Car insurance companies sell the same basic thing, but quoted prices can vary by hundreds of dollars a year from one insurer to the next. The challenge of knowing whether you’re getting a good deal for the coverage you need can make it feel confusing to shop for car insurance.
You can get a sense of a “normal rate” for someone like you by estimating your car insurance premiums with NerdWallet’s cost calculator. Enter your ZIP code below and we’ll show you what drivers in your area can expect to pay for full coverage.
NerdWallet's car insurance calculator
Enter your ZIP code to find the average monthly car insurance rate for your area. Rates are for policies that include full coverage for a 35-year-old driver with good credit and a clean driving record.
Average monthly car insurance rate in your ZIP code:
$0Estimate the amount of car insurance you need
NerdWallet can also help you calculate the amount of car insurance you might need. Our coverage calculator draws on these four factors:
Your state’s laws. States require drivers to have a certain minimum amount of coverage. NerdWallet almost always recommends getting more than the minimum amount for greater protection.
Your vehicle. A new, expensive vehicle requires more insurance coverage than an old model that you could afford to repair or replace on your own.
Your property. If you own a home or have other valuable assets, you’ll need enough insurance coverage to protect your property from potential lawsuits that could come up after a crash.
Your personal risk tolerance. This factor depends on personal preference. Do you want only enough coverage to legally drive? Or would you rather get as much insurance as you can for extra protection? Most people want something in between those two levels.
Estimate costs from different car insurance companies
Since nearly every company will show you different car insurance rates, you can’t know which one will be your cheapest unless you get an estimate from a few different insurers.
Enter your ZIP code and a few other details about yourself below and you’ll see estimates for what a driver like you might pay each month for car insurance.
How is car insurance calculated?
The cost of car insurance is different for every driver because of how companies calculate rates. Insurers set rates based on lots of very specific details, including things like where you park your car and the number of miles you drive in a day.
Each of these small details plays a part in shaping your individual rate. This makes it difficult to calculate rates without getting your own car insurance quote.
To estimate your own rate you’ll need to consider:
Your age and driving experience
A young, newly licensed driver almost always pays more for car insurance than someone who’s spent decades behind the wheel.
Your coverage
Insurers calculate rates based on the amount of car insurance a driver gets. A strong policy has more coverage, but costs more.
Your driving record
A recent accident or ticket usually means a driver’s rates will be more expensive than average.
Where you live
State, city and even neighborhood can all affect how car insurance companies calculate rates.
Your insurance history
A lapse or gap in someone’s insurance history, the amount of time they’ve had insurance and their claims history all differently affect their rates.
Your credit score
In most states, car insurance companies calculate rates using credit-based insurance scores. Drivers with poor credit often see the highest rates.
How much should you pay for car insurance?
A driver’s best and cheapest car insurance rate is different for everyone. While a car insurance estimate is one good way to know what you might pay for a policy, there are other ways to begin to plan for what car insurance should cost a driver like you.
You can estimate insurance costs by checking what drivers like you pay
Type of Policy Median annual rate Median monthly rate Full coverage policy $2,361 $197 Minimum coverage policy $648 $54 These are average rates according to NerdWallet’s October 2026 rates analysis. Rates are for a 35-year-old driver with good credit and a clean driving record.
Driver profile Full coverage rate Minimum coverage rate Clean driving record, good credit $2,361 $648 One speeding ticket, good credit $3,028 $840 One at-fault crash, good credit $3,524 $952 One DUI, good credit $4,437 $1,231 Clean driving record, poor credit $3,954 $1,030 These are average rates according to NerdWallet’s October 2026 rates analysis. Rates are for a 35-year-old driver.
State Median full coverage rate Median minimum coverage rate Alabama $2,259 $489 Alaska $1,833 $383 Arizona $2,940 $935 Arkansas $2,644 $543 California $1,894 $618 Colorado $3,279 $742 Connecticut $2,871 $1,008 Delaware $2,643 $1,056 Florida $3,295 $854 Georgia $3,160 $1,056 Hawaii $1,975 $603 Idaho $1,999 $434 Illinois $2,546 $754 Indiana $1,920 $506 Iowa $2,233 $397 Kansas $2,530 $625 Kentucky $3,298 $832 Louisiana $4,296 $1,256 Maine $1,713 $531 Maryland $3,013 $1,092 Massachusetts $1,867 $632 Michigan $2,950 $685 Minnesota $2,508 $649 Mississippi $2,502 $594 Missouri $2,622 $696 Montana $2,879 $453 Nebraska $2,001 $431 Nevada $3,497 $1,033 New Hampshire $1,578 $458 New Jersey $3,687 $1,597 New Mexico $2,203 $505 New York $2,673 $1,021 North Carolina $1,789 $598 North Dakota $2,423 $507 Ohio $1,795 $503 Oklahoma $2,221 $495 Oregon $2,214 $970 Pennsylvania $2,208 $439 Rhode Island $3,226 $873 South Carolina $2,479 $678 South Dakota $2,236 $377 Tennessee $2,134 $522 Texas $3,652 $1,085 Utah $2,429 $902 Vermont $1,556 $429 Virginia $2,165 $772 Washington $2,332 $693 Washington, D.C. $2,655 $892 West Virginia $2,274 $680 Wisconsin $2,335 $556 Wyoming $1,148 $192 These are average rates according to NerdWallet’s October 2026 rates analysis. Rates are for a 35-year-old driver with good credit and a clean driving record.
More Nerdy Perspective
Part of estimating what you’ll pay for car insurance involves thinking about the coverage you want, not just what you need. Even though my wife and I should be able to get some of the cheapest rates in our state because of our driving record, I still decided to increase our coverage limits. That means paying an extra $20 a month to make sure my family (and specifically my kids) wouldn’t have to worry about our finances if we were in a serious accident. For me, that added cost is worth being able to drive with a sense of confidence in our financial security.
Tips to lower your car insurance estimate
A car insurance calculator may show you an estimate that’s higher than you expected. While no one likes high prices, the good news is that you might be able to lower your estimate and get cheaper quotes with a few tricks.
Shop for car insurance regularly. Shopping around for coverage can help you avoid paying more than you need to. We recommend getting quotes at least once a year before you renew your policy. That way, you can continue to get the best deal available for you.
Choose the right amount of coverage. This is a great tip if you drive an older car. Newly financed or leased cars usually need more coverage because of lenders' requirements. But if you’ve had your car for a while, you might be paying for coverage you don’t need anymore. If that’s true, then you might be able to adjust your policy and lower your rates.
Consider usage-based car insurance. Many insurers offer usage-based car insurance as an alternative to regular plans. In these programs, you’d agree to share details about your driving with your insurer, usually through a mobile app. Good driving habits could lead to better rates, but it’s worth noting that your insurance could get more expensive depending on how well you drive.
Take advantage of bundling discounts. You can usually get a cheaper insurance estimate if you bundle your auto insurance with a home, renters or even life insurance policy from the same company. Most insurers ask if you’re interested in multiple policies when you start the quote process.
Change the deductibles on your estimate. In car insurance terms, a deductible is the amount that you promise to pay in the event of a future claim. Increasing your insurance deductible (or removing the type of coverage that requires a deductible) will make your estimate go down. But if you increase your deductible too much, it could get tough to make claims. You can use the tool below to see how raising deductibles affects car insurance costs.
We measured what our sample driver could save by changing nothing except their deductible amount, then tested those savings against other groups by age, credit and driving record. We calculated the national median rate and percentage difference between deductible levels to find average savings.
See what you could save on car insurance
Easily compare personalized rates to see how much switching car insurance could save you.
Methodology
NerdWallet averaged rates based on public filings obtained by pricing analytics company Quadrant Information Services. We examined rates for 35-year-old men and women for all ZIP codes in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Unless otherwise stated, our analysis was based on our base driver profile, which has the following characteristics and coverage levels:
35 years old
Single. Male or female.
2023 Toyota Camry LE
12,000 annual miles driven.
Good driving record and credit
No moving violations.
"Good driving" discount applied.
Good credit-based insurance score.
Bodily injury liability coverage
$100,000 per person. $300,000 per crash.
Property damage liability coverage
$50,000 per crash.
Uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage
$100,000 per person. $300,000 per crash.
Collision coverage
With a $1,000 deductible.
Comprehensive coverage
With a $1,000 deductible.
For all other driver profiles, we used the same assumptions, with the following exceptions:
We changed the credit tier from “good” to “poor,” as reported to the insurer, to see rates for drivers with poor credit. These rates are based on credit score approximations and do not account for proprietary scoring criteria used by insurance providers.
For drivers with one at-fault crash, we added a single at-fault crash that happened six months ago, resulting in $10,000 in property damage and no bodily injury claim.
For drivers with a DUI, we added a single drunken driving violation that happened six months ago.
For drivers with a ticket, we added a single speeding violation for driving 16 mph over the speed limit.
For young drivers, we considered 20-year-olds with good credit and no driving violations.
For millennial drivers, we considered 40-year-olds with good credit and no driving violations.
For senior drivers, we considered 70-year-olds with good credit and no driving violations.
These are median rates, and your rate will vary based on your personal details, state and insurance provider. Sample drivers had the minimum required coverage by law in each state. Some policies include additional coverage at the insurer’s discretion.
Although it’s one of the largest insurers in the country, Liberty Mutual is not included in our rates analysis due to a lack of publicly available information.