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Compared to drivers across the country, Texas drivers pay an estimated $149 more than the national average cost of car insurance. According to Bankrate’s annual study of quoted premiums, drivers in Texas pay an average of $1,868 per year, or $156 per month, for full coverage car insurance. Drivers nationwide pay an average of $1,771 per year for full coverage car insurance.
Looking at what impacts the cost of car insurance can reveal what may be causing higher average rates in Texas. Some car insurance rating factors include accident statistics and cost of living, but severe weather, vandalism, traffic and more can also have a big impact on car insurance average costs in each state. Knowing a little bit about what goes into calculating your car insurance premium could help you find ways to save.
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Key takeaways
- Texans pay an average of $551 annually for minimum coverage and $1,868 annually for full coverage car insurance.
- Houston residents pay some of the highest rates in Texas, with an average full coverage premium of $2,106 per year.
- 18-year-olds pay the highest auto premiums on average, at $5,426 per year for full coverage on their own car insurance policy.
How much is car insurance in Texas?
How much is car insurance in Texas? Texans pay an estimated $97 more than the average American per year for full coverage car insurance. Meanwhile, minimum coverage car insurance in the state is about on par with the national average. Texas auto insurance rates are determined using numerous rating factors, including your age and gender, driving record, ZIP code, vehicle type, how many miles you drive each year, and even your credit history.
Texas car insurance rates
$551 | $1,868 |
Texas car insurance rates by city
The average cost of car insurance in Texas varies by city. Auto insurance is often more expensive in cities than in rural areas due to higher traffic, which can lead to more car accidents and insurance claims. Houston drivers pay an average of 18% more than the average full coverage premium in Texas, while drivers in Lubbock and Tyler pay 3% less than the state average.
Houston | $2,106 | 19% |
San Antonio | $1,857 | 5% |
Dallas | $2,038 | 15% |
Austin | $1,758 | -1% |
Fort Worth | $1,852 | 5% |
El Paso | $1,829 | 3% |
Arlington | $1,900 | 7% |
Corpus Christi | $1,779 | 0% |
Plano | $1,775 | 0% |
Lubbock | $1,759 | -1% |
Laredo | $2,022 | 14% |
Spring | $1,946 | 10% |
Katy | $1,911 | 8% |
Garland | $2,056 | 16% |
Amarillo | $1,901 | 7% |
Irving | $2,006 | 13% |
Brownsville | $1,972 | 11% |
Grand Prairie | $1,950 | 10% |
Pasadena | $2,005 | 13% |
Tyler | $1,763 | 0% |
Keep in mind that your individual ZIP code affects your premiums. Rates will likely vary even within individual cities, but knowing the average in your city may help you feel more confident when shopping for auto insurance.
Texas car insurance rates by company
Texas auto insurance rates vary significantly by company. For example, full coverage costs an average of $2,578 per year from Allstate but $1,389 per year from Geico. Your actual rates may vary depending on your individual rating factors and coverage selections. To help you find the best car insurance in Texas, we compiled average premiums from the top insurance companies in Texas by market share.
Allstate | $548 | $2,578 |
Chubb | $622 | $2,196 |
Geico | $407 | $1,389 |
Mercury | $475 | $1,480 |
MetLife | $685 | $2,243 |
Nationwide | $618 | $1,685 |
State Auto | $837 | $2,720 |
State Farm | $440 | $1,3140 |
USAA | $469 | $1,531 |
Remember that car insurance premiums are a combination of multiple factors, so the quotes you receive from the companies above are likely to be different from the average premiums.
Texas drivers spend an average of 2.78% of their annual income on car insurance, which is higher than the national average of 2.57%. When shopping for the best car insurance rates in Texas, factoring in your other expenses — so that you are looking at your broader financial picture — can be helpful. The graph below shows the average annual cost of living in Texas, including the average cost of car insurance. Use this graph as a guide to help determine your overall expenses so that you can decide what insurance rates fit in your budget.
Texas car insurance rates by age
Average car insurance rates in Texas vary greatly by age. Eighteen-year-old drivers pay an average of $5,426, the highest of any age group, likely due to the high likelihood that teens have of getting into accidents.
*Rate reflects the increase to add a 16-year-old driver to their parents’ policy, not the full policy premium.
After 25, premiums generally start to decrease as drivers gain more experience behind the wheel. But as drivers reach their senior years, premiums can start to increase again, as insurance companies view older drivers as being at a greater risk for accidents.
Texas car insurance rates by gender
Many states use gender as a rating factor to determine your car insurance premium. Nationally, female drivers pay slightly less than male drivers for their car insurance because men are statistically more likely to engage in high-risk driving. However, in Texas, female drivers pay $42 more for their car insurance, on average.
California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina and Pennsylvania do not allow gender to be used as a rating factor.
Male | $1,877 |
Female | $1,859 |
Texas car insurance by credit score
In most states, including Texas, your credit score impacts your car insurance premium. If you have poor credit, you’ll likely pay more for car insurance than someone with good or excellent credit history. Below, we compiled the average rates for car insurance by credit score.
Note that in California, Hawaii, Michigan and Massachusetts, your credit score may not be used as a rating factor to determine your insurance premiums.
Average annual full coverage rate by credit score
National average | $3,002 | $1,907 | $1,771 | $1,556 |
Texas | $3,088 | $2,033 | $1,823 | $1,620 |
Texas car insurance rates by driving record
Tickets, accidents and DUI convictions can increase your premium by an average of 14-58% in Texas, depending on the severity of your offense. If you can maintain a clean driving record, your insurer may reward you for good driving by giving you a discount. Certain violations may require purchasing high-risk auto insurance, which can be costly.
Clean driving record | $1,823 | 0% |
Speeding ticket | $2,021 | 14% |
Accident | $2,693 | 52% |
DUI | $2,805 | 58% |
Every company has its own regulations, but most insurers will increase your premium for incidents on your driving record that occurred during the past three to five years.
Texas car insurance rates by vehicle type
Car insurance rates vary by make and model. Insurance companies may factor in the crash statistics of a certain vehicle, how likely it is to be stolen, which safety features it has and whether the driver is likely to engage in high-risk driving. For instance, drivers of coupes are more likely to speed and engage in risky driving than sedan drivers. Coupes are also more likely to be stolen. For these reasons, coupe drivers pay more than sedan drivers for their car insurance, on average.
Below, we compiled average car insurance rates for a few common makes and models.
Toyota Prius | $2,077 |
Ford F-150 | $1,602 |
Honda Odyssey | $1,606 |
How to save on car insurance in Texas
Car insurance can eat into a significant chunk of your budget, but it doesn’t have to. Taking a few of these steps could help you save on car insurance in Texas:
- Shopping around with multiple carriers. By shopping around and obtaining quotes from multiple carriers, you can compare the rates and coverage to ensure you’re getting what you need while staying within your budget.
- Ask about discount opportunities. Every car insurance company has its own list of car insurance discounts. Learning what discounts you may qualify for could help with reducing your premium.
- Maintain a clean driving record. Having at-fault accidents and moving convictions on your record could seriously impact your car insurance costs. If you’re worried about this, you may be able to purchase accident forgiveness as an optional coverage, but keep in mind that this coverage only applies to future incidents.
- Regularly review your policy. If you’ve made any recent changes, like purchasing a new car or starting a job with a new commute, it could be a good time to review your policy and make any necessary changes.
Frequently asked questions
Methodology
Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze 2022 rates for all ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quoted rates are based on a 40-year-old male and female driver with a clean driving record, good credit and the following full coverage limits:
- $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $50,000 property damage liability per accident
- $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
- $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
- $500 collision deductible
- $500 comprehensive deductible
To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverages that meet each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2019 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.
These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.
Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 18-60 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. For teens, rates were determined by adding a 16- or 17-year-old teen to a 40-year-old married couple’s policy. The rates displayed reflect the added cost to the parents’ policy. Based on quoted annual premiums, it does not appear Hawaii uses age as a contributing factor.
Gender: The following states do not use gender as a determining factor in calculating premiums: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania.
Credit: Rates were calculated based on the following insurance credit tiers assigned to our drivers: “poor, average, good (base), and excellent.” Insurance credit tiers factor in your official credit scores but are not dependent on that variable alone. The following states do not allow credit to be a factor in determining auto insurance rates: California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan.
Incident: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), at-fault accident, single speeding ticket, single DUI conviction and lapse in coverage.