The Cheapest Full Coverage Car Insurance

NerdWallet compared rates to find the cheapest full coverage insurance companies.
Kayda Norman
By Kayda Norman 
Edited by Lacie Glover

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Full coverage auto insurance covers many situations but can cost more than double the price of minimum-required coverage. That’s why it pays to shop around.

Geico has the cheapest full coverage insurance among the country’s largest insurers, with an average annual rate of $1,268, or $106 a month, in NerdWallet’s analysis.

But which company has the cheapest full coverage insurance you can get will depend on multiple factors, like your age, location and driving record. To help narrow down your options, NerdWallet looked at average rates among the country’s largest insurers, using a variety of profiles.

Cheapest full coverage insurance companies

Full coverage isn’t a specific type of policy, but a combination of coverage types that includes liability coverage and comprehensive and collision insurance. If you have a loan or lease, your lender will likely require the latter two coverage types.

Full coverage auto insurance can be pricey. If you’re looking for the cheapest car insurance, period, check out NerdWallet's analysis of cheap car insurance for state-mandated minimum coverage.

Nationwide, here are average annual prices for full coverage insurance from six of the seven largest car insurance companies:

  1. Geico: $1,268.

  2. State Farm: $1,491.

  3. Progressive: $1,562.

  4. Farmers: $1,830.

  5. Allstate: $2,381.

USAA*: $1,169.

*USAA isn’t ranked because it is available only to active military, veterans and their families.

On average, you can save over $1,000 a year or more by picking the cheapest company available to you instead of the most expensive — and that’s only considering six of the seven biggest auto insurers in the nation. In many cases, going with a small, regional insurer can save you even more.

Although it’s one of the largest insurers in the country, Liberty Mutual is not included in our analysis because it does not provide rate data. Average rates reflect a policy with liability, collision, comprehensive and uninsured motorist coverage and other state-required coverage where needed. The sample driver is 40 years old with no moving violations and good credit.

Cheap full coverage insurance from small insurers

Although Geico has the cheapest average full coverage rates among the country’s largest insurers, that doesn’t mean it’ll have the most affordable price for everyone. You might be able to find cheaper full coverage insurance if you use a local or regional company.

For example, we found that each of the smaller insurers below has cheaper annual rates, on average, than the large insurers in our analysis. We chose these companies based on their low full coverage rates and availability in multiple states.

Here are the average annual rates and state availability for these smaller companies:

  1. Secura: $823.

  2. MMG: $839.

  3. Hastings Mutual: $910.

  4. Mutual of Enumclaw: $1,082.

  5. Central Insurance: $1,090.

AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MI, MN, MO, ND, WI.

ME, NH, PA, VA, VT.

IA, IL, IN, MI, OH, WI.

AZ, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA, WY.

AZ, CO, CT, GA, ID, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, MI, NC, NH, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, WI.

Best cheap full coverage insurance

Price is likely a major factor when deciding what company to choose, but it shouldn’t be the only one.

If you want the cheapest full coverage auto insurance rates without sacrificing customer service, take a look at the best car insurance companies below, ranked by average car insurance premium. Keep in mind, not all companies will offer policies in every state.

Company

Annual insurance premium

Stars awarded

$737

3.5

NerdWallet rating 

$1,191

4.0

NerdWallet rating 

$1,221

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

$1,268

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

$1,277

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

$1,361

3.5

NerdWallet rating 

$1,432

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

$1,447

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

$1,464

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

$1,491

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

$1,562

5.0

NerdWallet rating 

$1,718

4.0

NerdWallet rating 

$1,769

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

$1,830

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

$2,381

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

$4,684

4.0

NerdWallet rating 

$1,169

4.0

NerdWallet rating 

*USAA is available only to military, veterans and their families.

Cheap full coverage insurance companies by state

Your location can have a big effect on how much you pay for full coverage auto insurance. For example, our 2021 average rates analysis showed that drivers in Louisiana pay almost three times more for full coverage insurance than drivers in Maine, on average.

To help you find the best cheap full coverage insurance for you, we’ve listed the cheapest insurer on average in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., below.

Want to see more options? Use our full coverage insurance calculator below to see the top three cheapest full coverage car insurance companies near you.

Cheap full coverage insurance for accident and DUIs

Among large insurers, Geico has the cheapest full coverage on average for drivers who caused an accident, besides USAA. Out of smaller companies, MMG has the cheapest rates for drivers with the same background, on average.

Drivers with a DUI might want to consider Progressive if they’re looking for cheap full coverage car insurance. At $1,959 per year on average, Progressive has the cheapest rates available for nonmilitary drivers out of the nation’s biggest insurers.

But remember, a smaller company might save you even more, so it pays to shop around. For example, the average full coverage rate from MMG if you have a DUI is $1,398, about $560 less per year on average than Progressive.

Company

One at-fault accident

One DUI

Large companies’ average annual rates

Allstate

$3,367

$3,605

Farmers

$2,773

$2,669

Geico

$1,991

$2,892

Progressive

$2,556

$1,959

State Farm

$1,925

$2,534

USAA*

$1,728

$1,927

Cheap car insurance from small companies

Secura

$1,243

$2,120

MMG

$1,065

$1,398

Hastings Mutual

$1,481

$4,595

Mutual of Enumclaw

$1,706

$1,840

Central Insurance

$1,473

$5,233

*USAA is available only to military, veterans and their families.

Cheap full coverage insurance for drivers with poor credit

Many drivers don’t realize that their credit history can affect their car insurance rates, sometimes drastically.

Insurers use credit-based insurance scores, which look at similar factors as regular credit scores, to determine how likely you are to file a claim. If you have poor credit, you’ll often be charged higher insurance rates, whether it’s a minimum-required policy or full coverage insurance. California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan don’t allow insurers to use credit when determining car insurance rates.

However, finding cheap full coverage isn’t impossible if you have poor credit. Compare car insurance rates to find the most affordable policy.

Drivers with poor credit who prefer a large insurer may want to consider Geico. The company has the most affordable average rates for drivers with a good driving history and poor credit. Based on our analysis among smaller insurers, Hastings Mutual has the cheapest full coverage for drivers with poor credit.

Company

Drivers with poor credit

Average annual rates from large companies

Allstate

$3,356

Farmers

$2,535

Geico

$1,766

Progressive

$3,302

State Farm

$3,130

USAA*

$2,144

Cheap car insurance rates from smaller companies

Secura

$1,296

MMG

$1,493

Hastings Mutual

$1,175

Mutual of Enumclaw

$1,620

Central Insurance

$3,967

*USAA is available only to military, veterans and their families.

Comparing full coverage insurance quotes

When you shop for car insurance from different carriers, it’s important to compare car insurance quotes for the same coverage. Otherwise, you might think you got a good price, only to find that your coverage is lacking when it’s time to file a claim.

When comparing full coverage insurance quotes, be sure to:

  • Use the same deductibles and liability limits across quotes. This way, you’re comparing prices for the same coverage. And when choosing collision and comprehensive deductibles, stick to an amount you could come up with for repairs after a crash.

  • Compare add-on coverage details. Options like gap insurance, accident forgiveness and pet injury coverage vary from one insurer to the next. Be sure to check each company’s website for details and restrictions.

  • Provide the same information every time. If you’re using multiple tools to get quotes, make sure the drivers, cars, address and driving history all match.

Methodology

AUTO INSURANCE RATINGS

NerdWallet’s auto insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, consumer complaints, website transparency and affordability. Using our editorial discretion, we also consider customer satisfaction surveys. These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines or see our criteria for evaluating auto insurance companies.

AVERAGE RATES

NerdWallet averaged rates based on public filings obtained by pricing analytics company Quadrant Information Services. We examined rates for 40-year-old men and women for all ZIP codes in any of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. 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.

In our analysis, “good drivers” had no moving violations on record; a “good driving” discount was included for this profile. Our “good” and “poor” credit rates are based on credit score approximations and do not account for proprietary scoring criteria used by insurance providers. These are average rates, and your rate will vary based on your personal details, state and insurance provider.

Sample drivers had the following coverage limits:

  • $100,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person.

  • $300,000 bodily injury liability coverage per crash.

  • $50,000 property damage liability coverage per crash.

  • $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person.

  • $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per crash.

  • Collision coverage with $1,000 deductible.

  • Comprehensive coverage with $1,000 deductible.

In states where required, minimum additional coverages were added. We used the same assumptions for all other driver profiles, with the following exceptions:

  • For drivers with minimum coverage, we adjusted the numbers above to reflect only the minimum coverage required by law in the state.

  • We changed the credit tier from “good” to “poor” as reported to the insurer to see rates for drivers with poor credit. In states where credit isn’t taken into account, we only used rates for “good” credit.

  • For drivers with one at-fault crash, we added a single at-fault crash costing $10,000 in property damage.

  • For drivers with a DUI, we added a single drunken driving violation.

We used a 2018 Toyota Camry LE in all cases and assumed 12,000 annual miles driven.

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