One among the cities known for its traffic congestion, driving, and parking in Seattle can be a tricky affair, if not planned well. Car insurance in Seattle is 22-24% more expensive than the state average. Comparing the quotes and catering policy coverage according to your needs will help you to reduce your premium rates.
The annual average cost of car insurance in Seattle, Washington, is $1,671 for full coverage. This is more expensive than the average cost in Washington ($1,374) and the national average ($1,561).
| Seattle Average (yearly) | Washington Average | National Average |
|---|---|---|
| $1671 | $1374 | $1561 |
Here we dive deep into the auto insurance premiums in Seattle through different parameters like age, gender, marital status, driving history, credit scores, location, and companies.
It is wise to obtain quotes from different car insurance companies before you zero down on your insurance provider. Being a happening city, there are several car insurance companies in Seattle that offer the best deals. Though USAA provides the cheapest insurance rates in Seattle, its services are available only to active and retired military members. Pemco, and Progressive would top the chart for the companies that provide the cheapest insurance rates in Seattle.
| Insurance Company | Average Yearly Rate |
|---|---|
| USAA | $1086 |
| PEMCO | $1328 |
| Progressive | $1420 |
| State Farm | $1514 |
| Mutual of Enumclaw | $1699 |
| Allstate | $2155 |
Teenagers pay the highest insurance rates in Seattle. Drivers in their 50’s and 70’s pay affordable rates between $1473 to $1536 yearly on average.
| Age Bracket | Average Yearly Rate |
|---|---|
| Teenagers | $7466 |
| 20s | $2256 |
| 30s | $1634 |
| 40s | $1543 |
| 50s | $1473 |
| 60s | $1536 |
Marital status is another non-driving factor that can affect your auto insurance premium rates. There is only a menial difference between the auto insurance rates of the single and married drivers of Seattle. But Seattle charges divorced drivers higher rates than married or single drivers.
| Marital Status | Average Yearly Rate |
|---|---|
| Married | $1593 |
| Single | $1593 |
| Divorced | $1671 |
| Widowed | $1645 |
In Seattle, female drivers tend to pay higher insurance premiums than their male counterparts.
| Marital Status | Average Yearly Rate |
|---|---|
| Female | $1715 |
| Male | $1673 |
If you are not a high-risk driver based on your age, then maintaining a clean driving record is an effective way to steer clear of the high-risk category and reduce your premium rates. Speeding and parking tickets, DUI charges, at-fault accidents can all lead to a spike in your insurance rates.
| Driving Violation/Incident | Average Yearly Rate |
|---|---|
| At-fault Accidents | $2478 |
| DUI/DWI | $2421 |
| Reckless Driving | $2389 |
| Speeding Tickets | $2041 |
Credit or FICO scores play an important role in determining your insurance premium rates. Though Washington temporarily prohibits the use of credit scores to calculate car insurance rates, these were in use in cities including Seattle until recently.
Accident rates, population density, and crime rates of each neighborhood in your city also govern your premium rates. In Seattle, Downtown is the cheapest and Reinier Valley pays the highest rates on minimum policy coverage.
| ZIP code | Neighborhood | Average Yearly rate |
|---|---|---|
| 98101 | Downtown | $836 |
| 98102 | Eastlake / Cascade | $887 |
| 98103 | Woodland Park / Green Lake | $893 |
| 98104 | SoDo / Downtown | $870 |
| 98105 | University District | $908 |
| 98106 | Riverview / Delridge | $947 |
| 98107 | Adams / Ballard | $888 |
| 98109 | Westlake / Cascade | $870 |
| 98112 | Central Area | $888 |
| 98115 | Bryant | $931 |
| 98116 | North Admiral / West Seattle | $911 |
| 98117 | Loyal Heights / Ballard | $888 |
| 98118 | Seward Park / Rainier Valley | $988 |
| 98119 | Queen Anne | $876 |
| 98121 | Belltown | $851 |
| 98122 | Minor | $895 |
| 98125 | Victory Heights / Lake City | $937 |
| 98126 | High Point | $938 |
| 98131 | SoDo / Downtown | $915 |
| 98132 | SoDo / Downtown | $915 |
| 98133 | Shoreline | $925 |
| 98134 | Industrial District | $918 |
| 98136 | Seaview / West Seattle | $917 |
| 98144 | Atlantic / Central Area | $955 |
| 98154 | SoDo / Downtown | $879 |
| 98158 | SeaTac | $947 |
| 98161 | CBD / Downtown | $895 |
| 98164 | SoDo / Downtown | $887 |
| 98174 | SoDo / Downtown | $904 |
| 98177 | Broadview | $915 |
| 98195 | University of Washington | $907 |
| 98199 | Magnolia | $875 |
The trend in the increase of insurance costs in Seattle is influenced by factors like the number of uninsured motorists and the rate of car thefts, in addition to individual driving and non-driving factors including the driving history.
The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area has one of the highest rates of auto theft in the country. In 2020, the FBI reported 18,428 vehicle thefts in the metro region, or 457 per 100,000 inhabitants, significantly higher than the national rate of 246 per 100,000. It was reported that there have been 12,569 thefts in the state from the beginning of 2022 to the date.
Though there has been a decline in road accident rates from 9.7% in 2020, Seattle has witnessed a 0.7% increase in fatal and serious injury accidents in 2021. Seattle is a populous metro city ranking 6 in the cities known for traffic congestion. It also ranks low in terms of driver safety. Seattle drivers make an auto insurance claim once every 7.7 years on average.
Driving through the roads of Seattle can be a slow and exhaustive affair, considering the density of traffic in the city. It ranks seventh as a city with congested traffic conditions.
It is important to listen to your GPS and map your root prior to your journey if you are new to the place. With a decent number of one-ways, missing out on even one can affect the time taken for your journey.
A milder climate with frequent rainfalls is characteristic of Seattle. One should be prepared to deal with wet roads and the congestion that arises due to this. Snow-covered roads might not be common in Seattle, but if it occurs the roads can be icy and dangerous to drive.
Keeping aside the congestion, the grid-like city plan helps you find your way around. It helps you to stay on track without getting lost.
If you are driving around in Seattle, having a spot booked prior to your drive can save you time and money.
Avoid tickets at all rates to maintain a clean driving record. Steer clear of everything in your hands except the steering. You can easily land on a ticket if you are texting or holding your phone.
These are the important car insurance companies in Seattle.
| Insurance Companies in Seattle |
|---|
| USAA |
| PEMCO |
| Progressive |
| State Farm |
| Mutual of Enumclaw |
| Allstate |
| Travelers |
The auto insurance rates published in this guide are based on the results of research completed by Way.com’s data team. Using a mix of public and internal data, we analyzed millions of rate averages across U.S. ZIP codes.
Quotes are typically based on a full coverage policy average unless otherwise noted within the content.
These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes will differ. Given this, it’s important to go through our insurance steps form to find how much you can save with way.com
The average yearly rate for full policy coverage in Seattle is $1671 which is more expensive than the state average. The yearly rate for minimum coverage in Seattle is $908 per year.
All drivers in the state of Washington are required by law to carry a minimum of bodily injury coverage. The car insurance rate in Seattle per month for minimum coverage is $81 and $140 for full coverage on average.
Newer vehicles are often more expensive to insure than older ones, as they are more valuable and hence more costly to replace. If you carry comprehensive and collision coverage the rates tend to be higher.
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