Best cheap car insurance in Boston for 2024

The best car insurance companies in Boston

Drivers in Boston need a car insurance company equipped to offer strong financial protection against the risks of heavy traffic, reckless drivers and severe winters. To help Boston drivers find the best fit for their needs, Bankrate took a close look at expert third-party ratings, customer reviews, coverage options, digital tools, discounts and premium data to select the five best cheap insurance companies in Boston. We analyzed scores from the New England region of the 2023 J.D. Power Auto Insurance Study as well as financial strength ratings from AM Best. 

The cheapest car insurance companies in Boston

If you’re looking for the cheapest car insurance companies in Boston, you may want to request quotes from The Hanover, Vermont Mutual and Plymouth Rock. Bankrate’s research indicates that these are the three cheapest minimum coverage auto insurance carriers, on average, in Boston. 

Keep in mind, though, that individual car insurance rates will vary based on your driver profile — so the cheapest company listed here may not offer the cheapest rates for every Boston resident. Experts recommend comparing personalized quotes from multiple companies to find a cheap car insurance company that fits your budget and coverage needs. 

How much is car insurance in Boston, Massachusetts?

Massachusetts is one of the less expensive states for car insurance, but Boston stands out from the rest of the state. Car insurance costs drivers in Boston an average of $1,992 per year for full coverage and $532 for state minimum coverage. That’s below the national average, but 20 percent more than the Massachusetts average. 

Boston rates for teens

Even in Massachusetts, where insurance companies can’t legally consider driver age when setting auto insurance premiums, teen drivers tend to pay higher rates. That’s because insurers can still base premiums on years of driver experience — and teenagers have less driving experience than the average adult driver. The result: a statistically higher risk of accidents and insurance claims. 

Teens who stay on their parents' insurance policy generally save compared to those on their own policy. As you can see below, Boston 18-year-olds on their own policies pay an average of 52 percent more for full coverage than those on their parents' policies.

Boston rates for young drivers

As you reach your early and mid-twenties, you can generally expect to see your car insurance costs start to come down, particularly if you’ve maintained a clean driving record.

Boston rates for adults

Rates tend to stabilize in adulthood, with gradual decreases for most drivers as they move into their 40s and 50s. At this stage, most Boston drivers will have at least 10 years of driving experience, moving them into a lower-risk category for auto insurers.  

Boston rates for senior drivers

Senior drivers have decades of on-road experience and generally pay fairly low insurance rates. However, driving as a senior comes with certain renewed risks, particularly past age 70. Vision problems, slower reaction times and greater vulnerability to serious injury can raise the risks associated with insuring a senior driver — and as a result, some carriers may quote higher rates for Boston drivers in this age group. 

The cheapest car insurance in Boston by driving record

If you have one or more traffic convictions on your Massachusetts driving record, insurance companies may charge a higher rate for coverage to account for your increased risk of accidents and claims. Massachusetts recently saw a significant increase in driving violations, so it’s important to understand how your driving record may affect the cost of coverage. 

Car insurance with a speeding ticket in Boston

A speeding ticket can increase your car insurance premium. Boston drivers with a speeding ticket conviction pay 27 percent more, on average, than drivers with a clean record. However, not all insurance carriers treat speeding tickets the same way when quoting policies. 

Car insurance after an accident in Boston

Insurance companies also take at-fault accidents seriously as a signal of driver risk. If you’re found at fault for an accident in Boston, you may pay 64 percent more for full coverage than you did with a clean record. 

Car insurance after a DUI in Boston

A conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) is a serious matter. Massachusetts state law imposes major financial and legal penalties on drivers with DUI convictions — and most auto insurance companies will raise rates or deny coverage for drivers with one or more DUI convictions on their driving record. In Boston, a driver with a DUI pays, on average, 80 percent more for full coverage than a driver with a clean record. 

Frequently asked questions

Methodology

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze May 2024 rates for all ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region. Quoted rates are based on a single, 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $50,000 property damage liability per accident
• $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
• $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
• $500 collision deductible
• $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2022 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.

These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), at-fault accident, single speeding ticket and single DUI conviction.

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 20-70 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts due to state regulations.Teens: Rates were determined by adding a 16- or 18-year-old teen to their 40-year-old married parents' policy. The rates displayed reflect the total cost of a driver this age added to their parents’ policy. 

Bankrate Scores

Our Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.

Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlight where they fall short.