How much does the average American pay for car insurance?
The national average annual car insurance cost is $1,982 for full coverage and $549 for minimum coverage. Young drivers, drivers with a recent DUI and drivers with poor credit pay some of the highest car insurance rates on average.
Average annual health insurance premiums in 2023 are $8,435 for single coverage and $23,968 for family coverage. These average premiums each increased 7% in 2023. The average family premium has increased 22% since 2018 and 47% since 2013.
Factors that impact the cost of your car insurance
Car insurance in the United States costs an average of $2,014 per year. Coupled with an average income of $68,852, this means that the average American spends 2.93 percent of their income on a full coverage car insurance policy.
Car accidents and traffic violations are common explanations for an insurance rate increase, but other reasons why your car insurance rate can go up include changing your address, adding a new vehicle or driver, increases to claims in your ZIP code, and increases to car repair/replacement cost.
Our cost estimates show that 35-year-old married drivers with good credit and clean driving records pay an average of $144 per month for car insurance. Paying around $100 per month for quality auto coverage is a good deal.
The average national monthly health insurance cost for one person on an Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan without premium tax credits in 2024 is $477.
Rank | State | Total insurance annual cost |
---|---|---|
4 | California | $5,422 |
5 | New York | $5,127 |
5 | Utah | $4,818 |
5 | Pennsylvania | $4,305 |
In 2022, 92.1 percent of people, or 304.0 million, had health insurance at some point during the year, representing an increase in the insured rate and number of insured from 2021 (91.7 percent or 300.9 million).
Most financial experts recommend raising your liability to $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident if you have few assets. With more assets — like a house, expensive car, or large amounts of savings — experts recommend bumping your coverage up to at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident.
Men pay more for auto insurance on average because they're statistically more likely to get into accidents and to have major injuries. However, male drivers only pay about $51 more per year than their female counterparts on average.
How much of your monthly income should go to car insurance?
In general, it's recommended to spend no more than 10% to 15% of your monthly take-home income on your car payment, and no more than 20% on your total vehicle expenses, including insurance and registration. Read on to learn how you can determine how much car you can afford based on your financial situation.
Young drivers ages 16 to 24 tend to have the most expensive car insurance. Drivers in this age group are often inexperienced and are more likely to get into car accidents and file insurance claims. As a result, car insurance companies often charge higher premiums to young drivers.
Is $200 a lot for car insurance? If paid on a monthly basis, $200 is a lot to pay for car insurance. The national average costs for car insurance are $52 per month for minimum-liability coverage and $167 per month for a full-coverage auto insurance policy.
Geico is so cheap because it sells insurance directly to consumers and offers a lot of discounts. Direct-to-consumer insurance sales eliminate the cost of middlemen and allow Geico to have significantly fewer local offices and agents than companies like State Farm and Allstate.
Car insurance costs have been on the rise, leaving drivers searching for ways to save on car ownership costs. In fact, according to a report from Bankrate, the average annual premium of full coverage auto insurance rose to $2,543 in 2024 — up 26% from the previous year.
On average, drivers with poor credit pay 118 percent more for full coverage car insurance than those with excellent credit. California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Michigan prohibit or limit the use of credit as a rating factor in determining auto insurance rates.
Leif Olson, Car Insurance Writer
Yes, $300 a month for car insurance is expensive. The average cost of car insurance ranges from about $60 per month for state-minimum coverage to $166 per month for full coverage, though individual car insurance rates vary based on factors such as driving record, age and location.
Our analysis showed that, on average, Dodge and Tesla have the most expensive car insurance among 17 popular brands. Full coverage on Dodge vehicles costs an average of $354 per month or $4,242 per year, while full coverage on a Tesla vehicle averages to $251 per month or $3,007 per year.
Life Insurance Rule of Thumb
With this method, you multiply your annual income by 10 to find your coverage amount. By multiplying a provider's income by 10, a family can theoretically continue to pay typical expenses and maintain the same standard of living for the 10 years following the provider's death.
Again, living expenses vary significantly by location, but we can use some average numbers. The average monthly living expenses for a single person in the USA are $3,189, which is $38,266 per year. The average cost for a family of four is $7,095 per month, which is $85,139 per year.
What is the largest expense for the average American family?
Average monthly spending on housing: $2,025 (7% increase)
Housing is by far the largest expense for Americans. Monthly housing expenses in 2022 averaged $2,025, a 7% increase from 2021. Over the course of 2022, Americans spent $24,298 on housing on average.
According to Ramsey Solutions, the average monthly housing cost stands at $2,025, constituting the largest expense for most households. This includes rent or mortgage payments, property taxes, homeowners insurance, utilities and furniture.
Given that the average household income in the U.S. is $87,864, as of 2023, that means the average American family spends at least $4,393 in these expenses each year.
Los Angeles comes in as our least covered city for auto insurance in the country. Part of this is because of the state of California's statistics: 16.6% of motorists are completely uninsured, and policy requirements are low.
About 13% of people on the road are uninsured drivers. Car insurance is required in nearly every state. However, there are around 29 million uninsured drivers in the U.S. That means about one out of every eight drivers doesn't have car insurance.
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