You have probably seen the commercials from insurers like Liberty Mutual, State Farm, and GEICO that claim huge savings. So drivers should just choose any one of them, right?
That is not the case, however, as there are a whole slew of unknown factors like if you have a tendency to get pulled over, if you own or rent your home, and your financial responsibility, that all impact the cost of coverage. We will try to teach you about the best ways to avoid high prices and will hopefully give you a good start in finding the cheapest insurance.
One of the more important considerations that are looked at to determine the price you pay for insurance is where you live in Seattle. Regions with larger populations or more claims tend to pay slightly more, whereas areas with less people or fewer weather incidents have the luxury of cheap car insurance rates.
The next table ranks the priciest cities in Washington for 19 year olds to buy an auto insurance policy in. Seattle makes the list at #8 having an annual price of $1,363 for the average insurance policy, which is approximately $114 each month.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tacoma | $1,427 |
| 2 | Lakewood | $1,420 |
| 3 | Federal Way | $1,393 |
| 4 | Renton | $1,389 |
| 5 | Auburn | $1,380 |
| 6 | Kent | $1,378 |
| 7 | Shoreline | $1,366 |
| 8 | Seattle | $1,363 |
| 9 | South Hill | $1,354 |
| 10 | Everett | $1,288 |
| 11 | Marysville | $1,245 |
| 12 | Bellevue | $1,243 |
| 13 | Redmond | $1,238 |
| 14 | Sammamish | $1,220 |
| 15 | Kirkland | $1,195 |
| 16 | Vancouver | $1,192 |
| 17 | Olympia | $1,105 |
| 18 | Lacey | $1,078 |
| 19 | Spokane | $1,060 |
| 20 | Yakima | $1,057 |
| 21 | Spokane Valley | $1,054 |
| 22 | Pasco | $1,018 |
| 23 | Richland | $1,013 |
| 24 | Bellingham | $1,007 |
| 25 | Kennewick | $1,001 |
| Find Cheaper Insurance Go | ||
Premium costs are comparative as the vehicle garaging location can revise prices significantly.
Deciphering which companies offer the lowest-priced insurance rates for 19 year olds will involve a little more work than just comparing a company or two. Each insurance company used slightly different criteria for filing rates in each state, so let’s look at the rankings for the insurance companies with the overall best prices in Washington.
It’s important to know that Seattle, WA insurance rates are impacted by many factors that will increase or decrease the price you pay for coverage. Improving your credit rating, moving across town, or getting caught speeding can trigger changes in premium that can cause some rates to be more affordable than the competition.
Best Cheap Insurance Rates for Teens
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capital | $784 |
| 2 | Grange | $822 |
| 3 | Nationwide | $961 |
| 4 | PEMCO | $964 |
| 5 | Travelers | $1,028 |
| 6 | Mutual Enumclaw | $1,054 |
| 7 | The Hartford | $1,058 |
| 8 | USAA | $1,060 |
| 9 | Chubb | $1,094 |
| 10 | California Casualty | $1,116 |
| 11 | Allied | $1,131 |
| 12 | State Farm | $1,165 |
| 13 | Safeco | $1,192 |
| 14 | American Family | $1,196 |
| 15 | Amica | $1,256 |
| 16 | Liberty Mutual | $1,296 |
| 17 | Farmers | $1,369 |
| 18 | Progressive | $1,480 |
| 19 | National General | $1,495 |
| 20 | MetLife | $1,631 |
| Quote Your Rates Go | ||
Capital quotes some of the best car insurance rates in Seattle at around $784 annually. This is $628 less than the average rate paid by Washington drivers of $1,412. Grange, Nationwide, PEMCO, and Travelers also qualify as some of the cheaper Seattle, WA car insurance companies.
As shown in the rates above, if you are a customer of Nationwide and switched to Capital, you could realize a yearly savings of in the vicinity of $177. Insureds with PEMCO might save as much as $180 a year, and Travelers customers might cut rates by $244 a year.
To compare your rates to other Washington insurance companies, click here to start your free quote or visit any of the low-priced companies below.
Remember that these policy prices are averages across all drivers and vehicles and and are not calculated with a specific vehicle garaging location for 19 year olds. So the insurer that can offer you the lowest price may not even be in the top 25 companies in the list above. That’s why you need to get rate quotes from many companies using your own driver data and vehicle information.
The make and model of vehicle that needs insurance is one of the primary factors when consumers are trying to find the best cheap auto insurance for 19 year olds. Vehicles with economical engines, an excellent safety record, or a positive history of liability claims will cost quite a bit less to insure than higher performance models.
The next list features auto insurance prices for a number of the more affordable automobiles to insure in Washington.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $4,586 |
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $4,593 |
| Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $4,642 |
| Toyota Prius | $5,020 |
| Honda Odyssey LX | $5,065 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Regular Cab 4WD | $5,121 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 4WD | $5,126 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $5,386 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS AWD | $5,443 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $5,451 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $5,443 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $5,452 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 4-Dr Sedan | $5,443 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SXT | $5,499 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $5,505 |
| Dodge Ram Quad Cab ST 2WD | $5,536 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport Islander Package 4WD 4-Dr | $5,598 |
| Compare Cheap Rates Go | |
Data assumes single female driver age 19, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Washington minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Price information does not factor in your specific Seattle, WA location which can alter coverage prices substantially.
Based upon the table data, you can see that cars like the Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, and Ford Escape are going to be some of the more affordable vehicles to insure for teenage drivers. Car insurance rates will tend to be more expensive because there is more risk for 19 year olds, but generally speaking those particular vehicles will have the best insurance prices compared to all other vehicles.
Drive safe and save
The recommended way to find affordable insurance premiums for teenage drivers is to be a safe driver and avoid accidents and violations. The illustration below demonstrates how traffic citations and at-fault collisions raise premium costs for different age categories. The premiums are based on a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.
In the previous chart, the average cost of an auto insurance policy in Seattle per year with no violations or accidents is $1,328. Add in two speeding tickets and the average cost surges to $1,773, an increase of $445 each year. Then include one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the 12-month cost of insurance for 19 year olds jumps again to an average of $2,220. That’s an increase of $892, or $74 per month, just for not being a responsible driver!
Should you buy full coverage?
Buying cheaper insurance should be important to the majority of people, and one easy way to pay lower rates for insurance for 19 year olds is to buy liability only. The diagram below visualizes the comparison of premium costs with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The premiums are based on no claims or violations, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no other discounts are factored in.
As an average for all age groups, comp and collision coverage costs an additional $1,885 per year more than just insuring for liability. Lot’s of drivers question if full coverage is worth the money. There isn’t a written rule for eliminating physical damage coverage, but there is a general school of thought. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
For example, let’s say your vehicle’s claim settlement value is $4,000 and you have $1,000 full coverage deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, you would only receive $3,000 after you pay the deductible. If it’s costing in excess of $300 annually for physical damage coverage, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
Finding a high-quality auto insurance provider can be a challenge considering how many companies there are in Seattle. The company information in the next section may help you choose which auto insurers to look at when comparing rate quotes. The ratings below are only comprised of companies with a national presence, so companies that may only write in Washington are not taken into consideration for these rankings.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 98 | 100 | 100 | 94% | A++ | 98.6 |
| American Family | 98 | 89 | 100 | 86% | A | 95.4 |
| State Farm | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90% | A++ | 92.4 |
| The Hartford | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89% | A+ | 91.7 |
| AAA Insurance | 88 | 89 | 95 | 91% | A | 91.2 |
| GEICO | 84 | 93 | 93 | 89% | A++ | 90.3 |
| The General | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88% | A- | 90 |
| Titan Insurance | 90 | 87 | 91 | 95% | A+ | 89.6 |
| Progressive | 84 | 91 | 93 | 87% | A+ | 89.5 |
| Allstate | 85 | 90 | 92 | 88% | A+ | 89.3 |
| Nationwide | 87 | 88 | 84 | 90% | A+ | 88.7 |
| Liberty Mutual | 84 | 87 | 93 | 88% | A | 88.5 |
| 21st Century | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88% | A | 86.7 |
| Esurance | 85 | 80 | 95 | 87% | A+ | 85.9 |
| Safeco | 85 | 85 | 85 | 86% | A | 85.8 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Ideas for finding more affordable car insurance for 19 year olds
The list below details many money-saving ideas that can help you quote lower-cost coverage.
- Full coverage may not be needed on older vehicles
- The safer your car, the less it costs to insure
- Bundle home and auto and save
- Pay for smaller claims out-of-pocket
- Higher comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles will save money
- Better credit scores save money
- Compare rate quotes often
The last idea is notably vital, as we hit on in this write-up. Auto insurance prices change frequently, so drivers shouldn’t be reluctant to buy a different policy if you can find a cheaper rate. Staying with the same company for years is fine, but it isn’t a good idea if it’s costing you hundreds of dollars a year. In just a couple of minutes you could compare rates and find cheaper auto insurance for 19 year olds in Seattle.
The Seattle auto insurance agencies shown below can most likely help you make a decision which auto insurance policy would work best for you, as some drivers have questions and prefer to get help from a professional when shopping around for cheaper insurance for 19 year olds. It can be hard to find the best coverage yourself, and getting advice from a licensed Washington insurance agent can provide peace of mind knowing your coverage gives you adequate protection.
To locate a Seattle car insurance agency near you, click the button at the bottom of the list or click here to compare price quotes.
Chris Gibbens – State Farm Insurance Agent
607 W McGraw St – Seattle, WA 98119 – (206) 331-4864
Melinda Elkin – State Farm Insurance Agent
7104 Greenwood Ave N – Seattle, WA 98103 – (206) 784-6560
Dave Newman – State Farm Insurance Agent
3435 California Ave SW – Seattle, WA 98116 – (206) 932-1878