The best, cheapest car insurance in Missouri

Why you can trust Insure.com

Quality Verified

At Insure.com, we are committed to providing the timely, accurate and expert information consumers need to make smart insurance decisions. All our content is written and reviewed by industry professionals and insurance experts. Our team carefully vets our rate data to ensure we only provide reliable and up-to-date insurance pricing. We follow the highest editorial standards. Our content is based solely on objective research and data gathering. We maintain strict editorial independence to ensure unbiased coverage of the insurance industry.

Best car insurance company in Missouri

In Missouri, the average premium for car insurance is $1,982 a year or $165 a month, which is the 19^th highest in the country – Louisiana was number one.

For drivers looking for cheap car insurance in Missouri, Nationwide, Travelers, Shelter Insurance, Progressive and others on our list are great options, offering plenty of coverage options at affordable rates.

Our research found Shelter Insurance 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. Shelter Insurance was our top scorer and was awarded 4.54 out of 5 stars.

Nationwide finished second in our rankings with a score of 4.12 stars and Travelers was third at 4.11 stars.

The best car insurance companies in Missouri

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%

You might find interesting

Explore related topics

• Average car insurance cost in Missouri
• Car insurance calculator for teens in Missouri
• Cheapest SR-22 insurance in Missouri
• Do you need insurance to register a car in Missouri?
• How much is gap insurance in Missouri
• Low-cost car insurance in Missouri
• Missouri car insurance calculator
• Missouri car insurance: Rates, state minimum requirements and best companies
• Non-owner auto insurance in Missouri: Which company has the cheapest rates?
• Best and cheapest companies for home and auto bundles in Missouri

See more

Cheapest car insurance in Missouri

Nationwide has the cheapest average rate in the state at $1,361 a year.

While Nationwide is the cheapest for many drivers, the perfect insurer for you may be a different company.

Insurers consider a wide variety of factors when setting a premium including your driving record, credit score, age, marital status as well the vehicle. 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. “Florida, for example, is prone to extreme weather like hurricanes and its car insurance costs are consequently much higher.”

Insurance companies crunch all this data with proprietary algorithms, which can result in dramatic differences in premium quotes.

The data clearly shows the range of premiums for similar drivers.

In Missouri, as mentioned earlier, the cheapest policy is Nationwide with an average rate of $1,361 a year. Travelers follows with an average premium of $1,515 a year or $126 a month and Shelter Insurance with premiums of $1,906 a year or $159 a month.

GEICO is the most expensive insurer with an average premium of $3,217.

Make sure you’re taking advantage of all the discounts you qualify for to ensure you’re getting the best possible rate. Ask your agent to review your policy for any available savings you might be missing.

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 Missouri

Auto insurance premiums vary significantly from city to city, so drivers need to be sure they’re getting the best deal. Insure.com has done the research for you. Get more information on auto insurance rates by city below.

Our agents make it hassle-free to get the right quote.

Call (844) 814-8854

Ethan Available Now

Jack Available Now

Robbie Available Now

Ellie Available Now

Full coverage car insurance in Missouri

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 Missouri

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 Missouri 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 Missouri, Nationwide is the most affordable coverage with an average rate of $1,361 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 Missouri

Seniors in the state pay more for coverage than all other driver groups, except for teens. Nationwide is the most affordable option for seniors with a yearly premium of $1,236 or $103 a month. Travelers was the second cheapest at $1,440 and Shelter Insurance rounded out the top three at $1,763.

Seniors tend to pay more for coverage due to age. Many seniors suffer from vision and hearing issues as well as slowing reflexes. In addition, medications they may take can impact their driving. All of these factors combined lead to more accidents and claims which will result in a higher premium.

The chart below shows the average premium for senior drivers.

Average rates for seniors in Missouri

Car insurance for young drivers in Missouri

Young drivers (21-25) have seen their premiums drop from their teen years, but they still pay more than more experienced drivers. In Missouri, Travelers is the cheapest option for young adults with a yearly premium of $2,262 or $189 a month.

Nationwide is the next most affordable with an average rate of $2,307 followed by Shelter Insurance at $3,037.

Young drivers who maintain a clean driving record can expect their rates to drop even more as they reach their late 20s.

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

Average rates for young drivers in Missouri

Car insurance for teen drivers in Missouri

Insuring a teen is always expensive; statistics show that inexperienced teen drivers get into more accidents and file more claims than more experienced drivers. In Missouri, the best insurer for teen drivers is Travelers with an annual premium of $4,296 or $358 a month. Shelter Insurance was second most affordable at $4,446 a year or $371 monthly while Nationwide was number three at $4,644.

While teens are expensive to insure, there are a few ways to save some money. Most insurers offer a good student discount so if your teen is carrying a B average or above you should ask for a discount. Putting them in an older vehicle will also lower your insurance costs.

The chart below shows average premiums for teens.

Average rates for teens in Missouri

Average cost of car insurance in Missouri

Missouri is the 19^th most expensive state (Louisiana is number one) when it comes to car insurance with an average premium of $1,982.

The table below shows the average rate in each state for a 40-year-old driver of a 2023 Honda Accord LX.

Average rates for a 40-year-old in Missouri

Which Missouri ZIP codes are the most expensive for car insurance?

Insurers consider the ZIP code where your car is parked when setting a premium. High crime rates or frequent severe weather will result in a higher premium.

According to our analysis, the following ZIP codes are the most expensive in Missouri for car insurance. Pagedale tops the charts at $2,456 a year.

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

Most expensive ZIP codes in Missouri

Which Missouri ZIP codes are the cheapest for car insurance?

The cheapest ZIP codes for car insurance in Missouri tend to be in rural areas where there are fewer people and cars which leads to lower accident and claim rates. Jefferson City has the most affordable ZIP code in Missouri with an annual premium of $1,776.

Least expensive ZIP codes in Missouri

Cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers in Missouri

Drivers with a speeding ticket, DUI or at-fault accident on their record are often considered high-risk drivers and end up paying more for coverage. The increase can range from reasonable for a speeding ticket to a big leap in costs for a DUI.

The data showed that a speeding ticket will result in a 31% increase, pushing the average rate to $3,107. Speeding tickets will typically impact your premium for at least three years.

An at-fault accident will raise your rates by 71% to an average of $4,064. A DUI will result in the biggest increase, sending your premium up 67% to an average of $3,970.

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

How much rates increase in Missouri after a traffic incident

Minimum car insurance requirements in Missouri

Most states require all drivers to carry a minimum amount of liability coverage to drive legally. Missouri 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 Missouri.”

Mark Vallet

Contributing Researcher

 

|

 . .

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.

Explore other insurance options in Missouri

Non-owner auto insurance in Missouri

Average renters insurance cost in Missouri

Average homeowners insurance cost in Missouri