Car insurance rates change significantly as you age, and understanding when and why those changes happen can help you shop smarter. 

Based on Jerry’s internal quote data, drivers pay the most at age 16, averaging $516 per month. Rates fall nearly every year through your mid-60s, reaching an average low of $187 per month at age 65.

The drops are sharpest in your early 20s. Between ages 20 and 25, the average monthly rate falls from $455 to $305. After age 30, the year-over-year savings slow down but keep coming. The tables below show exactly when rates drop, by how much and what drivers in your age group typically pay.

Average car insurance cost by age

The table below shows average monthly and annual car insurance quotes for drivers ages 16 to 75, based on Jerry data over the last 12 months. 

The lowest quote Jerry found for a 16-year-old driver was $236 per month.By 65, the lowest quote in the data drops to just $187 per month.

One thing worth knowing before you look at the numbers: Rates rise slightly from age 17 to 18, jumping 8% on average. This happens because many 18-year-olds move off a parent’s policy and onto their own for the first time, which pushes up the average for that age group. After 18, rates fall consistently.

At what age does car insurance go down?

Car insurance goes down almost every year from age 16 to 65, but the pace of those drops varies a lot depending on your age. 

The steepest single-year drop in Jerry’s data happens at age 21, when the average monthly rate falls by 12%. Age 22 sees another 9% drop, and 19 to 20 brings a decrease of 8%.

According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), age is one of the primary factors insurers use to set rates because it is a reliable indicator of driving experience and claims risk. By the time you reach 25, annual declines have slowed to around 4%. After 30, most drivers see reductions of just 1% to 3% per year, and in some years rates hold flat.

Rates in Jerry’s data hit their lowest point around age 65, when the average monthly premium reaches $187. After that, premiums level off then begin to creep back up. By age 75, the average climbs to $199 per month.

Car insurance age brackets

Age brackets offer a quick way to see how rates shift across major life stages. 

The biggest bracket-to-bracket drop in Jerry’s data happens from ages 18 to 20 (average of $488 per month) to ages 21 to 24 (average of $350 per month). That’s a 28% decrease.

After that, the savings keep coming but in smaller increments. The 25 to 34 bracket sees a 22% drop, ages 35 to 44 bracket saves another 15% and the 45 to 54 bracket sees 8% savings. Rates level off around $195 per month at age 55, then hold steady into the 65-plus bracket.

The lowest quote Jerry found for the 18 to 20 age group was $231 per month. For drivers 65 and older, the lowest quote in the data was $97 per month. Your actual rate depends on your coverage level, location and driving record, but these figures give you a realistic benchmark for what drivers in your age group are paying right now.

At what age does car insurance go down for females?

Female drivers start out paying less than male drivers the same age, and that advantage is most pronounced in the youngest age group. Women ages 18 to 20 average $447 per month, compared to $513 per month for men. Insurers set rates based on historical claims data, and younger female drivers have statistically lower crash rates than younger male drivers, which is reflected in that gap at the start.

The pattern of rate decreases looks similar to the male trajectory, but the dollar amounts are lower at every stage. The 25% drop from the 18 to 20 bracket into the 21 to 24 bracket is the biggest single transition in the table, bringing the average down from $447 to $334 per month. The 25 to 34 bracket delivers another 21% decrease, and meaningful savings continue through the 55 to 64 bracket, which brings a further 9% drop to $191 per month on average.

After 65, rates are essentially flat. Female drivers 65 and older average $190 per month, the lowest figure in the table and slightly below the $196 monthly average for male drivers in the same age group. Stacking available car insurance discounts like claims-free credits or bundling can push rates below those averages regardless of age.

Average car insurance quotes by age and gender

This table puts male and female average monthly rates side by side for every age from 16 to 65, based on Jerry’s quote data, so you can see how the gender gap opens, narrows and nearly closes over a driving lifetime.

The gender gap is widest at 16, where male drivers average $560 per month compared to $465 per month for female drivers — a difference of 20%. That gap shrinks quickly through the early 20s, though. By 25, male drivers average $318 per month and female drivers average $297 per month, a gap of just 7%.

By the mid-30s, the difference is nearly gone. At 37, Jerry male drivers average $239 per month while female drivers average $238 — just 1% apart. By the mid-40s, the averages occasionally flip, with female rates slightly higher than male rates in some years. After that, rates for both groups continue their gradual decline in near lockstep, reaching a 4% gap at age 65 ( $192 per month for male drivers and $184 per month for female drivers). The gender gap when buying car insurance for seniors is a fraction of what it was at 16.

Key takeaway: The gender gap in car insurance is widest at 16 ( 20%) but shrinks quickly with age. By 37, the difference is just 1% After that, male and female rates move closely together, with only a 4% gap by age 65.

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Our content is created, edited and fact checked by a team of licensed insurance agents, automotive pros and experienced journalists who know the industry inside and out. Facts are thoroughly researched, verified and kept current, and our editorial team is separate from our business partners, so our opinions & tips are unbiased. All insights drawn from Jerry’s proprietary, aggregated customer auto insurance quotes data provide unique, real-world guidance.

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Megan Lee

Megan Lee is an editor, writer, and SEO expert who specializes in insurance, personal finance, travel, and healthcare. She has been published in U.S. News & World Report, USA Today and elsewhere, and has spoken at conferences like that of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. Megan has built and directed remote content teams and editorial strategies for several websites, including NerdWallet. When she`s not crafting her next piece of content, Megan adventures around her Midwest home base where she likes to drink cortados, attend theme parties, ride her bike and cook Asian food.

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