Best Car Insurance Rates in New Jersey

We conducted a study of auto insurance quotes in New Jersey across fifty companies and four driver types to find the cheapest car insurers. Our research showed that rates in the state can differ widely: for example, the cheapest auto insurance quotes in New Jersey for a middle-aged married couple were about $4,630 or 79% lower than the most expensive company. One company's premium could pay for almost four years of insurance for our married NJ drivers. That’s why you need to compare quotes to get the best rates. Read more, or type your zip code above for a list of cheap companies insuring in your area to start comparison shopping.

• Cheapest Auto Insurance Companies in New Jersey
• Best Car Insurance Rates: by City
• Best Auto Insurance Companies in New Jersey
• Average Cost in New Jersey: by City
• Auto Insurance Requirements

Cheapest Auto Insurance in New Jersey

We compared quotes from fifty companies in the Garden state to identify the cheapest auto insurance companies in New Jersey for four different kinds of drivers: single young and middle-aged men, and middle-aged and senior married couples. 

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The five cheapest companies for the general population are NJ Skylands, Farmers (Mid-Century Insurance), Norfolk & Dedham (Fitchburg Mutual), Plymouth Rock, and GEICO. Their average annual premium was $1,394, which cost 37% or $834 less than the fifty-insurer composite.

To see how other auto insurance companies ranked in our NJ research, take a look at the table below. We've ranked the 37 major providers from the lowest to the most expensive companies based on our benchmark drivers. Your quotes will differ depending on where you live and your driving history, but these companies are a good place to start for cheap car insurance. Not every company underwrites policyholders the same way, so drivers should always compare car insurance quotes between several carriers to get good rates. 

*A couple of notes on the auto insurance companies above and special eligibility: AAA / Western United Insurance had the best rates in most of the cities we saw, but you have to have an AAA membership ($60/year in dues) in order to qualify. Teachers Auto Insurance of NJ only insures member of the education and school community while USAA covers only members of the military, both active and retired, and their families.

Additionally, while GEICO ranked as the 7th overall low-cost company in New Jersey, they actually had the cheapest underwriter in the state: Government Employees Insurance Company. Unfortunately, those low rates were balanced out by another vehicle, GEICO Indemnity Co, which had higher costs. Since consumers have no say in which company issues their policy, we've averaged the rates for our study.

Cheapest Car Insurance in New Jersey: by City

Auto insurance costs vary based on where you live, drive, and park your car, so let's take a look at costs at the city level. We compared car insurance quotes across fifty companies for four drivers to find the cheapest auto insurance companies for thirty cities in New Jersey. Even in locations such as Newark, Passaic, or Paterson, which ranked as the three costliest cities overall, we found companies with rates that were significantly cheaper than their citywide mean.

*Generally speaking, Western United Insurance had some of the best rates for car insurance in each city, but drivers have to be AAA members to be eligible. Since not all drivers are AAA members, we've placed them aside in our analysis to make the information more useful to the general population. If you're an AAA member, however, we definitely recommend looking into quotes from Western United and seeing how they compare to other insurance companies you're considering.

**Teachers Auto insurance Company of New Jersey and USAA typically ranked as the third cheapest (after excluding Western United / AAA) in a handful of cities. We've also excluded them for the sake of being more relevant to the typical driver in the Garden State. However, if you are a teacher living in either Hamilton, Perth Amboy, or Union City, we recommend including Teachers Auto Insurance Company in your short list of companies for car insurance quotes - you might get a more favorable quote depending on your driving background. Active or retired members of the military and their relatives living in Cherry Hill, Gloucester Township, or Willingboro have an extra option too. We suggest that residents in these three locations check out USAA for potentially cheaper quotes as well.

Newark, NJ

Cheap car insurance in Newark can still be had despite its status as the most expensive city in New Jersey. Average quotes for auto insurance ranged from $1,213 to $5,646 on the high end – a range of 4.7x. Rates here in the "Brick City" range from $1,800 a year for a married couple in their 60s to $3,600 for married middle-aged couples on average. If you’re a single male, rates in Newark are $3,192 for a 23 year old and $2,368 for a 35 year old. We greatly encourage young male drivers in Newark to comparison shop around: this age group had the biggest gap between the cheapest and the most expensive insurer - at $7,281 a year.

For residents of the largest city in the Garden State, and hosts of the New Jersey Devils: the three cheapest car insurance companies in Newark were New Jersey Skylands, Farmers (Mid-Century Insurance), and Norfolk & Dedham (Fitchburg Mutual), with average rates of $1,540 a year. Compared to the Newark average of $2,756, these companies’ quotes are about 44% cheaper. Note that the second cheapest was actually AAA (underwriting as Western United Insurance), with rates of $1,543 across our four drivers – but that’s only available to AAA members. One of the best rates we found for a single 35 year old man in Newark was $1,291 at Norfolk & Dedham (through their affiliate Fitchburg Mutual), which was about 45% less than what the typical company charged in the city for that demographic. We recommend that married couples in their 30s and 40s in Newark include Farmers in their quote comparisons. Farmers had the best rates in Newark for married folks, with average annual premiums of $1,502 that were 59% lower than the going average from other insurance providers for their two vehicles.

Jersey City, NJ

Jersey City’s auto insurance costs rank it as the 11th most expensive out of the state. Annual premiums in this place known among residents as “Chilltown” and in history as “America’s Golden Door” are just 9% higher compared to the state average. Car insurance quotes in Jersey City can differ by almost 4x from $1,036 to $4,901 on average.

This is a large range, but with some comparison shopping, we found the cheapest car insurance in Jersey City at New Jersey Skylands, Farmers (Mid-Century Insurance), and Norfolk & Dedham (Fitchburg Mutual). Among these three, rates averaged about $1,398, which represented savings of 43% compared to the overall city average of $2,439. Western United Insurance actually has the best rates in Jersey City, but it’s only available for AAA members – average rates can be as low as $1,221. Married couples in their 30s and 40s should also try their luck with Farmers (underwriting as Mid-Century Insurance Co.) as they had the cheapest quote for this demographic. Farmers' rates for a married pair operating two vehicles were discounted about 58% off of the Jersey City average based on our data. For a single male in his mid-thirties, we'd suggest getting quotes from Norfolk & Dedham as well as New Jersey Skylands, since these two companies showed the most favorable rates. Including one of these three companies in your quote comparison can make for an easier impact on the wallet.

Paterson, NJ

Paterson may rank as the third most expensive city on our list, but we have some cheap auto insurance recommendations here too. We found the lowest quotes across our four drivers at New Jersey Skylands, Farmers (underwriting as Mid-Century), and Norfolk & Dedham (underwriting as Fitchburg Mutual). 43%: that is how much lower the average quote from these guys is compared to the Paterson-wide average of $2,704. Are you an AAA member in the “Silk City”? Through Western United Auto Insurance, AAA members can see the third lowest costs in Paterson of $1,639 a year.

How are rates by drivers in the nation’s first industrial city? Average rates for married drivers halve from $3,569 for middle-aged couples to $1,810 for senior citizens. Single male drivers in their early 20s can see rates of $3,118, while single 35 year old males can see rates of $2,319. However, through the three most affordable companies in Paterson, auto insurance rates made a 40% smaller dent in the budgets of a single male in his 30s, and 51% cheaper for a married middle-aged couple.

Elizabeth, NJ

To find low-cost auto insurance in Elizabeth, drivers should start with New Jersey Skylands Association, AAA (underwriting as Western United), and Farmers (underwriting as Mid-Century). Because Western United is limited to members with an AAA membership, we’ll add a fourth company for Elizabeth drivers: Norfolk & Dedham. The average annual premium between the three insurance companies (excluding AAA) was $1,532, which was 43% lower than the mean cost from fifty insurers. We recommend that married couples looking to insure their car in E-town include Farmers in their review of quotes, as rates there were about 57% lower than the citywide average. For unmarried men in their 30s, we'll add Norfolk & Dedham / Fitchburg Mutual to the short list of car insurance companies they should get quotes from, since their rates were a 46% discount compared to the average Elizabeth insurer.

The fourth largest city in the Garden State, Elizabeth ranks as our sixth most expensive city for car insurance in New Jersey. Known affectionately as “Betsytown” or E-town, Elizabeth once served as the first capital of New Jersey. Rates in E-town are about 20% higher than the typical Garden State city. Rates for a single 35 year old man are $968, about $300 more than a married senior citizen couple. Married couples in their 30s and 40s can see annual premiums of $1,502, while a 23 year old guy can see rates of $1,137 in E-town.

Woodbridge, NJ

The difference between affordable car insurance in Woodbridge and the most expensive rates can be as high as $2,941 a year. The cheapest insurers in Woodbridge are Western United Insurance (AAA), NJ Skylands, and Farmers (Mid-Century). Only AAA members can get auto insurance from Western United, though, so USAA (military + family only) and Plymouth Rock round out the five cheapest companies. We saw average quotes of $1,198 a year from NJ Skylands, Farmers, and Plymouth Rock across the four driver profiles – that’s a savings of $801 on average compared to the citywide average among the fifty companies in our analysis. We would advise Woodbridge's single male drivers in their 30s to definitely get auto insurance quotes from New Jersey Skylands (43% more affordable than what the typical insurer charged here). On the other hand, at $1,154, Mid-Century Insurance Company (a Farmers company) had the best rates out of 50 underwriters for a married couple in their 30s and 40s. 

Passaic, NJ

The birthplace of modern television, Zoe Saldana, and Paul Rudd, this city is also the second most expensive in New Jersey. Affordable auto insurance can still be found in Passaic, though. Mean annual premiums can cost on average $2,714, but rates among our three cheapest insurers were $1,574 (a difference of $1,140). These companies were New Jersey Skylands, Farmers (Mid-Century), and Norfolk & Dedham (Fitchburg Mutual). Note: Western United had the second best absolute numbers of $1,537 on average a year, but they’re only available to AAA members. We'd encourage single males driving in Passaic to obtain quotes from New Jersey Skylands, which quoted about $1,048 or 45% less than the city average. Married couples should also include Farmers in the mix of companies for car insurance quotes; Farmers' average rates in Passaic were about $2,073 or 58% less than what other insurers typically charge.

Camden, NJ

Camden is home to 77,000 residents, including in the past American poet Walt Whitman. That makes it the twelfth largest city in our analysis, but the fourth most expensive for car insurance. In spite of this, we have suggestions for Camden drivers looking for more affordable protection for their vehicles.

So where can you find cheap auto insurance in Camden? Start with New Jersey Skylands, Farmers (Mid-Century), and Norfolk & Dedham (Fitchburg Mutual), whose mean rates are $1,572 a year for our four drivers. Otherwise, the average cost to insure an automobile in Camden is $2,688 annually, about 21% more than elsewhere in the Garden State. As an aside, AAA members can enjoy the second lowest rates in Camden at Western United through their membership (annual rates of $1,517 on average). For a married middle-aged couple with two vehicles to insure, Farmers had the lowest rates - we definitely suggest adding them to a list of companies for auto insurance quote comparisons. At $1,502 a year, rates at Farmers were a little more than $2,000 cheaper compared to what other insurance companies would charge our couple in Camden.

Hillsborough, NJ

The best city for auto insurance in New Jersey goes to Hillsborough, a city at the base of Sourland Mountain in Somerset County. Hillsborough had the cheapest auto insurance rates in New Jersey across the four profiles surveyed with a composite average of $1,538. That’s 31% less than the overall average for New Jersey, and almost half the cost of insuring a car in Newark, NJ. It’s possible to save even more at the three cheapest companies (NJ Skylands, Farmers/Mid-Century, and Plymouth Rock), with a mean annual premium of $933. Out of the fifty underwriters in our research, Farmers had the best car insurance rates for a married couple's Ford Taurus and Chrysler Town & Country. The average rate in Hillsborough for these drivers was $1,047 or 53% more expensive more than the rate at Farmers. How about for single male drivers? Plymouth Rock, through their High Point and Palisades affiliates, had annual rates that were cheaper than the city average by 41%. We'd recommend that single men in their 30s add Plymouth Rock to their list of companies for cheap auto insurance quotes in Hillsborough.

North Bergen, NJ

Measuring about 5,600 square miles in size, North Bergen is the base of one of the longest running shows on television, Law & Order: SVU, and has been featured in the film Cinderella Man. It also rounds off the top five most expensive cities in New Jersey with annual costs for car insurance of $2,673.

Drivers can still find low-cost car insurance in North Bergen, however. Auto insurance costs can be 42% lower at $1,550 at our three cheapest companies. Those three companies are: NJ Skylands, Farmers (through Mid-Century), and Norfolk & Dedham (through Fitchburg Mutual). AAA, through Western United Insurance, can provide its members with rates as low as $1,406 a year – we just haven’t included it in our top three since not all drivers may have this membership. Generally, our typical 35 year old man's quotes from these three providers were about 39% or $886 lower than what he would see across a range of insurers in North Bergen. For our married drivers, these three companies represent a $1,757 or 50% reduction compared to the citywide mean.

Bridgewater, NJ

About 11 miles to the north of Hillsborough is the 2nd best city for auto insurance on our list: Bridgewater. In this city, where the first official flag of the U.S. was raised in the original colonies, auto insurance rates of $1,563 are an affordable 30% lower than elsewhere in the Garden State. Drivers looking to save on their auto insurance costs in Bridgewater should get quotes from NJ Skylands, Farmers/Mid-Century, and Founders Insurance Company. Mean premiums from the three lowest cost insurers were $969 a year, across the four different drivers surveyed. At New Jersey Skylands, which had the most affordable rates for insuring our single male driver's Ford Taurus, costs were 41% cheaper compared to what the typical company in Bridgewater would charge him. Our married drivers saw rates as low as $968 at Farmers. Because those rates are about $1,053 or 51% cheaper compared to the average for their profile in Bridgewater, we advise married couples in their 30s and 40s to consider getting a quote from Farmers among other companies.

Toms River, NJ

Toms River grabs the spot of the third cheapest city for auto insurance rates despite being the 8th most populous spot in our study. With miles of shoreline and frontage on the Jersey Shore to drive, motorists will be glad to learn that rates here are an affordable $1,770, about 21% less than the state average. The cheapest three companies averaged quotes of $1,082 a year, which is about 39% less than the city average. Where at? NJ Skylands, Farmers/Mid-Century, and Plymouth Rock are great places to start with. We suggest that single 35-year old men and married middle-aged couples start with auto insurance quotes at New Jersey Skylands and Farmers, respectively, when they're looking to compare rates. Annual rates at NJ Skylands are about $605 or 41% cheaper for single males, and at Farmers are $1,256 or 55% lower for married middle-aged pairs.

Long Branch, NJ

Coming in as the #4 cheapest city in the Garden State is the beach resort town of Long Branch, home to 31,000 residents. Annual costs to insure a car run at $1,788 for Long Branch drivers, which is 20% below the state average. Drivers interested in the cheapest car insurance quotes in Long Branch should look into NJ Skylands, Farmers/Mid-Century, and GEICO. Rates among these three companies were 37% cheaper for unmarried 35-year old men, and 47% more affordable for a married pair in their 30s or 40s.

Cherry Hill, NJ

With yearly costs of $1,812, the city of Cherry Hill in Camden County ranks as the fifth cheapest city in New Jersey. The city is located centrally, within half an hour from Philadelphia, Camden, and Trenton. While average annual premiums are already 19% below the state average, you can save even more by considering NJ Skylands, Farmers/Mid-Century, and USAA. At these three companies, the average premium is $1,074, which is 41% lower than the Cherry Hill average. While rates at Farmers and USAA (a specialty insurer for military families) are relatively inexpensive for a single man driving in Cherry Hill, rates at New Jersey Skylands were 42% easier on the wallet compared to what the typical insurer would charge here. A married pair living and driving in Cherry Hill should consider getting quotes from Farmers and a few other carriers - Farmers' rates here were about $1,300 better or 56% cheaper versus the citywide mean for the couple.

Best Auto Insurance Companies in New Jersey

To find the best auto insurance companies in New Jersey, we took a look at which companies received the least complaints compared to the rest of the auto insurance companies, and then combined it with our auto insurance rate data above. Based on their low complaint index and costs, New Jersey Skylands, Farmers, and Plymouth Rock are three of the best companies in New Jersey. 

Below are the top companies in the Garden State ranked by their complaint index, which measures how many justified complaints a company gets compared to the average insurer. An index of 1 is average, while index numbers greater than 1 are worse.

Cost of Car Insurance in New Jersey: by City

The average cost of insurance in New Jersey was $2,228 across the fifty underwriters surveyed in the largest cities in the state. This figure represents the average of rates for single 23 year old men, single 35 year old men, married middle-aged couple, and a married 65 year old couple. Generally speaking, the larger and more densely populated the city, such as Newark, the higher the average annual costs to insure a car. 

Auto Insurance Requirements in New Jersey

Auto insurance is required in New Jersey. New Jersey's standard policy requires liability insurance for bodily injury, property damage, and personal injury protection. Driving in New Jersey requires a motorist to be insured for $15,000 in bodily injury liability per person (up to $30,000 per accident), $5,000 for property damage, and $15,000 for personal injury protection.

Limited vs. Unlimited Right to Sue for Non-Economic Losses

There’s a unique feature to New Jersey’s car insurance regulations that gives you the choice of a limited or unlimited right to sue for non-economic losses. Picking a limited right to sue usually means paying lower premiums. An unlimited right to sue can cost about 30% more than the limited option. Here’s what the average premiums look like under both options:

What are non-economic losses?

Non-economic losses are typically referred to as “pain and suffering” losses that are more subjective in nature (e.g., loss of companionship / pleasure in life). This is different than suing for quantifiable damages such as income loss from missing work, or medical payments to cover your hospital bills. 

What’s the difference between limited and unlimited right to sue?

A limited right to sue means that you agree beforehand NOT to sue for pain and suffering. You can only sue for pain and suffering if your injury results in one of these examples: a body part loss, major disfigurement or scarring, a displaced fracture, a loss of a fetus, permanent injury to a body part or organ such that it can’t heal normally, and death. 

You can still sue for economic losses, but you have to pick between a limited right to sue or an unlimited right to sue for non-economic losses.

Methodology

Sample quotes are based on New Jersey's Department of Banking and Insurance data. Included in the study are cities with population sizes greater than 30,000. Please note that auto insurance rates presented in the study are for informational and illustrative purposes only. Your actual rates will depend on various factors such as your own driving history, the amount of liability protection you need, where you live and garage your car, the type of car you drive, the annual mileage and usage of the car - just to give a few examples. Here are the liability limits and characteristics of the profiles (note: they've all been accident and traffic violation free in the past three years):

• Single Male, age 23: drives a 2006 Buick LaCrosse CX, has Liability and Uninsured Motorist coverage of 15/30/5, PIP of $250k/$250, and Comprehensive and Collision deductibles of $750
• Single Male, age 35: drives a 2012 Ford Taurus SE, has Liability and Uninsured Motorist coverage of 100/300/25, PIP of $250k/$250, and Comprehensive and Collision deductibles of $750
• Married Couple, ages 30 - 49: drive a 2012 Ford Taurus SE and 2010 Chrysler Town & Country LX, have Liability and Uninsured Motorist coverage of 100/300/25, PIP of $250k/$250, and Comprehensive and Collision deductibles of $750
• Married Couple, ages 65: drive a 2012 Ford Taurus SE, have Liability and Uninsured Motorist coverage of 100/300/25, PIP of $250k/$250, and Comprehensive and Collision deductibles of $750

*Limit amounts are presented in the format of "Bodily Injury Protection per Person / Bodily Injury Coverage per Accident / and Property Damage", and apply to both regular liability and Uninusred Motorist Coverage. Personal Injury Protection is presented in the format of "Limit in thousands / Deductible". Deductible amounts apply to both individual comprehensive (OTC) and collision coverage

Source: New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance