Updated: September 19, 2024
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Rates updated:
Nov 20, 2024
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Although MoneyGeek partners with some of the companies we recommend, our content is written and reviewed by an independent team of writers, editors and licensed agents. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.
Estimating your car insurance premium before purchasing it can help you search for the best provider. You can get a quick estimate using MoneyGeek’s Washington car insurance calculator.
To help your search, MoneyGeek analyzed how car insurance premiums are determined in the state and identified the factors that drive your costs the most.
Getting a personalized car insurance quote from a Washington insurer will take you about 10-15 minutes since there’s a variety of personal information you’ll need to provide.
MoneyGeek’s Washington car insurance calculator allows you to get an estimate of how much your policy might cost per year or month, depending on your coverage level, driving record, vehicle type and age.
The calculator shows the factors with the most impact on car insurance rates in the state, which include adding a teen driver, your age and the coverage amount you select. While these factors influence your premiums the most, they can change depending on your combination of them.
The most affordable car insurance provider in Washington depends on your driving profile. The MoneyGeek car insurance calculator will give you an estimate from each provider. For our 40-year-old sample driver, GEICO is the cheapest, widely-available carrier in the state, at an average cost of $450 per year.
Apart from the cost of coverage, other factors that you should consider when choosing an insurance company include their level of customer service and whether the insurer can meet your coverage needs adequately.
To get an estimate of your car insurance cost, you can use the MoneyGeek car insurance calculator or browse our list of sample drivers in the cheapest car insurance in Washington.
MoneyGeek analyzed the average cost of car insurance in Washington to help you compare car insurance costs nationwide.
Price isn’t everything, even with car insurance. MoneyGeek also scored the best car insurance companies in Washington that balance affordability and service quality, so you can make an informed choice when selecting a provider.
Car insurance providers determine their rates based on a range of factors, and some have more impact on the cost than others. In Washington, the most important factors in terms of price are adding a teen driver to your policy, your age and the level of coverage you select.
If you add a teen driver to your car insurance, for instance, your rates will increase by 3.0x.
Insurers charge teen drivers higher premiums due to their inexperience. Teen drivers are more likely to get involved in accidents than other experienced drivers. Research shows drivers in this age category are nearly three times as likely as drivers aged 20 or older to be in a fatal crash.
In Washington, adding a teen driver to your policy can increase your car insurance rates by as much as 3x.
Your age also determines how much you pay for car insurance. Young drivers pay higher premiums since they tend to be more reckless than older drivers and are involved in accidents. Senior drivers also pay more than middle-aged drivers due to worsening health conditions, reduced vision, impaired hearing and slower motor reflexes.
If you are a 19 or 20-year-old driver, you’ll pay up to 2.3x more than a 40-year-old driver for car insurance in Washington.
Car insurance rates vary across coverage levels. That means your rate may be higher or lower than the state average based on the amount of coverage you purchase. To obtain an accurate quote from insurance companies, you will need to specify the average number of miles driven per year, type of coverage and deductible amount.
The cheapest car insurance in Washington is the state minimum liability-only. The most expensive is full coverage insurance with a limit of 100/300/100 and a $500 deductible, about 2.2x more than the state minimum.
Your credit score is another variable that insurers consider when determining the cost of your car insurance in Washington. If you have an excellent credit score, your premiums will be lower. However, if you have a poor credit score, you will pay higher insurance premiums.
Drivers who have poor credit can pay up to 1.9x more than those with good credit.
The model of your car also determines how much you will pay for car insurance in Washington. High-value cars are often riskier to insure, meaning that you will need to pay more to get insurance. Luxury cars and sports cars with expensive repair bills have higher premiums than SUVs and other cheaper models that may not be prone to damage or theft.
In Washington, car insurance policies are up to 2x more expensive depending on the car model.
One of the most significant factors influencing your car insurance rates is the level of coverage you choose. To find a policy that balances cost and protection, you need to determine how much coverage you need and can afford.
So, how do you calculate how much car insurance you need in Washington? By law, all drivers in the state must have bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage. You may opt to purchase comprehensive and collision insurance depending on your needs and budget.
You can figure out how much car insurance you need by looking up the Washington minimum car insurance requirements.
In a nutshell, state law requires car insurance with a minimum of 25/50/10 coverage. That means $25,000 in bodily injury per person, $50,000 in bodily injury per accident and $10,000 in property damage. While you’re not required to buy comprehensive and collision insurance, it does protect you against damages to your car.
You may need liability insurance above the state minimum if you want financial protection in the event you’re in a major accident.
In Washington, a policy that protects you for $300,000 in bodily injury per accident costs an average of $904 per year. The state minimum policy, on the other hand, costs about $605 annually.
Comprehensive and collision insurance is optional in Washington, although it’s recommended due to the high level of protection it provides if you’re in a serious accident. In fact, some lenders need drivers to have full coverage before providing a lease or financing agreement.
In Washington, it will cost you an average of $347 per year to add comprehensive and collision coverage with a deductible of $1,000 to your policy. If the replacement value of your car is not very high, you may consider forfeiting this add-on to save on costs.
Washington drivers are not required by law to purchase uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. However, with about 21.7% of drivers in Washington uninsured or underinsured, you may wish to consider buying this additional auto insurance coverage. It’ll protect you if you’re ever in a car accident caused by an uninsured driver.
Personal injury protection is also optional in Washington. You can purchase either PIP or medical payments insurance. The latter is known as MedPay, and like PIP, it’s an add-on that covers your medical expenses in an accident regardless of fault.
Car insurance rates in Washington depend on several factors. Here MoneyGeek answers a few frequently asked questions about how car insurance is calculated in Washington.
You can get accurate quotes directly from insurers in Washington as long as you provide the required personal, driving history and vehicle details. MoneyGeek’s car insurance calculator gives you a ballpark figure faster.
The top factors influencing car insurance rates in Washington include adding a teen driver to your policy, your age and your coverage amount. However, these factors may vary depending on your driving profile.
Start with what’s required by state law: car insurance with a minimum of 25/50/10 coverage. Then you can consider adding comprehensive and collision insurance, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection.
MoneyGeek partnered with Quadrant Data Services to get car insurance quotes from across Washington. Our data science team analyzed how personal factors impacted cost and incorporated our findings into our calculator to provide users with an accurate estimate of their expected yearly auto insurance costs. Read more about our methodology here.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick is a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer and MoneyGeek's Head of Insurance. He has analyzed the insurance market for over five years, conducting original research and creating personalized content for every kind of buyer. He has been quoted in several insurance-related publications, including CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.
Fitzpatrick earned a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his knowledge of economics and insurance to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.
