Which Gender Pays More for Car Insurance?
Car insurance companies are allowed to consider your gender when setting car insurance rates in most states. Women tend to pay slightly less over their lifetimes — but only by a small amount. Younger men and women will experience the greatest gender disparity, while adult drivers can typically expect a price difference of less than 1% between men and women.
Who pays more for car insurance, men or women?
Men and women generally pay about the same amount for car insurance. We discovered only a slight difference in insurance costs between men and women for typical adult drivers.
We discovered a price difference of less than 1% between men and women in their thirties.
It's worth noting that the gender factor was treated slightly differently by the insurers we looked at. Women were charged slightly more by Geico, while Progressive charged them slightly less. Both Allstate and State Farm kept their rates the same regardless of gender.
Insurer | Women | Men | Percentage difference |
Allstate | $2,493 | $2,493 | 0.0% |
Geico | $1,707 | $1,682 | 1.5% |
Progressive | $1,963 | $2,048 | -4.2% |
State Farm | $1,160 | $1,160 | 0.0% |
The cost difference between insurers was significantly greater than the cost difference between men and women — which is why it's critical to compare rates to find the cheapest car insurance for you.
Age affects the insurance cost gap between genders
While adult men and women pay roughly the same amount for car insurance, the disparity widens as drivers age.
While all adolescent drivers pay more for car insurance than older drivers, teenage boys pay the most. Our example boy driver received a quote for $4,946 per year, which is $328 more than a girl of the same age.
A 32-year-old man, on the other hand, can expect to pay about $15 more per year than a woman.
Age | Women | Men | Percentage difference |
17 | $4,618 | $4,946 | -6.6% |
$2,159 | $2,277 | -5.2% | |
32 | $1,831 | $1,846 | -0.8% |
65 | $1,364 | $1,401 | -2.6% |
Why do men pay more for car insurance?
Insurance companies do not directly explain why one group of people pays more for car insurance than another. However, insurers generally charge more for people who are statistically more likely to be involved in an accident or file a claim under their policy.
In other words, insurers have discovered that boys and young men are more likely than other people — even young women — to be involved in car accidents. Young men are more likely to buy a sports car, drive fast, or take risks behind the wheel.
Some states don't permit gender to impact insurance rates
A few states expressly prohibit insurance companies from considering gender when determining insurance rates. These are the states:
- California
- Hawaii
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Montana
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
If you live in one of these states, your insurer cannot consider your gender when setting rates — and in most cases, the insurer will not even ask.
Save on insurance, no matter your gender
If you're having trouble finding an affordable price for car insurance, whether you're male, female, or nonbinary, there are several options for lowering your monthly rate.
First, do some comparison shopping. Every car insurance company sets its own rates, and a factor like a speeding ticket may have less of an impact on your rates at one company than another. We recommend that you shop for car insurance at least every two years, or whenever you experience a life change that may affect your rates.
Second, maximize the number of discounts you are eligible for. Some insurers provide more discounts than others, but no single insurer provides every discount imaginable. One insurer may offer significant savings for good grades, while another may offer a discount for being a teacher. Just make sure you're not throwing money away by failing to apply for discounts that you're eligible for.
Pay-per-mile insurance and telematics are two particularly significant discounts to investigate. These programs are similar in that they use a plug-in device or a smartphone app to determine how much or how safely you drive and then adjust your rates accordingly.
A pay-per-mile insurance program monitors your driving habits and charges you a fee per mile (in addition to a monthly base). If you don't drive often, this type of program can be a great way to save money.
A telematics device, on the other hand, simply monitors your driving habits. If you drive safely, your insurance rates will fall regardless of how frequently you use your car.