Colorado gap insurance | Insurance.com

How much is gap insurance in Colorado?

The average gap insurance rate in Colorado is $2,055 per year, according to a rate analysis by Insurance.com.

The cost of gap insurance depends on factors like the value of your car, the car insurance company you choose, your location, and your age. Hence, it is a good idea to compare quotes from at least three insurance providers before making the final decision.

Cheapest gap insurance companies in Colorado

Geico tops the list of the cheapest car insurance companies that provide gap insurance in Colorado, at about $1,285 per year, on average. USAA is second on the list followed by Nationwide.

Below is the list of the car insurance companies offering cheap gap insurance in Colorado, along with their average annual rates.

Company	Average Insurance Rates
Geico	$1,285
USAA	$1,292
Nationwide	$1,428
State Farm	$1,633
Kemper	$1,932
Progressive	$1,947
Allstate	$2,219
Auto-Owners	$2,232
Farmers	$2,468
American Family	$3,423

Average gap insurance cost in Colorado by city

In Colorado, gap insurance rates differ from one city to another, as insurers consider different factors such as an area's frequency of theft, collisions, and vandalism, while calculating the rates. These factors can help insurers accurately predict the potential for claims.

Gap insurance costs are the cheapest in Vail, Colorado, at $1,676 per year, or $140 per month. On the other hand, Aurora has the most expensive gap insurance rates at $2,346 per year, or $196 per month. The table below lists the gap insurance costs for some cities in Colorado:

City	Average Annual Rates
Vail	$1,676
Evans	$1,705
Boulder	$1,711
Severance	$1,755
Sterling	$1,856
Castle Rock	$1,857
Lone Tree	$1,900
Denver	$2,021
Englewood	$2,102
Colorado Springs	$2,117
Aurora	$2,346

Learn more: Can you get a gap insurance refund?

How much does gap insurance cost by age in Colorado?

The cost of gap insurance varies by age. For example, in Colorado, a 20-year-old driver can expect to pay about $4,308 per year for gap insurance, while a 30-year-old driver would pay closer to $2,159 per year for the same coverage.

Young drivers are considered riskier as they lack driving experience on the road. Their chances of getting into an accident are four times higher than that of more mature drivers. Therefore, their rates are higher to begin with. So, if you're a young driver in Colorado, you'll probably pay more for gap insurance than an older driver.

The table below lists gap insurance costs based on age in Colorado:

Age	Average Annual Rates
20	$4,308
30	$2,159
40	$2,055
70	$2,068

How does gap insurance work in Colorado?

Gap insurance pays the difference between what your car is worth and what you owe on your car loan if your vehicle is stolen or totaled. It doesn't pay to get a new or replacement vehicle. Instead, it ensures that you don't have to continue payments on a car that is a total loss.

To better understand how gap insurance works, let's look at an example.

Assume you bought a car worth $25,000. You get into an accident and your vehicle is totaled. But you still owe $20,000 to your lender. When you file a claim, your insurer will pay the actual cash value of your car, which is, say, $19,000. Even after the insurer pays for the actual cash value of your car, there remains an outstanding loan amount of $1,000.

Now, if you do not have gap insurance coverage, you will be required to pay the remaining $1,000 of the loan. On the other hand, gap insurance will pay for any remaining loan balance.

The table below spells this out in detail:

Worth of the car	$25,000
Loan amount left to be paid	$20,000
The amount the insurer pays your lender (actual cash value of your car)	$19,000
Amount still due on the loan, after insurance claim payout	$1,000
With gap coverage	The driver will pay off the loan without any money out of pocket.
Without gap coverage	The driver will have $1,000 out of pocket to pay off the loan.

Learn more: Can I cancel gap insurance coverage?

Sources:

What is gap insurance? - Insurance Information Institute
Higher insurance rates for young drivers - IIHS

Methodology

Insurance.com gathered data with the help of Quadrant Information Services from major insurance companies across Colorado that offer gap insurance. We included rates for drivers aged 20, 30, 40, and 70. All rates are based on the profile of a driver with a clean record and full coverage policy.

The coverage limit for a full coverage policy is 100/300/100 liability with a $500 comprehensive and collision deductible. The numbers 100/300/100 represent:

$100,000 coverage for bodily injury per person
$300,000 in bodily injury per accident
$100,000 for property damage

Auto insurance FAQs

Is gap insurance required in Colorado?

Gap insurance is optional coverage in Colorado. But if you have a lease or loan agreement your lender will most likely require you to purchase gap insurance. But you can drop the coverage as soon as your car loan becomes lower than the value of your car.

Who should buy gap insurance in Colorado?

Those who have their car on lease or loan should consider purchasing gap insurance in Colorado to financially protect themselves.

Apart from that, it is considered a good idea to purchase gap insurance in Colorado if:

You have paid only 20% of your auto loan
You have financed a car for more than 60 months (five years)
You lease your vehicle

Also keep in mind depreciation. A new car drops in value about 20% in the first year of ownership and loses more than 10% of its value each year over the next four years, according to information on car-history site Carfax.com. This means that the payout you would get for the value of the car is likely to be much less than what you owe for at least the first several years.

Where to buy gap insurance in Colorado?

Here is where you can purchase gap insurance in Colorado:

From your car insurance company
From a company offering stand-alone gap insurance policies
From your car dealer
From the bank/financial institution which offered you a loan for purchasing your car

As the rates vary from one insurance provider to another, it is advised to compare quotes from multiple sources before making the purchase.

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