Car insurance rates in traffic-clogged Hartford are nearly twice as expensive as those found in more rural areas of Connecticut. No matter where you live, you'll find some insurance companies charge way more than others. You can get an idea of how state car insurance rates compare in nearly every Connecticut ZIP code below.
The average car insurance rate in Connecticut is $1,771 a year. The severity and frequency of claims in your neighborhood, your driving record, the type of car you drive and other variables are used by insurance companies to figure out the cost of your policy. That’s why the price for the same coverage can vary significantly among insurance companies — and why you should compare rates. For example, in Hartford ZIP code 06103 the highest rate among six carriers ($3,534) is over $2,294 more than the lowest ($1,249). When shopping for car insurance, use our average car insurance rates tool to compare rates. Enter a ZIP code to see the average premium for your neighborhood. You will also see the highest and lowest rates from the six major carriers surveyed to get an idea of what the most affordable car insurance price is in your area. For a customized rate, choose among six age groups and three coverage levels.
Your state's minimum car insurance requirements will be the cheapest coverage you can get. Connecticut requires car owners to buy liability insurance of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury liability and $25,000 for property damage liability. These minimum requirements were just hiked on Jan. 1, 2018, so if your policy had the prior, lower limits, you should be aware of how your coverage and rates are affected when states hike mandated liability requirements.
If you have personal assets to protect, home and savings, higher limits might be worth the extra premium you pay.
You will pay more for more protection, but as you’ll see in the chart below, additional liability coverage is typically affordable. To increase your limits to 50/100/50, you’ll pay an average of $107 more yearly, or just $9 a month. Increasing your insurance from the state minimum to full coverage with a $500 deductible costs, on average, $1,010 more, or $505 a month.
Coverage limits | Average annual rate |
Liability Only – state minimum | $761 |
Liability Only - 50/100/50 BI/PD | $868 |
Full Coverage - 100/300/100 BI/PD | $1,771 |
*The table shows the average annual rate of nearly every ZIP code in Connecticut from up to six major insurance companies. Rates are for a male driver, age 40, with a clean record and good credit for a 2016 Honda Accord. Data was provided for CarInsurance.com by Quadrant Information Services.
Even a minor fender-bender can cost much more than what your minimal insurance will pay out. For instance, say you have Connecticut minimum bodily injury of $20,000 and $10,000 in property damage. You then cause an accident that totals the other driver’s car, valued at $20,000. It also results in $45,000 of medical expenses for the other driver’s injuries. You’re responsible for damages not covered by insurance. That means you have to pay $25,000 for medical bills and $10,000 for the damaged car – a total of $35,000.
Use our How Much Car Insurance Do You Need? tool to get a recommendation.
Liability
We recommend you buy more insurance than is required to legally drive a car in your state, especially if you have savings and assets. The more money you have, the more likely you are to be sued following a car accident should your insurance be insufficient to cover all the expenses. If your net worth is:
If you're leasing or financing your car, you must get coverage of 100/300/100 or higher.
Collision and comprehensive
Collision coverage pays for damage to your car after an accident that you cause. Comprehensive insurance pays to replace stolen cars and broken glass and for damages from vandalism, flooding, hail, fire and animal strikes. These optional coverages are usually not budget-busters. Connecituct drivers pay, on average, $359 a year for collision and $131 annually for comprehensive, according to the Insurance Information Institute. If your car is:
If you buy comp and collision, check our guide to choosing a deductible amount.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist
These coverages are required in Connecticut and should match the liability limits you choose. Uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured motorist coverage pays for damages if you’re hit by a driver with no insurance or a driver with coverage that’s insufficient to pay for your repairs and medical expenses.
Medical coverage (MedPay)
Medical payments coverage can help pay for the medical or funeral expenses of covered drivers and passengers after an accident, regardless of fault, starting at $5,000 and up to $25,000. In most states, including Connecticut, it's an optional addition to your car insurance policy. MedPay does the following:
If you and your passengers:
Gap insurance
If you don’t own your car outright and have an accident, gap insurance pays the difference between the cash value of your car and the current outstanding balance on your loan or lease.
Below you'll see average annual rates for Connecticut, ranked cheapest to most expensive, for three coverage levels:
Company | State minimum average annual rate |
---|---|
Geico | $455 |
State Farm | $603 |
Nationwide | $723 |
Allstate | $892 |
Progressive | $900 |
Farmers | $996 |
Company | 50/100/50 average annual rate |
Geico | $501 |
State Farm | $738 |
Nationwide | $794 |
Allstate | $1,012 |
Progressive | $1,029 |
Farmers | $1,138 |
Company | 100/300/100 average annual rate |
Geico | $946 |
Nationwide | $1,254 |
State Farm | $1,463 |
Progressive | $2,026 |
Allstate | $2,462 |
Farmers | $2,478 |
Scores are based on Insure.com’s “Best Insurance Companies” customer review survey of 3,700 customers. Companies not in the top 10 of market share do not qualify. All scores are out of 100.
Best customer service:
1. Geico – 88.7
2. Progressive – 88.4
3. Liberty Mutual -- 86
Best claims service:
1. Liberty Mutual – 96
2. Geico –93.9
3. Progressive – 92.5
Best value for the price:
1. Progressive – 86.3
2. Geico – 81.1
3. Liberty Mutual – 80.4
Rank | Company Name | Direct premiums written | Market share % | Overall Customer Review Ranking |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Geico | 452,844 | 16.96% | 88.1 |
2 | Allstate | 327,175 | 12.25% | 87 |
3 | Liberty Mutual | 309,160 | 11.58% | 86.5 |
4 | Progressive | 207,738 | 7.78% | 89.6 |
5 | Travelers | 176,100 | 6.59% | 91.2 |
6 | State Farm | 153,303 | 5.74% | 90.4 |
7 | Nationwide | 124,049 | 4.64% | 89 |
8 | Hartford | 113,799 | 4.26% | 90.2 |
9 | USAA | 110,596 | 4.14% | 97.2 |
10 | Amica | 103,963 | 3.89% | n/a |
Source: A.M. Best market share rankings are based on direct premiums written in 2015.
Customer review rankings based on Insure.com's 2016 "Best Insurance Companies" survey of 3,700 customers. Scores are out of 100.
To find Hartford car insurance rates by company and ZIP code, visit our Hartford auto insurance page.
Connecticut Car Insurance Laws
Uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage is bundled together in Connecticut and required as part of a basic auto insurance policy. Connecticut auto insurance providers must also offer you underinsured motorist conversion coverage.
Normally, underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UIM) is reduced by any payment for your injuries you get from other sources, including the at-fault driver's insurance company. If you choose to pay for conversion coverage, you are eligible to receive the entire amount of your own coverage.
Skip the lines at the DMV. Connecticut offers online driver's license testing appointments and payments.
Speeding is a one-point offense on your Connecticut motor vehicle record, but driving too slowly -- impeding traffic -- is two points.
Connecticut state law permits parts that are not original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to be used for the repair of your vehicle. Recycled (used, reconditioned or salvage) parts can also be used. However, you must be notified in the repair estimate. If you want OEM parts used instead, you normally must pay the difference of what the insurer will pay and what the OEM part costs.
If a Connecticut auto insurance company's repair estimate equals or exceeds the fair market value of your vehicle, it should be considered a total loss according to state law. But some insurers may decide to total a vehicle at a lower percentage of damage, such as 75 percent.
The fine for driving an unregistered car in Connecticut is around $150 on top of administrative costs, court costs and other fees. Car insurance rates should not go up as a result of the violation, however.
You may be fined $100 to $1,000, be sentenced to 90 days in jail and your license and registration may be suspended for driving without insurance.
Some basic traffic violations, such as speeding or running a stop sign, are termed complaint tickets in Connecticut. Complaint tickets will result in a fine, but they won't add points to your driver's license. Your insurance rates may be affected still -- some companies consider your infraction when you renew or change insurance.