Best Cheap Auto Insurance Rates in Montana (2021)
Best Cheap Auto Insurance Rates in Montana (2021)
We reviewed the top car insurance companies in Montana and found that State Farm has the best rates for a minimum-coverage policy ($299 per year), as well as the lowest rates for full coverage ($1,245).
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in Montana
We reviewed the top car insurance companies in Montana and found that State Farm has the best rates for a minimum-coverage policy ($299 per year), as well as the lowest rates for full coverage ($1,245).
Our research found that the average cost of car insurance in Montana is $466 per year for a minimum coverage policy. Montana drivers could maximize their savings by comparing quotes, as rates for the same policy can differ by almost $600, depending on the insurer.
Read our recommendations for the cheapest and best insurers in Montana below, or input your ZIP above to begin comparison shopping for Montana’s best auto insurance quotes.
Cheapest auto insurance companies in Montana for minimum coverage
If you're a Montanan looking for the cheapest car insurance, you could buy a minimum coverage policy, which only meets the coverage requirements mandated by state law.
We found that the cheapest minimum coverage policies in Montana are sold by State Farm and Progressive.
State Farm cost our sample driver $299 per year, while Geico was priced at $358 — both are much more affordable than the overall state average of $466.
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in Montana
Shoppers should be wary that a minimum coverage policy is the bare minimum protection you can buy. In Montana, a minimum policy will only cover you up to $50,000 in bodily injury liabilities and $20,000 in property damage liability.
USAA is another affordable option for Montana drivers. If you qualify, it's the most affordable of our sample insurers. But only current and former military members and their families can buy a USAA policy.
Rank | Company | Average Annual Rate |
---|---|---|
1 | State Farm | $299 |
2 | Geico | $358 |
3 | Progressive | $462 |
4 | Farmers | $654 |
5 | Allstate | $810 |
N/A | USAA | $213 |
*USAA is excluded from rankings because it is only available to current and former military members and their families.
The cheap liability-only rates provided may differ greatly from yours depending on your driving history, age, location and other factors.
Cheapest company for full coverage: State Farm
Full coverage policies don't just protect you against liability costs. Through collision and comprehensive insurance, these policies cover damage to your own vehicle for both on- and off-road incidents.
Montanans can find the cheapest full coverage policies with State Farm. Geico ranks a distant second.
The average cost of a full coverage policy in Montana is $2,297 per year. In Montana and elsewhere, it's best to shop around if you're trying to find the cheapest option:
Insurer | Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|
State Farm | $1,245 | $104 |
Geico | $2,220 | $185 |
Progressive | $2,341 | $195 |
Montana average | $2,297 | $191 |
Full coverage policies pay to repair damage to your car caused by driving and non-driving perils. As a rule of thumb, a full coverage policy is worth it if the value of your car exceeds the cost of comprehensive and collision insurance plus your deductible.
Cheap car insurance for drivers with prior incidents
Drivers who have recent crashes or tickets are likely to pay more for car insurance. This makes it even more important to shop around and look for the insurer that offers the most affordable coverage for you.
Cheapest for drivers with an accident: State Farm
We found that State Farm had the cheapest rates after our sample driver got into an at-fault accident. On average, insurance rates in Montana go up by 39% after an accident. State Farm's rates only increased by 15% from a low base, which is not much for those with an accident history.
Insurer | Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|
State Farm | $1,428 | $119 |
Geico | $3,110 | $259 |
Progressive | $3,379 | $282 |
Montana average | $3,193 | $266 |
Cheapest car insurance for people with a speeding ticket: State Farm
Insurers don't look favorably on drivers with speeding tickets because they indicate a higher likelihood that you'll be involved in an accident in the future. But some insurers raise rates more than others, and we found that State Farm had the best rates for drivers recently caught speeding. We found a typical price of $1,337 per year there, which is 52% less than the average across all insurers.
Insurer | Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|
State Farm | $1,337 | $111 |
Geico | $2,336 | $195 |
Progressive | $2,737 | $228 |
Montana average | $2,809 | $234 |
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI: State Farm
Driving under the influence is a serious offense, and car insurance companies tend to increase your rates significantly if you get a DUI. We found that the average cost of a full-coverage policy after one DUI is $3,550 per year — a 54% increase. But State Farm's rates only increased by $91 per year.
Insurer | Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|
State Farm | $1,337 | $111 |
Progressive | $3,142 | $262 |
Allstate | $3,455 | $288 |
Montana average | $3,550 | $296 |
Drivers convicted of a DUI are often required to get an SR-22 proof of insurance from their insurer, which may increase your rates even more.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with poor credit: State Farm
Insurers consider your credit score when setting insurance prices because they've found a correlation between a driver's credit and how often they file claims. State Farm has the best car insurance rates for Montana drivers with poor credit , typically $1,903 per year. Geico is also on the affordable side, with an average rate of $2,336 annually.
Insurer | Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|
State Farm | $1,903 | $159 |
Geico | $2,336 | $195 |
Allstate | $3,517 | $293 |
Montana average | $2,967 | $247 |
Cheapest car insurance for young drivers: State Farm
Insurers almost always charge younger drivers more because they've found younger people get in more accidents and make more insurance claims. But not every insurer increases rates at the same amount.
We recommend State Farm as the most affordable option for teen drivers. It charges only $852 per year for minimum coverage, and $3,130 for full coverage. Both are at least 42% less than the typical rate we found across all insurers.
Insurer | Full Coverage | Minimum Coverage |
---|---|---|
State Farm | $3,130 | $852 |
Geico | $6,494 | $1,137 |
Progressive | $6,851 | $1,975 |
Allstate | $8,023 | $2,521 |
Farmers | $8,435 | $3,373 |
USAA | $3,087 | $720 |
Montana average | $6,003 | $1,763 |
*USAA is excluded from rankings because it is only available to current and former military members and their families.
The easiest, most effective way for most teen drivers to lower their car insurance rates is to share a policy with an older adult, such as a parent or sibling. Rates for one 18-year-old and one older adult will almost always be much lower than for an 18-year-old on their own.
Cheapest for young drivers with one accident: State Farm
Car accidents typically result in higher car insurance rates, especially if you're an inexperienced younger driver. But State Farm had much more affordable rates than average, charging only $3,654 per year for a full coverage policy after one crash.
Insurer | Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|
State Farm | $3,654 | $304 |
Geico | $7,461 | $622 |
Progressive | $7,719 | $643 |
Montana average | $7,055 | $588 |
Many insurers offer discounts to young drivers for taking supplementary training beyond what's required to get your license. You may also be able to lower your rate by getting good grades in high school or college.
Cheapest for young drivers with one speeding ticket: State Farm
We found that State Farm has the lowest price for young drivers with a speeding ticket. There, you'll pay $3,392 for a year of full coverage, compared to $6,720 across all insurers.
Insurer | Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|
State Farm | $3,392 | $283 |
Geico | $6,494 | $541 |
Progressive | $7,234 | $603 |
Montana average | $6,720 | $560 |
Best auto insurance companies in Montana
Finding cheap car insurance helps Montanans put some extra money into their savings account, but you don't want to pay low rates only to face a poor service experience. Below we rate the state’s best insurance companies by two metrics: our consumer survey and customer complaints.
Based on our consumer survey, Allstate and USAA rate as the best auto insurance companies in Montana.
Rated by customer complaints (or lack thereof), Mid-Century Insurance (a Farmers subsidiary) ranks as the best company in the state.
Best auto insurance in Montana: ValuePenguin consumer survey
According to a survey commission by ValuePenguin measuring customer service and claim satisfaction, Allstate and USAA rank as the best insurers in the state. USAA is the best overall, but not everyone will be eligible for a policy.
Rank | Company | % who say customer service is excellent | % extremely satisfied with most recent claim | Overall customer satisfaction |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Allstate | 47% | 72% | 60% |
2 | State Farm | 46% | 73% | 60% |
3 | Progressive | 34% | 74% | 54% |
4 | Geico | 42% | 65% | 54% |
N/A | USAA | 62% | 78% | 70% |
N/A | Farmers | N/A | N/A | N/A |
USAA was not included in rankings, as only military members, veterans and their families are eligible. Farmers Insurance was not ranked in the survey due to limited respondents. Overall satisfaction is an average of both variables.
To help Montana car insurance shoppers make an informed decision, we also collected customer service information from three other reputable sources: the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), J.D. Power and AM Best.
Insurer | 2019 NAIC complaint index | 2020 J.D. Power Claims Satisfaction | AM Best Rating |
---|---|---|---|
State Farm | 0.66 | 881 | A++ |
Liberty Mutual | 1.00 | 870 | A |
Progressive | 0.67 | 856 | A+ |
Farmers | 0.45 | 872 | A |
Mountain West Farm Bureau | 2.08 | — | B++ |
Travelers | 0.65 | 861 | A++ |
Allstate | 0.63 | 876 | A+ |
Geico | 1.01 | 871 | A++ |
National General | 0.80 | 815 | A- |
USAA | 0.68 | 890 | A++ |
The NAIC's Complaint Index compares the number of complaints an insurer has received with its size. A lower score means fewer complaints, and the national average score is 1.00, so insurers with a score lower than 1 can be considered better than average.
J.D. Power conducts an annual nationwide survey of car insurance claims satisfaction. Higher scores are better, and the best possible rating is 1000.
AM Best's Financial Strength Rating is a letter grade describing the overall financial health of an insurer. The best possible grade is A++.
Auto insurance in Montana: Minimum coverage requirements
Montana requires car insurance policies include, at minimum, the following limits of coverage:
- Bodily injury (BI) liability: $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Property damage (PD) liability: $20,000 per accident
Montana requires minimum auto insurance liability of $25,000 per person for bodily injury protection and up to $50,000 per accident, and $20,000 for property damage per accident. The state doesn’t require uninsured motorist coverage but requires that insurance companies offer it as part of liability coverage. Drivers have the option of declining this coverage in writing.
While these limits represent the minimum amount of insurance coverage you can have, you should consider adding more, as damages above these limits could require you to pay out of pocket. The amount of liability insurance you should have typically depends on the amount of assets you have at risk in the case of a lawsuit. A good rule of thumb is to have liability limits matching the value of your assets.
Average cost of car insurance in Montana: By city
The average cost of a minimum coverage policy in Montana is $466 per year. The average cost of a full coverage policy is $2,297 per year.
We drew these quotes from hundreds of Montana ZIP codes across six major insurers and found that prices can vary significantly by city. Among all the cities in Montana, the most expensive average quote was around $500 more per year than the cheapest.
Below, we've ranked those cities by the average cost of a full coverage policy from cheapest to priciest. East Helena is the cheapest city in Montana for car insurance, while Cut Bank is the most expensive.
City | Average annual cost | Percent from average |
---|---|---|
Fort Harrison | $2,080 | -9.4% |
Helena Valley West Central | $2,083 | -9.3% |
Helena Valley Northwest | $2,084 | -9.3% |
Helena Valley Southeast | $2,086 | -9.2% |
East Helena | $2,087 | -9.2% |
Helena Valley Northeast | $2,088 | -9.1% |
Helena | $2,093 | -8.9% |
Helena West Side | $2,100 | -8.6% |
Clinton | $2,132 | -7.2% |
Marysville | $2,142 | -6.8% |
Radersburg | $2,146 | -6.6% |
Avon | $2,148 | -6.5% |
Montana rate changes by company
In Montana, auto insurance providers decreased their premiums in 2020 by 2.1%, continuing the trend of lower rates observed in the previous year. State Farm showed the most significant decrease in premiums, dropping prices 7.9% compared to 2019. However, most other insurance providers in Montana opted to keep their premium rates the same as 2019. Progressive and Liberty Mutual, for instance, did not change their rates over the course of 2020.
Insurer | Premiums written (millions) 2019 | Rate change 2019 | Rate change 2020 |
---|---|---|---|
State Farm | $166.8 | -5.3% | -7.9% |
Progressive | $117.4 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Liberty Mutual | $96.1 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
Farmers | $64.9 | 1.5% | -1.7% |
USAA | $61.8 | 0.0% | 1.4% |
Geico | $50.8 | -0.5% | 0.0% |
Mountain West Farm Bureau | $43.6 | 1.2% | 0.0% |
Travelers | $34.2 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Allstate | $32.4 | 4.9% | -0.1% |
National General | $23.1 | 1.7% | 0.0% |
Recap of the cheapest auto insurance in Montana
- Minimum coverage: State Farm
- Full coverage: State Farm
- After an at-fault accident: State Farm
- After a speeding ticket: State Farm
- After a DUI: State Farm
- Poor credit history: State Farm
- Very good credit history: State Farm
- Married couples: State Farm
- Young drivers: State Farm
- Young drivers with one accident: State Farm
- Young drivers with speeding ticket: State Farm
Methodology
We collected thousands of rates from ZIP codes across Montana for the largest 10 insurers. We used a sample driver with the following profile:
- 30-year-old man
- Drives a 2015 Honda Civic EX
- Average credit
The base policy for the study was a full-coverage policy with the following limits:
Coverage type | Study limits |
---|---|
Bodily liability | $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident |
Personal injury protection | $10,000 |
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 our minimum-coverage policy, we quoted a policy with the minimum required limits in Montana, above.
For other rates analyses (age, credit score, accident history and marriage status) the base policy listed above was alternated to reflect the new driver.
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.