Insure.com research standards and methodology Insure.com combines insurance rate data, consumer surveys, public records, government sources and expert editorial review to help you estimate insurance costs, find the best insurance companies and understand the financial trends that affect your budget. Our approach shifts with each topic, but the goal stays the same – to turn complicated insurance data into clear answers you can understand. Our research at a glance Research area Metric Auto insurance records analyzed 65M+ ZIP codes evaluated 34,500+ Auto insurers analyzed 195 Home insurance records analyzed 38M+ Home insurance company groups reviewed 75 Consumer survey responses for company rankings 2,000+ Geographic coverage All 50 states and Washington, D.C. How our research process works We collect the data. We gather figures from trusted insurance, consumer, government and industry sources. We organize and compare. We structure the data by location, coverage type, insurer, customer profile or study topic so it can be measured side by side. We analyze the patterns. We look for trends in premiums, rate differences, customer satisfaction, complaints and affordability. We review the findings. Our editors check every result for accuracy, clarity and usefulness. We publish with transparency. We share the results alongside methodology notes, so you can see exactly how the data was used. Data sources we use Source Used for Quadrant Information Services Auto, home, condo and renters insurance rates Consumer survey partners Insurance company rankings and customer experience research AM Best Financial strength ratings National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Complaint data National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) Health plan quality ratings Center for Regional Competitiveness / Council for Community and Economic Research Cost of living comparisons U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Household wage and labor value studies Editorial research Analysis, review, context and consumer guidance How we analyze insurance rates Insure.com uses rate data from Quadrant Information Services to analyze how premiums vary by insurer, location, coverage level and consumer profile. These studies are designed to help you compare typical insurance costs – they are not personalized quotes. Auto insurance Our auto insurance research draws on nationwide rate analysis across more than 65 million records, 34,500+ ZIP codes and 195 insurance companies. Depending on the study, we compare rates by age, gender, coverage level, driving record, credit history, ZIP code, vehicle type or driver incident. Auto insurance studies may cover scenarios such as: Full coverage State-minimum liability Liability-only coverage At-fault accidents DUI Speeding tickets Distracted driving Bad credit SR-22 filings Auto insurance discounts ZIP code-based rate differences The driver we modeled – and why A 40-year-old with a clean record driving a Honda Accord LX serves as our benchmark because it’s the most neutral, nationally comparable profile available. Holding the driver constant lets every state-to-state and company-to-company comparison stand on its own, without a driver-specific variable distorting the result. Age & Gender 40-year-old man and woman Vehicle Honda Accord LX Commute 12 miles each way, ~10,000 miles a year Credit score Good Driving record Clean, no violations Coverage 100/300/100 liability, $500 deductible Home insurance Our home insurance research uses homeowners rate data to compare premiums by state, ZIP code, dwelling coverage amount, liability coverage, deductible and insurer. Some studies analyze policies with $300,000 in dwelling coverage, while others use different amounts – such as $400,000 – depending on the article topic and data set. Recent home insurance research reviewed nearly 38 million quotes across 75 company groups and 134 insurers. Condo insurance Our condo insurance research analyzes HO-6 policy rates across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Studies may compare personal property coverage levels, liability limits and location-based rate differences. Renters insurance Our renters insurance research compares renters policy rates across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Studies commonly evaluate personal property coverage, liability limits, deductibles and location-based pricing. How we rank the best insurance companies Insure.com ranks insurance companies using a blend of consumer feedback, pricing data, financial strength ratings, complaint data and third-party quality ratings where applicable. To capture consumer feedback, we commission independent research through a nationally recognized online market research firm. Respondents evaluate their own insurance providers across key performance areas, including customer satisfaction, claims handling, affordability, service experience and trust. Ranking factors include: Customer satisfaction Claims satisfaction Price and affordability Ease of service Policy offerings Digital experience Renewal intent Recommendation score Trust Financial strength Complaint performance Premium data The specific inputs vary by insurance type: Auto and home rankings: survey results, AM Best ratings, annual premiums and NAIC complaint data. Life insurance rankings: survey results, AM Best ratings and NAIC complaint data. Health insurance rankings: survey results, NCQA ratings and NAIC complaint data. How we measure cost of living Insure.com uses cost of living data from the Center for Regional Competitiveness, which oversees the Council for Community and Economic Research. This data tracks regional differences in consumer goods and services, allowing us to compare factors such as housing, groceries, transportation, utilities and healthcare. Our original research and seasonal indexes Some Insure.com studies use government wage data to estimate the value of unpaid household work. Father’s Day Index: We match common household tasks to comparable Bureau of Labor Statistics occupations, apply mean hourly wages and estimate annual value based on the time spent on each task. Mother’s Day Index: We’ve used Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data for more than 15 years to estimate hourly wages for the household tasks mothers commonly do around the house. How we check our work Before publication, every study goes through a review process that may include: Source verification Data review Methodology review Editorial review Fact checking Periodic updates Note: Our rate data from Quadrant Information Services is refreshed periodically. Figures in any given article reflect the data vintage current at the time of publication; later refreshes may produce updated figures using the same methodology. How we calculate “as low as” rates Some Insure.com pages and advertising highlight a representative “as low as” rate to illustrate the lowest premiums available for a standardized driver profile. This applies to our lowest available rate, promotional rate and “as low as” figures alike. To calculate this value, we commission rate data from Quadrant Information Services using a consistent sample driver: 40-year-old male and female drivers 2025 Honda Accord LX 50/100/50 liability-only coverage Good insurance score Clean driving record with no violations 12-mile one-way commute Approximately 10,000 annual miles driven For each state (including Washington, D.C.), we identify the lowest monthly premium available from participating insurers – excluding USAA, due to its military eligibility requirements – and then average those state-level lows into a single nationwide “as low as” value. These figures illustrate how low premiums may be under specific circumstances; they are not personalized quotes. Your actual premium will vary based on factors such as location, driving history, vehicle, coverage selections and each insurer’s underwriting criteria. The people behind our research Behind every Insure.com report is a team of data and insurance professionals who collect, validate, analyze and interpret large datasets to help you make informed decisions. Working with millions of insurance records, consumer survey responses and industry datasets, our team identifies trends, compares insurers and turns complex information into clear, actionable insight. Brent Buell Data Journalist at Insure.com Brent Buell specializes in transforming complex insurance and market data into meaningful consumer insights. His work focuses on analyzing large datasets, identifying trends and creating research-driven stories that help readers better understand insurance costs, coverage options and industry developments.At Insure.com, Brent contributes to data collection, analysis, visualization and methodology development, helping ensure that research findings are accurate, transparent and easy to understand. Tanmaya Sathe Data Analyst at Insure.com Tanmaya Sathe is a data analyst at Insure.com, bringing an engineering background and deep experience in revenue, pricing, and consumer analytics across the insurance industry. His work focuses on analyzing consumer survey data, insurer performance metrics, and real-world pricing information used in Insure.com’s research projects. By validating data, applying consistent methodologies, and translating complex findings into clear insights, he helps ensure Insure.com’s analysis is accurate, transparent, and reliable.