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Car insurance in Nashville costs $1,708 per year for full coverage – $142 monthly. In 2024, USAA offers the cheapest car insurance policy at $1,165 per year for a full coverage insurance policy.

Nashville is a growing city of nearly 704,000 people. If you are moving to Nashville — or already live there — it is important to find the right car insurance policy. Fortunately, there are ways to get cheap car insurance in Nashville that will provide the coverage you need.

Key Takeaways

  • Full-coverage car insurance in Nashville costs an average of $1,708 per year, lower than the nationwide average of $1,895 but higher than the Tennessee average of $1,677.
  • The cheapest car insurance company for a full-coverage policy in Nashville is USAA, at $97 monthly.
  • Car insurance rates in Nashville are cheaper than those of other large cities across the U.S.

How to find the best car insurance in Nashville 

With the right tools and a little work, you can find the best car insurance policy in Nashville that marries the coverage you need with a cost you can afford. 

Before shopping for car insurance, determine the type of policy you need, including the coverage necessary to protect yourself. Get quotes from at least three companies comparing similar coverage limits and options and ask about any discounts you qualify for. It’s always best to buy as much coverage as you can afford.

Cheapest car insurance company in Nashville 

USAA provides the cheapest car insurance in Nashville. It costs an average of $1,165 annually to purchase a full-coverage policy from the insurer. Keep in mind that USAA is only available to military community members and their families. The next cheapest car insurance companies are Travelers and Tennessee Farmers.

See other cheap car insurance rates in Nashville in the table below.

Average annual rates from insurers in Nashville

CompanyAverage annual rates for state minimumAverage annual rates for full coverage
USAA$301$1,165
Tennessee Farmers$383$1,519
Geico$407$1,691
State Farm$415$1,675
Travelers$416$1,390
Erie Insurance$421$1,767
Farmers$569$1,666
Nationwide$628$1,633
Progressive$672$1,573
Allstate$811$3,000

How much is car insurance in Nashville per month?

Nashville residents can expect to pay an average of $142 per month in full coverage car insurance costs, or $42 per month for the state minimum coverage.

Of course, some drivers pay less than this average, while others pay more. Factors determining how much you pay for car insurance include the insurance company you choose and the coverage you need. 

Other factors — including your age and gender, car type, and history of accidents and violations — also influence car insurance costs. See monthly rates from insurance companies in Nashville in the table below.

Monthly rates for car insurance in Nashville, Tennessee

CompanyAverage monthly rates for state minimumAverage monthly rates for full coverage
USAA$25$97
Tennessee Farmers$32$127
Geico$34$141
Erie Insurance$35$147
State Farm$35$140
Travelers$35$116
Farmers$47$139
Nationwide$52$136
Progressive$56$131
Allstate$68$250

How do rates in Nashville compare to other large cities in the U.S.?

The cost of coverage in Nashville is cheaper than in other major cities. Nashville drivers pay more than other Tennessee drivers – the statewide rate is $1,677 annually, compared with Nashville’s $1,708.

See how much you can expect to pay for car insurance in several major U.S. cities in the table below.

Full-coverage car insurance costs in major U.S. metropolitan areas

CityFull-coverage cost
Chicago$1,930
Dallas$2,278
Houston$2,317
Los Angeles$3,149
New York$2,600
Philadelphia$2,782
Phoenix$2,251
San Antonio$2,181
San Diego$2,324
San Jose$2,406
Las Vegas$2,594
Baltimore$2,345
Boston$2,103
Charlotte$,1824
Columbus$1,597
Denver$2,337
Detroit$2,987
El Paso$2,112
Fort Worth$2,030
Indianapolis$1,627
Jacksonville$2,692
Memphis$2,161
Nashville$1,708
Oklahoma City$2,373
Portland$2,033
San Francisco$2,777
Seattle$1,910
Washington$2,157
Louisville$2,359

Here’s what you need to know when driving in Nashville 

Nashville traffic can get pretty heavy, especially for a city its size. 

In 2022, drivers in Nashville lost an average of 41 hours in traffic, according to INRIX, which looks at traffic patterns. That makes Nashville the 24th most-congested city in the U.S. 

If you are driving in the Nashville area during rush hour, you can expect to spend an extra 19.1 minutes in traffic, according to the website CoPilot. That places Nashville at No. 17 among all cities in the nation when it comes to losing time due to rush hour. 

Other things to remember when driving around Nashville:

Speed limits in Nashville are typically 25 mph on residential streets and 55 or 65 mph on urban interstates. 
There are no toll roads in Nashville – or anywhere in Tennessee.
There are 906 electric vehicle chargers in Nashville. More than 150 of these are free to use. 

How much car insurance do I need in Nashville?

Oklahoma law requires you to purchase a minimum liability car insurance coverage. These amounts are: 

  • $25,000 for each injury or death per accident
  • $50,000 for total injuries or deaths per accident
  • $25,000 of property damage per accident

This is often known as “20/50/25” coverage.

However, these minimum levels of coverage will not be adequate for most drivers. 

Many drivers will prefer to carry much higher levels of liability coverage so they are better protected financially. In addition, liability insurance does not cover you or your car. 

“Carrying the minimum limits will not protect your car from auto theft, or replace your car if a natural catastrophe damages or destroys it,” says Robert Passmore, APCIA department vice president, personal lines with the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

That means drivers also might be interested in going beyond the state minimum and protecting their own vehicles by purchasing insurance beyond the minimum, such as comprehensive and collision coverage. 

Consult an insurance agent if you don’t know how much coverage you need.

Average cost of car insurance in Nashville 

The average cost of full-coverage car insurance in Nashville is $1,708 annually. That compares to a statewide average of $1,677 and a nationwide average of $1,895.

Annual average rates in Nashville for state minimum coverage and full coverage

State minimum coverage in Nashville Annual full coverage rates in Nashville 
$502$1,708

How much does car insurance in Nashville cost with violations?

Moving violations on your driving record will increase your car insurance rates. Violations like speeding tickets often cause a significant but manageable rise in rates. 

Other types of violations can make rates climb much higher. This is particularly true if you are convicted of a DUI. 

See rate increases in Nashville in the table below by violation.

Violation typeRate increase percentage
At-fault accident70%
Bad credit91%
DUI105%
Speeding38%

Cheapest car insurance in Nashville by age

Your age impacts how much you pay for car insurance. The youngest drivers tend to pay the highest rates. The oldest drivers also are likely to pay more. See how much you can expect to pay by age in the table below.

Annual rates for state minimum and full coverage car insurance in Nashville, by age

AgeState minimum coverageFull coverage
18$1,695$5,776
25$585$2,068
40$502$1,708
65$507$1,595

Compare auto insurance rates in Nashville by ZIP code 

Where you live also plays a role in how much you pay for car insurance. Here are the Nashville area ZIP codes with the cheapest and most expensive car insurance rates. 

See the tables below for the cheapest and most expensive ZIP codes for car insurance in Nashville. 

Cheapest annual car insurance rates in Nashville, by ZIP code 

ZIP codeAverage annual rate
37215$1,644
37205$1,649
37221$1,656
37218$1,666
37209$1,672
37212$1,683
37216$1,686
37204$1,690
37203$1,698
37080$1,699

Most expensive annual car insurance rates in Nashville, by ZIP code

ZIP codeAverage annual rate
37217$1,767
37211$1,748
37238$1,743
37228$1,739
37208$1,736
37210$1,734
37235$1,733
37201$1,733
37213$1,728
37219$1,726

Our recommendations: Car insurance for drivers in Nashville 

If low prices are your top focus when shopping for car insurance, USAA might be your best choice. It has the lowest average rates in our survey. 

However, it’s often a mistake to shop by price alone. It is crucial to ensure you have the coverage you need, even if you have to pay a little more for it. 

Shopping around and gathering quotes from several insurance companies is the best way to get the coverage you need at the best price. 

A full coverage insurance policy with liability limits of 100/300/100 is the best option for most drivers. Consider increasing your liability limits as you accumulate wealth and your net worth increases. Purchasing as much car insurance as you can afford will give you peace of mind as you navigate the roads of Nashville.

expert

What our expert says

Q. How can you save money on car insurance?

expert-image
Robert PassmoreAPCIA department vice president, personal lines with the American Property Casualty Insurance Association
"Find out if your insurer offers a telematics policy that rewards safer driving habits with reduced premiums."

Resources & Methodology

Sources:

CoPilot. “Cities That Lose the Most Time in Rush Hour Traffic.” Accessed February 2024.

Hertz. “Nashville driving guide.” Accessed February 2024.

INRIX. “Inrix 2022 Global Traffic Scorecard.” Accessed February 2024.  

INRIX. “Nashville TN.” Accessed February 2024.

Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “Statistics and Facts.” Accessed February 2024.Tennessee Department of Revenue. “Why You Should Have Auto Insurance.”  Accessed February 2024.

Methodology

In 2024, Insure.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services to pull rates for a 40-year-old who has a 12-mile commute and drives a 2023 Honda Accord LX 10k miles annually. The hypothetical driver has full coverage, carrying policy limits of 100/300/100 with $500 deductibles for comprehensive and collision coverages. We analyzed 51,088,003 insurance quotes from 167 companies across 34,588 ZIP codes in every state and Washington, D.C.

author image
Chris Kissell
Contributing Researcher

 
  

Chris Kissell is a Denver-based writer and editor with work featured on U.S. News & World Report, MSN Money, Fox Business, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, Money Talks News and more.