pay less than $1,000 per year for car insurance with Metromile.
Metromile bills you by tracking how many miles you drive through its Metromile Pulse device. When we tested the device, it only took us a few minutes to plug it in and activate it. As soon as we saw the red light turn on, we were ready to take it for a short drive to calibrate the GPS system.
From there, Metromile could track where we drove, how far we drove, how fast we drove, and other key driving behaviors that it used to generate our quote. We were able to communicate with a Root representative entirely through the mobile app. If you’re tech-savvy and appreciate managing your account from the comfort of your phone, Metromile could be the choice for you.
Root is our top provider for drivers with safe driving habits and a good driving record. Although Root is the second-cheapest insurance on our list ($829 annually), signing up comes with a few caveats. Root is able to offer great rates because it denies coverage to high-risk drivers, especially high-risk drivers with a bad record.
Learn more about how Root can help keep rates low for safe drivers with a clean driving record.
Here’s how much Root’s full coverage may cost safe drivers compared to competitors:
Company | Monthly Average Premium for Full Coverage | Annual Average Premiu |
---|---|---|
Metromile | $662 | $55 |
Root | $69 | $829 |
Erie | $90 | $1,084 |
Clearcover | $93 | $1,119 |
USAA | $96 | $1,151 |
GEICO | $99 | $1,194 |
Safeco | $114 | $1,373 |
Gainsco | $115 | $1,389 |
Concord | $116 | $1,396 |
American Family Insurance Group | $116 | $1,400 |
State Farm | $118 | $1,419 |
Part of why Root can offer such low rates is its strict vetting process. You must sign up for a test drive and allow Root to track your driving behavior for up to 30 days to get a quote.
Root connects to your smartphone and uses already available features – GPS, accelerometer, and gyroscope – to measure your driving habits across those 30 days. Its tracking system will identify what time of day you’re driving, how many miles you’ve driven, your turn speed, and more. If your driving habits meet its standards, it will approve you and offer you some of the cheapest rates available today.
Root has a unique auto insurance discount model that makes benefiting from savings much easier for customers. While it offers traditional bundling discounts for car and renters insurance, most of the company’s safe-driver discounts will be integrated into your final quote automatically. So rather than having to ask an agent for your eligible discounts or applying for a discount, Root will apply a number of safety discounts to your quote. Drivers with the best driving records and test drive scores will be eligible for the lowest prices.
Teen drivers tend to pay the highest car insurance rates on average because they file more claims, get into more accidents, and receive more tickets than any other age group on average. If you’re a teen driver or the parent of a teen looking for affordable car insurance, State Farm is a great option. Teens pay $3,516 for car insurance with State Farm, which is about 21 percent less than the $4,487 average across all providers.
Here’s how State Farm’s rates compare to some of its competitors for drivers under the age of 20.
Company | Monthly Average Rate for Full Coverage | Annual Average Rate for Full Coverage |
---|---|---|
USAA | $237 | $2,844 |
State Farm | $293 | $3,516 |
Auto-Owners | $345 | $4,140 |
Farm Bureau | $350 | $4,200 |
GEICO | $363 | $4,356 |
American Family | $403 | $4,843 |
Nationwide | $430 | $5,160 |
Allstate | $569 | $6,834 |
FYI:
While USAA offers the cheapest rates for teens, it’s available only to active military members, veterans, and children/spouses of military members.
State Farm’s Steer Clear Program is a great way for teens and young drivers to improve their driving skills and reduce their car insurance premium. If you or your teen successfully complete the program, you can earn up to 20 percent off on your car insurance.
Steer Clear is a six-month safety driver program that tracks your driver habits and gives you a score based on how well or poorly you’re driving. It comes with five training modules consisting of videos, quizzes, daily tips, and driving scenario exercises. You need to meet the following requirements to qualify for the program:
Part of why State Farm has such affordable rates for teens has to do with its long list of discounts for teens. If you’re a teen driver or looking to add a teen to your policy, you should ask your State Farm agent about which of the following discounts are available in your state.
As you get older, you may notice your insurance premium is increasing. That’s because car insurance tends to rise incrementally between the ages of 65 and 80. Still, seniors pay much less than younger drivers and have several options for affordable, quality insurance, like GEICO.
With almost 100 years in business, GEICO offers cheap rates and great incentives for older Americans.
Here’s how GEICO’s rates compare to those of other providers for drivers over the age of 65:
Company | Monthly Average Rate for Full Coverage | Average annual cost for teens on their own policy |
---|---|---|
GEICO | $111 | $1,330 |
Nationwide | $125 | $1,504 |
State Farm | $135 | $1,623 |
Progressive | $160 | $1,920 |
USAA | $186 | $2,233 |
Travelers | $194 | $2,336 |
Allstate | $304 | $3,650 |
Below are the average annual rates for drivers over the age of 65 across the country:
Age | Average annual rate for full coverage |
---|---|
65 | $1,321 |
70 | $1,584 |
75 | $1,887 |
80 | $1,933 |
85 | $2,416 |
65-85 | $1,828 |
GEICO has an impressive list of discounts for most drivers, but it has a few sizable discounts specifically for older Americans. If you’re over the age of 50, you should ask your GEICO agent about the following discounts:
GEICO customers over the age of 50 may be eligible to sign up for GEICO’s Prime Time Contract, which guarantees that GEICO will continue to renew your insurance at an affordable rate. Because providers tend to increase premiums for older drivers and, in some cases, may refuse to renew your policy, this is a good option to ensure you maintain your coverage.
To qualify for the Prime Time Contract, you need to:
Fun Fact:
With an average annual rate of $1,321, 65-year-old drivers enjoy the second-cheapest rates across all age groups. The only age group with cheaper rates is 55-year-old drivers; they pay $1,276 per year on average for car insurance.
It’s probably no surprise that your car insurance premium will increase after a DUI, even if it’s your first DUI. A DUI is one of the most serious traffic violations you can be convicted of, and a DUI affects your premium by increasing it by 67 percent on average. If you’ve been in a DUI and are looking for an affordable option, we recommend you take a look at Progressive. Compared to major competitors, Progressive has affordable rates for drivers with a DUI.
Progressive has the cheapest rates for drivers after a DUI on average compared to its competitors. Here’s a comparison of Progressive’s average rate for drivers with one DUI compared to other major providers.
Company | Monthly rate after a DUI | Annual rate after a DUI |
---|---|---|
Progressive | $214 | $2,570 |
State Farm | $263 | $3,154 |
Allstate | $306 | $3,674 |
Nationwide | $308 | $3,693 |
Farmers | $320 | $3,847 |
GEICO | $320 | $3,850 |
USAA | $200 | $2,396 |
Similar to the cheapest rates for teens, USAA is cheaper than Progressive on average for drivers after a DUI. However, it’s available only to active military members, veterans, and dependents (spouses/children) of military members.
A DUI is one of the leading reasons why you might need to file an SR-22, and not all providers are willing to insure or file an SR-22 on your behalf. That isn’t the case with Progressive. Progressive accepts drivers who need an SR-22s, will file your SR-22 on your behalf, and offers SR-22 non-owner insurance for drivers with a DUI.
If you’re having trouble finding coverage in your price range after a DUI, you can use Progressive’s Name Your Price tool. Here’s how it works:
USAA and State Farm offer some of the cheapest auto insurance rates for teen drivers. If you’re an 18-year-old USAA member, you can get competitive rates starting at $120 per month.
According to 2020 data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, North Dakota has the cheapest rates, with an average annual rate of only $692. That’s 34 percent less than the national average.
With increases as low as $50 to $100 for a 31-day lapse in coverage, GEICO and USAA offer the cheapest rates for drivers with a lapse in coverage.
According to Kelly Blue Book, some of the cheapest cars to insure annually are the Chrysler Voyager ($1,272), Honda CR-V ($1,285), and Mazda CX-3 ($1,294).
With rates around $1,600 per year on average, State Farm offers the cheapest auto insurance rates for Teslas.
Our focus throughout this guide was to find the cheapest rates for the various unique needs that you may have as a driver. It’s important to note that depending on your location, age, gender, driving record, and vehicle type, the rates you’ll find might differ from the averages we’ve presented. Based on the company information, quotes, and data we’ve collected, we think these rates will apply to most drivers within their respective categories (low-mileage drivers, seniors, students, and so on). Our approach for finding these rates involved the following sources.
Auto Insurance Shopping and Switch Rates Reach New Highs as Premiums Surge, J.D. Power Finds. J.D. Power. (2023, Apr 27).
https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2023-us-insurance-shopping-study
Pay Per Mile Car Insurance, Explained. Lemonade. (2023).
https://www.lemonade.com/car/explained/pay-per-mile-car-insurance/#how-does-pay-per-mile-auto-insurance-work