The best, cheapest car insurance in Washington

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Best car insurance company in Washington

In Washington, the average premium for car insurance is $1,608 a year or $134 a month, which is the 42^nd highest in the country – Louisiana was number one.

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

Our research found GEICO 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. GEICO was our top scorer and was awarded 4.48 out of 5 stars.

PEMCO finished second in our rankings with a score of 4.31 stars and American Family was third at 4.3 stars.

The best car insurance companies in Washington

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 Washington

GEICO is the cheapest option for car insurance in Washington.

Insurers consider a wide variety of factors when setting a premium including your driving record, credit score, age and 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 numbers highlight these differences. Progressive is the most expensive insurer in Washington with an average premium of $2,554 a year.

On the other hand, as mentioned above, the average premium for GEICO policyholders in Washington is $1,171 a year. PEMCO had the second cheapest coverage in Washington at $1,326 and Travelers rounded out the top three cheapest at $1,503.

Below is a list of the cheapest full-coverage car insurance rates in Washington for a 40-year-old driver of a 2023 Honda Accord LX.

Cheapest full-coverage insurance in Washington

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.

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Full coverage car insurance in Washington

As noted, the rates above are for full coverage car insurance. Full coverage car insurance adds collision and comprehensive to your liability insurance coverage, so your vehicle is repaired or replaced after an incident.

Full coverage insurance includes collision and comprehensive which will pay to repair your vehicle. Collision covers damage caused by a collision with another vehicle or object while comprehensive repairs damage done by perils such as fire, theft, flooding, vandalism, and more.

Learn more about liability, collision and comprehensive coverage.

Shopping for car insurance in Washington

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 – I am going to recommend and quote at least 50/100/100. Depending on their age/income and profession, 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 Washington by age

Car insurance rates will vary by age as reams of statistics show that teen and young adult drivers, because they are inexperienced on the road, take bigger risks and are more likely to get in anaccident and file a claim, which is why they pay more for coverage than older more experienced drivers.

GEICO turned out to be the best insurer in Washington for drivers of all ages. The numbers show the difference between young and old drivers with the lowest premium for a teen coming in at 91% more than the lowest premium for a senior driver.

Once a driver hits 25, rates will start to drop, assuming they keep their driving record clean, and will stay stable until their 70s when they will start climbing a bit.

Cheapest car insurance for senior drivers in Washington

Seniors pay more for car insurance than other drivers, excluding teens. GEICO is the best choice for seniors in Washington, according to our data, with an average premium of $1,142 annually, which translates to $95 a month.

Travelers was the second most affordable at $1,512 and Nationwide was next with a premium of $1,516.

“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 Washington

Car insurance for young drivers in Washington

While rates start to drop for teen drivers as they become young adults, they still pay slightly higher rates than more experienced drivers. According to our data, PEMCO is the cheapest insurer for drivers in their early 20s with an average premium of $1,984 a year or $165 per month.

GEICO was the second cheapest insurer at $2,150 and Farmers will insure a young driver in Washington for $2,160 a year.

Rates will continue to drop (assuming a clean driving record) as drivers hit their late 20s and move into their 30s.

The chart below shows the average premiums for young drivers.

Average rates for young drivers in Washington

Car insurance for teen drivers in Washington

Although teen drivers always pay much higher premiums than other driver groups, PEMCO offers teens the cheapest rate at $3,514. 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.”

Travelers has the second most affordable premium at $4,100 a year followed by Farmers at $4,670 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 PEMCO was the most affordable at $3,514, Progressive was the most expensive with an annual premium of $8,874.

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 Washington:

Average rates for teens in Washington

Average cost of car insurance in Washington

Washington is the 42^nd most expensive state (Louisiana is number one) when it comes to car insurance with an average premium of $1,608.

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 Washington

Which Washington 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 Washington for car insurance. Tukwila tops the charts at $2,085 a year.

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

Most expensive ZIP codes in Washington

Which Washington 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 Washington is in Malden with an annual premium of $1,331.

Least expensive ZIP codes in Washington

Cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers in Washington

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 49% increase, pushing the average rate to $2,014. Speeding tickets will typically impact your premium for at least three years.

An at-fault accident will raise your rates by 62% to an average of $2,184. A DUI will result in the biggest increase, sending your premium up 97% to an average of $2,666.

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

How much rates increase in Washington after a traffic incident

Minimum car insurance requirements in Washington

Most states require all drivers to carry a minimum amount of liability coverage to drive legally. Washington requires drivers to carry 25/50/10 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
• $10k 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 Washington.”

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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