The best, cheapest car insurance in Alabama

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Best car insurance company in Alabama

In Alabama, the average premium for car insurance is $1,860 a year or $155 a month, which is the 28^th highest in the country – Louisiana was number one.

For drivers looking for cheap car insurance in Alabama, Nationwide, Travelers, GEICO, Country Financial and others on our list are great options, offering plenty of coverage options at affordable rates.

Our research found Nationwide offers low rates when compared to its competitors and received high marks when we look at other factors including J.D Power customer satisfaction scores, financial strength rankings and complaint data. Nationwide was our top scorer and was awarded 4.61 out of 5 stars.

State Farm finished second in our rankings with a score of 4.34 stars and Travelers was third at 4.32 stars.

The best car insurance companies in Alabama

How we picked the top auto insurance companies

When choosing the top car insurance companies in the state, we not only looked at the average cost of coverage but also J.D. Power customer satisfaction scores, AM Best financial strength ratings and National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint rankings. National averages were used where state and regional data was not available.

For each of the four metrics, we gave companies in each state from 1 to 5 (5 being the best) based on how they performed in each category. Those components were then given the following weights, to arrive at an overall star rating.

• Premiums: 25%
• JD Power: 30%
• AM Best: 25%
• NAIC: 20%

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Cheapest car insurance in Alabama

Nationwide has the lowest average rate in Alabama at $1,345 a year or $112 a month.

Travelers is the next most affordable at $1,428 annually and GEICO at $1,625. While these insurers had the cheapest average premiums, there are plenty of other options for coverage in the state.

Insurers consider a wide variety of factors when setting a rate and use proprietary algorithms which can result in dramatic differences in premium quotes. Where you live also affects rates.

“States that have a higher rate of severe weather that damages cars or helps cause accidents will typically have higher rates,” says Chong Gao, director of product management R&D at Mercury Insurance. “Alabama, for example, is prone to extreme weather like hurricanes and its car insurance costs are consequently much higher.”

The data shows how shopping around for coverage can result in savings. While Nationwide had the lowest average rate at $1,345, Farmers was the most expensive at $2,542.

Below are the cheapest car insurance rates by state. To calculate these rates, we used data for a 40-year-old driver of a 2023 Honda Accord LX – one of the most commonly insured vehicles – to provide a consistent and realistic comparison across states.

Cheapest full-coverage insurance in Alabama

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Full coverage car insurance in Alabama

As noted, the rates above are for full coverage car insurance. Full coverage car insurance simply means you are carrying liability and any other state requirements as well as collision and comprehensive.

Full coverage insurance includes collision and comprehensive, which protects your own vehicle. Collision insurance will pay to repair your vehicle when it is damaged after colliding with another vehicle or object. Comprehensive covers damage that is done by perils such as fire, theft, flooding, vandalism, and more.

Shopping for car insurance in Alabama

Shopping around for coverage is a great way to make sure you are getting the best rates on your auto insurance. Experts often tell consumers to shop for insurance yearly. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should be looking to switch.

“I recommend that people stay with the same insurance company, as they tend to get a better rate when they have been with the same carrier for more than 12 months. The more tenure you have with a carrier, the more potential there is to earn benefits,” says Tim Bottini, a Country Financial insurance agent based in St. Louis. “The carrier can also review your claims history and provide information about applicable discounts.”

But make sure you are comparing like coverage levels and deductibles.

“It is extremely important to make sure you start off with an apples-to-apples comparison,” Bottini says. However, if a person has low limits, say 25/50/25 – limit per person/per occurrence/limit for property damage – he will recommend higher coverage.

“Depending on their age/income and profession,” he says, “I would quote higher limits to protect their net worth and earnings potential.”

Bottini also says people can save money on their car insurance by keeping their credit score up, following the speed limit and placing both home and auto insurance with the same carrier.

Cheapest car insurance in Alabama by age

Insurance companies consider your age when setting a premium and teens and young adults pay more for coverage as statistics show that young drivers, because they are inexperienced, have more accidents and claims.

Regardless of your age, in Alabama, Nationwide is the most affordable coverage with an average rate of $1,345 a year.

As teens transition into young adults and get more experience under their belt rates start to drop. By their mid to late-20s – assuming they keep their record clean – driver rates should stabilize and then stay stable until the driver moves into their 70s when rates will start climbing again.

Cheapest car insurance for senior drivers in Alabama

Seniors pay more for car insurance than other drivers, excluding teens. Nationwide is the best choice for seniors in Alabama, according to our data, with an average premium of $1,240 annually, which translates to $103 a month.

Travelers was the second most affordable at $1,435 and GEICO was next with a premium of $1,545.

“Seniors tend to have slower reaction times and may suffer from vision or hearing impairments, which can impair their driving ability. This makes them more prone to accidents and thus considered high-risk by insurance companies,” says Tariro Goronga, CEO of DriveSafe driving schools in Colorado.

The table below shows the average premium for senior drivers.

Average rates for seniors in Alabama

Car insurance for young drivers in Alabama

While young adults pay less than teen drivers, they still pay more than older more experienced drivers. The best choice for young adults (early 20s) in Alabama is Travelers with an annual rate of $2,212 or $184 a month.

Nationwide had the second cheapest premium at $2,263 a year followed by GEICO was third at $2,292.

If young drivers keep their driving record clean, their rates will drop down as they move out of their 20s.

The table below shows the best insurers for young drivers in Alabama:

Average rates for young drivers in Alabama

Car insurance for teen drivers in Alabama

Although teen drivers always pay much higher premiums than other driver groups, Country Financial offers teens the cheapest rate at $3,260. Teen drivers are inexperienced and are big risk takers which results in more accidents and claims, pushing up the cost of coverage.

“Teenagers are more likely to be involved in accidents than older drivers because of their lack of experience. This increased risk results in higher insurance rates because insurance companies regard them as high-risk drivers,” says Goronga. “Teenagers are also more likely to engage in risky driving behaviors, such as distracted driving or speeding, increasing their chances of being involved in an accident.”

GEICO has the second most affordable premium at $4,247 a year followed by Travelers at $4,371 annually.

Our data clearly shows how dramatic premium differences can be for teens and how important shopping your coverage is when trying to find the best rate for your specific risk factors. While Country Financial was the most affordable at $3,260, Farmers was the most expensive with an annual premium of $10,911.

There are a few ways to save some money when insuring a teen. Ask your insurer for a good student discount if they are carrying a B average or better. Putting your teen in an older vehicle that you wouldn’t repair after an accident can help save some money by dropping collision and comprehensive. Just keep in mind that doing so means you’ll be on the hook for any damage if they’re in a crash.

The chart below shows average premiums for teens in Alabama:

Average rates for teens in Alabama

Average cost of car insurance in Alabama

The average cost of car insurance in Alabama is $1,860, which makes it the 28^th most expensive state in the country behind Louisiana and Florida.

Metropolitan areas – and all states have them – equals lots of drivers, which often leads to car crashes and claims.

“States with a higher population density have more cars on the road and thus more accidents and claims, increasing insurance rates. A more rural state like Iowa will have significantly lower average yearly car insurance costs compared to a highly metropolitan state like Alabama,” says Gao.

Below are the cheapest car insurance rates by state. To calculate these rates, we used data for a 40-year-old driver of a 2023 Honda Accord LX – one of the most commonly insured vehicles – to provide a consistent and realistic comparison across states.

Average rates for a 40-year-old in Idaho

Which Alabama ZIP codes are most expensive for car insurance?

Car insurance costs in Alabama can vary significantly based on your location, as insurers consider the ZIP code where your vehicle is primarily parked when determining your premium.

Our data shows that the Tarrant area came out as the most expensive with an average annual premium of $2,084. Fairfield was No. 2 and Center Point was No. 3.

Here are the most expensive ZIP codes in Alabama for car insurance:

Most expensive ZIP codes in Alabama

Which Alabama ZIP codes are the cheapest for car insurance?

Rural areas are almost always cheaper than urban areas when it comes to car insurance. Fewer people and cars on the road mean fewer accidents and claims. The cheapest zip code for car insurance in Alabama is in Fort Rucker with an annual premium of $1,664.

Least expensive ZIP codes in Alabama

Cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers in Alabama

If you have an at-fault accident, DUI or speeding ticket on your driving record, your insurer may consider you a high-risk driver and will push up the cost of your coverage.

A speeding ticket increases the average premium to $2,037 and will stay on your record and impact your premium for three years.

If you are responsible for an accident, your rates will push the average cost of coverage to $2,457.

A DUI is considered a major violation and will raise the average premium to $2,884.

The table below shows the average increase for drivers with an incident on their record:

How much rates increase in Alabama after a traffic incident

Minimum car insurance requirements in Alabama

Most states require all drivers to carry a minimum amount of liability coverage to drive legally. Alabama requires drivers to carry 25/50/25 in liability coverage, which translates into:

• $25k for bodily injury and $50,000 for death for a person involved in an accident
• $50k for bodily injury and $100,000 for death for two or more people in an accident
• $25k for property damage for a single accident

These required minimums are fairly average when compared to other states. However, these minimums are rarely enough coverage if you are involved in a serious accident. Once your coverage levels are exceeded, you will be on the hook for any remaining damage.

Experts typically recommend carrying 100/300/50 as a minimum liability coverage level.

What our expert says

Q: How does a state’s population affect car insurance rates?

Chong GaoDirector of product management R&D at Mercury Insurance.

“States with a higher population density have more cars on the road and thus more accidents and claims, increasing insurance rates. A more rural state like Iowa will have significantly lower average yearly car insurance costs compared to a highly metropolitan state like Alabama.”

Mark Vallet

Contributing Researcher

 

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Mark Vallet is a Denver-based insurance expert and journalist with 18 years of experience covering the car insurance industry. He specializes in breaking down complex insurance topics into clear, expert-backed insights that help drivers make smarter insurance coverage decisions.

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