Why Is Car Insurance So Expensive in Massachusetts?

Generally, car insurance quotes in Massachusetts are more affordable than the national average. Your unique situation and state-specific factors can make your car insurance more expensive in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts requires mandatory uninsured motorist insurance, which can affect your premiums. Massachusetts is also a no-fault state. All drivers involved in a collision need to file a claim with their respective insurers regardless of who caused the crash.

MoneyGeek’s sample driver for our quotes is a 40-year-old with a clean record and full coverage.

• Why Car Insurance Is Expensive in Massachusetts
• Why Car Insurance in Massachusetts Might Be Expensive for You
• How to Save on Car Insurance in Massachusetts
• Frequently Asked Questions

You might have noticed that car insurance rates have been rising across the country, including Massachusetts. MoneyGeek found that high driver density, mandatory coverage for uninsured motorists and other factors can increase premiums.

Drivers in Massachusetts must also have personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. That means that insurers include PIP — which can increase premiums — when offering minimum coverage.

Massachusetts has a highway density of 11.60, meaning that the number of drivers on its highways is higher than average. With more drivers on the road, crashes are more likely to occur, affecting auto insurance premiums.

Another reason car insurance is expensive in Massachusetts is the state’s high urban population density. Roughly 92% of the state’s residents live in its urban areas, which increases the likelihood of accidents, theft and vandalism.

Drivers are mandated to have the minimum car insurance coverage in Massachusetts. Because Massachusetts is a no-fault state, you must file a claim with your insurer in case of a crash, regardless of who caused it.

Another Massachusetts minimum requirement is uninsured motorist coverage. Unlike states that only require liability coverage, Massachusetts law mandates that drivers carry uninsured motorist coverage, which protects you if you’re in a collision caused by a driver without insurance.

Massachusetts requires drivers to have personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. PIP insurance is also known as no-fault insurance and helps cover the policyholder’s and passenger’s medical bills should they get into an accident, regardless of who is at fault.

While the details previously listed are state-specific, personal factors can also affect your premiums, including which city you live in, your insurer, your age, driving history, car model and more. Insurers in Massachusetts don’t look at your credit score when computing your auto insurance rates.

Your location plays a role in determining your premiums. The average auto insurance rate in Massachusetts is cheaper than the national average. However, you could be paying increased rates because of where you live.

MoneyGeek’s data shows that Springfield has the most expensive auto insurance rates, averaging $1,274 annually. Meanwhile, you can get the cheapest premiums in Cambridge, with rates averaging $962 per year.

The insurer you choose can affect the cost of your auto insurance. If cost isn’t your only consideration, you may want to select one of the best auto insurance providers in Massachusetts that balances both quality service and affordability. MoneyGeek also ranked the cheapest car insurance options in Massachusetts.

Use MoneyGeek’s Massachusetts car insurance calculator to get a close estimate of your premiums.

Age affects your auto insurance costs. Insurance companies consider drivers under the age of 25 to be high-risk compared to their 40-year-old counterparts. A 16-year-old pays almost twice the rate of an average driver.

Drivers with a clean record generally pay lower premiums than drivers with a DUI or other traffic violations. To most insurance companies, a driver with a DUI is considered high-risk and is more likely to file a claim, resulting in increased rates.

Massachusetts is one of three states in the U.S. that don’t use credit scores to calculate your auto insurance costs. According to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, insurance companies can’t deny your application based on your credit information.

Auto insurance providers also consider your car’s make and model when calculating your premiums. For instance, older cars are cheaper to insure than newer models, while sports car owners usually pay higher premiums than sedan or minivan drivers.

You can check our Massachusetts car insurance calculator to see how your car’s make and model affect your rates.

Although the average annual rate for auto insurance is relatively cheap in Massachusetts, it’s always a good idea to shop around for the best deals. You can save by bundling your car insurance with other types offered by the same insurer, like home insurance, increasing deductibles, trying pay-per-mile insurance, utilizing discounts and determining how much insurance you need.

You might be wondering why car insurance is so expensive in Massachusetts. MoneyGeek answered commonly asked questions to help you understand how premiums are priced and the factors that affect them.