Our team of analysts compared quotes to see which cities and companies had the cheapest auto insurance rates in West Virginia. We used two sample drivers - single 30 and 65 year old men - as our benchmark, and compared quotes across the Mountain State. While costs for our profiled drivers averaged $1,388 a year, the highest rates were about $2,492 more or 4.5x the cost of the cheapest to give you a sense of the range. That's why to find the best car insurance rates in WV, drivers should compare at least three quotes. Enter your zip code to start with a list of insurers in your area.
- Cheapest Auto Insurance Companies
- Best Car Insurance Rates: by City
- Cost of Car Insurance: by City
- Best Auto Insurance Companies in WV
Cheapest Auto Insurance Companies in West Virginia
To find which providers had the cheapest car insurance rates in West Virginia, we looked at quotes from 11 companies in 32 cities across the state. Here are the most affordable insurers in West Virginia, and how they compare to the overall average. These rates are a blended average for two typical male drivers, who have great driving records - your actual auto insurance quotes will be different.
Find the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes in Your Area
Erie, State Farm, Westfield, and GEICO ranked as the cheapest auto insurance companies in West Virginia. The four companies had the lowest rates for insuring our two guys' Toyotas, and averaged $936 a year. With that annual cost, our two male drivers were saving roughly 33% compared to the 11-company mean. In dollar terms, that's on average $600 back in the two men's pockets by insuring with the four most affordable carriers.
Most Expensive Auto Insurance Companies in West Virginia
The most expensive insurers in West Virginia are Sentry, MetLife, and Motorist Mutual based on this analysis. For our profiled drivers, these three companies had the highest rates with an average annual cost of $2,101, a 51% premium over West Virginia’s average. Sentry had the highest rates, with an average annual premium more than double the state average.
List of Auto Insurance Companies in West Virginia
We looked at 11 auto insurance companies across West Virginia to find the most affordable providers, but not all drivers can insure with every carrier below. For example, a specialty insurer included in this study is California Casualty. California Casualty only offers insurance to drivers who are peace officers, educators, firefighters, and nurses. The table below ranks the insurers from the lowst rates to the most expensive.
| Car Insurance Company | Average Annual Rates | Change vs. State Average |
| Erie | $715 | -48% |
| State Farm | 965 | -30% |
| Westfield | 965 | -30% |
| GEICO | 1,100 | -21% |
| Encompass | 1,223 | -12% |
| California Casualty | 1,292 | -7% |
| Allstate | 1,328 | -4% |
| Nationwide | 1,373 | -1% |
| Motorists Mutual | 1,387 | 0% |
| Metlife | 1,710 | 23% |
| Sentry | 3,206 | 131% |
Cheapest Car Insurance in West Virginia: by City
The table below shows a more localized version of the cheapest car insurance companies in West Virginia. We've shown which three carriers have the best auto insurance rates within the state’s largest cities and towns. For the most part, Erie, Westfield and State Farm dominated much as they did statewide. These rates and rankings were based on our sample single male drivers with a Toyota Camry, good credit score and great driving history. Your quotes may differ based on your own background factors and desired limits of liability coverage.
| Cheapest Insurer #1 | Cheapest Insurer #2 | Cheapest Insurer #3 | ||||
| Charleston | Erie | $702 | Westfield | $948 | State Farm | $1038 |
| Huntington | Erie | 738 | Westfield | 906 | State Farm | 1044 |
| Parkersburg | Erie | 702 | Westfield | 912 | State Farm | 942 |
| Morgantown | Erie | 666 | Westfield | 864 | State Farm | 924 |
| Wheeling | Erie | 666 | Westfield | 864 | State Farm | 924 |
| Weirton | Erie | 696 | Westfield | 876 | State Farm | 918 |
| Clarksburg | Erie | 702 | State Farm | 906 | Westfield | 924 |
| Fairmont | Erie | 666 | Westfield | 882 | State Farm | 990 |
| Beckley | Erie | 702 | Westfield | 978 | State Farm | 1116 |
| Martinsburg | Erie | 624 | Westfield | 798 | State Farm | 822 |
Places with the Cheapest Car Insurance in West Virginia
Our five cheapest locations were all located in the northern part of West Virginia, and many of them were just miles away from the Potomac River and border of Maryland. Our sample drivers living and driving in this cluster of cities and towns saw average premiums of $1,268, which beat the aggregate state mean by 9%.
| Rank | WV Location | Average Annual Rates | Decrease vs WV Average |
| 1 | Martinsburg | $1,241 | -11% |
| 2 | Berkeley Springs | 1,259 | -9% |
| 3 | Clarksburg | 1,275 | -8% |
| 4 | Moorefield | 1,281 | -8% |
| 5 | Keyser | 1,283 | -8% |
Martinsburg, WV
This city of 18,000 residents ranks with the best rates for auto insurance in West Virginia. The annual rate here for our benchmark motorists was $1,241 a year, which meant that their car insurance costs here were 11% cheaper compared to living elsewhere in the state. Martinsburg is located in the easternmost part of the state, and is less than 15 miles from the Maryland border. The city was a major site for manufacturing until many mills and factories shut down in the mid-20th century. Today, Martinsburg's economy relies mainly on healthcare and government for employment, with the Berkeley Medical Center and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center as two large employers.
Berkeley Springs, WV
Berkeley Springs has been recognized as one of the “100 Best Art Towns in America” for the artists, studios, and galleries located around town. Another plus about being a resident here would be its rank as the location with the second cheapest car insurance costs in the state. The small town of 600 is located in the Martinsburg metropolitan area near the Potomac River, and minutes away from the Widmeyer Wildlife Management Area and the Maryland border. Interstate 522 runs through the Berkeley Springs, providing a convenient main route for drivers and tourists alike to navigate the town. Annual premiums for our benchmark drivers averaged $1,259, placing the town 9% more affordable than the state mean.
Clarksburg, WV
Clarksburg is located in the northern region of West Virginia conveniently along Interstate 79 and Route 50. The city and its 16,000 inhabitants have played host to a diverse set of festivals and programs, celebrating wine, music, arts, heritage, and the Cecil Jarvis Greater Clarksburg 10K race. Our sample drivers living in this cultural center of north-central West Virginia saw car insurance rates that were approximately 8% cheaper than the state mean (Clarksburg average annual premiums: $1,275).
Moorefield, WV
Moorefield takes the fourth spot on our list of the most affordable places for auto insurance in West Virginia with an average annual rate of $1,281 – 8% lower than the typical city in West Virginia. The town of Moorefield sits atop the Allegheny Plateau and is located between two branches of the Potomac and surrounded by mountains.
Keyser, WV
Keyser ranks fifth in our roundup of the best locations in the Mountain State for the cheapest car insurance. Rates for our drivers in Keyser were 8% cheaper for our drivers at $1,283 per year compared to living and driving in the typical WV city. Keyser occupies the county seat for Mineral County, and is located in the northeastern portion of the state. The city’s most famous son is historian and academic Henry Louis Gates.
Cities with the Most Expensive Car Insurance in West Virginia
The five most expensive cities in West Virginia cost our sample driver an average of 18% more for car insurance costs compared to their state average. We found the most expensive cities located located in the western part of the state.
| Rank | WV Location | Average Annual Rates | Increase vs WV Average |
| 1 | Williamson | $1,759 | 27% |
| 2 | Logan | 1,697 | 22% |
| 3 | Madison | 1,661 | 20% |
| 4 | Wayne | 1,641 | 18% |
| 5 | Grantsville | 1,456 | 5% |
Williamson, WV
Ranking as the most expensive location for car insurance costs in the state is Williamson, WV. This city is located along the Tug Fork River, which separates it from South Williamson, Kentucky. Coal mining and transportation fuel the local economy. The city is the final stop in the Hatfield-McCoy Marathon. Running may very well be an excellent and healthy alternative for some commuters; at $1,759, average annual premiums in Williamson were 27% more expensive than the state mean.
Logan, WV
In Logan, motorists might see rates averaging $1,697, which the city 22% less favorable than the typical location in West Virginia for our sample drivers. Logan is located along the Guyandotte River, and is home to 1,800 denizens. The county seat of its eponymous county, Logan is a trading hub for mining and coal in the region.
Madison, WV
Madison is located in Boone County, in the western part of the Mountain State. It is considered the “Gateway to the Coalfields,” since it is an entry point to the coal mines west of the city. Rucker Branch and Pond Fork wend their way through the 7 square miles of land alongside the Veterans Memorial Bypass, State Street, and Madison Avenue. Our sample drivers living here saw average annual rates of $1,661, which were 20% higher than the state average.
Wayne, WV
In Wayne, benchmark car insurance rates for our sample drivers were $1,641 a year, which placed the town as the 4th most expensive in West Virginia, and 18% worse than the state mean. Wayne measures just under a square mile in land that is located in the westernmost county of the state. The town is relatively densely populated, with around 1,500 residents calling it home.
Grantsville, WV
Grantville rounded off our list of the most expensive car insurance in the state with a mean rate that was 5% greater than the state mean. Our example drivers saw basic liability coverage rates around $1,456 a year here. With almost 600 residents, Grantsville is the least populous location on our list of the most expensive places, and is located further east along the Little Kanawha River.
Cost of Car Insurance in West Virginia
While we highlighted ten locations as the cheapest or the most expensive in the Mountain State, there were more than twenty other places included in our study. To see how your hometown compared to other locations in West Virginia, refer to the graph below. We've presented the 32 cities and towns in order from the cheapest to the most expensive using our two male drivers' annual car insurance rates as the benchmark.
Best Auto Insurance Companies in West Virginia
To find the best car insurers in West Virginia, we computed a complaint ratio to compare the amount of complaints a company received per $1 million in premiums written. Using this ratio, we can infer how "efficient" these companies are with not generating complaints. The lower the ratio, the better the company is performing in terms of complaints, and we infer from this how satisfied customers are with their provider. Progressive, USAA, and Nationwide performed the best by this metric. Westfield and Erie, two of our most affordable auto insurers in WV, were also rated very well compared to some of its other peers.
| Car Insurance Company | Written Premiums | # of Complaints | Complaint Ratio |
| Progressive | $303,227,000 | 0 | 0.00 |
| USAA | 184,008,000 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Nationwide | 142,976,000 | 5 | 0.03 |
| GEICO | 84,754,000 | 3 | 0.04 |
| Westfield Insurance | 51,373,000 | 2 | 0.04 |
| Erie | 88,202,000 | 4 | 0.05 |
| Hartford | 37,346,000 | 3 | 0.08 |
| Liberty Mutual | 31,620,000 | 4 | 0.13 |
| Allstate | 42,947,000 | 6 | 0.14 |
| State Farm | 54,873,000 | 14 | 0.26 |
How We Conducted the Study
For the study, we collected auto insurance quotes for two sample drivers in more than 30 cities in the state. We averaged rates for a single male 30-year-old and a single male 65-year-old as the benchmark. Our drivers had the same car, annual mileage, credit score, and driving record. The men drove their fully-owned 2010 Toyota Camrys to work and back. Both had good credit scores and spotless driving records over the past five years. By keeping these variables constant, we were able to get an accurate estimate of the fluctuations in price by location.
We ensured that the drivers exceeded the minimum requirement for liability insurance coverage in the state. West Virginia requires minimum Bodily Injury Liability protection of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per person. It also requires that drivers are insured for up to $10,000 for property damage and $20,000 per person for uninsured motorists. West Virginia is one of the few states that has a maximum cap for uninsured motorists, at $100,000 per person for physical injury. We included national insurers such as GEICO, Allstate, and State Farm in our study along with other regional carriers.
| Type | West Virginia Minimum Requirements | Study Assumptions |
| Bodily Injury Liability | $20,000 per person, and | $50,000 per person, and |
| $40,000 per accident | up to $100,000 per accident | |
| Property Damage | $10,000 per person | $25,000 per accident |
| Personal Injury Protection | Not required | $40,000 per person |
| Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist | $20,000 per person, and | $50,000 per person, and |
| $40,000 per accident | up to $100,000 per accident |
For readers' reference, we've also included a table of the cities and towns surveyed in our research. Locations are displayed in alphabetical order, from Beckley to Williamson, along with the average annual rates for car insurance that our sample motorists were quoted, and the increase or decrease relative to the WV mean.
| West Virginia Place | Average Annual Rates | Change vs. WV Average |
| Beckley | $1,399 | 1% |
| Berkeley Springs | 1,259 | -9% |
| Bluefield | 1,419 | 2% |
| Charles Town | 1,293 | -7% |
| Charleston | 1,417 | 2% |
| Clarksburg | 1,275 | -8% |
| Culloden | 1,411 | 2% |
| Elkins | 1,405 | 1% |
| Fairmont | 1,284 | -7% |
| Grafton | 1,364 | -2% |
| Grantsville | 1,456 | 5% |
| Huntington | 1,408 | 1% |
| Keyser | 1,283 | -8% |
| Lewisburg | 1,298 | -6% |
| Logan | 1,697 | 22% |
| Madison | 1,661 | 20% |
| Marlinton | 1,334 | -4% |
| Martinsburg | 1,241 | -11% |
| Moorefield | 1,281 | -8% |
| Morgantown | 1,349 | -3% |
| Parkersburg | 1,373 | -1% |
| Petersburg | 1,288 | -7% |
| Point Pleasant | 1,405 | 1% |
| Ripley | 1,400 | 1% |
| Romney | 1,285 | -7% |
| Shepherdstown | 1,292 | -7% |
| Sutton | 1,450 | 5% |
| Wayne | 1,641 | 18% |
| Weirton | 1,324 | -5% |
| Weston | 1,353 | -3% |
| Wheeling | 1,300 | -6% |
| Williamson | 1,759 | 27% |
Source:
West Virginia Auto Insurance: http://www.wvinsurance.gov/
Census Data on West Virginia: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/54000.html