Who Has the Cheapest Massachusetts Car Insurance Quotes?
Car insurance rates in Massachusetts average $1,866 per year, or $156 per month, for our sample driver.
Massachusetts auto insurance premiums can alter by location, company, driver profile and more. Read on below to compare rates, or enter your ZIP code above for a list of companies near you to begin shopping for quotes.
Cheapest auto insurance companies in Massachusetts
The cheapest auto insurance company in Massachusetts for our sample driver with a full coverage policy was Safety Insurance. At $1,090 per year, its average rates were 42% below the state average.
The Cheapest Auto Insurance Companies in Massachusetts
The three auto insurers in Massachusetts with the lowest costs were:
- Safety Insurance
- GEICO
- Progressive
The average rate of these three insurers — $1,402 — was 25% below the state average.
The table below contains a rate comparison of the eight companies in our sample ranked from those with the best auto insurance rates in Massachusetts to the most expensive. Arbella, Travelers and Plymouth Rock were all more expensive than the average car insurance price in Massachusetts.
| Rank | Insurer | Annual rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Safety | $1,090 |
| 2 | GEICO | $1,416 |
| 3 | Progressive | $1,700 |
| 4 | Metropolitan | $1,713 |
| 5 | Hanover | $1,748 |
| 6 | Arbella | $2,141 |
| 7 | Travelers | $2,264 |
| 8 | Plymouth Rock Assurance | $2,851 |
- A full coverage policy includes both liability insurance and comprehensive and collision coverage.
- Comprehensive and collision coverages are recommended if you're seeking to protect against the cost of damage to your own car.
- This contrasts with liability-only insurance, which covers injuries or damages to other drivers for which you are at-fault.
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Cheapest minimum coverage car insurance in Massachusetts
Our previous quotes were for a driver opting for full coverage car insurance. But if you're looking for the cheapest car insurance available, you can buy a policy with only the minimum coverage required by Massachusetts.
The insurer with the cheapest minimum car insurance policy is Hanover, with an average annual rate of $389.
The most expensive is a Travelers policy; at $970 per year, it costs more than twice the annual rate of a Hanover policy.
| Rank | Insurer | Annual rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanover | $389 |
| 2 | Safety | $411 |
| 3 | Metropolitan | $421 |
| 4 | GEICO | $535 |
| 5 | Arbella Insurance | $720 |
| 6 | Progressive | $762 |
| 7 | Plymouth Rock Assurance | $960 |
| 8 | Travelers | $970 |
For example, a minimum policy in Massachusetts only covers $5,000 in property damage liability, which would only fully cover damage to another vehicle in a minor accident.
The average cost of a minimum coverage policy among our sample eight insurers is $646, approximately one-third the cost of a full coverage policy. However, with regard to minimum policies, shoppers should note the cheaper policy comes at the risk of insufficient coverage in the event of a major accident.
Cheapest Massachusetts car insurance after an accident
Insurers look at driver histories to determine the risk of an accident and adjust prices for their customers based on that information. Massachusetts insurers are no different.
If you have a history of traffic violations or accidents, you'll be charged a higher rate than if you didn't.
If our sample driver had an at-fault accident on his record we found that GEICO had the cheapest quote, with an average annual rate of $2,081 per year. GEICO had the least severe penalty of any of our sample insurers, increasing rates by approximately $660 after an accident, while every other insurer increased rates by at least $1,200 per year.
| Rank | Company | Rates after accident | Rates before accident | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GEICO | $2,081 | $1,416 | $664 |
| 2 | Safety | $2,362 | $1,090 | $1,272 |
| 3 | Progressive | $2,824 | $1,700 | $1,124 |
| 4 | Hanover | $3,113 | $1,748 | $1,364 |
| 5 | Metropolitan | $3,156 | $1,713 | $1,443 |
| 6 | Arbella | $3,458 | $2,141 | $1,317 |
| 7 | Travelers | $3,538 | $2,264 | $1,273 |
| 8 | Plymouth Rock Assurance | $4,088 | $2,851 | $1,237 |
High-risk drivers should take special care to shop around for multiple quotes. For example, the best car insurance in Massachusetts for new drivers — often considered riskier customers by insurers — could vary widely by company and location.
Best car insurance companies in Massachusetts
Shopping for car insurance shouldn't just be about affordability. You should also seek an insurer that has a great customer service reputation.
Through a measure of insurance customer complaints, we found that Travelers, Hanover, GEICO rank as the top car insurance companies in Massachusetts for customer service. Only these three companies — plus Progressive — had a complaint index below 1.0, indicating fewer-than-expected complaints given the size of the company.
All other six insurance groups in our analysis had a complaint index above 1.0, indicating poorer than average customer service.
- Safety Insurance, despite being the most affordable insurer, ranks eighth (out of 10) in Massachusetts for customer complaints.
- With an index of 6.3, Liberty Mutual is the standout, with customer service ranking significantly poorer than the nine other insurance groups.
| Rank | Auto insurer | Market share | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travelers | 2.7% | 0.57 |
| 2 | Hanover (Citizens) | 2.5% | 0.62 |
| 3 | GEICO | 10.8% | 0.71 |
| 4 | Progressive | 4.3% | 0.91 |
| 5 | Plymouth Rock Assurance | 6.6% | 1.07 |
| 6 | Arbella | 7.9% | 1.19 |
| 7 | Metropolitan | 3.2% | 1.23 |
| 8 | Safety Insurance | 9.2% | 1.32 |
| 9 | MAPFRE | 21.8% | 1.39 |
| 10 | Liberty Mutual | 9.1% | 6.3 |
Minimum auto insurance requirements in Massachusetts
Massachusetts is one of 12 no-fault states and one of the 15 states that mandates all drivers carry first party medical benefits with their auto insurance policies. Required limits in the state, however, are fairly low compared to others, with drivers only requiring to carry $8,000 worth of personal injury protection (PIP).
| Coverage | Required limit |
|---|---|
| bodily injury liability | $20,000 per person/$40,000 per accident |
| property damage liability | $5,000 |
| uninsured motorist liability | $20,000 per person/$40,000 per accident |
| Personal injury protection | $8,000 per person, per accident |
Cheapest auto insurance in Massachusetts by city
One of the most important factors companies consider when coming up with a quote is where you live and park your car.
Generally speaking, urban drivers living in more densely populated cities or towns tend to pay higher-than-average costs to insure their vehicles.
But drivers in more expensive locations can still find savings by shopping around. Even motorists living in Brockton, Revere and Chelsea (three of the most expensive locations, per our analysis), can find cheaper auto insurance quotes with some research.
In the table, we take a look at which three companies have the lowest local rates for our driver for the 50 most populous cities in Massachusetts.
- Safety Insurance: Ranked as the cheapest insurance provider, rating top three for affordability in all 50 cities
- GEICO: A close second — one of the three cheapest companies in 49 of 50 cities
- Progressive: A distant third, ranking top three for affordability in only 23 out of 50 cities.
| City | Cheapest car insurance companies | Annual rates |
|---|---|---|
| Agawam | Safety Insurance | $1,161 |
| GEICO | $1,475 | |
| Metropolitan | $1,561 | |
| Amesbury Town | Safety Insurance | $963 |
| GEICO | $1,244 | |
| Progressive | $1,434 | |
| Attleboro | Safety Insurance | $1,027 |
| GEICO | $1,362 | |
| Progressive | $1,640 | |
| Barnstable | Safety Insurance | $1,027 |
| GEICO | $1,362 | |
| Progressive | $1,627 | |
| Beverly | Safety Insurance | $1,027 |
| GEICO | $1,362 | |
| Metropolitan | $1,644 | |
| Boston | Safety Insurance | $1,440 |
| GEICO | $1,536 | |
| Metropolitan | $1,997 | |
| Braintree Town | Safety Insurance | $1,192 |
| Metropolitan | $1,945 | |
| Hanover | $1,996 | |
| Brockton | Safety Insurance | $1,775 |
| Hanover | $2,800 | |
| GEICO | $2,923 | |
| Cambridge | Safety Insurance | $1,286 |
| GEICO | $1,332 | |
| Progressive | $1,817 | |
| Chelsea | Safety Insurance | $1,912 |
| GEICO | $2,347 | |
| Progressive | $2,696 | |
| Chicopee | Safety Insurance | $1,208 |
| GEICO | $1,691 | |
| Progressive | $1,801 | |
| Everett | Safety Insurance | $1,659 |
| GEICO | $2,160 | |
| Hanover | $2,447 | |
| Fall River | Safety Insurance | $1,458 |
| GEICO | $1,874 | |
| Progressive | $2,131 | |
| Fitchburg | Safety Insurance | $1,161 |
| GEICO | $1,475 | |
| Progressive | $1,649 | |
| Framingham | Safety Insurance | $1,208 |
| GEICO | $1,563 | |
| Progressive | $1,775 | |
| Franklin | Safety Insurance | $912 |
| GEICO | $1,192 | |
| Progressive | $1,380 | |
| Gardner | Safety Insurance | $967 |
| GEICO | $1,282 | |
| Progressive | $1,498 | |
| Gloucester | Safety Insurance | $1,027 |
| GEICO | $1,362 | |
| Progressive | $1,593 | |
| Greenfield Town | Safety Insurance | $967 |
| GEICO | $1,126 | |
| Metropolitan | $1,164 | |
| Haverhill | Safety Insurance | $1,192 |
| GEICO | $1,519 | |
| Progressive | $1,702 | |
| Holyoke | Safety Insurance | $1,397 |
| GEICO | $1,805 | |
| Metropolitan | $2,103 | |
| Lawrence | Safety Insurance | $1,655 |
| GEICO | $1,835 | |
| Hanover | $2,171 | |
| Leominster | Safety Insurance | $1,027 |
| GEICO | $1,362 | |
| Progressive | $1,577 | |
| Lowell | Safety Insurance | $1,384 |
| GEICO | $1,645 | |
| Metropolitan | $1,852 | |
| Lynn | Safety Insurance | $1,702 |
| GEICO | $2,355 | |
| Progressive | $2,555 | |
| Malden | Safety Insurance | $1,659 |
| GEICO | $2,160 | |
| Hanover | $2,447 | |
| Marlborough | Safety Insurance | $1,027 |
| GEICO | $1,362 | |
| Hanover | $1,622 | |
| Medford | Safety Insurance | $1,374 |
| GEICO | $1,604 | |
| Hanover | $2,033 | |
| Melrose | Safety Insurance | $1,111 |
| GEICO | $1,399 | |
| Hanover | $1,733 | |
| Methuen Town | Safety Insurance | $1,219 |
| GEICO | $1,564 | |
| Progressive | $1,702 | |
| New Bedford | Safety Insurance | $1,458 |
| GEICO | $1,959 | |
| Progressive | $2,051 | |
| Newburyport | Safety Insurance | $912 |
| GEICO | $1,192 | |
| Progressive | $1,411 | |
| Newton | Safety Insurance | $1,111 |
| GEICO | $1,399 | |
| Hanover | $1,733 | |
| Northampton | Safety Insurance | $967 |
| GEICO | $1,282 | |
| Metropolitan | $1,328 | |
| Peabody | Safety Insurance | $1,219 |
| GEICO | $1,564 | |
| Hanover | $1,931 | |
| Pittsfield | Safety Insurance | $1,036 |
| GEICO | $1,192 | |
| Metropolitan | $1,298 | |
| Quincy | Safety Insurance | $1,374 |
| GEICO | $1,604 | |
| Progressive | $1,985 | |
| Revere | Safety Insurance | $1,934 |
| GEICO | $2,209 | |
| Progressive | $2,620 | |
| Salem | Safety Insurance | $1,374 |
| GEICO | $1,786 | |
| Progressive | $1,998 | |
| Somerville | Safety Insurance | $1,374 |
| GEICO | $1,543 | |
| Metropolitan | $2,060 | |
| Springfield | Safety Insurance | $1,582 |
| GEICO | $2,176 | |
| Hanover | $2,365 | |
| Taunton | Safety Insurance | $1,208 |
| GEICO | $1,691 | |
| Hanover | $1,876 | |
| Waltham | Safety Insurance | $1,161 |
| GEICO | $1,475 | |
| Progressive | $1,644 | |
| Watertown Town | Safety Insurance | $1,161 |
| GEICO | $1,399 | |
| Hanover | $1,776 | |
| West Springfield Town | Safety Insurance | $1,219 |
| GEICO | $1,564 | |
| Progressive | $1,817 | |
| Westfield | Safety Insurance | $1,111 |
| GEICO | $1,126 | |
| Metropolitan | $1,164 | |
| Weymouth | Safety Insurance | $1,208 |
| GEICO | $1,691 | |
| Metropolitan | $1,904 | |
| Winthrop Town | Safety Insurance | $1,458 |
| Metropolitan | $2,208 | |
| GEICO | $2,209 | |
| Woburn | Safety Insurance | $1,161 |
| GEICO | $1,475 | |
| Hanover | $1,776 | |
| Worcester | Safety Insurance | $1,458 |
| GEICO | $1,959 | |
| Metropolitan | $2,208 |
In all five cities, Safety Insurance ranks as the most affordable insurer on average.
Below, we dive deeper into insurance rates for the five most populated cities in Massachusetts.
Boston | Worcester | Springfield | Cambridge | Lowell
Boston
With an average annual insurance rate of $2,276, Boston ranks as the 13th most expensive city in Massachusetts. Its auto insurance rates are 22% higher than the state average.
Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates in Boston
Worcester
The second most populous city in Massachusetts, Worcester, is also the 10th most expensive. Its average annual rate is $2,352 per year, which is 26% above the state average. Safety Insurance rates as the most affordable insurer in the city by far, with quotes more than $500 cheaper than second-place GEICO.
Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates in Worcester
Springfield
Springfield is the third most populous city but the most expensive to insure of these five cities. Its average annual premium — $2,546 — is 36% higher than the state average.
Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates in Springfield
Cambridge
Cambridge is easily the cheapest auto insurance location of these five cities. Despite its population density, its average annual rate is $2,021, just 8% higher than the Massachusetts average.
Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates in Cambridge
Lowell
Lowell rounds out the five most populous cities in Massachusetts. Its average auto insurance premium is closer to the affordability of Cambridge than Springfield, coming out to $2,054 per year, 10% higher than the state average.
Cheapest Auto Insurance Rates in Lowell
Average cost of car insurance in Massachusetts by city
Cities with more dense populations, such as the top five most populous cities highlighted above, tend to have higher insurance rates, though that is not the only factor affecting premiums.
Car insurance in Massachusetts costs an average of $1,866 per year for our sample driver.
The table below shows how the costs rank across the 50 most populous cities in Massachusetts, from the cheapest to the most expensive.
Newburyport ranked as the cheapest city in Massachusetts, while Brockton ranked as the costliest.
| Rank | City | Average annual rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newburyport | $1,518 |
| 2 | Franklin | $1,549 |
| 3 | Pittsfield | $1,564 |
| 4 | Westfield | $1,576 |
| 5 | Northampton | $1,598 |
| 6 | Greenfield Town | $1,615 |
| 7 | Gardner | $1,624 |
| 8 | Leominster | $1,730 |
| 9 | Gloucester | $1,736 |
| 10 | Amesbury Town | $1,747 |
| 11 | Barnstable | $1,751 |
| 12 | Marlborough | $1,753 |
| 13 | Attleboro | $1,757 |
| 14 | Beverly | $1,767 |
| 15 | Fitchburg | $1,874 |
| 16 | Agawam | $1,888 |
| 17 | Newton | $1,890 |
| 18 | Waltham | $1,892 |
| 19 | Melrose | $1,948 |
| 20 | Framingham | $1,957 |
| 21 | Woburn | $1,959 |
| 22 | Haverhill | $1,968 |
| 23 | Chicopee | $2,015 |
| 24 | Cambridge | $2,021 |
| 25 | Methuen Town | $2,041 |
| 26 | Taunton | $2,046 |
| 27 | Watertown Town | $2,051 |
| 28 | Lowell | $2,054 |
| 29 | West Springfield Town | $2,055 |
| 30 | Peabody | $2,067 |
| 31 | Weymouth | $2,077 |
| 32 | Somerville | $2,204 |
| 33 | Salem | $2,223 |
| 34 | Holyoke | $2,224 |
| 35 | Braintree Town | $2,230 |
| 36 | Medford | $2,249 |
| 37 | Quincy | $2,265 |
| 38 | Boston | $2,276 |
| 39 | New Bedford | $2,325 |
| 40 | Fall River | $2,336 |
| 41 | Worcester | $2,352 |
| 42 | Lawrence | $2,419 |
| 43 | Springfield | $2,546 |
| 44 | Winthrop Town | $2,583 |
| 45 | Malden | $2,714 |
| 46 | Lynn | $2,759 |
| 47 | Everett | $2,806 |
| 48 | Revere | $3,040 |
| 49 | Chelsea | $3,071 |
| 50 | Brockton | $3,075 |
Methodology
We gathered quotes from hundreds of Massachusetts cities and eight insurance companies. Our base driver was a 30-year-old male driving a 2015 Honda Civic EX. The driver was profiled as having no credit history, making him equivalent to a driver with below-fair to poor credit, according to our data source, Quadrant Information Services.
We gave the driver the following limits as part of a full coverage policy:
| Coverage type | Study limits |
|---|---|
| Bodily liability | $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident |
| Property damage | $25,000 per accident |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury | $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident |
| Comprehensive and collision | $500 deductible |
For a minimum-coverage policy, our sample driver simply met the minimum requirements of the state of Massachusetts, as described above.
ValuePenguin's analysis used insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes may be different.
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.