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In Washington, the average driver will pay about $924 per year for auto insurance coverage. That’s fairly affordable, considering that the average American pays $935 per year, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
Car insurance companies consider your location, age, gender, and driving record to calculate rates for premiums. Other factors like credit score, marital status, vehicle type, previous coverage, and miles driven can all play a role in the amount you’ll pay for coverage.
That said, it’s helpful to shop around and find the best coverage for your money.
Minimum car liability insurance requirements in Washington
Liability coverage is required by law. If you’re involved in an accident, liability insurance covers damage you cause to the other vehicle, driver, and its passengers. If you finance or lease your car, your lender probably requires comprehensive and collision coverage.
The two main components of liability insurance are bodily injury and property damage, which most states require. Liability insurance also includes uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage, to protect you when an at-fault driver hits you and they have no coverage, or not enough coverage.
Washington requires bodily and property coverage, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Washington’s minimum liability requirements are 25/50/10, which means up to $25,000 of injury protection for each person involved in an accident, up to $50,000 worth of injuries per incident, and up to $10,000 of property damages per incident.
| Types of liability coverage | Definition |
| Bodily injury (BI) | Injury you cause to others, includes medical expenses, lost wages, and funeral expenses |
| Property damage (PD) | Damage you cause to others’ vehicle or property |
| Uninsured motorist (UM) | Protects you when an at-fault driver hits you with no insurance |
| Underinsured motorist (UIM) | Protects you when an at-fault driver hits you with not enough coverage |
Best cheap car insurance based on credit score in Washington
Consumer Reports compiled data on pricing formulas from all auto insurance companies in all states to figure out which companies offered the typical adult driver the best rates. Here are the three best companies in Washington by credit level, and the average premium each company offered a single adult driver:
| Excellent credit (FICO 800+) | Good credit (FICO 670-739) | Poor credit (300-579) |
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Best car insurance for Washington drivers with a clean record
For a driver in Washington age 25 or older with no accidents and one vehicle, the following companies provide the best average rates:
| Company | Average monthly insurance premium |
| Progressive | $122 |
| State Farm | $123 |
| Esurance | $133 |
| GEICO | $141 |
| USAA* | $144 |
| Safeco | $147 |
| Allstate | $150 |
| Travelers | $156 |
| Farmers | $158 |
| Liberty Mutual | $171 |
| American Family | $176 |
*USAA is only for active military, veterans, and their families.
Above data obtained from Savvy, based on 2,132 policyholders in the state of Washington
Best car insurance for Washington drivers with one or more accidents
For a driver in Washington age 25 or older, with one or more accidents and one vehicle, the following companies provide the best average rates:
| Company | Average monthly insurance premium |
| GEICO | $146 |
| Farmers | $159 |
| Progressive | $163 |
| Esurance | $185 |
| Allstate | $204 |
Above data obtained from Savvy, based on 2,132 policyholders in the state of Washington
Average premiums for seniors and teen drivers in Washington
The table below shows the average senior and teen drivers can expect to pay in Washington. Because teen drivers are new drivers with little driving history and more prone to accidents, their rates are high. Most insurance companies offer discounts to teen drivers for good grades or taking driving safety classes.
Senior drivers typically see an uptick in car insurance premiums as they age, but not as much of an increase as new or teen drivers. If you’re still driving in your 60s and 70s, there are ways to negotiate cheaper auto insurance rates, like pay-per-mile usage.
| Average premium for seniors | Average premium for teens |
| $1,759 per year | $3,377 per year |
Data provided by Goosehead Insurance
Washington car insurance rates by city
Below is the estimated average annual premium of auto insurance policies per household in Washington’s most populous cities:
| City | Average annual insurance premium |
| Seattle | $1,415 |
| Spokane | $1,275 |
| Tacoma | $1,315 |
| Vancouver | $1,349 |
| Bellevue | $1,527 |
| Everett | $1,322 |
| Renton | $1,414 |
| Kent | $1,375 |
| Federal Way | $1,375 |
| Spokane Valley | $1,314 |
| Yakima | $1,268 |
| Bellingham | $1,263 |
| Kennewick | $1,328 |
| Auburn | $1,399 |
| Pasco | $1,369 |
| Marysville | $1,429 |
| Redmond | $1,548 |
| South Hill | $1,479 |
| Lakewood | $1,274 |
| Shoreline | $1,430 |
| Kirkland | $1,513 |
| Richland | $1,413 |
| Olympia | $1,321 |
| Sammamish | $1,763 |
| Lacey | $1,361 |
| Edmonds | $1,479 |
Data from S&P Global Market Intelligence
Best car insurance in Washington based on customer satisfaction
Customer satisfaction with car insurance providers may factor into your decision. According to J.D. Power, a consumer research company that surveys customers, these are the top car insurance companies in the Northwest region (which includes Washington):
Most popular car insurance companies in Washington based on market share
The following are the most popular car insurance companies in Washington, based on the percentage of insured Washington drivers who use them:
| Company | Market share (%) |
| State Farm | 15.48 |
| GEICO | 11.57 |
| Progressive | 11.49 |
| Liberty Mutual | 10.45 |
| Allstate | 9.40 |
| USAA* | 8.47 |
| Farmers Insurance | 6.69 |
| PEMCO Mutual Insurance | 5.21 |
| American Family | 4.58 |
| The Hartford | 2.21 |
| Travelers | 1.85 |
| Nationwide | 1.70 |
| Mutual of Enumclaw | 1.51 |
| COUNTRY Financial | 1.50 |
| National General Holdings | 1.44 |
| Sentry | 1.02 |
| MetLife | 0.98 |
| Grange Insurance | 0.93 |
| MAPFRE | 0.51 |
| Amica | 0.46 |
*USAA is only for active military, veterans, and their families.
Data from S&P Global Market Intelligence
Who gets the best cheap car insurance in Washington?
As the numbers show above, there’s a general trend: The better your credit score, the cheaper your car insurance. But, that doesn’t meant you still can’t find the best rate by doing your homework and shopping around.
It might be a good idea to work on raising your credit score – there’s a big difference between what you’ll pay with poor credit and what you’ll pay with good credit in Washington. But, there are also other factors you can’t control that go into your price, like your driving record, age, and even your gender in some states.
What you can control is the amount of work you put into finding the best price for you. Get quotes from several different insurance companies and compare them, looking for the most coverage types and the highest limits. Consider the deductible, or the amount you’ll pay out-of-pocket if you get into an accident. Generally, the lower the premium, the higher the deductible, so make sure you’ll have cash on hand if you go with a cheaper policy.
Shopping around is the best way to find the most coverage for your car insurance dollar in Washington.
Related Content Module: Best Auto Insurance by State
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