- California does not allow car insurance providers to use age, credit score, or gender to determine rates.
- California drivers in urban areas will pay more than drivers in rural areas.
- California offers a low-cost alternative for lower-income drivers.
- Check out our partner Savvy — a free tool that lets you compare car insurance quotes in minutes »
According to data from S&P Global, the average premium paid in the state of California is $1,397. Getting car insurance in California will be different than getting car insurance anywhere else in the US. California has a unique affordable car insurance program that isn't available elsewhere.
California law prohibits considering age, gender or credit score to calculate rates. Other factors like driving record, marital status, vehicle type, previous coverage, and miles driven can all play a role in the amount you'll pay for coverage.
California is a large market for car insurance, and that means that there's a big opportunity to shop around. Make sure to get quotes from several different insurance companies, and compare their coverage limits and types. You'll also want to consider the deductible, or the amount you'll pay out of pocket if you get into an accident. By shopping around, you'll be able to find the best rate for you.
The most popular car insurance companies in California based on market share
The following are the most popular car insurance companies in California, listed from companies that insure the most California drivers to the least:
| Company | Market Share (%) |
| State Farm | 12.66 |
| GEICO | 11.28 |
| Farmers Insurance | 9.33 |
| Auto Club Exchange (AAA) | 9.03 |
| Allstate | 8.39 |
| California State Automobile Association | 7.97 |
| Mercury Insurance | 7.74 |
| Kemper | 5.73 |
| Progressive | 5.46 |
| USAA* | 5.05 |
| Liberty Mutual | 3.28 |
| Nationwide | 1.86 |
| Wawanesa General Insurance Co. | 1.56 |
| National General Holdings Corp | 1.48 |
| American Family Insurance | 1.43 |
*USAA is only for active military, veterans, and their families.
The best car insurance companies in California based on customer satisfaction
Customer satisfaction with car insurance providers may factor into your decision. According to a J.D. Power, a consumer research company that surveys customers, these are the top 10 providers based on customer rankings:
Sample car insurance quotes in California
In California, coverage costs will vary most by where you live. To find the companies with the cheapest policies, we used California Department of Insurance's Automobile Insurance Comparison tool to find the best companies for drivers in three different parts of California.
We based our analysis on standard coverage for a single adult driver, who drives no more than 10,000 miles per year, has five to eight years of driving experience, and owns a Honda Accord.
Driver with no violations
We searched for rates for a single driver with five to eight years driving experience, who owns a Honda Accord and no driving violations.
| Santa Monica (urban) | Petaluma (rural) |
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Driver with a ticket and an accident
The rates change for the same single driver with five to eight years driving experience, who owns a Honda Accord and has one ticket and an accident on record.
| Santa Monica (urban) | Petaluma (rural) |
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|
Driver seeking liability only insurance
For those seeking basic liability-only coverage, we searched for rates based on a single driver with five to eight years driving experience, who owns a Toyota Camry with no driving violations.
| Santa Monica (urban) | Petaluma (rural) |
|
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California also offers a low-cost alternative for lower-income drivers
California's Department of Insurance also offers a low-cost auto insurance program. If you qualify, this program could help lower the costs of car insurance to $247 to $980 per year, depending on where you live.
This option is only offered only to Californians with a car less than $25,000 in value and a good driving record. A maximum income limit applies, with a maximum income of $31,225 for a single person and $53,325 for a household of three.
California car insurance rates by metro area
Below is the estimated average annual premium of auto insurance policies per household in California's most populated metro areas.
| California metro area | Average annual car insurance premium |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $1,382 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley | $1,486 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $1,366 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $1,407 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $1,391 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $1,532 |
| Fresno | $1,310 |
| Bakersfield | $1,272 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $1,438 |
| Stockton | $1,383 |
| Modesto | $1,353 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $1,425 |
| Visalia | $1,298 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $1,363 |
| Vallejo | $1,435 |
| Salinas | $1,391 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $1,386 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $1,412 |
| Merced | $1,313 |
| Chico | $1,273 |
| El Centro | $1,270 |
| Redding | $1,279 |
| Yuba City | $1,311 |
| Madera | $1,336 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $1,325 |
| Napa | $1,443 |
| Eureka-Arcata | $1,241 |
| Truckee-Grass Valley | $1,343 |
| Ukiah | $1,242 |
| Clearlake | $1,254 |
| Red Bluff | $1,232 |
| Sonora | $1,286 |
| Susanville | $1,291 |
| Crescent City | $1,233 |
The above data was obtained from S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Ronda Lee is an associate editor for insurance at Personal Finance Insider covering life, auto, homeowners, and renters insurance for consumers. She is also a licensed attorney who practiced litigation and insurance defense.
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