Car Insurance for Women

We analyzed quotes from top auto insurers and found that car insurance for women costs 5% less on average than it does for men. State Farm had the best car insurance rates for women, with premiums that cost about 30% less than three other major national insurers: Allstate, Nationwide and Progressive.

The reason for the difference between male and female rates is that insurance companies have found women are generally less likely to be in accidents. This rate discrepancy is most pronounced in teen car insurance rates.

Even though women usually save money on car insurance, it's still possible for women to overpay for coverage, so be sure to maximize discounts and shop around for your best deal.

Where to find cheap car insurance for ladies

State Farm consistently offered the cheapest car insurance rates for women, providing quotes about 30% below average across all the age groups in our study. We collected sample car insurance quotes from four of the largest auto insurance companies and found that women are most likely to get their best rates from this insurer.

Every insurer weighs gender differently when providing insurance quotes. Progressive and State Farm both offer better rates for women overall, Geico offers better rates to men overall, and Allstate offers the same rates to both women and men.

Ultimately, the overall price difference among insurers is much more significant than the impact gender has on insurance rates. State Farm, for instance, had the most significant gender discrepancy in our study — 17-year-old male drivers paid 26% more than female drivers — but had the cheapest rates overall.

Women looking for their best deals shouldn't worry too much about choosing an insurer that specifically caters to female drivers, so long as they're checking multiple insurers for the best rates.

Best cheap car insurance for new female drivers

We recommend State Farm to teen girls looking for cheap car insurance. The average rate for our sample 17-year-old driver is $4,618 per year, but State Farm charges 28% less — just $3,347 per year. While that's still a hefty price tag, it puts $1,271 back in pockets each year.

Because they are new to the road and drive less confidently than their older counterparts, teen girl drivers pay more for car insurance than adult women. Average car insurance quotes for our teen girl driver were 152% more expensive than for our 32-year-old female driver and 239% more expensive than for our 65-year-old female driver.

Average auto insurance rates by age and company

The best way for new, recently licensed teenage girl drivers to secure cheap car insurance is to stay on their parents' policy. It costs half as much to add a teen driver to a policy as it does to have them take out their own.

Young female drivers can also get insurance discounts through good grades or membership in various affinity groups or associations. If you're a young driver who has been in an at-fault accident or received a citation for speeding, you may be able to complete a defensive driving course and get a discount.

Best cheap car insurance for young female drivers under 25

Of the four companies in this study, State Farm once again had the best rates for young female drivers looking for car insurance. The average rate for a 24-year-old female driver was $2,159 per year, but State Farm quotes for our young female driver were only $1,457 — a 33% difference.

Cheap car insurance is generally easier to find if you're a young female driver than if you're a young male driver, but this changes for ladies over 30. State Farm, for example, charged our sample 25-year-old female driver 21% less for car insurance than our sample male driver — but the company charged identical rates to our sample male and female drivers at ages 32 and 65.

Car insurance for women over 50

Ladies over 50 pay slightly less for car insurance than men over 50, but the difference is far less pronounced than it is at other ages. In fact, of the four insurers in our study, only Progressive charged male drivers rates that were significantly higher than female drivers. State Farm and Allstate charged 65-year-old drivers identical rates, regardless of gender, and Geico charged our sample male driver just $3 more each year.

If you're a female driver over 50, start your search for cheap insurance with State Farm. Annual premiums average at $1,049 per year. That's 23% cheaper than the average rate for women drivers at this age, which is $1,364.

Best auto insurance for single women

Your marital status also has an impact on your auto insurance rates, with married drivers usually paying slightly less than single drivers, regardless of gender.

State Farm is an exception to this rule. Not only did it charge our sample married female driver and single female driver the same rate, but it also had the cheapest rates overall. If you're a single female driver looking for the cheapest auto insurance, start your search with State Farm.

Best car insurance companies for single women

Do men or women pay more for car insurance?

Men usually pay more for car insurance than women do. Car insurance is 5% higher for men than for women across all the age groups in our study. The average annual rate for men was $2,617, while the average annual rate for women was $2,493.

Annual car insurance cost by age and gender

However, the difference between male and female car insurance rates changes substantially with age. Women's car insurance is consistently cheaper than men's, but 17-year-old men pay 7% more than women — about $328 more each year.

By the time drivers reach 24 years old, the difference drops to 5% ($119 more for men), and by the time drivers reach 32, the difference is minimal — just 1%, or $15 more per year. Interestingly, the difference in rates grows when drivers reach their mid-sixties. Men pay 3% more than women ($36 more) at age 65.

Why is car insurance cheaper for women than for men?

Women's car insurance is generally cheaper than men's because insurers have found a statistical correlation between a driver's gender and the cost and frequency of car insurance claims.

Men, on average, simply drive more than women. This increases their overall likelihood of being involved in a collision, which in turn makes car insurance higher.

Additionally, men have also been shown to more frequently engage in risky driving behaviors like speeding and drunk driving. This is especially true for young drivers, with young male teenagers being twice as likely to be killed while driving than young ladies are. Due to these and other reasons, young women are involved in car crashes less frequently than young men, and they pay less for car insurance to match this lower risk.

Gender plays a relatively small role in setting insurance premiums

While your gender undeniably has an impact on your car insurance rates, it's far from the biggest factor when an insurance company decides your premium. Other factors that insurers consider include:

Of these factors, your driving history usually has the biggest impact on your rates. Even among our sample 17-year-old drivers — who experience the highest gender rate discrepancy — an at-fault accident affected rates far more than gender did. Car insurance quotes for both young male and female drivers went up by 48% after an at-fault accident, while the difference in rates for young men versus young women drivers was just 7%.

States where car insurance is the same for men and women

In order to make rate-setting more equitable, some states have banned insurance companies from using gender when setting rates. These include:

Car insurance discounts for female drivers

Car insurance companies don't offer any special discounts for women alone, but women can cut their car insurance bills in all the usual ways. Here are some of the best ways for women to save on car insurance:

Shop around

The most important way for women to get the cheapest car insurance rates is to compare quotes from multiple insurers. For example, a 32-year-old woman driving in Indiana, will save $67 per month if she switches from Progressive to State Farm, meaning that woman might spend an additional $803 per year if she didn't shop around.

It's also a smart idea to check back periodically to confirm you're getting your best rate, especially if you experience a significant life event like getting married, moving or buying a car.

Drive safely

Your driving history is one of the biggest factors insurers consider when setting rates. Not only will avoiding accidents keep insurers from raising your rates, but driving safely can also often qualify you for sizable discounts through telematics programs. For example, women drivers using State Farm's Drive Safe and Save app can save up to 50% off their previous rates.

Bundle policies

Most insurers offer discounts to customers who buy in bulk — for insuring multiple vehicles under the same car insurance policy or purchasing multiple types of insurance policies (such as life and automobile policies) from the same company, for example.

Group affiliation discounts

Customers can also save money with some insurers if they're affiliated with certain organizations or professional groups. Sometimes it's based on a perk a group, like an employer or union has specifically negotiated with the company. Other times, it’s for working in a specific profession. For example, Geico offers discounts to members of the Society of Women Engineers. Ask your insurance company what group or professional discounts you might be eligible for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Methodology

We pulled auto insurance rates for drivers in ZIP codes across Indiana. Unless otherwise noted, our sample drivers were single and had clean driving records. Each drives a 2015 Honda Civic EX and has full coverage. We gave our drivers the following full-coverage limits:

ValuePenguin's rate data was provided by Quadrant Information Services. Quotes are publicly sourced from insurer filings and intended for comparative purposes only. Your own rates could differ.