Car Insurance Costs for 19-Year-Old Males and Females

Our estimated average cost of car insurance for 19-year-olds is $6,021, or slightly more than $500 per month. That's about $1,000 less than the national average for 18-year-olds ($7,179), but nearly $700 more than the national average for 20-year-olds ($5,333). Younger drivers are considered higher-risk and, on average, pay more for auto insurance than older drivers. Erie Insurance is our pick for the cheapest car insurance for 19-year-olds for shoppers looking for the most affordable option.

How much is car insurance for a 19-year-old?

Full coverage car insurance for a 19-year-old costs $6,021 per year on average, but costs vary greatly by insurer. Erie Insurance was estimated to be the cheapest among our qualifying insurers, with an average cost of $2,649.

However, Erie is only available in 13 states across the country. USAA came in second, but only current and former members of the military, as well as their families, are eligible for a USAA policy. Geico is the most affordable car insurance company for 19-year-olds that is widely available to most customers.

The wide range of prices demonstrates why auto insurance buyers, particularly young drivers, should always shop around. Our 19-year-old driver pays nearly $7,000 less with Erie than with Allstate, the most expensive insurer.

Auto insurance for 19-year-old males is more expensive than insurance for 19-year-old females

The average cost of car insurance for men is higher than that for women. Men pay an average of $6,311 per year for 19-year-olds, while women pay $5,732.

This dynamic holds true for surrounding ages, with men paying $500 to $800 more, or 10% to 11% more, for a given age.

This trend, however, does not apply to all states. California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, parts of Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania have all prohibited the use of gender as a variable in rate setting, which means that males and females will pay the same price for auto insurance if all other factors remain constant.

The cost of car insurance by age

Car insurance costs generally decrease with age, and a few years can make a significant difference in premiums for drivers. The average 19-year-old pays more than $6,000 in insurance premiums per year, nearly $3,000 more than the average 25-year-old.

On average, 19-year-olds pay nearly $1,000 less in premiums per year than 18-year-olds.

Best auto insurance for 19-year-olds by state

We examined average auto insurance premiums in the country's ten most populous states — costs vary greatly by state — and made recommendations for the cheapest insurers in each.

North Carolina is the cheapest state in our sample for 19-year-old car insurance, with an annual premium that is nearly two-thirds less than the national average.

Michigan is an outlier and by far the most expensive state, with annual insurance costs for 19-year-olds nearly three times higher than the national average.

Michigan's high prices emphasize the value that consumers can find by shopping around. A 19-year-auto old's insurance policy in the state costs an average of...

• $4,584 with USAA, or
• $6,155 with Progressive

...which is significantly less than the national average of $17,982.

The following are our recommendations for the cheapest auto insurance companies in the ten most populous states for a 19-year-old.

The cheapest auto insurance company for 19-year-olds in the 10 largest states

USAA was excluded, as policies are only available for current or former military members and their families. Without its exclusion, it offers the cheapest car insurance for 19-year-olds in Georgia, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.

How to find cheap car insurance as a 19-year-old

Shopping around is the single most important strategy for finding cheap insurance as a 19-year-old — or at any age. Customers are priced by insurers based on a variety of factors, and the cheapest insurance company for you may be very different from that of your high school friend or college roommate.

While shopping around, young drivers can also save money by staying on their parents' policies or seeking out all available discounts.

19-year-olds can find cheaper rates by …

• Shopping around
• Remaining on their parents' policies
• Taking advantage of insurer discounts

Shop around for car insurance

Whether they need insurance for a sports car or a van, 19-year-olds should compare quotes from multiple insurers to see if they can find competitive rates. Insurance companies charge younger drivers more, but the costs vary by company, and some insurers impose less severe rate hikes for young drivers. Where available, we recommend Erie, USAA, and Geico for 19-year-olds, but the best company for you may be different.

Remain on your parents' policy

If you still live at home, you can continue to be covered by your parents' auto insurance policy. This increases the cost of the policy for your parents, but the higher rate is generally less expensive than the combined cost of having two separate policies.

If you're away from home for the majority of the year, your parents may be eligible for a "student away from home" discount, which allows them to save money.

Take advantage of insurer discounts

Many steps can be taken by 19-year-old drivers to demonstrate that they are safer candidates for auto insurance coverage and to reduce the high rates charged by insurance companies. Being a good student, taking defensive driving courses, keeping a clean driving record, and building a strong credit score are all examples.

Methodology

We gathered quotes for thousands of ZIP codes in the country's ten most populous states. Our sample drivers were males and females aged 19 who drove a 2015 Honda Civic EX. We kept all other factors influencing auto insurance rates constant, such as the fact that drivers were single and had a clean driving record. The following coverage levels were included in the full coverage policy, which are slightly more than what is required for any state's minimum coverage:

The analysis included 23 insurance companies, but insurer rates were only included in our list of average prices and recommendations if their policies were available in at least three of the ten states.

The insurance rate data used in LowCostInsurance analysis came from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were obtained publicly from insurer filings and should only be used for comparison purposes — your own quotes may differ.