Car Insurance, cost
How Much Does Car Insurance Cost? Average Rates & What Affects Your Price
U.S. drivers spent an average of $1,431 per vehicle on car insurance in 2024. See official averages by coverage, year and state, and what moves your own price.
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Key takeaways
- The NAIC reports an average expenditure of $1,431 per insured vehicle for 2024, about $119 a month.
- A policy with liability, collision and comprehensive averaged $1,613 in 2024.
- The average expenditure rose about 37 percent between 2020 and 2024, by our calculation from NAIC figures.
- State averages ranged from about $907 in North Dakota to about $2,018 in Florida.
- Averages published by other websites differ because they price a sample driver rather than measuring what all drivers paid.
In this guide
U.S. drivers spent an average of $1,431 per insured vehicle on car insurance in 2024, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the organization of state insurance regulators. That is about $119 a month, and 11.7 percent more than in 2023 1.
That figure is the best available measure of what people actually paid. It is also an average of millions of very different drivers, so the more useful questions are how the number breaks down and where you are likely to fall.
The national averages
The NAIC publishes two headline numbers, and they answer different questions.
| Measure | 2024 | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Average expenditure | $1,431.63 | What drivers spent per insured vehicle, including those who carry only liability coverage |
| Combined average premium | $1,612.81 | The average cost of a policy that includes liability, collision and comprehensive |
Source: NAIC 1.
The combined figure is built from three parts:
| Coverage | 2024 average premium | Share of the combined premium |
|---|---|---|
| Liability | $813.27 | 50% |
| Collision | $516.39 | 32% |
| Comprehensive | $283.15 | 18% |
Averages from NAIC 1. Shares are our calculation. In NAIC data, liability includes related coverages such as personal injury protection, medical payments and uninsured motorist.
In other words, about half of a typical full policy pays for damage you might do to others, and the other half pays to protect your own car.
How the cost has changed
| Year | Average expenditure | Change from previous year |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $1,047.75 | |
| 2021 | $1,060.83 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $1,124.61 | +6.0% |
| 2023 | $1,281.61 | +14.0% |
| 2024 | $1,431.63 | +11.7% |
Expenditures from NAIC 1. Year-over-year changes for 2021 to 2023 are our calculation.
Over the four years from 2020 to 2024 the average expenditure rose about 37 percent. The increase was not even across coverages. By our calculation from the same NAIC tables, the average comprehensive premium rose about 62 percent, collision about 39 percent and liability about 29 percent. The fastest growth was in the coverages that pay to repair or replace your own vehicle.
Average cost by state
| Highest average expenditure, 2024 | Lowest average expenditure, 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | $2,017.97 | North Dakota | $907.25 |
| New York | $1,980.93 | Maine | $934.54 |
| Louisiana | $1,880.42 | Hawaii | $934.69 |
| District of Columbia | $1,840.36 | Vermont | $941.63 |
| Georgia | $1,757.98 | Idaho | $955.98 |
Source: NAIC 1. The national figure was $1,431.63 and the median state was $1,231.
The NAIC asks readers to treat state comparisons with caution, because the figures do not adjust for differences in state laws, required coverages, the limits people choose or driving conditions 1. It lists these among the reasons states differ:
- Traffic density, population density and accident rates
- Vehicle theft rates
- Auto repair costs and medical and legal costs
- Weather
- State liability requirements and other auto laws
- The types and amounts of coverage that drivers buy
What about cities?
The same forces operate within a state. The NAIC notes that these cost factors influence prices between communities and neighborhoods, not only between states 1, and it points out that the District of Columbia's figures reflect an entirely urban area. That is why drivers in dense metropolitan areas such as Miami, Houston, Los Angeles or New York City often pay more than drivers in rural parts of the same state.
We do not publish average prices for individual cities, because official sources do not report them. Insurers set rates by territory, often down to the ZIP code, and the only dependable local figure is a quote for your own address.
Why different websites publish different averages
If you have seen averages well above $1,431, they are probably not wrong. They are measuring something else.
| Regulatory average (NAIC) | Quote-based average (private publishers) | |
|---|---|---|
| Based on | Premiums insurers actually collected | Rates for a sample driver profile |
| Includes | Every insured vehicle, including liability-only policies | Usually one coverage level, often with collision and comprehensive |
| Timing | Published about two years later | Current |
| Best used for | Understanding what people really pay and how costs trend | Estimating today's price for a driver like the sample |
Neither replaces a quote. When you read an average, check which kind it is, which year it describes and what driver it assumes.
What affects your own price
Insurers price each policy on the claims they expect to pay. Most consider the following 2:
| Factor | How it tends to work |
|---|---|
| Driving record | Accidents and violations raise prices, usually for several years |
| Age and experience | Young and newly licensed drivers pay the most. The Texas Department of Insurance notes that men under 25 and women under 21 usually have the highest rates |
| Location | Where the car is kept determines the rating territory |
| Vehicle | Collision and comprehensive cost the most for luxury, high-performance and sports cars |
| Use and mileage | More driving means more exposure to a crash |
| Coverage choices | Higher limits raise the price. Higher deductibles lower it |
| Credit-based insurance score | Used by most auto insurers where the law allows 3 |
A credit-based insurance score is not the same as the credit score a lender uses. It draws on credit history to predict the likelihood of an insurance claim. In most states an insurer cannot use it as the only reason to raise a rate or refuse a policy, and some states restrict or prohibit it 3.
How to estimate what you will pay
- Start from your state's average rather than the national one.
- Adjust your expectations for the factors above. A young driver, a recent accident or an expensive car pushes the price up. A clean record and an older car push it down.
- Decide on coverage before you ask for prices. A liability-only policy and a policy with collision and comprehensive are different products.
- Get several quotes for exactly the same coverage. See how to compare car insurance quotes.
The bottom line
The national average was $1,431 per vehicle in 2024, but the range around it is wide: state averages alone differ by more than two to one. Use the averages to understand the market, and use quotes to learn your price. If the result is more than you expected, these are the safest ways to lower it. For the wider picture, return to the main car insurance guide.
Frequently asked questions
- How much is car insurance per month?
- Using the NAIC's 2024 average expenditure of $1,431 per insured vehicle, the national average works out to about $119 a month. A policy with liability, collision and comprehensive averaged $1,613 a year, or about $134 a month. Individual prices vary widely around those figures.
- Which state has the most expensive car insurance?
- By the NAIC's 2024 average expenditure, Florida was highest at about $2,018 per insured vehicle, followed by New York, Louisiana, the District of Columbia and Georgia. The NAIC cautions that state figures are not directly comparable because laws, coverage choices and conditions differ.
- Why are the averages on other websites higher than the NAIC figure?
- They measure something different. Many sites price a specific sample driver, often with collision and comprehensive coverage and fairly high limits, using current rates. The NAIC figure reflects what all insured drivers actually paid, including those who bought only liability coverage, and it is published with a delay of about two years.
- Does my credit affect what I pay for car insurance?
- In most states it can. The NAIC reports an industry estimate that about 95 percent of auto insurers use credit-based insurance scores where the law allows it. Some states restrict or prohibit the practice, so check with your state insurance department.
- Is car insurance more expensive in big cities?
- Often, yes. The NAIC lists traffic density, population density, accident rates and vehicle theft among the factors that raise insurance costs, and notes that these vary between communities and neighborhoods. Official sources do not publish average prices for individual cities, so the only reliable local number is your own quote.
Sources
Numbers in the text point to these publications. Links open the original source.
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). 2024 Auto Insurance Database Average Premium Supplement (published September 2026)
- Texas Department of Insurance. Shopping smart: Tips for buying auto and home insurance
- National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Credit-Based Insurance Scores
Related guides
- Cheap Car Insurance: How to Lower Your Premium Without Sacrificing Important Coverage
Eight ways to pay less for car insurance, ranked by how much protection each one costs you, with worked examples for deductibles and older cars.
- Car Insurance Quotes: How to Compare Rates and Coverage
What a car insurance quote is, what information you need, where to get quotes and a checklist for comparing them on equal terms.
- Full Coverage Car Insurance: What It Covers and How Much It Costs
Full coverage usually means liability plus collision and comprehensive. See what that includes, what it leaves out, what it costs and when to keep it.
This guide is general educational information, not insurance, legal or financial advice. Insurance rules and prices vary by state, company and personal circumstances. Confirm anything important with your state insurance department or a licensed professional. Read the full disclaimer.