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Last updated: January 11, 2024
Best Car Insurance in El Paso, TX
Find the best coverage, rates, and providers in the Texas Sun City.
Best Cheap Auto Insurance in El Paso
On average, the Texas Farm Bureau offers the cheapest rates in El Paso at $792 annually. Texas Farm Bureau’s average annual rate is nearly half the city’s rate for most drivers.
Best for Teens and Parents of Teens in El Paso
In addition to being the largest provider in the country, State Farm offers cheap rates, safety driver programs, and several discounts for teens and parents of teens.
Best for El Paso Military, Veterans, and Military Families
El Paso is home to one of the largest military populations in the country. USAA’s exclusive military membership is our top pick for the more than 160,000 military members, veterans, military retirees, and military dependents in El Paso.
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El Paso is one of the safest and most affordable cities not just in Texas, but across the U.S. Although the cost of living remains relatively low in El Paso — nearly 16 points below the national average — car insurance providers have significantly increased premiums in 2023 and will continue to do so in the coming year.1
According to S&P Global, Texas regulators have approved the largest number of auto insurance rate hikes in the state, with as many as 40 providers increasing rates by at least 10 percent in 2023.2 Even with the lower cost of living in El Paso, drastic cost increases in the local economy can be a strain on families and residents. With more auto insurance rate increases expected next year, it’s important to employ smart shopping strategies to bring your Texas auto insurance costs down while also maintaining quality coverage, which is what we aim to help you do in this guide.
How Much Is Car Insurance in El Paso Compared to the Rest of the State?
The average cost of car insurance for full coverage in El Paso is $1,527 annually, which is about $500 cheaper than the national average of $2,071. Average costs in the city are also cheaper than the state average of $2,127. Here’s how El Paso compares to other major cities in Texas.
| City | Monthly average cost | Annual average cost |
|---|---|---|
| El Paso | $127 | $1,527 |
| Arlington | $128 | $1,544 |
| Austin | $130 | $1,563 |
| Fort Worth | $132 | $1,592 |
| San Antonio | $137 | $1,645 |
| Dallas | $152 | $1,827 |
| Houston | 172 | $2,065 |
Comparison of the Best Auto Insurance Companies in El Paso, Texas
| Feature | Texas Farm Bureau | State Farm | USAA | GEICO | Root |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average annual rate in El Paso | $792 | $804 | $1,092 | $1,116 | $829 (national average) |
| Texas Customer Satisfaction Index out of 1,000 (J.D. Power)3 | 824 | 838 | 860 | 801 | N/A |
| Best for | People looking for the cheapest option | Teens or parents of teens | Military members, veterans, and military families | Drivers with bad credit | Safe drivers |
| Military discount | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Student discount | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
Summary of the Best Auto Insurance in El Paso
- 1.
Best Cheap Auto Insurance in El Paso: Texas Farm Bureau
- 2.
Best for Teens and Parents of Teens in El Paso: State Farm
- 3.
Best for Military, Veterans, and Military Families in El Paso: USAA
- 4.
Best for Drivers With Bad Credit in El Paso: GEICO
- 5.
Best for Safe Drivers in El Paso: Root
Detailed List of the Best Auto Insurance in El Paso, Texas
1. Best Cheap Auto Insurance in El Paso - Texas Farm Bureau
What We Like Most:
- Cheapest provider in the city
- Coverage for all drivers, not just farmers
- Solid bundling options
With average annual rates of $792 per year for full coverage, the Texas Farm Bureau is the cheapest overall provider in El Paso. Don’t let the name fool you; you don’t have to be a farmer to enjoy Texas Farm Bureau’s great rates. Texas Farm Bureau offers minimum liability, full coverage, and additional coverage options for a wide range of drivers.
Who It's Best For
- Drivers looking for the most affordable rates
- People who need farm and ranch insurance
- People who want to bundle multiple policies
- Safe drivers
Who It's Not Best For
- People looking for gap insurance
- People who want accident forgiveness
Affordable Average Rates
At $792 per year on average, Texas Farm Bureau is the cheapest provider in El Paso. Here’s how it compares to other local competitors.
Full coverage rates:
| Company | Monthly average cost | Annual average cost |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Farm Bureau | $66 | $792 |
| State Farm | $67 | $804 |
| Nationwide | $85 | $1,020 |
| USAA | $91 | $1,092 |
| GEICO | $93 | $1,116 |
| Progressive | $150 | $1,800 |
| Allstate | $155 | $1,860 |
Minimum liability rates:
| Company | Monthly average cost | Annual average cost |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Farm Bureau | $25 | $300 |
| State Farm | $28 | $336 |
| USAA | $35 | $420 |
| Nationwide | $40 | $480 |
| GEICO | $47 | $564 |
| Progressive | $58 | $696 |
| Allstate | $67 | $804 |
FYI:
While we recommend adding full coverage (medical payments, uninsured/underinsured motorist, collision, and comprehensive coverage) to your policy, minimum Texas insurance requirements include only liability coverage. You need at least $30,000 for bodily injury/person, $60,000 for bodily injury/accident, and $25,000 for property damage.4
Coverage for Farmers
While you don’t have to be a farmer to purchase Texas Farm Bureau coverage, many drivers in El Paso are farmers. If you work on one of the county’s 656 farms,5 you can sign up for specialized coverage for your:
- Barns and outbuildings
- Mobile homes
- Modular homes
- Farm equipment and machinery
- Miscellaneous farm and ranch property
Save More With Bundling
You can save more on your auto insurance when you bundle policies. With Texas Farm Bureau, you can bundle the following insurance types and save up to 15 percent:
- Home and auto
- Farm and auto
- Multiple vehicles
2. Best for Teens and Parents of Teens in El Paso - State Farm
What We Like Most:
- Multiple discounts for safe driving, including one specifically for young drivers
- Local agents
- Discounts for multiple cars
State Farm offers some of the most affordable car insurance rates across the country, and that trend is no different in El Paso. With an average annual rate of $804, State Farm is the second-cheapest provider in the city and our top pick for teens and their families in El Paso.
Who It's Best For
- Teen drivers
- Parents of teens
- Safe drivers
- People willing to take a driver safety course
Who It's Not Best For
- People who want gap insurance
- People with an at-fault accident on their record
Did you know?
El Paso is one of the youngest cities in the U.S. Twenty-six percent of the population in El Paso is under the age of 18, which is about 6 percent higher than the national average.6
Safe Driver Incentives for Teens
Young drivers tend to pay the most for car insurance among all age groups because they tend to file the most claims, receive the most violations, and have the highest rate of accidents. State Farm offers several safe driver incentives that will bring those costs down and improve driving habits for teens.
Teens can sign up for the following teen discounts and safety driving opportunities:
- Steer Clear program: Drivers under the age of 25 who complete State Farm’s Steer Clear safety program can save up to 15 percent on their car insurance.
- Drive Safe & Save: Drive Safe & Save is State Farm’s usage-based driving program. Qualifying drivers can save up to 30 percent on their car insurance and improve their driving habits in the process.
- Driver training discount: Teens or parents of teens can qualify for this discount if all operators of your vehicle under the age of 21 complete an approved driver education course.
Affordable Rates for Teens and Parents of Teens
On average, State Farm is the second-cheapest provider for teens and parents of teens. Although teens may find cheaper rates with USAA, USAA’s policy is available to military members, veterans, and their families only.
| Company | Average annual rate for teens | Average annual rate for parents of teens |
|---|---|---|
| USAA | $2,292 | N/A |
| State Farm | $4,654 | $1,746 |
| GEICO | $5,570 | $2,456 |
| Nationwide | $5,816 | $1,804 |
| Allstate | $9,487 | $4,842 |
| Progressive | $12,202 | $3,509 |
Other Ways for Teens to Save
Here are some other discounts and strategies you can employ when looking to save on auto insurance as a teen or parent of a teen.
- Good student discount: Save up to 25 percent on your car insurance if you hold a 3.0 GPA or higher.
- Student-away-at-school discount: You may be able to save on your policy if one of your operators is under the age of 25, away at school at least 100 miles away, and not using their vehicle at school.
- Buy a safe vehicle: You can save on your policy if you purchase a safe car, like an SUV or minivan, for your teen.
- Reduce coverage: If your teen’s car isn’t worth a lot, consider reducing or removing your comprehensive/collision coverage. For example, if your car is worth $2,000 and your comprehensive/collision deductible is $1,000, your provider will only be covering $1,000 in damages.
3. Best for Military, Veterans, and Military Families in El Paso - USAA
What We Like Most:
- Cheapest rates for teens on a family policy or on their own
- Special discount for teens transitioning off their parents’ policy
- Strong customer service and claims process
El Paso is home to one of the country’s largest military bases, Fort Bliss, which supports nearly 160,000 active military members, veterans, military families, military retirees, and more.7 In 2021, Fort Bliss employed more than 622,000 individuals, bringing in more than $13 billion to the Texas economy.8
If you’re part of the military community in El Paso and are eligible for a membership, we recommend you look at USAA for your insurance needs. With USAA, you’ll find some of the highest customer service scores, cheapest rates, and widest range of military coverage options.
Who It's Best For
- Military members, veterans, and military dependants
- Teen drivers
- Deployed military members who want to garage their vehicles
- Military families living overseas
Who It's Not Best For
- Non-USAA members
- People who want to work with local agents in El Paso
Discounts Made for Military Members
Whether you’re stationed at Fort Bliss or need to temporarily be away from El Paso, USAA offers several ways to save on your car insurance if you’re repositioned for military duties. Here are some discounts you can save if you’re out of the city:
- Earn up to 60 percent off your car insurance policy when you keep your vehicle in storage while you’re away on military duty.
- Keep your car garaged on a military installation and earn 15 percent off your policy.
- If you don’t think you’ll be driving much, you can sign up for USAA’s usage-based coverage. The less you drive, the less you will pay for auto insurance.
Cheap Rates
USAA members enjoy some of the cheapest rates in the country and the third-cheapest rates in El Paso. Here’s how much military members can expect to pay on average compared to the top providers in El Paso.
| Company | Monthly average premium for military | Annual average premium for military |
|---|---|---|
| Texas Farm Bureau | $72 | $864 |
| State Farm | $75 | $900 |
| USAA | $91 | $1,092 |
| GEICO | $99 | $1,188 |
| AAA Texas | $111 | $1,332 |
| Progressive | $131 | $1,572 |
| Allstate | $167 | $2,004 |
International Availability
If you and/or your family will be out of the state on an international assignment, you can take your USAA insurance with you to select locations. You may be able to keep your insurance if you’re reassigned to one of the following countries or territories:
- Azores
- Belgium
- Cuba
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Guam
- Italy
- The Netherlands
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- South Korea
- Spain
- U.S. Virgin Islands
- United Kingdom
4. Best for Drivers With Bad Credit in El Paso - GEICO
What We Like Most:
- Save money with defensive driving courses
- Cheapest rates after a speeding ticket
- Save by installing safety equipment
El Paso is home to more subprime borrowers — those with a credit score of 679 or below — than the state average. In fact, fewer than 50 percent of the residents in El Paso County are prime borrowers.9 In Texas, auto insurance companies can use credit scores when determining rates. Because drivers with bad credit file more claims on average, providers perceive them as high-risk drivers and can charge them more for car insurance.
If you’re a driver with bad credit, you can still get affordable insurance through GEICO. Not only is GEICO one of the largest and oldest insurers in the country, but its rates are also the lowest on average for drivers with bad credit in El Paso.
Cheap Rates for Low Credit Drivers
On average, GEICO offers the most affordable rates for drivers with bad credit in El Paso. Here’s how much the average driver with bad credit pays with GEICO compared to competitors.
| Company | Monthly average premium for drivers with low credit | Annual average premium for drivers with low credit |
|---|---|---|
| GEICO | $233 | $2,794 |
| USAA | $248 | $2,976 |
| Progressive | $325 | $3,897 |
| Allstate | $337 | $4,044 |
| State Farm | $338 | $4,062 |
PRO TIP:
Unsure if you have bad credit? Experian considers credit scores below 580 to be poor. Here’s the full breakdown:
- Poor: 300-579
- Fair: 580-669
- Good: 670-739
- Very good: 740-799
- Exceptional: 800-85010
Bundling and Additional Insurance
Beyond home multi-policy deals, you can bundle or add a number of other insurance types at affordable rates. Here are a few of GEICO’s other coverage options:
- Motorcycle insurance
- ATV insurance
- Umbrella insurance
- Renters insurance
- Condo insurance
- RV insurance
- Life insurance
- Boat insurance
- Personal watercraft insurance
- Commercial auto insurance
- Snowmobile insurance
- Collector car insurance
- Mexico car insurance
Mexico Car Insurance
El Paso borders Mexico and is a short 30-minute drive from Juarez, Mexico’s sixth-largest city. Whether you’re seeking a weekend getaway or an extended stay in Mexico, GEICO has your car insurance needs covered when you’re south of the border.
GEICO offers Mexico plans for cars, RVs, and motorcycles. Here’s what GEICO’s Mexico plan offers:
- Coverage for a few days, six months, or one year
- Liability coverage up to $500,000
- Coverage for:
- Personal vehicles
- RVs
- Motorcycles
- ATVs/UTVs
- Watercraft
- A dedicated Mexico-based staff to answer questions and help you navigate issues should they arise
5. Best for Safe Drivers in El Paso - Root
What We Like Most:
- Savings of up to $900 a year
- Discounts for good drivers
- File claims through the Root app, no paperwork required
Available in only 34 states (including Texas), Root is a specialized insurance provider that bases rates primarily on driving habits. While Root does look at factors such as age, credit score, and vehicle type when determining your flat rate for insurance, the most important factor will be how you perform on the Root safety driving test. On average, drivers pay up to $829 per year for Root. If you’re a safe driver in El Paso, we recommend trying Root for your car insurance needs.
Who It's Best For
- Safe drivers
- Young drivers
- “High risk” drivers with a good driving record
- People who want usage-based insurance
Who It's Not Best For
- People who want to bundle renters insurance
- People looking for a quick quote
Important Note:
While Root is generally not a good option for people with a bad driving record, it can be a great choice for high-risk drivers with a good driving record. Drivers with bad credit, young drivers, and people with vehicles that are likely to be stolen are all considered high-risk drivers, even if they have a clean driving record. Root is a great option for these types of high-risk drivers because Root will minimize those other factors (credit, age, etc.) and focus on your driving test.
Insurance Made for Safe Drivers
Root is a usage-based insurance program that requires drivers to complete a test drive in order to offer them a quote. The Root app will use your phone’s GPS, accelerometer, and gyroscope to measure your driving habits. After 30 days, you’ll get a score based on how many miles you drive, what time of day you drive, your turn speed, and other key driving metrics. If your driving is up to par, Root will approve your application and offer you some of the cheapest rates available in the state and city.
Cheap Rates
Root is able to keep its prices low because it offers policies to safe drivers only. On average, drivers pay $829 per year for car insurance with Root, and Root claims that drivers in El Paso can save up to $900 on their car insurance when they sign up for a policy.
App-Based Insurance
You can sign up for Root, manage your policy, check your driving test, and review your driving from the Root app. Root’s policies are fully app-based, so everything you need, including communicating with agents, will be done from the app or website. While this offers flexibility for drivers, it limits your ability to communicate with agents and get more hands-on support.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which provider offers the best rates for seniors in El Paso?
With an average annual premium of around $550, Texas Farm Bureau offers the cheapest rates for senior drivers in El Paso.
What is the fault law in El Paso?
Texas is an at-fault state, which means individuals responsible for accidents are also responsible for paying for damages and injuries. Under Texas’s modified comparative negligence law, you can sue for damages even if you are partially at fault for an accident. However, if you’re more than 50 percent at fault, you cannot recover any damages.
Do I need uninsured motorist coverage in El Paso?
You don’t need uninsured motorist coverage to drive legally in El Paso. However, El Paso County has the second-highest rate of uninsured drivers in the state (after Dallas County), with more than 15 percent of drivers lacking auto insurance.11 We recommend purchasing uninsured motorist coverage so you are financially protected if you get into an accident with an uninsured or underinsured motorist.
Is El Paso a safe city to drive in?
According to a study conducted by QuoteWizard, El Paso ranked 12th among the nation’s 75 best cities for driving. The study found El Paso to be one of the safest cities to drive in among large cities in the U.S.
Methodology
We reviewed auto insurers with coverage types and discounts most relevant to residents of El Paso. El Paso’s younger population, large military population, proximity to the border, and other unique qualities guided our approach to this guide.
- State and federal information: We looked at publicly available data and information from credible state and federal sources, including census data, organizations, local municipality websites, nonprofits, and others. City and statewide information helped us segment the most relevant driving populations in El Paso and identify providers that matched their needs.
- Proprietary data: For over 20 years, AutoInsurance.com has been helping drivers find quality insurance. We’ve gathered millions of data points over those years, providing us with the tools we need to figure out which providers were most successful with specific driver types. We continue to use those data sets to inform our guides and recommendations.
- Institutional knowledge: We’re fortunate to have Paul Ford in our corner, the president of insurance at Centerfield, AutoInsurance.com’s parent company. Paul’s decades of experience in the insurance world — with tenures at Bankrate, NetQuote, InsLogic, and others — provides us with the insider knowledge and guidance we need to make the best recommendations for our readers.
Citations
Economic Development. Elpasotexas.gov. (2024).
https://www.elpasotexas.gov/economic-development/economic-snapshot/quality-of-life-and-migration/Texas a key driver of US private auto insurance rate growth in Q2 2023. S&P Global Market Intelligence. (2023, Sep 6).
https://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence/en/news-insights/latest-news-headlines/texas-a-key-driver-of-us-private-auto-insurance-rate-growth-in-q2-2023-77127308Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Plummets as Rates Continue to Surge, J.D. Power Finds. J.D. Power. (2023, Jun 13).
https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2023-us-auto-insurance-studyAuto insurance guide. Texas Department of Insurance. (2024).
https://www.tdi.texas.gov/pubs/consumer/cb020.htmlEl Paso County Texas. 2017 Census of Agriculture County Profile. (2017).
https://www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/2017/Online_Resources/County_Profiles/Texas/cp48141.pdfQuickFacts El Paso city, Texas; United States; Texas. United States Census Bureau. (2022).
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/elpasocitytexas,US,TX/PST045222Fort Bliss. Military Installations. (2024).
https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/in-depth-overview/fort-blissFort Bliss: Economic Impact on the Texas Economy, 2021. Comptroller.Texas.Gov. (2021).
https://comptroller.texas.gov/economy/economic-data/military/2021/fort-bliss.phpConsumer Credit Trends for El Paso County. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. (2020, Feb).
https://www.dallasfed.org/cd/cct/20cctepHow to “Fix” a Bad Credit Score. Experian. (2022, Aug 22).
https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/credit-education/improving-credit/how-to-fix-a-bad-credit-score/Dallas Tops the List of Urban Texas Counties with the Most Uninsured Drivers. Crosley Law. (2024).
https://crosleylaw.com/blog/dallas-tops-list-urban-texas-counties-uninsured-drivers/
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