The rainy side of Washington state pays a lot more for car insurance, with average rates in Seattle and Tacoma as much as 60 percent higher than state car insurance rates on the arid eastern half.
The average car insurance rate in Washington is $1,191. But every company uses its own method for assessing risk. That’s why the cost for the same policy can vary significantly among insurance companies – and why you should compare rates. For example, in Seattle ZIP code 98144, the highest rate among six carriers ($1,823) is nearly $500 more than the lowest ($1,325).
You can see below how every ZIP code in Washington stacks up. The difference in rates among insurers for the same policy can vary by a lot because each company uses its own formula to set your cost. That means you can save a lot if you compare rates to see which company has the lowest price. You can save, on average, $504 in Washington by comparing rates, according to CarInsurance.com’s average car insurance savings rate by state analysis.
Enter your ZIP code, age and coverage level to see the average rate, as well as the highest and lowest fielded from six companies.
Washington Car Insurance Requirements
Average Car Insurance Rates in Washington
Car Insurance Companies in Washington
Washington car insurance requirements | |
---|---|
Washington state law requires the following minimum car insurance coverage: | |
Minimum bodily injury liability | $25,000/$50,000 |
Minimum property damage liability | $10,000 |
The cheapest car insurance you can get in Washington is the state minimum required to drive. Washington requires just $10,000 in property damage liability coverage, which is rarely enough to pay for repairs if you are unlucky enough to hit a newer car. Bodily injury limits of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident are relatively low as well. Consider increasing these levels as your income and assets grow.
Additional coverage is typically affordable, and, naturally offers more protection. Increasing coverage from the state minimum to higher liability limits costs $37 a year or about $3 a month. Hiking your policy to full coverage with a $500 deductible costs, on average, $725 more, or $60 a month.
Coverage limits | Average annual rate |
---|---|
Liability Only – state minimum | $466 |
Liability Only - 50/100/50 BI/PD | $503 |
Full Coverage - 100/300/100 BI/PD | $1,191 |
with $500 Comp/Collision deductible |
*The table shows the average annual rate of nearly every ZIP code in Washington 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.
When deciding how much car insurance to buy, you need to assess your particular situation. To drive legally, you must buy at least the minimum liability insurance required by your state. If you didn’t borrow money from a lender to buy your car and you don’t have a lot of money or assets to protect, that might be a wise choice. If, however, you don’t own your car outright, you will be required to get comprehensive and collision coverage. Additionally, if you have a home and savings to protect, it’s wise to buy more coverage.
Use our How Much Car Insurance Do You Need? tool to get a recommendation.
Liability
The more money and assets you have, the more likely it is that you may be sued following a car accident. Unless you are determined to pay the lowest car insurance rate possible, we recommend you buy higher than minimum liability coverage. If your net worth is:
If you're leasing or financing your car, you automatically need 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 for damages from vandalism, flooding, hail, fire and animal strikes. If your car is:
If you buy comp and collision, check our guide to choosing a deductible amount.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist
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. These should match the liability limits you choose. In Rhode Island, insurers are required under state law to offer these, but you can opt out if you want to carry only state minimum liability limits.
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, up to $25,000. In most states, including Rhode Island, it's an optional addition to your car insurance policy. MedPay does the following:
If you and your passengers:
Gap insurance
If you got a loan to pay for your car 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 Washington, ranked cheapest to most expensive, for three coverage levels:
Company | State minimum average annual rate |
---|---|
Geico | $337 |
State Farm | $351 |
Farmers | $468 |
Nationwide | $469 |
Progressive | $485 |
Allstate | $684 |
Company | 50/100/500 average annual rate |
Geico | $380 |
State Farm | $416 |
Nationwide | $489 |
Progressive | $517 |
Farmers | $520 |
Allstate | $697 |
Company | 100/300/100 average annual rate |
Nationwide | $1,028 |
Geico | $1,075 |
Progressive | $1,092 |
State Farm | $1,160 |
Farmers | $1,335 |
Allstate | $1,455 |
Insure.com surveyed 3,700 drivers to find out what they thought of their car insurance companies. Scores are out of 100.
Best customer service:
1. USAA -- 100
2. Auto Club of Southern California/AAA -- 93.9
3. State Farm – 92.8
4. Geico – 92.6
5. The General – 90.8
5. Mercury – 90.8
5. Progressive – 90.8
Best claims service:
1. USAA -- 100
1. American – 100
2. Auto Club of Southern California/AAA – 96.6
3. State Farm -- 96
4. Progressive – 93.1
5. Geico -- 93
Best value for the price:
1. American Family -- 98
2. USAA – 97.7
3. The Hartford – 94.1
4. Auto Club of Southern California/AAA – 90.9
5. Titan – 90.1
To get average car insurance rates by ZIP code, company and coverage level for the Seattle, visit our Seattle auto insurance page.
Stricter rules for young drivers: Washington drivers under 18 may not have any passengers under the age of 20 for the first six months of driving, and no more three passengers under 20 afterward (family excepted). They can't use cellphones at all, and they can't drive between 1 and 5 a.m.
Those "Traffic Safety Project" signs: Washington's Corridor Safety Program identifies the most trouble-prone sections of highways and helps arrange low-cost ways to make them safer. That could include new signs, flashing lights, improved crosswalk markings and increased patrols.
A DUI for pot: Washington made marijuana use legal in 2012, but driving while under the influence is still a crime (and a serious one at that). The state is still establishing standards for measuring intoxication.
Uninsured motorist penalties for Washington: You may be fined up to $250 and have your license suspended. There is no grace period after buying a new car in Washington; any car on the road needs to be currently insured.
Electronic proof of insurance: Washington law allows drivers to show proof of insurance during a traffic stop on a smartphone. It is one of 31 states that does so.
Rank | Company | Direct premiums written | Market share % | Overall customer satisfaction score |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | State Farm | 708,574 | 16.00 | 90.4 |
2 | Liberty Mutual | 484,714 | 10.95 | 86.5 |
3 | Allstate | 453,001 | 10.23 | 87 |
4 | Geico | 414,734 | 9.37 | 88.1 |
5 | Progressive | 352,447 | 7.96 | 89.6 |
6 | Farmers | 348,601 | 7.87 | 81.1 |
7 | USAA | 342,281 | 7.73 | 97.2 |
8 | PEMCO | 257,651 | 5.82 | n/a |
9 | American Family I | 158,736 | 3.58 | 89.2 |
10 | Hartford | 128,270 | 2.90 | 90.2 |
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.