- Average cost of car insurance in California
- Best car insurance companies in California: Geico
- Cheapest car insurance companies in California: Geico
- California car insurance requirements
- Cheapest car insurance companies for minimum liability coverage in California
- Cheapest car insurance cost in California by age
- Cheapest car insurance companies in California by driver profile
- Compare auto insurance rates by city in California
- Methodology
- Compare California car insurance rates with other states
Average cost of car insurance in California
The average car insurance rate in California is $2,416 a year for a full coverage policy with a coverage level of 100/300/100 for a driver age 40, according to a rate analysis by Insurance.com. For the state minimum coverage, the average annual cost in California is $551.
Best car insurance companies in California: Geico
Geico is the best car insurance company in California, based on an analysis by Insurance.com, with an overall rating of 4.02. Progressive came second.
Below is a full list of the top California insurance companies based on price, NAIC complaint ratio and AM Best financial ratings. The total Insurance.com score is calculated out of five using these factors.
Company | AM Best | JD Power | NAIC | Insurance.com score | Average Annual Premium |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Geico | A++ | 830 | 0.91 | 4.02 | $1,919 |
Progressive | A+ | 809 | 0.65 | 3.69 | $2,179 |
Travelers | A++ | 810 | 0.49 | 3.65 | $2,460 |
State Farm | A++ | 826 | 0.7 | 3.47 | $2,701 |
Mercury Insurance | A | 794 | 0.84 | 3.47 | $2,031 |
Allstate | A+ | 816 | 0.65 | 3.35 | $2,627 |
CSAA Insurance (AAA) | A | 822 | 0.75 | 3.28 | $2,600 |
Nationwide | A+ | 794 | 0.64 | 3.2 | $2,799 |
Farmers | A | 810 | 0.8 | 2.91 | $3,035 |
Auto Club Enterprises (AAA) | A+ | 832 | 2.21 | 2.89 | $2,466 |
Kemper Insurance | A- | 736 | 2.16 | 2.05 | $2,429 |
Cheapest car insurance companies in California: Geico
Don't just go with the first insurer you come across. Comparison shopping is the key when it comes to finding the best deal on auto insurance. Get quotes from several different insurers and compare their rates. You may be surprised at how much difference there can be in rates from one company to another.
We have gathered price quotes from all the major insurance providers in California and put together a list of the cheapest car insurance companies. Based on a rate analysis by Insurance.com, Geico is the cheapest auto insurance company in California with average annual rates of $1,919 annually. USAA offers cheaper rates if you are eligible.
Company | State minimum liability | 50/100/50 liability | 100/300/100 liability with $500 deductible |
---|---|---|---|
USAA* | $410 | $653 | $1,827 |
Geico | $367 | $591 | $1,919 |
Mercury Insurance | $458 | $766 | $2,031 |
Progressive | $433 | $637 | $2,179 |
Kemper Insurance | $492 | $803 | $2,429 |
Travelers | $629 | $954 | $2,460 |
Auto Club Enterprises (AAA) | $623 | $974 | $2,466 |
CSAA Insurance (AAA) | $457 | $627 | $2,600 |
Allstate | $717 | $1,104 | $2,627 |
State Farm | $569 | $900 | $2,701 |
Nationwide | $712 | $1,123 | $2,799 |
Farmers | $774 | $1,280 | $3,035 |
*USAA offers car insurance only to military members, veterans and their families.
California car insurance requirements
The minimum car insurance required in California is 15/30/5. The average cost of the state minimum liability insurance is $551 a year, or $46 per month.
Minimum liability insurance requirements for California:
- Bodily injury liability (BI): $15,000 per person, $30,000 per accident
- Property damage liability (PD): $5000 per accident
Cheapest car insurance companies for minimum liability coverage in California
Insurance.com data show that Geico offers the most affordable state minimum liability coverage, costing an average of $367, or $31 a month.
The table below shows the cheapest car insurance companies for minimum coverage in California.
Company | Liability insurance premium | Monthly liability insurance premium |
---|---|---|
Geico | $367 | $31 |
USAA* | $410 | $34 |
Progressive | $436 | $36 |
CSAA Insurance (AAA) | $458 | $38 |
Mercury Insurance | $458 | $38 |
Kemper Insurance | $505 | $42 |
State Farm | $581 | $48 |
Auto Club Enterprises (AAA) | $623 | $52 |
Travelers | $652 | $54 |
Allstate | $735 | $61 |
Nationwide | $740 | $62 |
Farmers | $801 | $67 |
*USAA offers coverage only to military veterans and their family
Cheapest car insurance cost in California by age
In California, car insurance rates are higher for teenagers (16- to 19-year-olds) as they are more prone to accidents due to their lack of experience on the road.
Geico offers the cheapest car insurance for teen drivers in California at $4,836 per year for a full coverage policy. USAA offers cheaper rates if you are eligible.
Car insurance rates will decrease as teens age and keep a good driving record. Car insurance rates for adults 25+ and seniors 60+ are lower than those for teens and young adults.
In California, Geico offers the cheapest full coverage car insurance for adult drivers (25-60 year-olds) and senior drivers (60-75 year-olds) at $1,937 per year and $1,935 per year, respectively. USAA offers cheaper rates if you are eligible.
Age | Company | Average annual premium |
---|---|---|
Teens (16-19) | USAA* | $4,005 |
Teens (16-19) | Geico | $4,836 |
Teens (16-19) | State Farm | $4,961 |
Teens (16-19) | Travelers | $5,079 |
Teens (16-19) | Mercury Insurance | $5,095 |
Teens (16-19) | Allstate | $5,881 |
Teens (16-19) | Auto Club Enterprises (AAA) | $6,242 |
Teens (16-19) | Progressive | $6,546 |
Teens (16-19) | Farmers | $6,766 |
Teens (16-19) | Kemper Insurance | $7,425 |
Teens (16-19) | CSAA Insurance (AAA) | $8,578 |
Teens (16-19) | Nationwide | $9,683 |
Young Adults (20-24) | USAA | $2,471 |
Young Adults (20-24) | Geico | $2,531 |
Young Adults (20-24) | Travelers | $3,370 |
Young Adults (20-24) | Mercury Insurance | $3,393 |
Young Adults (20-24) | Allstate | $3,485 |
Young Adults (20-24) | State Farm | $3,529 |
Young Adults (20-24) | Progressive | $3,617 |
Young Adults (20-24) | Auto Club Enterprises (AAA) | $3,798 |
Young Adults (20-24) | CSAA Insurance (AAA) | $4,029 |
Young Adults (20-24) | Kemper Insurance | $4,216 |
Young Adults (20-24) | Farmers | $4,357 |
Young Adults (20-24) | Nationwide | $4,834 |
Adults (25-60) | USAA | $1,874 |
Adults (25-60) | Geico | $1,937 |
Adults (25-60) | Mercury Insurance | $2,085 |
Adults (25-60) | Progressive | $2,185 |
Adults (25-60) | Travelers | $2,478 |
Adults (25-60) | Auto Club Enterprises (AAA) | $2,539 |
Adults (25-60) | Allstate | $2,594 |
Adults (25-60) | CSAA Insurance (AAA) | $2,599 |
Adults (25-60) | Kemper Insurance | $2,693 |
Adults (25-60) | State Farm | $2,704 |
Adults (25-60) | Nationwide | $2,835 |
Adults (25-60) | Farmers | $3,079 |
Seniors (65-75) | USAA | $1,842 |
Seniors (65-75) | Geico | $1,935 |
Seniors (65-75) | Mercury Insurance | $2,072 |
Seniors (65-75) | State Farm | $2,252 |
Seniors (65-75) | Auto Club Enterprises (AAA) | $2,377 |
Seniors (65-75) | Progressive | $2,401 |
Seniors (65-75) | Allstate | $2,414 |
Seniors (65-75) | Travelers | $2,461 |
Seniors (65-75) | CSAA Insurance (AAA) | $2,625 |
Seniors (65-75) | Nationwide | $2,709 |
Seniors (65-75) | Farmers | $2,977 |
Seniors (65-75) | Kemper Insurance | $3,150 |
*USAA offers car insurance only to military members, veterans and their families.
Cheapest car insurance companies in California by driver profile
Accidents and tickets can negatively affect car insurance rates. Drivers who have accidents or tickets are considered a higher risk and will pay more.
However, the severity and frequency of the incidents will also play a role in the insurance rates. For instance, drivers with a single minor accident may see a smaller increase in their rates compared to those with multiple major accidents.
Below are average California rates by company for drivers with accidents and tickets on their driving record.
Company | Clean record | Accident | Speeding Ticket |
---|---|---|---|
USAA* | $1,827 | $3,007 | $2,230 |
Mercury Insurance | $2,031 | $3,563 | $2,893 |
Progressive | $2,179 | $3,600 | $3,368 |
Geico | $1,919 | $3,876 | $2,994 |
CSAA Insurance (AAA) | $2,600 | $3,961 | $3,299 |
Auto Club Enterprises (AAA) | $2,466 | $4,005 | $3,552 |
Travelers | $2,460 | $4,263 | $3,700 |
State Farm | $2,701 | $4,543 | $4,071 |
Farmers | $3,035 | $4,892 | $4,224 |
Nationwide | $2,799 | $5,302 | $5,241 |
Allstate | $2,627 | $6,275 | $3,808 |
*USAA offers car insurance only to military members, veterans and their families.
*USAA offers car insurance only to military members, veterans and their families.
Compare auto insurance rates by city in California
Auto insurance rates in your city can differ significantly from the state average due to factors such as population density, increased instances of auto theft or accidents, and a few other factors. It's best to compare quotes from various insurance providers to find the most competitive rates for your specific city in California.
City | Annual insurance premium |
---|---|
Hayward | $2,546 |
San Diego | $2,324 |
Irvine | $2,502 |
Los Angeles | $3,149 |
Sacramento | $2,665 |
San Jose | $2,406 |
Temecula | $2,356 |
Methodology
Insurance.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services in 2023 to field rates from major insurers in every state across most ZIP codes. Driver profile: male, age 40, driving a 2023 Honda Accord LX with full coverage of 100/300/100 with comprehensive and collision; $500 deductible.
The car insurance rates for drivers with accidents and tickets are averaged based on rates for the following accidents and tickets:
Accidents:
- 1 at-fault property damage accident over $2k
- 1 at-fault property damage accident under $2k
- At-fault bodily injury accident
- Single vehicle accident
Tickets:
- Distracted driving ticket
- Speeding ticket 1- 10 MPH over limit
- Speeding ticket 11- 29 MPH over limit
- Talking on cellphone ticket
- Texting ticket
Insurance.com analyzed rates from more than 34,000 ZIP codes, 56 million quotes, and 136 companies. Rates sourced from Quadrant Data Services are for comparison purposes only; your rates may differ.
Compare California car insurance rates with other states
- SR-22 insurance in California
- Cheapest home and auto insurance bundle in California
- California insurance crisis: Insurers like State Farm leaving California
- California gap insurance: Everything you need to know
- Cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers in California
- Best condo insurance in California
- Best and cheapest renters insurance in California
- California health insurance: Your options, costs and how to buy a plan
- Best and cheapest homeowners insurance in California for 2024