Car insurance for 20-year-old drivers is nearly $3500, on average, for their own full coverage policy. That’s more than $1,740 over the national average ($1,758) for drivers age 30. But it’s much less than what teen drivers pay – about $420 less than 19-year-olds and $1,945 less than 18-year-olds. Though not considered as risky as newly licensed teens, motorists in their early 20s are still expensive to insure. They pay higher rates than more mature drivers because they are still considered to be inexperienced, and therefore more prone to accidents. But research on average car insurance rates by age shows that 20-year-olds can expect rates to drop each year as they reach middle and senior ages.
Here we explore what 20-year-old drivers can expect to pay, provide tips on how much insurance to buy and how to find the best price on car insurance. We provide average car insurance rates for 20-year-old males and females by state, as well as by coverage level, and company.
- Cheap car insurance for 20-year-olds
- How much is car insurance for a 20-year-old male and female?
- Car insurance cost for a 20-year-old female
- Car insurance price for a 20-year-old male
- How much is full coverage insurance for a 20-year old?
- How much car insurance does a 20-year-old driver need?
- How to get cheap car insurance for a 20-year-old
Cheap car insurance for 20-year-olds
What you pay will depend on where you live, how much coverage you buy, your driving record and other factors. We looked at car insurance quotes for 20-year-olds from major carriers to identify which companies offer the cheapest rates. Among major carriers surveyed, we found that Concord, Progressive, USAA, Geico and Liberty Mutual had the cheapest rates for 20-year-olds.
You’ll also see that the price for the same policy varies a lot among insurance companies. You can potentially save up to $3,000 or $4,000 by comparing car insurance quotes when buying a policy, based on CarInsurance.com’s rate analysis. That’s because no two insurance companies will have an identical price for the same policy, as each company uses its own formula to calculate rates.
| Company | Full Coverage – 100/300/100 with Comprehensive/Collision |
|---|---|
| North Carolina Farm Bureau | $1,148 |
| Concord | $1,345 |
| Progressive | $1,606 |
| USAA | $1,673 |
| Geico | $1,676 |
| Liberty Mutual | $2,082 |
| New Jersey Manufacturers | $2,356 |
| Travelers | $2,359 |
| Erie | $2,408 |
| Mississippi Farm Bureau | $2,436 |
| Owners | $2,574 |
| New York Central | $2,605 |
| State Farm | $2,803 |
| Texas Farm Bureau | $3,003 |
| Farmers | $3,084 |
| Nationwide | $3,386 |
| Arbella | $3,522 |
| AAA Texas County | $3,566 |
| MMG | $3,649 |
| Safety | $3,651 |
| Safeco | $3,724 |
| Mid Century | $3,829 |
| Amco | $4,025 |
| United Financial | $4,100 |
| Allstate | $4,137 |
| Colonial | $4,151 |
| Louisiana Farm Bureau | $4,483 |
| Metropolitan | $4,485 |
| Oklahoma Farm Bureau | $4,690 |
| Allied | $4,739 |
| Kentucky Farm Bureau | $5,404 |
| Amica | $5,578 |
| Safeway | $5,653 |
| Victoria | $5,662 |
| Foremost | $5,685 |
How much is car insurance for a 20-year-old male and female?
Female drivers age 20 pay a bit over $1,000 for state minimum coverage and three times that much for a full coverage policy. Twenty-year-old male drivers pay more — $1,200 on average for the lowest limits of coverage and $3,700 for full coverage. You’ll see average annual rates by gender below, based on CarInsurance.com’s rate analysis of up to six insurance companies in nearly all ZIP codes of the country.
| Coverage level | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|
| Liability Only – State Minimum | $1,114 | $1,236 |
| Liability Only – 50/100/50 | $1,258 | $1,399 |
| Full Coverage – 100/300/100 with comprehensive and collision | $3,198 | $3,710 |
Note, however, that in some states it’s illegal to charge different rates based on gender. In the following states gender isn’t allowed to be used to determine what you pay for car insurance:
- California (law was passed last year, so rates not yet reflecting the change to gender neutral)
- Hawaii
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Montana
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
Car insurance cost for a 20-year-old female
The average cost of car insurance for 20-year-old women is about $3,100 for a full coverage policy. For minimum coverage that doesn’t pay to fix your own car, it’s about $1,000. Though the difference between full protection and what’s required by your state to drive legally is around $2,000, that’s only $167 a month.
| State | Average rate full coverage | Average rate state minimum | $ difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $1,600 | $488 | $1,112 |
| New Hampshire | $1,907 | $733 | $1,174 |
| North Carolina | $1,942 | $596 | $1,346 |
| Maine | $2,072 | $703 | $1,369 |
| Virginia | $2,212 | $706 | $1,506 |
| Ohio | $2,321 | $874 | $1,447 |
| Wisconsin | $2,368 | $789 | $1,579 |
| Iowa | $2,370 | $650 | $1,720 |
| Idaho | $2,397 | $783 | $1,614 |
| Indiana | $2,402 | $870 | $1,532 |
| Vermont | $2,606 | $721 | $1,885 |
| Nebraska | $2,638 | $809 | $1,829 |
| Washington | $2,790 | $1,019 | $1,771 |
| South Dakota | $2,792 | $653 | $2,139 |
| Minnesota | $2,796 | $1,128 | $1,668 |
| North Dakota | $2,819 | $821 | $1,998 |
| Tennessee | $2,821 | $904 | $1,917 |
| Alaska | $2,839 | $768 | $2,071 |
| South Carolina | $2,854 | $1,145 | $1,709 |
| Wyoming | $2,888 | $553 | $2,335 |
| Kansas | $2,931 | $961 | $1,970 |
| Utah | $2,936 | $1,177 | $1,759 |
| Illinois | $2,958 | $1,078 | $1,880 |
| Oregon | $2,982 | $1,366 | $1,616 |
| Mississippi | $2,987 | $829 | $2,158 |
| New Mexico | $3,054 | $982 | $2,072 |
| New York | $3,077 | $1,326 | $1,751 |
| Oklahoma | $3,092 | $839 | $2,253 |
| Alabama | $3,240 | $1,083 | $2,157 |
| Pennsylvania | $3,244 | $926 | $2,318 |
| Texas | $3,249 | $1,028 | $2,221 |
| Missouri | $3,272 | $1,151 | $2,121 |
| Arkansas | $3,287 | $958 | $2,329 |
| Georgia | $3,309 | $1,349 | $1,960 |
| New Jersey | $3,316 | $1,368 | $1,948 |
| West Virginia | $3,349 | $1,058 | $2,291 |
| Arizona | $3,405 | $1,164 | $2,241 |
| Massachusetts | $3,438 | $1,093 | $2,345 |
| Maryland | $3,483 | $1,642 | $1,841 |
| Colorado | $3,555 | $1,162 | $2,393 |
| DC | $3,597 | $1,415 | $2,182 |
| Florida | $3,692 | $1,458 | $2,234 |
| Rhode Island | $3,768 | $1,422 | $2,346 |
| Kentucky | $3,932 | $1,332 | $2,600 |
| Delaware | $3,959 | $1,792 | $2,167 |
| Connecticut | $3,983 | $1,802 | $2,181 |
| California | $4,045 | $1,197 | $2,848 |
| Montana | $4,056 | $999 | $3,057 |
| Nevada | $4,135 | $1,475 | $2,660 |
| Louisiana | $4,435 | $1,465 | $2,970 |
| Michigan | $4,973 | $3,076 | $1,897 |
| National average | $3,101 | $1,092 | $2,010 |
Car insurance price for a 20-year-old male
The average car full coverage car insurance rate for men age 20 is about $3,600. A policy that meets state minimum requirements to drive costs much less, around $1,220. Still, for approximately $2,400 more a year, or $200 a month, you get protection for your own car, as well as much higher liability limits to cover car damage and injuries you cause to others.
| State | Average rate full coverage | Average rate state minimum | $ difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $1,600 | $488 | $1,112 |
| North Carolina | $1,942 | $596 | $1,346 |
| New Hampshire | $2,329 | $852 | $1,477 |
| Maine | $2,609 | $825 | $1,784 |
| Iowa | $2,722 | $732 | $1,990 |
| Virginia | $2,771 | $850 | $1,921 |
| Ohio | $2,812 | $1,030 | $1,782 |
| Wisconsin | $2,866 | $894 | $1,972 |
| Indiana | $2,915 | $1,007 | $1,908 |
| Idaho | $2,930 | $910 | $2,020 |
| Nebraska | $3,127 | $892 | $2,235 |
| Vermont | $3,172 | $832 | $2,340 |
| Pennsylvania | $3,244 | $926 | $2,318 |
| Washington | $3,318 | $1,200 | $2,118 |
| Oregon | $3,356 | $1,452 | $1,904 |
| South Carolina | $3,369 | $1,302 | $2,067 |
| Alaska | $3,381 | $855 | $2,526 |
| North Dakota | $3,395 | $893 | $2,502 |
| Utah | $3,432 | $1,332 | $2,100 |
| Massachusetts | $3,438 | $1,093 | $2,345 |
| Minnesota | $3,438 | $1,209 | $2,229 |
| Tennessee | $3,444 | $1,058 | $2,386 |
| Kansas | $3,466 | $1,045 | $2,421 |
| South Dakota | $3,478 | $748 | $2,730 |
| Illinois | $3,530 | $1,224 | $2,306 |
| Mississippi | $3,531 | $933 | $2,598 |
| New Mexico | $3,638 | $1,130 | $2,508 |
| New York | $3,646 | $1,486 | $2,160 |
| Oklahoma | $3,724 | $1,019 | $2,705 |
| Wyoming | $3,726 | $655 | $3,071 |
| Missouri | $3,732 | $1,261 | $2,471 |
| Alabama | $3,783 | $1,239 | $2,544 |
| New Jersey | $3,841 | $1,490 | $2,351 |
| Texas | $3,883 | $1,202 | $2,681 |
| Colorado | $3,925 | $1,281 | $2,644 |
| Arkansas | $3,945 | $1,109 | $2,836 |
| Georgia | $3,966 | $1,540 | $2,426 |
| Arizona | $4,039 | $1,355 | $2,684 |
| Montana | $4,056 | $999 | $3,057 |
| West Virginia | $4,087 | $1,214 | $2,873 |
| Florida | $4,310 | $1,583 | $2,727 |
| Maryland | $4,360 | $1,939 | $2,421 |
| Rhode Island | $4,461 | $1,628 | $2,833 |
| DC | $4,681 | $1,748 | $2,933 |
| California | $4,696 | $1,321 | $3,375 |
| Kentucky | $4,698 | $1,548 | $3,150 |
| Delaware | $4,797 | $1,986 | $2,811 |
| Connecticut | $4,822 | $2,085 | $2,737 |
| Nevada | $4,834 | $1,740 | $3,094 |
| Michigan | $5,081 | $2,973 | $2,108 |
| Louisiana | $5,399 | $1,737 | $3,662 |
| National average | $3,642 | $1,224 | $2,418 |
How much is full coverage insurance for a 20-year old?
Full coverage car insurance for a driver age 20 is $3,454, on average, for a year of full coverage, as outlined below, with a $500 deductible:
- $100,000 for injury liability for one person, to pay for medical bills for those injured in an accident you cause
- $300,000 for all injuries in one accident that’s your fault
- $100,000 for property damage you cause, for instance to repair a car you hit
- Collision insurance, to pay for damage to your car regardless of fault in an accident
- Comprehensive, to pay for damage to your car from hail, flooding, fire, vandalism, animal strikes, and to replace it if stolen
How much car insurance does a 20-year-old driver need?
CarInsurance.com Senior Consumer Analyst Penny Gusner recommends full coverage for all drivers, but especially for young motorists, who are more likely to get into an accident due to their inexperience behind the wheel. That would be the limits described above.
It really is worth the extra money to buy full coverage. Otherwise, you can be on the hook to pay out of your own pocket for even minor accidents that can exceed a bare-bones policy. You’ll see from the data analysis above that the cost to jump from state minimum to full coverage is about $200 a month.
However, if you drive a very old car and have few assets, it may make sense to drop comprehensive and collision. If your car is 10-years-old, or older, or it isn’t worth more than about $3,000, you could buy a liability policy with limits higher than state minimum to ensure you’re still sufficiently covered. In that case, Gusner recommends 50/100/50 limits.
How to get cheap car insurance for a 20-year-old
Below are expert tips on how to get sufficient coverage at an affordable price, from Gusner.
Compare car insurance quotes to save on coverage
As our data above shows, the same 20-year-old could see a difference of thousands of dollars in price among different insurance companies, even though the coverage amount is exactly the same. That’s because insurance companies each have a unique way of determining what you pay. They all use the same factors to set rates, more or less, but each has its own way of calculating costs based on their risk assessment formulas.
To get the cheapest rate for your 20-year-old driver profile, compare car insurance quotes for the same amount of coverage from at least three insurance companies.
Stay on your parents’ policy if you can
If you live at home with your folks and drive a car they own, it’s wise to be listed on their policy rather than have your own insurance. Though your parents will pay more to include you in their coverage, it’s cheaper, overall, than having your own policy.
Car insurance discounts for 20-year-olds
Discounts that align with drivers age 20 include the following:
- Good student: – You can earn a discount for maintaining a 3.0 grade average.
- Defensive driving courses – In some states you can earn a discount for taking online driving refresher courses.
- Student-away – If you are on your parents’ policy and live more than 100 miles or so from where you attend school as a full-time student, your parents can earn a discount. Understand your options for coverage by reading our car insurance guide for college students.
Bundle your car insurance with renters insurance
Buying your car insurance from the same company that provides your renter insurance will save you money. If you have renter insurance, which is typically very affordable, (less than $30 a month on average), bundling will earn a discount.
