How we put this guide together: the main averages come from CarInsurance.com’s August 2026 study (Quadrant Information Services data; 40-year-old drivers, 100/300/100 limits, $500 deductibles). Monthly and state figures from Insurify are based on quotes. Our own calculations are labelled. See our advertiser disclosure.
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| Coverage | Average a year | About a month |
|---|---|---|
| Full coverage (100/300/100 + collision and comprehensive) | $2,578 | $215 |
| Liability only (50/100/50) | $829 | $69 |
| State minimum | $738 | $62 |
Source: CarInsurance.com, August 2026. Monthly figures are our division of the annual averages.
Moving from a state-minimum policy to full coverage adds about $1,840 a year on average (our arithmetic). Whether that is worth it depends mostly on what your car is worth; see when to drop full coverage.
Average cost by state
Where you live is one of the biggest price factors, because claim costs, weather, theft and state rules differ.
| Cheapest states | Full coverage a year | Most expensive | Full coverage a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vermont | $1,660 | Louisiana | $3,999 |
| New Hampshire | $1,689 | Michigan | $3,964 |
| Hawaii | $1,757 | Nevada | $3,963 |
| Ohio | $1,783 | Florida | $3,916 |
| Maine | $1,808 | Washington, D.C. | $3,465 |
Source: CarInsurance.com, August 2026.
Insurify’s October 2026 quote data ranks states slightly differently: Maryland was highest at $302 a month for full coverage, followed by Rhode Island ($298), Delaware ($262), Nevada ($260) and New Jersey ($257). New Hampshire was lowest at $85, then Wyoming ($94) and Alaska ($97).
Car insurance cost in every state
The table shows CarInsurance.com’s annual full-coverage average for each state alongside Insurify’s September 2026 monthly quote averages for full coverage and liability-only cover. The two sources use different methods, so treat them as two views of the same market rather than expecting them to match.
| State | Full coverage a year (CarInsurance.com) | About a month | Full coverage a month (Insurify) | Liability only a month (Insurify) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $2,116 | $176 | $141 | $66 |
| Alaska | $2,167 | $181 | $98 | $60 |
| Arizona | $2,420 | $202 | $163 | $91 |
| Arkansas | $2,942 | $245 | $151 | $74 |
| California | $3,444 | $287 | $202 | $97 |
| Colorado | $3,181 | $265 | $218 | $97 |
| Connecticut | $2,742 | $228 | $225 | $162 |
| Delaware | $3,157 | $263 | $262 | $166 |
| Florida | $3,916 | $326 | $237 | $142 |
| Georgia | $2,503 | $209 | $259 | $156 |
| Hawaii | $1,757 | $146 | $126 | $62 |
| Idaho | $1,901 | $158 | $107 | $64 |
| Illinois | $1,938 | $162 | $162 | $83 |
| Indiana | $1,894 | $158 | $129 | $65 |
| Iowa | $2,460 | $205 | $111 | $56 |
| Kansas | $2,496 | $208 | $155 | $79 |
| Kentucky | $2,624 | $219 | $194 | $121 |
| Louisiana | $3,999 | $333 | $209 | $107 |
| Maine | $1,808 | $151 | $139 | $74 |
| Maryland | $1,999 | $167 | $303 | $192 |
| Massachusetts | $2,429 | $202 | $138 | $103 |
| Michigan | $3,964 | $330 | $228 | $130 |
| Minnesota | $2,591 | $216 | $183 | $93 |
| Mississippi | $2,397 | $200 | $185 | $89 |
| Missouri | $2,151 | $179 | $180 | $92 |
| Montana | $2,476 | $206 | $139 | $62 |
| Nebraska | $2,095 | $175 | $133 | $69 |
| Nevada | $3,963 | $330 | $259 | $163 |
| New Hampshire | $1,689 | $141 | $84 | $52 |
| New Jersey | $3,122 | $260 | $256 | $182 |
| New Mexico | $2,577 | $215 | $135 | $65 |
| New York | $2,596 | $216 | $221 | $145 |
| North Carolina | $2,638 | $220 | $113 | $69 |
| North Dakota | $2,439 | $203 | $114 | $66 |
| Ohio | $1,783 | $149 | $117 | $64 |
| Oklahoma | $2,993 | $249 | $169 | $83 |
| Oregon | $2,048 | $171 | $156 | $91 |
| Pennsylvania | $2,327 | $194 | $161 | $90 |
| Rhode Island | $2,878 | $240 | $299 | $177 |
| South Carolina | $2,417 | $201 | $256 | $159 |
| South Dakota | $2,575 | $215 | $152 | $62 |
| Tennessee | $2,235 | $186 | $132 | $60 |
| Texas | $3,106 | $259 | $204 | $110 |
| Utah | $2,356 | $196 | $146 | $93 |
| Vermont | $1,660 | $138 | $143 | $58 |
| Virginia | $1,835 | $153 | $207 | $117 |
| Washington | $2,389 | $199 | $183 | $95 |
| Washington, D.C. | $3,465 | $289 | $247 | $143 |
| West Virginia | $2,415 | $201 | $155 | $82 |
| Wisconsin | $2,343 | $195 | $126 | $57 |
| Wyoming | $2,061 | $172 | $94 | $50 |
Sources: CarInsurance.com (August 2026; 40-year-old driver, 100/300/100 limits, $500 deductibles; monthly column is CarInsurance.com’s own monthly figure rounded); Insurify (September 8, 2026; median quotes). Your rate depends on your ZIP code, car, record and insurer.
Some states look very different depending on the source. Maryland, for example, is one of the cheaper states in CarInsurance.com’s standard-driver pricing ($1,999 a year) but the most expensive in Insurify’s quote data ($303 a month), because Insurify reflects the real mix of drivers shopping in each state. Michigan is high in both, largely because of its personal injury protection system.
Why some states cost so much more
The gap between the cheapest and most expensive states is more than $2,300 a year for the same driver. A few things drive it:
- Insurance systems. No-fault states such as Michigan, Florida and New York require personal injury protection, which adds cost. Michigan’s system historically made it one of the most expensive states.
- Legal costs. States where more claims end up in court tend to have higher bodily injury costs. Insurify cites tort reform in Georgia and legal reforms in Florida as factors in recent rate changes there.
- Weather. Hail, flooding and hurricanes raise comprehensive claims. Insurify notes Kentucky averaged 178 hail events a year from 2023 to 2025, up from 76 a year in 2020–2022, as rates there rose.
- Traffic and theft. Dense cities with more crashes, uninsured drivers and car theft push local prices up.
- Repair costs. Labor and parts prices vary by region, and repair costs nationally rose 5.2% in the year to August 2026 (BLS).
You can’t change your state, but you can control your coverage choices, deductible and how often you compare prices.
Average cost by age
| Age | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | $7,047 | $7,946 |
| 19 | $5,395 | $6,041 |
| 20 | $4,893 | $5,454 |
| 25 | $2,997 | $3,091 |
| 40 | $2,585 | $2,570 |
| 65 | $2,333 | $2,373 |
Source: CarInsurance.com, August 2026, full coverage. Some states don’t allow gender to be used in pricing.
Prices fall fastest between 18 and 25. An 18-year-old man pays about 3.1 times what a 40-year-old man pays (our arithmetic). For families with a new driver, see the teen section of our cheapest car insurance guide.
What older drivers pay
Prices dip in middle age and then creep up again. CarInsurance.com’s April 2026 senior study found average full-coverage costs of $2,353 at 65, $2,498 at 70 and $2,742 at 75, about $211 a month across all three ages. Insurers point to higher accident and injury rates among older drivers. The cheapest large insurer for seniors in that study was Travelers at $1,987 a year; USAA was lower at $1,681 for those who qualify.
Average cost by driving record and credit
| Situation | Full coverage a year | Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Clean record (baseline) | $2,578 | – |
| One speeding ticket | $3,568 | +38% |
| Two speeding tickets | $4,196 | +63% |
| One at-fault accident | $4,129 | +60% |
| First DUI | $4,959 | +92% |
| Second DUI | $8,307 | +222% |
| Fair credit | $3,280 | +27% |
| Bad credit | $5,478 | +113% |
Source: CarInsurance.com, August 2026. Credit-based scores are restricted for car insurance in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon and Utah (Experian).
Average cost for electric cars
Electric vehicles cost more to insure, mainly because batteries, sensors and specialist repairs are expensive. CarInsurance.com puts the average for an EV at $3,708 a year ($309 a month) for full coverage, about 44% more than its overall average of $2,578 (our arithmetic). If you are choosing between models, get insurance quotes before you buy.
Average cost by insurer
For the same 40-year-old driver, average full-coverage prices ranged from $1,628 at USAA (military families only) and $1,962 at Travelers to $3,207 at Farmers. The full company table is in our cheapest car insurance guide.
Are prices going up or down?
After several years of steep increases, prices have levelled off. The BLS consumer price index for motor vehicle insurance was 5.1% lower in August 2026 than a year earlier, its first annual declines since 2021. Insurify found full-coverage premiums averaged $2,237 in the first half of 2026, up 1% from the end of 2025, after falling about 6% during 2025. It projects increases in 32 states by year-end, led by Connecticut. Repair costs are still rising (+5.2% over 12 months, BLS), which is the main pressure on future rates.
How to use these averages
- Start with your state in the table above, then adjust for your age band and record.
- If your quote is 20% or more above the figure for someone like you, it is worth getting at least two more quotes.
- If you are well below the averages, check the policy covers what you think it does: low prices sometimes mean state-minimum limits or high deductibles.
- Re-check every renewal. Averages move each quarter, and your own price can rise even when the market falls.
Savings tip: if your renewal price went up while these averages fell, that is a strong sign it is time to compare quotes.
Common questions
How much is car insurance per month in 2026?
About $215 a month for full coverage and $62 a month for a state-minimum policy, based on CarInsurance.com’s annual averages. Insurify’s October 2026 quote data put full coverage at $187 a month.
Which state has the cheapest car insurance?
Vermont had the lowest full-coverage average in CarInsurance.com’s 2026 data at $1,660 a year. In Insurify’s October 2026 quote data, New Hampshire was cheapest at $85 a month.
How much does a speeding ticket raise insurance?
About 38% on average for one ticket, taking typical full coverage from $2,578 to $3,568 a year in CarInsurance.com’s 2026 data.
How much is car insurance for a 70-year-old?
About $2,498 a year for full coverage on average, according to CarInsurance.com’s April 2026 senior study. At 65 it was $2,353 and at 75 it was $2,742.
Is car insurance more expensive for electric cars?
Usually yes. CarInsurance.com puts the average EV full-coverage price at $3,708 a year, compared with $2,578 for its overall average.
Sources
- CarInsurance.com: How much is car insurance? (Aug 2026)
- Insurify: Average car insurance rates, October 2026
- Insurify: 2026 mid-year auto insurance report
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Consumer Price Index, August 2026
- Experian: States that restrict credit-based insurance scores
- Insurify: Average car insurance rates, September 2026
- CarInsurance.com: How much car insurance costs for seniors (Apr 2026)
Prices, discounts and rules change often and vary by state and driver. Figures were checked in October 2026; confirm details with the insurer or your state insurance department.