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Car insurance in the Bay State gets more expensive every year.
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In 2020, the average annual cost of car insurance in Massachusetts was $1,170, which is 12 percent higher than the national average, according to data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. From 2014 to 2020, the average rate in the Bay State shot up 13 percent. So how can you stay protected while not sacrificing so much of your hard-earned paycheck for car insurance?
In Massachusetts, both married and single people can get rates as low as $622 from State Farm.
Those with less coverage will pay less for insurance. If you get only the state’s minimum required coverage, you can pay just $306 a year with State Farm. Full coverage will cost significantly more, at $730 from the Safety Group.
Teen drivers will pay more than middle-aged and older drivers. However, when people hit their 70s, insurance rates start to increase again. Here are the cheapest annual options for every age:
If you have a good driving record, you can buy insurance in Massachusetts for as little as $252 per year from Chubb. There’s no average price for people with a bad driving record, but expect rates to be much higher.
Type of coverage | Minimum limit required |
---|---|
Bodily injury | $20,000 per person,
$40,000 per accident |
Personal injury protection | $8,000 per person |
Uninsured motorist bodily injury | $20,000 per person,
$40,000 per accident |
Property damage | $5,000 per accident1 |
Expect higher insurance costs if you had an at-fault accident or speeding ticket. However, improving your credit score won’t impact your premium in Massachusetts, as the state bans companies from taking credit score into account when determining prices.
Compared to other states, Massachusetts’ minimum requirements are decent. The state requires not only liability coverage, but also personal injury protection and uninsured motorist coverage for bodily injury. But what’s missing?
Liability coverage for both bodily injury and property damage should have limits as high as you can afford. A car accident could result in more than $40,000 of injuries or $5,000 of property damage, for example. Consider a minimum limit of $500,000. (High-net-worth individuals should consider an umbrella policy with higher limits than this, as they’re more susceptible to lawsuits.)
Massachusetts’ minimum coverage does not apply to your property damages in accidents you cause. For that, you’d need collision insurance.
Comprehensive coverage also pays for your property damages, but not from collisions. Rather, it covers damages from the following incidents:
The limit for comprehensive coverage is also your car’s actual market value.
To protect yourself from having to pay out of pocket to replace your car after an accident, you’ll need either gap insurance (for a financed vehicle) or new-car replacement insurance (for a vehicle you own outright). Otherwise, you’ll receive your car’s AMV if it’s declared a total loss.
The required coverage applies only to bodily injuries that an uninsured driver causes you and your passengers. It doesn’t cover property damage or liability for drivers with insufficient insurance (underinsured motorist coverage). For uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, match the limit to that of your liability coverage.
The only alternative to buying personal auto insurance is to self-insure, but this option won’t be available to most people. Why? Because self-insuring requires proving you can satisfy any judgments against you in the way third-party car insurance in Massachusetts would. You must prove you can pay the following.
Your proof can be a security or a surety bond. However, the insurance commissioner has full discretion as to whether to provide you with a certificate of self-insurance, according to Massachusetts law.2
If you fail to pay a judgment within 30 days, the insurance commissioner can cancel your self-insurance certificate, but they must let you know 10 days before it ends.
Massachusetts probably isn’t the only state in the region where you’ll be driving. While you’re in New England, check out our state driving guide to make sure you’re not violating any laws of neighboring states. However, if you have no plans to leave the Old Colony State, learn more about insurance in Massachusetts in our frequently asked questions below.
The average monthly cost of car insurance in Massachusetts is $97, according to the most recent data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
Yes, GEICO covers drivers in Massachusetts. There are agents close to the Boston and Springfield areas. Find an agent near you at https://www.geico.com/insurance-agents/massachusetts.
Older cars may or may not be cheaper to insure than newer cars. It depends on the car’s actual market value, crash test safety ratings, safety features, make, and model. It also depends on the driver. Drivers with a DUI will pay more than drivers with a clean driving record, for example, while teen drivers will pay more than drivers in their 30s. In other words, the age of the car isn’t the only factor that impacts the cost of insurance.
In Massachusetts, car insurance costs are 12 percent higher than the rest of the country, according to 2020 data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The average person spent $1,170 on car insurance in 2020, compared with $1,047 for the rest of the country.
Understanding Auto Insurance. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (2022).
https://www.mass.gov/service-details/understanding-auto-insurance
Section 49G: Certificate of self-insurance. The 192nd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (2022).
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXIV/Chapter90/Section49G