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Our take

PEMCO is the best insurer in Washington, based on Insure.com research of state rates and third-party rankings. PEMCO received 3.39 out of 5 stars.

Best car insurance company in Washington

Drivers in Washington pay an average of $1,608 a year or $134 a month for car insurance coverage which makes it the 42nd most expensive state in the country.

Even though car insurance is pretty expensive in Washington, it is possible to find affordable coverage with top insurers such as Geico, PEMCO, Travelers, and other insurers.

PEMCO is our choice for the best car insurance in Washington. It finished first in our rankings with 3.39 out of 5 stars and an average premium of $1,326 a year, or $111 a month, which is $282 less than the state average.

Geico was second with a score of 3.37 stars followed by Travelers with 3.35 stars.

The best car insurance companies in Washington

Company GroupNAICJ.D. PowerAM Best RatingScore (out of 5)
PEMCO0.24831B++3.39
Geico0.91797A++3.37
Travelers0.49810A++3.35
State Farm0.7821A++3.14
Nationwide0.64810A+3.01
Allstate0.65783A+2.96
Farmers0.8796A2.84
American Family1.1820A2.56
Progressive0.65807A+2.48

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/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%

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.

Car insurance rates in Washington by city

Cheapest car insurance in Washington

Geico has the cheapest average rate in the state at $1,171 a year.

While Geico 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 Washington, as mentioned earlier, the cheapest policy is with Geico with an average rate of $1,171 a year. PEMCO follows with an average premium of $1,326 a year or $111 a month and Travelers with premiums of” $1,503 a year or $125 a month.

Progressive is the most expensive insurer with an average premium of $2,554.

Make sure you are getting all available discounts that you qualify for to sure you are paying the best rates. Ask your agent to do a discount review of your policy.

The list below shows the cheapest full-coverage car insurance rates in Washington for a 40-year-old driver of a Honda Accord LX.

CompanyAverage annual premiumAverage monthly premium
Geico$1,171$98
PEMCO$1,326$111
Travelers$1,503$125
Nationwide$1,658$138
Farmers$1,714$143
American Family$1,750$146
Allstate$1,766$147
State Farm$1,794$150
Progressive$2,554$213

Full coverage car insurance in Washington

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.

Learn more about liability, collision and comprehensive coverage here.

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

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 Washington, Geico is the most affordable coverage with an average rate of $1,171 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 Washington

Seniors in the state pay more for coverage than all other driver groups, except for teens. Geico is the most affordable option for seniors with a yearly premium of $1,142 or $95 a month. Travelers was the second cheapest at $1,512 and Nationwide rounded out the top three at $1,516.

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.

CompanyAverage annual premiumAverage monthly premium
Geico$1,142$95
Travelers$1,512$126
Nationwide$1,516$126
PEMCO$1,655$138
State Farm$1,741$145
Farmers$1,810$151
Allstate$1,856$155
American Family$2,021$168
Progressive$2,726$227

Car insurance for young drivers in Washington

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 Washington is PEMCO with an annual rate of $1,984 or $165 a month.

Geico had the second cheapest premium at $2,150 a year followed by Farmers was third at $2,160.

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 Washington:

CompanyAverage annual premiumAverage monthly premium
PEMCO$1,984$165
Geico$2,150$179
Farmers$2,160$180
Travelers$2,309$192
American Family$2,316$193
Allstate$2,603$217
Nationwide$2,690$224
State Farm$2,936$245
Progressive$4,299$358

Car insurance for teen drivers in Washington

Adding a teen to a car insurance policy will always push up the rate. Teens are the least experienced drivers out on the road which leads to more accidents and claims and higher premiums.

“Teen drivers are statistically more likely to be involved in accidents due to their lack of driving experience and tendency to engage in risky behaviors like speeding,” says Eliezer Zupnick, founder of East Leads Group LLC. “Teens are involved in three times as many auto accidents per mile compared to drivers aged 20 and up, making them a high-risk category for insurers.”

For Washington teens, PEMCO is the most affordable option with a premium of $3,514 a year or $293 a month. Travelers is the next most affordable at $4,100 a year or $342 a month followed by Farmers running $4,670 a year.

If your teen has a B average or better, ask for a good student discount to help save a bit of money. Having your teen drive an older vehicle will also help save some money. If the car is old enough that you wouldn’t repair it after an accident, you may be able to drop collision and comprehensive.

The chart below shows average premiums for teens in Washington:

CompanyAverage annual premiumAverage monthly premium
PEMCO$3,514$293
Travelers$4,100$342
Farmers$4,670$389
American Family$4,701$392
State Farm$4,794$400
Geico$5,008$417
Nationwide$6,019$502
Allstate$6,580$548
Progressive$8,874$740

Average cost of car insurance in Washington

In Washington, the average premium is $1,608, which makes Washington the 42nd most expensive state for coverage.

All states have large metropolitan areas, which will always push up the cost of insurance as more vehicles on the road lead to more accidents and claims. A high crime rate will also impact rates.

“If a state has a higher rate of car insurance claims associated with vandalism or car theft, prices are usually higher because car insurance companies view insuring these cars as a higher risk for them,” says Chong Gao, director of product management R&D at Mercury Insurance.

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

Average annual premiumAverage monthly premium
$1,608 $134

Which Washington ZIP codes are most expensive for car insurance?

Where your vehicle spends its days and nights will impact your rate. Frequent severe weather or a high crime rate will raise the cost of insurance for everyone in the area.

Our data shows that Tukwila is the most expensive area for coverage with an average premium of $2,085 a year.

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

CityAverage annual Premium
Tukwila$2,085
Bryn Mawr-Skyway$2,071
White Center$2,040
SEATAC$2,027
Federal Way$2,021
East Hill-Meridian$2,017
Kent$2,009
Parkland$1,998
Des Moines$1,997
Tacoma$1,988

Which Washington ZIP codes are the cheapest for car insurance?

The cheapest ZIP codes for car insurance in Washington tend to be in rural areas where there are fewer people and cars which leads to lower accident and claim rates. Malden has the most affordable ZIP code in Washington with an annual premium of $1,331.

CityAverage annual Premium
Malden$1,331
Ardenvoir$1,355
Sequim$1,362
Lopez Island$1,364
Port Townsend$1,367
Olga$1,373
Friday Harbor$1,374
Anacortes$1,376
Eastsound$1,380
Port Angeles$1,381

Cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers in Washington

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 $2,014 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 $2,184.

A DUI is considered a major violation and will raise the average premium to $2,666.

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

Profile GroupsAverage annual premiumRates after IncidentRates increase after incident ($)Rates increase after incident (%)
At-Fault Accident$1,351$2,184$83362%
DUI$1,351$2,666$1,31497%
Speeding$1,351$2,014$66249%

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.

expert

What our expert says

Q: Is it a good idea to switch insurers?

expert-image
Tim BottiniInsurance agent, Country Financial
“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. The carrier can also review your claims history and provide information about applicable discounts.”

How much is car insurance in other states

Alaska$1,676/Year
Alabama$1,860/Year
Arkansas$1,957/Year
Arizona$1,812/Year
California$2,416/Year
Colorado$2,337/Year
Connecticut$1,725/Year
Washington D.C.$2,157/Year
Delaware$2,063/Year
Florida$2,694/Year
Georgia$1,970/Year
Hawaii$1,517/Year
Iowa$1,630/Year
Idaho$1,428/Year
Illinois$1,532/Year
Indiana$1,515/Year
Kansas$1,900/Year
Kentucky$2,228/Year
Louisiana$2,883/Year
Massachusetts$1,726/Year
Maryland$1,746/Year
Maine$1,175/Year
Michigan$2,266/Year
Minnesota$1,911/Year
Missouri$1,982/Year
Mississippi$2,008/Year
Montana$2,193/Year
North Carolina$1,741/Year
North Dakota$1,665/Year
Nebraska$1,902/Year
New Hampshire$1,265/Year
New Jersey$1,902/Year
New Mexico$2,049/Year
Nevada$2,060/Year
New York$1,870/Year
Ohio$1,417/Year
Oklahoma$2,138/Year
Oregon$1,678/Year
Pennsylvania$1,872/Year
Rhode Island$2,061/Year
South Carolina$2,009/Year
South Dakota$2,280/Year
Tennessee$1,677/Year
Texas$2,043/Year
Utah$1,825/Year
Virginia$1,469/Year
Vermont$1,319/Year
Wisconsin$1,664/Year
West Virginia$2,005/Year
Wyoming$1,758/Year
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author image
Mark Vallet
Contributing Researcher

 
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Mark is a freelance journalist and analyst with over 15 years of experience covering the insurance industry.

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