Here’s a breakdown of how we reviewed and rated the top auto insurance providers
Here are the cheapest national car insurers for some common driver profiles:
- Cheapest full-coverage car insurance: Travelers, $158 per month
- Cheapest minimum-coverage car insurance: USAA, $36 per month
- Cheapest car insurance for brand new drivers: Erie, $112 per month
- Cheapest car insurance for young adults: USAA, $42 per month
- Cheapest car insurance for seniors: Erie, $44 per month
- Cheapest car insurance for a speeding ticket: USAA, $45 per month
- Cheapest car insurance for a DUI: Kemper, $69 per month
In our 2025 auto insurance survey, 55% of the 1,000 policyholders we surveyed said cost was the most important factor when choosing a car insurance company.
What Is the Cheapest National Car Insurance Company?
USAA is the No. 1 cheapest car insurance provider for most drivers, according to our research. The company offers minimum coverage at an average monthly cost of $36.
USAA policies are available only to active military, veterans and their immediate family members. If you don’t qualify for USAA insurance, the cheapest national provider for minimum coverage is Erie, with an average monthly rate of $38.
The cheapest full-coverage car insurance comes from Travelers, with an average premium of $158 per month.
We gathered car insurance cost information for adult drivers with good credit and clean driving records, unless otherwise indicated, to determine the cheapest national providers in our methodology.
Cheapest Car Insurance by Coverage Level
Below is information on the cheapest car insurance companies for minimum and full coverage.
Cheapest Minimum-Liability Car Insurance
USAA offers the cheapest car insurance for minimum liability among national providers at an average of $36 per month.
If you aren’t eligible for USAA auto insurance, Erie and Geico are affordable options.
| Provider | Average Monthly Minimum-Coverage Car Insurance Rates |
|---|---|
| USAA | $36 |
| Erie | $38 |
| Geico | $42 |
| Auto-Owners | $46 |
| Shelter Insurance | $54 |
Cheapest Full-Coverage Car Insurance
Travelers is the cheapest option for full-coverage car insurance among national providers, with policies averaging $158 per month. USAA and Geico also stand out as affordable options for full coverage.
| Provider | Average Monthly Full-Coverage Car Insurance Rates |
|---|---|
| Travelers | $158 |
| USAA | $162 |
| Geico | $174 |
| Erie | $177 |
| NJM | $190 |
Cheapest Car Insurance by Age
Erie offers the cheapest minimum coverage among national providers for 16-year-old drivers. Farmers provides the cheapest full coverage. When searching for the best car insurance for teens, it’s essential to consider both price and coverage quality, as inexperienced drivers may be more likely to get into accidents.
As you can see in the tables below, car insurance premiums come down as drivers gain more experience behind the wheel.
| Age | Provider | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Erie | $112 |
| 17 | Erie | $35 |
| 18 | Erie | $86 |
| 19 | Erie | $75 |
| 20 | Erie | $70 |
| 21 | USAA | $56 |
| 22 | USAA | $53 |
| 25 | USAA | $42 |
| 45 | USAA | $35 |
| 55 | USAA | $34 |
| 65 | USAA | $37 |
| 75 | Erie | $44 |
| Age | Provider | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Farmers | $341 |
| 17 | Farmers | $331 |
| 18 | Farmers | $351 |
| 19 | Travelers | $302 |
| 20 | Travelers | $254 |
| 21 | USAA | $212 |
| 22 | USAA | $200 |
| 25 | Travelers | $162 |
| 45 | USAA | $131 |
| 55 | USAA | $126 |
| 65 | USAA | $129 |
| 75 | Travelers | $152 |
Cheapest Car Insurance by Driving Record
We found that USAA consistently offers the cheapest auto insurance to those with a driving violation such as an accident or a speeding ticket. Insurance companies classify certain drivers as high risk, which usually means higher premiums. Below, we’ll detail the cheapest car insurance companies for high-risk drivers.
| Driving Record | Provider | Average Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Accident | USAA | $54 |
| DUI | Kemper | $69 |
| Speeding Ticket | USAA | $45 |
| Texting While Driving Ticket | USAA | $44 |
| Driving Record | Provider | Average Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Accident | USAA | $200 |
| DUI | Kemper | $218 |
| Speeding Ticket | USAA | $171 |
| Texting While Driving Ticket | USAA | $170 |
Normally, driving violations are only part of your record for about five years, maximum, from the time the violation takes place, but the cutoff depends on your insurance provider. More serious violations like DUIs can affect your rates for up to 10 years.
Calculate the Cost of Car Insurance
To get an idea of how much you can expect to pay in car insurance premiums for your age and profile, calculate the cost of car insurance before requesting quotes from specific providers. This will help you have a better idea of rates and could help you save on your premiums.
$ – $ per month
on car insurance.
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What Is the Cheapest Car Insurance in My State?
Use the table below to learn about the cheapest providers and cheapest monthly minimum-coverage rates in each state. Florida , Nevada and Louisiana car insurance rates tend to be higher than the national average, which may be due to their weather-related risks and state coverage requirements. Note that some of the providers in the table below are regional carriers that may not be available nationwide.
| State | Cheapest Car Insurance Provider | Cheapest Minimum-Coverage Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Geico | $24 |
| Alaska | Geico | $29 |
| Arizona | Geico | $42 |
| Arkansas | Travelers | $29 |
| California | Geico | $42 |
| Colorado | American National Insurance | $25 |
| Connecticut | Geico | $38 |
| Delaware | Travelers | $48 |
| Florida | Geico | $48 |
| Georgia | USAA | $55 |
| Hawaii | Geico | $21 |
| Idaho | USAA | $20 |
| Illinois | Travelers | $38 |
| Indiana | USAA | $23 |
| Iowa | Travelers | $21 |
| Kansas | USAA | $25 |
| Kentucky | USAA | $44 |
| Louisiana | Farm Bureau | $68 |
| Maine | Travelers | $25 |
| Maryland | USAA | $36 |
| Massachusetts | Plymouth Rock | $38 |
| Michigan | Travelers | $37 |
| Minnesota | USAA | $28 |
| Mississippi | National General | $31 |
| Missouri | USAA | $26 |
| Montana | USAA | $20 |
| Nebraska | American National Insurance | $15 |
| Nevada | USAA | $63 |
| New Hampshire | Hanover Insurance | $20 |
| New Jersey | Geico | $68 |
| New Mexico | USAA | $26 |
| New York | Progressive | $45 |
| North Carolina | Progressive | $39 |
| North Dakota | USAA | $21 |
| Ohio | USAA | $24 |
| Oklahoma | American Hallmark | $27 |
| Oregon | Progressive | $54 |
| Pennsylvania | Travelers | $22 |
| Rhode Island | USAA | $43 |
| South Carolina | American National Insurance | $25 |
| South Dakota | Progressive | $16 |
| Tennessee | USAA | $27 |
| Texas | State Farm | $42 |
| Utah | National Farmers Union Insurance | $41 |
| Vermont | Union Mutual | $16 |
| Virginia | Farm Bureau | $36 |
| Washington | USAA | $30 |
| West Virginia | USAA | $29 |
| Wisconsin | Travelers | $22 |
| Wyoming | American National Insurance | $15 |
Cheapest Car Insurance by Credit Score
USAA and Geico typically have the cheapest auto insurance for drivers with bad credit. In most states, auto insurers consider credit history when calculating rates — California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan are the exceptions. These states are prohibited from using credit history as a factor in calculating premiums.
| Credit Score | Provider | Average Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent (800 to 850) | Erie | $31 |
| Good (670 to 739) | USAA | $36 |
| Poor (300 to 579) | USAA | $62 |
| Credit Score | Provider | Average Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent (800 to 850) | Travelers | $121 |
| Good (670 to 739) | Travelers | $158 |
| Poor (300 to 579) | Geico | $237 |
How To Save Money on Your Premiums
Almost 30% of the 1,000 car insurance policyholders we surveyed last year had the same car insurance for more than 10 years. However, research shows that shopping around can save you hundreds of dollars per year on premiums. For example, Consumer Reports found that customers who switched providers saved an average of $461 on their policies. One easy way to shop for car insurance is to use a quote comparison tool like this one:
Experts also recommend taking your time and shopping around for the best deal:
“To get the best price on car insurance, be sure to decide the coverages you need and which you can do without, ask about discounts and compare quotes from several companies.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Cheap Car Insurance
Minimum-liability policies are the cheapest type of car insurance. They are usually the minimum insurance that’s required by each state and only cover the cost of the other automobile if you’re at fault in an accident. As you might expect, these policies don’t offer you any financial protection in the event of an accident, which is why we recommend full coverage or, at the very least, higher liability limits than minimum coverage usually provides.
Those who are 55 years old tend to pay the lowest rates, at an average rate of $15 per month for minimum coverage or $93 per month for full coverage, according to our research.
Progressive tends to be more expensive for most drivers than Geico, based on our latest research. Progressive also tends to have favorable rates for drivers in high-risk categories such as those with recent DUIs, accidents, tickets or poor credit (depending on the state you live in).
State Farm is the largest auto insurance company in the U.S., according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The company accounts for 18.9% of the total private auto insurance market.
Our Methodology: Ranking the Cheapest Car Insurance Providers in the U.S.
We based our national rankings on the average car insurance costs of a 35-year-old driver with good credit and a clean driving record for both minimum and full coverage. Our team collected and analyzed more than 10 million auto insurance quotes from Quadrant Information Services to compare prices. Coverage for liability estimates are based on minimum requirements in each state, and full-coverage estimates are based on a 50/100/50 policy that includes:
- $50,000 in bodily injury coverage per person
- $100,000 in bodily injury coverage per accident
- $50,000 in property damage coverage per accident
- $500 deductible
In the spirit of quality control, we filtered out insurance providers that don’t meet the standards we uphold for our readers. Every company you see mentioned in this article has been thoroughly researched, evaluated and approved by our insurance researchers.
We also included only providers that operate in 15 or more states and received an overall rating of at least 4.2 out of 5 in our industry-wide review. Providers with limited eligibility, such as USAA, were excluded from our rankings.
*Data accurate at time of publication.
