What is the difference between rates and quotes?

A car insurance quote is the price an insurance company offers in response to an individual’s application. Quotes are personalized based on the exact information you provided when requesting the price. Car insurance rates, on the other hand, refer to the prices insurers set for statistical categories of risk to account for the money they’ll lose on claims as well as operating expenses and profit. In other words, your quote is based on the rates you're eligible for as determined by your demographics, driving record and other risk characteristics.

Can I get a lower rate with my existing carrier?

Unless you’ve made significant changes to your risk profile — such as getting rid of a car, aging out of a high-risk pool or building your credit — your best bet for getting cheaper premiums without switching carriers is to qualify for discounts. If you also have a home insurance policy from a different carrier, you may want to look into bundling your policies with a single insurer for a bundling discount. In most cases, it’s worth researching discounts or requesting quotes from competitors before you reduce your coverage levels to achieve a lower rate.

Who usually has the cheapest car insurance?

Bankrate’s analysis of the latest average premium data from Quadrant Information Services indicates that, on average, the U.S. auto insurance carriers with the cheapest rates include Auto-Owners, Geico and USAA. However, no single carrier has the cheapest car insurance for every driver. Depending on your location and risk profile, you could be eligible for lower premiums from another carrier — which is why comparing rates based on your unique situation is so important.

What is the best website to compare car insurance quotes?

Car insurance quote comparison websites exist across the web, but they’re not all built to the same standard. Some online quote comparison tools only sell your data to generate leads for other agencies and insurers without providing actual quotes on the page. When choosing a quote comparison tool, consider ones powered by a legitimate agency. You may also choose to work with a local agent or broker in your area who may know the local market best.

Compare car insurance rates for June 2025

Key Insights

Comparing car insurance rates from a wide range of carriers using your personal details is the most reliable way to find lower rates.
A thorough rate comparison should take into account key rating factors like your age, ZIP code, driving record, credit history and vehicle information.
Bankrate’s car insurance rate comparison tool sources the latest rates based on your inputs from carriers across the nation.

Factors that impact your rate

When insurance companies set the price of a policy, they’re running calculations based on risk to determine how much money you’re likely to cost them in claims. Actuarial data helps underwriters estimate your potential risk and set an appropriate premium. The rating factors listed below are a few of the most important elements that help underwriters determine your personal risk profile.

Age

Drivers with less experience are more likely to cause accidents and generate claims, so insurers charge more for young drivers. (Note: Hawaii and Massachusetts ban the use of age as a rating factor. Massachusetts allows insurers to use years of driving experience in place of age)

Driving Record

A history of accidents, tickets and moving violations signals that a driver may have a higher risk of accidents and claims in the future, which justifies a higher premium.

Credit

Actuarial data indicate a strong correlation between a poor credit history and a higher rate of filing claims, so insurers may charge higher rates for drivers with a low credit-based insurance score. (Note: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan ban the use of credit as a rating factor.)

Location

The statistical likelihood of accidents, theft, vandalism and other covered incidents in your area could drive your rate up or qualify you for a lower premium.

Vehicle Type

Insurers typically look at a vehicle’s actual cash value, speed capabilities, safety ratings and average repair costs when pricing insurance.

Compare auto insurance rates

Answer a few questions to see personalized rates from top carriers

Are you currently insured?

Are you insuring multiple vehicles?

Are you a homeowner?

ZIP Code

Your information is kept secure

Powered by Coverage.com (NPN: 19966249)

Advertising disclosure

This advertisement is powered by Coverage.com, LLC, a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249) and a corporate affiliate of Bankrate. The offers and links that appear on this advertisement are from companies that compensate Coverage.com in different ways. The compensation received and other factors, such as your location, may impact what offers and links appear, and how, where and in what order they appear. While we seek to provide a wide range of offers, we do not include every product or service that may be available. Our goal is to keep information accurate and timely, but some information may not be current. Your actual offer from an advertiser may be different from the offer on this advertisement. All offers are subject to additional terms and conditions.

Insurance disclosure

Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed. Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.

How to compare car insurance rates

Comparing car insurance rates can take a little legwork, but it doesn't have to be complicated. Keep the following tips in mind when comparing rates to maximize the efficiency of your search:

Request at least three quotes: Don't rely on average prices posted online — while those can give you a general sense of an insurer's pricing trends, the only way to know what you'd pay is to request a formal quote.
Consider working with a broker or independent agent: The more rates you compare, the better your odds of finding a good fit. To broaden your search without sacrificing hours to the monotonous work of requesting quotes, call on a professional — an independent insurance broker or agent — to do the heavy lifting for you.
Always compare the same coverage: To make sure you're getting the most accurate and direct comparison between carriers, request quotes for the same types and levels of coverage.
Don't just compare rates: Price is critical, but it's not the only thing you should be comparing. Look up carrier reviews, financial strength ratings and other markers of how well insurers meet their customers' needs to avoid signing up for cheap insurance that becomes a headache to use when you actually need it.

Why you should compare car insurance rates

With the cost of car insurance up by an average of 12 percent in the last year, it’s easy to feel as though all insurance companies — and all premiums — are the same. In reality, though, different auto insurance companies may offer you significantly different experiences when it comes to cost, customer service, claims handling and more.

Take price, for example. While insurers all use the same basic rating factors outlined above, each company has its own proprietary algorithms that impact how heavily these factors are weighed. Your personal risk profile might qualify you for lower rates from one carrier versus others — but because these algorithms aren’t made public and are updated frequently, requesting quotes is the only way to identify the company with the rating model that offers you the best rates. Insurers also vary the types and amounts of discounts they offer to customers, making cost a moving target.

It’s also worth going beyond price to research companies’ customer service, claims handling and other aspects of the insurance process. Finding the best fit means digging into customer reviews, evaluating a company’s size and available resources and deciding which benefits mean the most to you. Whether you’re looking for a small carrier with local, in-person agents or a convenient, digitally-managed policy from a company with national reach and 24/7 customer service, reading about the experience of current and past policyholders while you compare quotes may help you narrow down your ideal provider.

Bankrate staff insights

Affordability is a major concern for most drivers, but what good is an insurance policy if you have poor service or inadequate coverage? Some drivers may need specialty coverage for heavily modified vehicles, such as wheelchair-accessible vans, while others require a carrier capable of filing an SR-22. Keep in mind that you need to balance cost and coverage.

Shannon Martin, Bankrate insurance analyst

Frequently asked questions

A car insurance quote is the price an insurance company offers in response to an individual’s application. Quotes are personalized based on the exact information you provided when requesting the price. Car insurance rates, on the other hand, refer to the prices insurers set for statistical categories of risk to account for the money they’ll lose on claims as well as operating expenses and profit. In other words, your quote is based on the rates you're eligible for as determined by your demographics, driving record and other risk characteristics.
Unless you’ve made significant changes to your risk profile — such as getting rid of a car, aging out of a high-risk pool or building your credit — your best bet for getting cheaper premiums without switching carriers is to qualify for discounts. If you also have a home insurance policy from a different carrier, you may want to look into bundling your policies with a single insurer for a bundling discount. In most cases, it’s worth researching discounts or requesting quotes from competitors before you reduce your coverage levels to achieve a lower rate.
Bankrate’s analysis of the latest average premium data from Quadrant Information Services indicates that, on average, the U.S. auto insurance carriers with the cheapest rates include Auto-Owners, Geico and USAA. However, no single carrier has the cheapest car insurance for every driver. Depending on your location and risk profile, you could be eligible for lower premiums from another carrier — which is why comparing rates based on your unique situation is so important.
Car insurance quote comparison websites exist across the web, but they’re not all built to the same standard. Some online quote comparison tools only sell your data to generate leads for other agencies and insurers without providing actual quotes on the page. When choosing a quote comparison tool, consider ones powered by a legitimate agency. You may also choose to work with a local agent or broker in your area who may know the local market best.

Why you can trust Bankrate

Read our full methodology

The insurance market can be complicated, but Bankrate's insurance editorial team used our unique perspective to bring readers the information they need to make educated decisions when shopping for a policy.

78

years of industry experience

9

licensed staff

34.5K

ZIP codes examined

120

carriers reviewed

Methodology

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze June 2025 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 for our base profile are based on the following characteristics and full coverage limits with bundling and paperless billing discounts applied:

40 year old

Single male and female driver

2023 Toyota Camry

Primary vehicle

Good credit score

Clean driving record

Commutes 5 days

Bodily injury liability

$100,000 per person
$300,000 per accident

Property damage liability

$50,000 per accident

Personal injury protection

$100,000 per accident

Uninsured motorist bodily injury

$100,000 per person
$300,000 per accident

Collision deductible

$500

Comprehensive deductible

$500

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes. Your quotes will differ.

If otherwise specified, the base profile has been modified with the following driver characteristics:

Other profiles

Rates were calculated based on the following insurance credit tiers assigned to our drivers: “poor, average, good (base) and excellent.” Insurance credit tiers factor in your official credit scores but are not dependent on that variable alone. Four states prohibit or limit the use of credit as a rating factor in determining auto insurance rates: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan.
Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), at-fault accident, single speeding ticket, single DUI conviction and lapse in coverage.
Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following differences in mileage: 2K, 5K, 12K (base), 15K and 20K.
Unless otherwise stated, rates are for 2023 vehicle models. For new vs used vehicles, we included the following year in our calculations: 2013.
Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 18-70 (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. For teen drivers, rates were determined by adding a 16- or 17-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.
The following states do not use gender as a determining factor in calculating premiums: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania.
Rates were evaluated based on the following marital/family status: single (base), married, 40-year-old married man and woman. Marital status is not a rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts.

Bankrate Score

Our 2025 Bankrate Score for auto insurance considers key variables that our insurance editorial team determined impact policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These factors include a robust assessment of each company’s cost of coverage, product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. We grouped these factors into three essential categories — cost and ratings, coverage and savings, and support — which we then weighted in a tiered approach.

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 highlighting where they fall short.

50% Cost & ratings

30% Coverage & savings

20% Support

Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto insurance companies satisfy these priorities, our team analyzed quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services (if available), as well as any of the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best, Demotech and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated the discount options listed on each company’s website.
Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways an auto insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored in a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.

Tier scores are unweighted to show the company's true score in each category out of a possible five points.

Compare car insurance rates for June 2025

Compare personalized car insurance rates from top carriers in your area

Want more personalized rates?

Factors that impact your rate

Age

Driving Record

Credit

Location

Vehicle Type

Related Content

What are the different types of car insurance coverage?

How much car insurance do I need?

Minimum car insurance coverage requirements in each state

Compare auto insurance rates

How to compare car insurance rates

Why you should compare car insurance rates

Bankrate staff insights

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between rates and quotes?

Can I get a lower rate with my existing carrier?

Who usually has the cheapest car insurance?

What is the best website to compare car insurance quotes?

Methodology

Rates

Other profiles

Credit-based insurance scores:

Incidents:

Mileage:

Model:

Age:

Gender:

Status:

Bankrate Score