California’s Cheapest Auto Insurance

Geico’s liability insurance costs $33/month ($398/year) and USAA’s full coverage costs $117/month ($1,408/year) are the lowest prices for California auto insurance.

Important lessons learned:

• Our study shows that the top five least expensive auto insurance providers in California are Geico, USAA, Progressive, Mercury Insurance, and CSAA.
• In California, full-coverage auto insurance typically costs $193 per month, or $2,313 annually. Our study indicates that it is around 15.2% more costly than the $2,008 national average, and based on our rate data, the cost of vehicle insurance in California increased by 10.7% between 2022 and 2023.
• Mercury Insurance is the least expensive full coverage carrier in California, with average anticipated rates of $146 per month or $1,748 per year, according to our research of full-coverage auto insurance prices from Quadrant Information Services.

In California, it might not have been so simple to get affordable auto insurance. However, it’s become harder than ever for many drivers to get reasonably priced auto insurance because of rising rates across the state and the departure of a number of significant insurers. Californian drivers do, however, still have a few choices from some of the top vehicle insurance providers in the nation.

Using information from Quadrant Information Services, the MarketWatch Guides team examined hundreds of rate estimates from dozens of carriers to help you find the most economical prices for vehicle coverage in California. In order to understand why prices are rising in the state and how drivers might get the cheapest rates, we also conducted interviews with insurance specialists and examined official statistics.

In California, who provides the best rates for auto insurance?

Based on our pricing data, drivers in California with a spotless record typically pay $50 for a minimum coverage insurance and $193 for full coverage per month. Geico provides the most affordable auto insurance quotes for the majority of Californian drivers.

California’s Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates

Because auto insurance premiums are based on individual characteristics, the best rate for you will depend on particular details about you and your car. Who provides the most affordable California auto insurance quotes for each of the categories we looked at is shown below:

Cheapest Car Insurance in California (by category)	Company	Amount
Minimum Liability Coverage	Geico	$31
Full Coverage	Mercury	$146
Young Drivers	Mercury and Geico	Varies by age
After A Speeding Ticket	Mercury	$193
After An Accident	Mercury	$252
After A DUI	Mercury	$241

California’s Lowest Auto Insurance Companies

The top five insurance providers in California for the cheapest prices on auto insurance are:

1. Geico
2. USAA*
3. Mercury
4. Progressive
5. CSAA

Only active duty personnel, veterans, and their families may get USAA motor insurance, despite the fact that it is the most affordable provider in California. Large and medium-sized providers below can tell you more about the state’s lowest auto insurance firms, or you may click on any of the providers above to discover more.

California’s Lowest Big Insurance Companies

A major insurer is defined by J.D. Power as one that has written at least $4.5 million in direct premiums for personal car insurance. The largest auto insurance providers in California with the lowest rates include USAA, Farmers, Geico, Progressive, State Farm, and Allstate. The table below contains more information regarding the costs of the minimum and full coverage premiums, the amount of discounts, and the cost rating that our team assigned to each provider.

California Rank	Company	Minimum Coverage (Annual)	Full Coverage (Annual)	# Discounts	*Cost Rating (US)
1	Geico	$373	$1,837	12	9.1
2	Progressive	$532	$2,077	9	7.8
3	State Farm	$661	$2,492	16	9.3
4	Allstate	$735	$2,625	11	7.4
5	Farmers	$1,029	$2,925	15	7.4
**	USAA	$454	$1,959	13	9.7

**USAA auto insurance is only available to military members, veterans and their families.
*Our research team considers nationwide factors when scoring providers. The ranking of providers in this table is specific to car insurance in California.

California’s Cheapest Mid-Size Insurance Providers

For personal car lines, mid-size insurers are defined by J.D. Power as those who have written between $1 and 4.5 billion in direct premiums. Based on our analysis, Mercury is the least expensive mid-size insurance provider in California overall, with average annual premiums of $558 for minimal coverage and $1,748 for comprehensive coverage.

California Rank	Company	Minimum Coverage (Annual)	Full Coverage (Annual)	# of Discounts	Cost Rating (US)
1	Mercury	$558	$1,748	8	7
2	CSAA*	$453	$2,497	18	7.5
3	Kemper	$573	$2,313	10	7.8
4	AAA	$656	$2,653	18	7.5

*CSAA is an AAA insurer that offers automobile and homeowners insurance in California.

Car insurance costs vary greatly depending on a number of important aspects, including driving record, region, and other characteristics specific to each particular driver. We provide the best rate predictions for drivers across a range of categories in the sections that follow. With the use of this data, you may get a more precise estimate of the cost of coverage and identify potential providers with the best deals.

California’s Cheapest Auto Insurance Coverage

Your choice of coverage level affects the price of your auto insurance. The majority of quotations you get include quotes for minimal liability and full coverage; we’ve highlighted the companies who offer the least expensive alternatives for both coverage types in California below.