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Icon CheckLast updated: October 9, 2024

Best Car Insurance in Washington in 2024

The best car insurance rates, discounts, and coverage options in Washington

Best Cheap Auto Insurance in Washington
PEMCO Shield Logo

With an average annual rate of $912 for car insurance, Pemco is the cheapest provider in Washington. Pemco customers save 37 percent on their car insurance compared to the average driver in Washington.

Best Auto Insurance for Teens in Washington
State Farm Logo

Teens and parents of teens can enjoy State Farm’s competitive rates, teen safety program, and several discounts geared toward keeping teens safe behind the wheel.

Best Auto Insurance for Electric Cars in Washington
Travelers Insurance Logo

Travelers offers the best rates, discounts, and incentives for electric vehicle owners. If you’re one of the many electric vehicle owners in Washington or are thinking about purchasing an electric vehicle, Travelers is our top pick.

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Drivers in Washington have seen their rates increase by as much as $200 in 2023, leaving many frustrated and confused by the sudden premium spike. Even with Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler mandating insurers to explain premium increases to their policyholders in simple terms, you can expect your car insurance rates to continue increasing in 2024.1

Premium freezes during the pandemic, an increase in the cost of goods and repairs, and a higher rate of claims are all contributing to higher insurance costs in Washington and across the country. At AutoInsurance.com, we believe all drivers deserve the coverage they need at an affordable rate. Read on to learn more about how you can find the best providers in Washington based on your driving background, age, military status, credit score, and more.

Average Annual Premium in Washington

With an average annual rate of $1,462 for full coverage, car insurance in Washington is about 30 percent cheaper than the national average of $2,071. Pemco offers an average rate that’s 50 percent more affordable than the national average and 37 percent cheaper than the state average.

Average Rate by City in Washington

Among the state’s largest cities, Spokane offers the cheapest average rate ($1,392) in Washington. Tacoma, the state’s third-largest city by population, has the highest average rate ($1,977).

City Monthly average premium Annual average premium
Spokane $116 $1,392
Everett $119 $1,428
Vancouver $123 $1,476
Renton $136 $1,632
Bellevue $146 $1,757
Seattle $162 $1,943
Tacoma $165 $1,977

Comparison of the best auto insurance companies in Washington

Feature Pemco State Farm Travelers USAA GEICO
Average annual rate in Washington $912 $1,116 $1,524 $1,020 $1,188
Northwest Customer Satisfaction Index Ranking out of 1,000 (J.D. Power)2 831 821 N/A 875 797
Best for Drivers on a budget Teens or parents of teens Electric car owners Military members and veterans People with bad credit
Agents in Washington 100+ 100+ 100+ N/A 3
Review N/A State Farm review Travelers review USAA review GEICO review

Summary of the Best Auto Insurance in Washington

  1. 1.

    Best Cheap Auto Insurance in Washington: PEMCO

  2. 2.

    Best Auto Insurance for Teens in Washington: State Farm

  3. 3.

    Best Auto Insurance for Drivers of an Electric Car in Washington: Travelers

  4. 4.

    Best Auto Insurance for Military and Veterans in Washington: USAA

  5. 5.

    Best Auto Insurance for Drivers With Bad Credit in Washington: GEICO

Detailed List of the Best Auto Insurance in Washington

1. Best Cheap Auto Insurance in Washington - PEMCO
PEMCO Shield Logo

What We Like Most:

  • Cheapest provider in the state
  • Above-average customer service score in Northwest
  • Large selection of agents in Washington

Available in Washington and Oregon only, Pemco is the cheapest provider in Washington on average. It comes with a wide range of car insurance discounts, including discounts exclusive to drivers in Washington. If you’re looking for the cheapest provider in the state and several ways to bring your costs down, Pemco is our top choice.

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    People on a budget
  • pro
    Drivers who want to work with a local agent
  • pro
    Low-mileage drivers
  • pro
    University of Washington alumni
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    Unsafe drivers

Cheapest Average Provider in Washington

Pemco’s annual average rate of $912 is nearly 40 percent cheaper than the state average. If you’re looking for the cheapest insurance in Washington, Pemco is the way to go.

Company Monthly average premium Annual average premium
Pemco $76 $912
USAA $85 $1,020
State Farm $93 $1,116
GEICO $99 $1,188
Travelers $127 $1,524
Progressive $141 $1,692
Allstate $152 $1,824
Farmers $183 $2,196

Washington-Specific Discounts

Pemco is available in Oregon and Washington only, and several of its discounts are available only to drivers in Washington. Here’s a list of some Washington-exclusive discounts to help reduce your costs:

  • Auto and mariner discount: Bundle your boat and car with Pemco to earn this discount.
  • Auto and umbrella insurance discount: You can save by bundling your car and umbrella insurance with Pemco.
  • Leased auto discount: If you lease your vehicle, you’ll get a comprehensive and collision coverage discount.
  • Paperless discount: You’ll get a discount when you opt to receive your documents and paperwork digitally.

Low-Mileage Discount

Drive less than 8,000 miles per year? Ask your agent about Pemco’s low-mileage discount. Pemco customers who drive less than 8,000 miles a year may be eligible for a sizable discount.

2. Best Auto Insurance for Teens in Washington - 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 insures nearly 17 percent of all drivers in Washington, making it the largest car insurance company in the state.3 It offers the best rates for teens and several ways to save, including a teen driver program and good student discounts.

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    Teens and parents of teens
  • pro
    Good students
  • pro
    Safe drivers
  • pro
    People who want to work with a local agent
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    People who want gap insurance
  • con
    Older drivers

Cheapest for Teens

If you or your teen are looking for car insurance, it’s important to know that teens pay some of the highest average rates for car insurance in the country. Because teens have higher rates of accidents, moving violations, and claims, insurers view them as high-risk drivers and charge them higher accordingly.

In Washington, State Farm offers the cheapest average rate for teens, with premiums around $2,300 for full coverage.

Company Monthly average premium Annual average premium
State Farm $197 $2,364
Pemco $234 $2,808
GEICO $242 $2,904
USAA $296 $3,552
Progressive $301 $3,612
Allstate $378 $4,536
Farmers $401 $4,812

Pro Tip:

These prices reflect what you would pay if you’re a teen starting an insurance plan on your own. However, you can bring those costs down significantly by being added to your parents’ policy. While your average rate will still increase, it won’t be as steep of a premium hike if you’re on your parents’ policy and your parents are low-risk drivers.

Young Adult Safety Program

You can save up to 30 percent on your car insurance with State Farm’s young adult safety program, Steer Clear. Steer Clear is a driving-focused training program that encourages young drivers to have safer driving habits on the road.

The program comprises:

  • Five hours of tracked driving practice
  • Training modules that include lessons, videos, and quizzes
  • Mentor login feature so family or friends can track progress
  • Detailed driving scores that can inform you or your teen of how well you’re driving and provide points for improvement

Discounts for Teens and Students

If you’re a teen or parent of a teen, you have a few ways to bring your costs down with State Farm. Ask your agent to see if you qualify for the following discounts.

  • Good student discount: Full-time students under age 25 are eligible for a discount if they have a 3.0 GPA or higher.
  • Away at school discount: If you or your teen is under the age of 25 and meet the following requirements, you may qualify for this discount:
    • Must reside at school more than 100 miles away from home
    • Must drive the insured vehicle only when you’re at home during the holidays or school vacations
    • Must keep the car at home while away at school
  • Good driving discount: If everyone in your household, including your teen, has had no moving violations or accidents in the past three years, you could qualify for this discount.
3. Best Auto Insurance for Drivers of an Electric Car in Washington - Travelers

What We Like Most:

  • High financial strength rating from AM Best
  • Great customer service reviews
  • Discounts for safe drivers, homeowners, electric vehicle owners, and more

Travelers has some of the best rates for owners of electric and hybrid vehicles. It’s one of the few companies that offers a discount for EV and hybrid owners, and it comes with several coverage add-ons to give you some extra protection.

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    Hybrid and electric vehicle owners
  • pro
    People who don’t own the vehicle they drive
  • pro
    Homeowners
  • pro
    People who want umbrella insurance
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    People who want minimum liability only
  • con
    People with a bad driving record

Low Rates for Electric Vehicles and Hybrids

Because electric cars tend to have higher price tags, you can expect your car insurance rates to be more expensive compared to gas-powered vehicles. On average, Travelers has the second-cheapest rates ($1,584) for electric vehicle owners.

Company Monthly average premium Annual average premium
Travelers $132 $1,584
COUNTRY Financial $144 $1,728
State Farm $145 $1,744
Farm Bureau $149 $1,788
USAA $158 $1,895
Tesla Insurance $158 $1,899

Did You Know?

With 14.5 electric car owners per 1,000 people in 2023, Washington is home to the third-largest EV registration rate in the country, just behind Hawaii and California. That’s about triple the rate in 2018, when the state recorded five Ev registrations per 1,000 people.4

Discount for Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Owners

If you own or lease a hybrid/electric vehicle, you can save up to 10 percent on your car insurance in Washington.

Named Non-Owner Insurance

If you don’t own a vehicle but drive on a regular basis, you’ll need named non-owner insurance. Travelers offers named non-owner coverage for individuals who:

  • Rent vehicles often
  • Drive a company car for personal use
  • Borrow vehicles regularly
  • Use car-sharing services
  • Provide care for a person whom you don’t live with and drive their car
4. Best Auto Insurance for Military and Veterans in Washington - 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

USAA memberships are exclusive to military members, veterans, and military families. With some of the cheapest rates in Washington, excellent service scores, and membership perks, USAA is one of the highest-reviewed car insurance providers in the state and the country.

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    Military members, veterans, and military families
  • pro
    USAA members
  • pro
    People who want to take advantage of USAA perks, like free financial guidance
  • pro
    Safe drivers
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    Non-USAA members
  • con
    Drivers with a DUI on their record

Excellent Rates

With average rates as low as $1,020 annually for full coverage, USAA is the second-cheapest car insurance company in Washington. It insures 8 percent of all drivers in Washington, making it one of the largest and most affordable in the state.

Fun Fact:

With 64,000 active duty military members, Washington ranked seventh for active duty military in the country. It’s also home to one of the largest veteran populations, with nearly 500,000 veterans residing in the Evergreen State.5

Highest Customer Service in the Northwest

J.D. Power gave USAA an 875 for overall customer satisfaction in the Northwest, which is 31 points higher than the second best (The Hartford) and 65 points higher than the regional average.

J.D. Power rates auto insurers based on several factors, including billing process and policy information, claims satisfaction, customer interactions, and price. Its study involved responses from 41,437 auto insurance customers from January through April 2023.

USAA Membership Perks

USAA’s insurance membership perks are available to you, your spouse, and your children. With USAA, you get the following additional perks and membership benefits:

  • Banking resources, like access to checking accounts with no service fees and home loans
  • Access to financial advice and tools, like a retirement calculator
  • Discounts on rental cars and repair shops
  • Tire discounts
  • Car maintenance discounts
5. Best Auto Insurance for Drivers With Bad Credit in Washington - GEICO

What We Like Most:

  • Save money with defensive driving courses
  • Cheapest rates after a speeding ticket
  • Save by installing safety equipment

GEICO insures 11 percent of Washington’s drivers and offers the cheapest average rates for drivers with bad credit.

ProsWho It's Best For
  • pro
    People with bad credit
  • pro
    Federal workers
  • pro
    Military members
  • pro
    People who want to use the GEICO mobile app
ConsWho It's Not Best For
  • con
    People who want to work with a local agent
  • con
    People who don’t want to use technology to manage their insurance

Cheapest Rates for Drivers With Bad Credit

Although Washington has a relatively high average credit score (730), insurance providers are allowed to increase premiums if you have a bad credit score.6 If you have bad credit and are struggling to find affordable car insurance, GEICO will offer the cheapest average rates in the state.

Company Monthly average premium Annual average premium
GEICO $104 $1,248
USAA $109 $1,308
Pemco $111 $1,322
State Farm $124 $1,488
Allstate $183 $2,196
Progressive $202 $2,424
American Family $225 $2,700

Affiliate Discounts

Military members, federal workers, and employees of affiliate companies can benefit from GEICO’s affiliate membership discounts.

Here’s how much you can save with GEICO.

Discount Maximum savings
Military emergency deployment 25%
Federal employee discount 12%
Military discount 15%
Affiliate employee discount Varies

Robust Mobile App Features

With limited agents available in Washington, you might find it easier to manage your policy on the GEICO mobile app. Through the app, you can:

  • Review your policy
  • Access digital ID card
  • Request quotes
  • Report and track claims
  • Access GEICO’s virtual assistant
  • Request roadside assistance
  • Find nearby gas stations and garages
  • Get updates on important vehicle information like vehicle recalls and registration renewals

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the minimum insurance requirements in Washington?

According to Washington’s Department of Licensing, the minimum auto insurance requirements are:

  • $25,000 in bodily injury per person
  • $50,000 in bodily injury per accident
  • $10,000 in property damage

Can I insure myself in Washington?

Individuals with fleets — 26 or more vehicles — may be eligible for a self-insurance policy. Contact the Driver Records department at the Department of Licensing for more information.

Is Washington an at-fault state?

Yes, Washington is an at-fault state, which means the party responsible for an accident is also responsible for paying damages and injuries to the other party.

Washington is a pure comparative negligence state, which means you’re able to collect damages proportional to your degree of fault. If, for example, you’re 90 percent at fault for an accident, you can still seek payments for 10 percent of your damages/injuries.

Which provider offers the best rates for seniors in Washington?

Pemco offers the cheapest rates for seniors, with the average policy starting at around $900 per year.

Methodology

We’ve reviewed our proprietary data, driver demographics in Washington, public data, third-party reviews, and more to put our list together. The providers on our list offered the best rates, discounts, coverages, and incentives to some of the most common driver types in Washington.

  • Proprietary data: AutoInsurance.com’s database consists of 20 years of interactions with real drivers. By helping drivers connect with providers, we’ve identified what makes specific insurers better for certain driver types in Washington. We leverage that information to inform our regional pages for drivers in Washington and across the country.
  • Third-party reviews: J.D. Power, Moody’s, S&P Global, and AM Best are just a few of the third-party organizations we review to determine the quality of customer care and financial strength of car insurance companies. Many of the providers on our list have above-average customer service and financial ratings in the Northwest.
  • Insider knowledge: Paul Ford, president of insurance at AutoInsurance.com’s parent company, Centerfield, provides us with the insider knowledge we need to make informed and confident insurance decisions. Paul brings his decades of experience in the insurance industry to guide our research and help us generate better recommendations for our readers.
Ali Saleh
Written by:Ali Saleh
Staff Writer & Editor
Ali Saleh is a copywriter with nearly 10 years of experience in content writing, editing, and journalism. Ali’s work has been featured on a number of notable sites and publications, including MSN, Business.com’s award-winning newsletter, and Groove Korea, South Korea’s largest English-print magazine. Today, he writes for dozens of brands, providing expert guides and informative articles on auto insurance, healthcare, recruiting technology, business, and more. Ali holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from North Carolina State University.

Citations

  1. Rule proposed to require insurers tell you why your premium is going up. Office of the Insurance Commissioner Washington State. (2023, Mar 14).
    https://www.insurance.wa.gov/news/rule-proposed-require-insurers-tell-you-why-your-premium-going

  2. Auto 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-study

  3. 2022 Market Share Reports For Property/Casualty Groups and Companies by State and Countrywide. National Association of Insurance Commissioners. (2023, Sep).
    https://content.naic.org/sites/default/files/publication-msr-pb-property-casualty.pdf

  4. Is Your State Going EV? 10 States With Most Electric Cars Per Capita. Yahoo! Finance. (2023, May 22).
    https://finance.yahoo.com/news/state-going-ev-10-states-154113266.html

  5. Military Active-Duty Personnel, Civilians by State. Governing. (2017, Oct).
    https://www.governing.com/archive/military-civilian-active-duty-employee-workforce-numbers-by-state.html

  6. Minnesota residents have the highest average credit score—here’s how other states compare. CNBC. (2022, May 24).
    https://www.cnbc.com/select/average-credit-score-by-state/