Who Has the Cheapest Massachusetts Car Insurance Quotes?
Who Has the Cheapest Massachusetts Car Insurance Quotes?
Car insurance rates in Massachusetts for a minimum coverage policy cost an average of $60 each month, or $721 per year.
Car insurance rates in Massachusetts for a minimum coverage policy cost an average of $60 each month, or $721 per year.
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 in Massachusetts: The Hanover
The cheapest auto insurance company in Massachusetts for our sample driver with a minimum coverage policy was Hanover Insurance. At $389 per year, its rates were 46% below the state average.
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in Massachusetts
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. Progressive, Plymouth Rock and Travelers were all more expensive than the average car insurance price in Massachusetts.
Rank | Company | Average annual rate |
---|---|---|
1 | The Hanover | $389 |
2 | Safety Insurance | $404 |
3 | MetLife | $421 |
4 | Geico | $532 |
5 | Arbella | $720 |
6 | Progressive | $821 |
7 | Plymouth Rock | $1,119 |
8 | Travelers | $1,361 |
- Liability-only insurance only covers injuries or damages to other drivers for which you are at-fault. 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.
- 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.
ValuePenguin works with trusted national carriers to help you find the best rate quickly, simply and easily — for free.
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in Massachusetts
Cheapest company for full coverage: Safety
Our previous quotes were for a driver opting for minimum coverage car insurance. The average cost of full coverage auto insurance in Massachusetts is $2,158 per year, or $180 per month, but drivers could find cheaper rates by comparing car insurance companies.
The insurer with the cheapest full car insurance policy is Safety Insurance, with an average annual rate of $1,049.
Insurer | Cost per year | Cost per month |
---|---|---|
Safety | $1,049 | $87 |
Geico | $1,394 | $116 |
Progressive | $1,685 | $140 |
Massachusetts average | $2,158 | $180 |
The average cost of a minimum coverage policy among our sample eight insurers is $721, 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.
Cheap car insurance for drivers with prior incidents
Full coverage car insurance is usually higher for drivers with incidents on their record, such as a DUI (driving under the influence) citation or a speeding ticket. With this in mind, we identified the best rates for Massachusetts drivers who:
Cheapest for drivers with an accident: Geico
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 quotes for a full coverage policy, with an average annual rate of $2,044 per year. The cost of auto insurance from Geico is 38% less than the average cost of coverage after an accident in Massachusetts, which is $3,304 per year.
Insurer | Cost per year | Cost per month |
---|---|---|
Geico | $2,044 | $170 |
Safety | $2,119 | $177 |
Progressive | $2,450 | $204 |
Massachusetts average | $3,304 | $275 |
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.
Average rates in Massachusetts go up by 53% after an at-fault accident. Insurance companies increase premiums for drivers with accidents because they are statistically more likely to get in another accident in the future. This makes them riskier — and costlier — to insure.
Cheapest car insurance for people with a speeding ticket: Geico
Speeding tickets raise auto insurance rates in Massachusetts by just over a third, according to our analysis. The most affordable coverage for drivers who have been caught speeding comes from Geico, which charges rates that are $1,369 cheaper than the state average.
Insurer | Cost per year | Cost per month |
---|---|---|
Geico | $1,538 | $128 |
Safety | $1,703 | $142 |
MetLife | $2,135 | $178 |
Massachusetts average | $2,907 | $242 |
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI: Progressive
DUIs incur steeper rate increases than any of the other incidents in our study. We found that average premiums go up by 70%, whereas speeding tickets raise rates by just 35% and at-fault accidents by 53%.
If you're a Massachusetts driver looking for affordable coverage after a DUI, consider Progressive. Annual premiums are 47% cheaper than average for most drivers.
Insurer | Cost per year | Cost per month |
---|---|---|
Progressive | $1,960 | $163 |
Geico | $2,333 | $194 |
The Hanover | $2,562 | $214 |
Massachusetts average | $3,661 | $305 |
Cheapest car insurance for married drivers: Safety
Married Massachusetts drivers pay slightly lower premiums than single drivers. Our analysis found that the average rate for married drivers was $14 cheaper than what single drivers pay. If you're a married driver in Massachusetts, Safety has the lowest rates on average, so we'd recommend starting your search there.
Insurer | Cost per year | Cost per month |
---|---|---|
Safety | $1,049 | $87 |
Travelers | $1,361 | $113 |
Progressive | $1,685 | $140 |
Massachusetts average | $2,144 | $179 |
Cheapest car insurance for young drivers: Geico
Average rates for our sample 18-year-old Massachusetts driver were over $4,000 more expensive than rates for our adult sample driver, with full coverage costing $6,263 per year.
Young shoppers looking for affordable car insurance in Massachusetts could find the best rates with Geico. Geico's full coverage rates for young drivers are about 34% cheaper than average, with annual premiums costing $4,127 and monthly premiums costing $344.
Insurer | Full coverage | Minimum coverage |
---|---|---|
Geico | $4,127 | $1,567 |
Safety | $5,340 | $1,935 |
MetLife | $5,570 | $1,430 |
The Hanover | $5,648 | $1,249 |
Travelers | $6,256 | $2,588 |
Progressive | $6,258 | $2,801 |
Arbella | $7,191 | $2,041 |
Plymouth Rock | $9,712 | $2,632 |
Massachusetts average | $6,263 | $2,030 |
Cheapest for young drivers with one accident: Geico
Geico again provides the best rates to young Massachusetts drivers, even after they've been in an at-fault accident. While the average annual rate for our 18-year-old driver increased by $1,507, Geico only raised rates by $938, from $4,127 to $5,065.
Insurer | Cost per year | Cost per month |
---|---|---|
Geico | $5,605 | $422 |
Safety | $6,460 | $538 |
Progressive | $7,278 | $607 |
Massachusetts average | $7,770 | $647 |
Cheapest for young drivers with one speeding ticket: Geico
Geico also has the best rates for young Massachusetts drivers who have received a ticket for speeding. Rates are $4,127 per year and $344 per month, which is 41% cheaper than average.
Insurer | Cost per year | Cost per month |
---|---|---|
Geico | $4,127 | $344 |
Safety | $5,340 | $445 |
MetLife | $5,827 | $486 |
Massachusetts average | $6,963 | $580 |
Best auto 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 ranked as the top car insurance company in Massachusetts based on fewest complaints. However, most insurers in the state had a complaint index below 1.0, indicating fewer-than-expected complaints given the size of the company.
- Safety Insurance, the most affordable insurer, ranks seventh in Massachusetts for customer complaints, per our analysis.
- With an index of 1.13, MetLife is the standout, with customer service ranking more poorly than the seven other insurance groups.
Insurer | NAIC Complaint Index | J.D. Power claims satisfaction score | AM Best Financial Strength Rating |
---|---|---|---|
Travelers | 0.65 | 861 | A++ |
Progressive | 0.67 | 856 | A+ |
Arbella | 0.69 | N/A | A |
Plymouth Rock | 0.74 | N/A | A- |
Geico | 0.76 | 871 | A++ |
The Hanover | 0.81 | N/A | A |
Safety | 0.94 | N/A | A |
MetLife | 1.13 | 886 | A |
An insurer with a complaint index of 1.0 has an expected number of complaints given its market size; a lower ratio is better.
Average car insurance cost 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. We found that full coverage car insurance rates in Massachusetts can vary by as much as $2,457 per year, depending on your location within the state.
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.
The table below shows how the costs rank across cities in Massachusetts, from the cheapest to the most expensive. Gill ranked as the cheapest city in Massachusetts, while Roxbury ranked as the costliest.
City | Average annual cost | Percentage difference from average |
---|---|---|
Gill | $1,606 | -25.6% |
Northfield | $1,611 | -25.4% |
Rowe | $1,618 | -25.0% |
Bernardston | $1,618 | -25.0% |
Chatham | $1,621 | -24.9% |
Erving | $1,627 | -24.6% |
Adams | $1,628 | -24.6% |
Williamstown | $1,629 | -24.5% |
Orleans | $1,631 | -24.4% |
Savoy | $1,638 | -24.1% |
Warwick | $1,645 | -23.8% |
Whately | $1,645 | -23.8% |
Auto insurance rate changes in Massachusetts
Year over year, auto insurance rates in Massachusetts were relatively flat, only increasing by 0.4% in 2020, which was the smallest increase in the past decade. As seen below, many companies held their rates flat when adjusting for the year, but some did have larger increases, such as Plymouth Rock, which raised premiums 2.4%.
Group name | Direct WP in millions 2019 | Rate change 2019 | Rate change 2020 |
---|---|---|---|
Mapfre | $1,225.3 | 4.0% | 0.0% |
Geico | $781.9 | -3.9% | 0.0% |
Liberty Mutual | $575.5 | 0.0% | 0.8% |
Safety | $450.3 | 1.8% | -0.6% |
Arbellap | $418.1 | 2.7% | 1.5% |
Plymouth Rock | $375.5 | 2.4% | 2.4% |
Progressive | $316.3 | 0.3% | 0.0% |
Metropolitan | $190.7 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Travelers | $183.2 | -1.5% | 0.0% |
USAA | $177.0 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
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 required to carry $8,000 worth of personal injury protection (PIP).
Liability | Minimum coverage |
---|---|
Bodily injury (BI) | $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident |
Property damage (PD) | $5,000 per accident |
Uninsured motorist bodily injury (UMBI) | $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident |
Personal injury protection (PIP) | $8,000 per person, per accident |
Recap of the cheapest auto insurance in Massachusetts
- Minimum coverage: The Hanover
- Full coverage: Safety
- After an at-fault accident: Geico
- After a speeding ticket: Geico
- After a DUI: Progressive
- Married couples: Safety
- Young drivers: Geico
- Young drivers with one accident: Geico
- Young drivers with speeding ticket: Geico
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.