Average Car Insurance Costs for 20-Year-Old Drivers
The average cost of full coverage car insurance for a 20-year-old is $353 per month. Minimum coverage is $259 per month.
Travelers has some of the cheapest full coverage rates for 20-year-olds buying car insurance on their own.
If you want minimum coverage, Progressive is a cheap option. But keep in mind that minimum coverage is cheaper because it has less protection. Full coverage gives you better protection and coverage for your own car.
Find Cheap 20-Year-Old Auto Insurance Quotes
How much is car insurance for a 20-year-old per month?
On average, 20-year-olds pay $353 per month for full coverage car insurance.
Travelers often has the cheapest rates, with full coverage costing an average of $280 per month. USAA is cheaper, with an average full coverage rate of $253 per month, but you can only get USAA if you or a family member is associated with the military .
Full coverage
Minimum coverage
Full coverage
Minimum coverage
Find Cheap 20-Year-Old Auto Insurance Quotes
When you're shopping for car insurance, it's a good idea to compare quotes from multiple companies. That way, you can find the company that has the best rate for the coverage you need.
Cheap car insurance for 20-year-olds
Full coverage
Minimum coverage
Company | Editor's rating | Monthly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travelers | $280 | |
| State Farm | $293 | |
| Geico | $328 | |
| Progressive | $331 | |
| Allstate | $501 | |
*USAA is only available to military members, veterans and their families.
Full coverage
Company | Editor's rating | Monthly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
| Travelers | $280 | |
|
| State Farm | $293 | |
|
| Geico | $328 | |
|
| Progressive | $331 | |
|
| Allstate | $501 | |
*USAA is only available to military members, veterans and their families.
Minimum coverage
Company | Editor's rating | Monthly rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
| Progressive | $121 | |
|
| State Farm | $130 | |
|
| Travelers | $133 | |
|
| Geico | $137 | |
|
| Allstate | $247 | |
*USAA is only available to military members, veterans and their families.
Car insurance for 20-year-olds vs. other ages
On average, 20-year-olds pay $179 less each month for full coverage than 18-year-olds.
That's because most 20-year-olds have a few more years of experience behind the wheel compared to younger drivers. Insurance companies see the added experience and assume 20-year-olds are less likely to cause an accident and file a claim, so they charge lower rates.
However, if you get your license for the first time at 20, you'll likely pay higher rates because you're still inexperienced behind the wheel.
Does car insurance go down at age 20?
Car insurance rates are cheaper at age 20 than they are for teenage drivers. Rates continue to drop each year, assuming you don't get tickets or get into accidents. Usually, insurance rates get cheaper each year until your 70s, when not considering inflation or market changes. At that point, rates start to go up again, although they won't likely be as high as they were when you were a teen.
Car insurance for 20-year-old males vs. females
On average, 20-year-old men pay $29 more per month for full coverage insurance than women.
Men usually pay more than women for car insurance because men are statistically more likely to be risky drivers. Young men in particular are more likely to speed and drive drunk than young women are.
The difference between the genders is still notable at age 20, although it starts to even out as you get older. By age 30, men and women pay the same amount for car insurance, on average.
Age | Male monthly rate | Female monthly rate | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | $742 | $685 | 8% |
| 18 | $556 | $507 | 10% |
| 20 | $367 | $338 | 9% |
| 25 | $223 | $219 | 2% |
| 30 | $203 | $203 | 0% |
In some states, car insurance companies aren't allowed to use gender to set car insurance rates.
- California
- Hawaii
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
Car insurance rates for 20-year-olds by state
Where you live can have a big impact on your car insurance rates.
For example, full coverage car insurance for a 20-year-old in Texas costs an average of $398 per month. But in Pennsylvania, the same coverage is $297 per month, on average.
You'll usually pay more in areas with higher costs of living or where car accidents are more likely, like big cities.
- Illinois: $336
- New York: $381
- Pennsylvania: $297
- Texas: $398
Find the Cheapest Insurers for Young Drivers in Your State
How to get cheap car insurance for 20-year-olds
Car insurance for 20-year-olds can be expensive, but you might be able to get a lower rate by staying on your parents' policy, shopping around, and reviewing your discounts and coverage
Stay on your parents' car insurance policy
The best way to get cheap car insurance as a 20-year-old is to stay on your parents' policy. You can do this as long as you still live with your parents or if you're away at college. But if you permanently move to your own apartment or house, you'll need your own policy.
Shop around for the best rates
Insurance companies all have their own formulas for setting rates, which means rates can change by hundreds of dollars each month depending on the company you pick. If you can't stay on your parents' policy, the next best way to get cheap car insurance as a 20-year-old is to shop around and get quotes from several companies. This lets you compare prices, discounts and customer service and helps you find the best company for you.
Find Cheap 20-Year-Old Auto Insurance Quotes
Look for discounts
When you compare quotes, make sure you're getting all the discounts you qualify for. You should check for:
- Good student discounts
- Defensive driving course discounts
- Student away from home discounts
- Safe driver discounts
- Automatic payment discounts
If you live on a college campus or have a short commute, you should also think about pay-per-mile insurance. This type of insurance has a low flat rate, and then charges you for each mile you drive. That makes it a great choice for people who don't drive much.
Review your coverage limits
It's important to have enough insurance to protect you and your car if you're in a serious accident. Full coverage is a good idea if you can afford it, because it pays for repairs to your own car and covers the cost of damage or injury to others.
However, you could save money by reviewing your coverage limits. For example, if your car is older, it may not be worth it to have coverage that pays for damage to your car, called comprehensive and collision coverage. If your car isn't worth much, you may be better off putting the money in savings to pay for potential repairs yourself. Just make sure you have the money to pay for repairs or another car after accidents, if you need to.
You could also consider raising your deductible. Having a higher deductible means lower car insurance rates. That's because your car insurance company won't pay you as much money for repairs. But it's important to choose a deductible that you're comfortable paying after an accident.
Frequently asked questions
How much is car insurance for a 20-year-old monthly?
When you're 20, full coverage car insurance costs an average of $353 per month and minimum coverage costs an average of $259 per month. Your rates depend on where you live, the car you drive, your driving record and more.
What is the cheapest insurance for 20-year-olds?
Travelers has the cheapest average rates for 20-year-olds, with an average price for full coverage of $280 per month. Progressive has the cheapest average rates for minimum coverage, at $121 per month. USAA is an even cheaper option, but you can only get it if you're a veteran, active military member or qualifying family member.
Is car insurance high for a 20-year-old?
Car insurance can be expensive for 20-year-olds because they're still relatively young and haven't been driving for that long. However, rates for 20-year-olds are usually cheaper than they are for teenagers. Rates typically continue to drop each year that you don't have an accident until you reach your mid-70s.
Methodology
The average cost of car insurance for 20-year-olds is from quotes for four of the most populated states in the U.S. Rates are for a 20-year-old man or woman with a clean driving record, good credit and who owns a 2015 Honda Civic EX.
Minimum coverage rates are for just the required coverage types and levels in each state. Full coverage quotes include higher liability limits than required in each state, along with comprehensive and collision coverage.
- Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $25,000 per accident
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident
- Personal injury protection (PIP): Minimum, when required by state
- Medical payments: $5,000
- Comprehensive and collision deductible: $500 deductible
ValuePenguin included seven insurance companies in this analysis. Quotes were not available from every company in every state.
Rates come from Quadrant Information Services. The rates are publicly sourced from insurance company filings. All costs are for comparative purposes only. Your own quotes will depend on your specific info.
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author's opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.