Married vs. Single Drivers: Who Pays More for Car Insurance?

  • Being married vs. single can impact your rates—marriage may lower costs, but a spouse with a poor driving record or low credit score could raise them.
  • Some states require spouses to share a policy or be listed on your insurance, even if they don’t drive.
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Ava Lynch

Insurance Analyst

Ava joined The Zebra as a writer and licensed insurance agent in 2016. She now works as a senior insurance contributor, providing insights and data a…

Credentials
  • 9+ years of Experience in the Insurance Industry
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Beth Swanson

Insurance Analyst

Beth joined The Zebra in 2022 as an Associate Content Strategist. A licensed insurance agent, she specializes in creating clear, accessible content t…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
  • Associate in Insurance
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Renata Balasco

Senior Content Strategist

Renata joined The Zebra in 2020 as a Customer Experience Agent. Since 2021, she has worked as licensed insurance professional and content strategist.…

Credentials
  • Licensed Insurance Agent — Property and Casualty
  • 5 years of experience in the insurance industry

Car insurance for married vs. single drivers

On average, a married driver pays $160 less per year for car insurance than does a single, unmarried driver. While being married doesn’t necessarily make you a better driver, historical data show married couples are more likely to share driving responsibilities than single people. Thus, each driver files fewer claims and presents less risk to an insurance provider. There are some other rating factors that make married drivers cheaper to insure than single drivers. Let’s explore.


Rates by company for married vs. single drivers

We pulled car insurance quotes for married and single drivers. Keep in mind that these are averages, and don't take into consideration all the additional factors insurers evaluate (like age, credit score, driving history, location, and more). But this list can provide a starting point if you're shopping for a new insurance provider and give you an idea of what each company might charge.

Rates by company for married and single drivers
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Company Avg. Monthly Premium Avg. 6 Mo. Premium
USAA $114 $683
Nationwide $123 $738
GEICO $129 $771
State Farm $131 $785
Farmers $149 $893
Progressive $157 $943
Allstate $201 $1,206

Source: The Zebra

The Zebra’s Dynamic Insurance Rating Tool data methodology

The Zebra’s Dynamic Insurance Rating Tool for home and auto insurance rates utilizes the latest ZIP code-level rate filings from across the U.S., sourced from Quadrant Information Services and S&P Global. These filings, typically updated annually or biennially by insurers, are verified through Quadrant’s QA process and then integrated into The Zebra’s estimator.

The displayed rates are based on a dynamic home and auto profile designed to reflect the content of the page. This profile is tailored to match specific factors such as age, location, and coverage level, which are adjusted based on the page content to show how these variables can impact premiums.

For a comprehensive understanding, see our detailed methodology.

State Farm is the only company that does not charge single and married drivers different premiums. Liberty Mutual's rates are considerably different for married and single drivers. On average, single drivers pay $692 more per year because of their marital status with Liberty Mutual. Below are average differences by company based on marital status.

Car Insurance Provider Average Annual Increase for Single Driver
Allstate $56
GEICO $13
Farmers $192
Liberty Mutual $693
Nationwide $50
Progressive $195
State Farm $0
USAA $88

Compare rates and save today!

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Married vs. single: your insurance policy

Aside from premiums, a car insurance policy can differ in a few ways. Let’s break them down. Bear in mind, there will always be outliers to the data we present. Fair or not, car insurance companies always look at historical data in order to assess clients and price policies.

 

Credit score

We want to be crystal clear on the following point: marriage itself doesn’t impact your credit score. To reap the benefits, you and your spouse each need to have high credit scores. If one is significantly lower, you may want to consider keeping policies separate while working to improve that score.

Average auto insurance rates by credit tier

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Credit Tier Avg. Annual Premium
Poor $3,147
Below Fair $2,461
Fair $2,071
Good $1,760
Excellent $1,506

Source: The Zebra

Homeowner status

Homeowners are considered more financially stable than renters and thus are seen as less-risky clients. Furthermore, because home policies are considerably more expensive than a renter’s insurance policy, bundling will earn an insurance company more revenue. Thus, their multi-policy discount is larger. As you can see with the data below, homeowners — bundling or not) — pay less for car insurance than do renters.

Average annual auto insurance rates by homeowner status

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Homeowner Status Avg. Monthly Premium
Renter $147
Condo Owner $144
Home Owner $144
Renter With Multi-Policy $140
Condo Owner With Multi-Policy $133
Home Owner With Multi-Policy $130

Source: The Zebra

Discounts

Married couples tend to qualify for more discounts than single individuals. Multi-driver and multi-vehicle discounts can significantly reduce your premiums. Follow the links below for more information.

Regardless of your marital status, the best way to save on car insurance is to shop around. Only by comparing car insurance quotes with different companies can you see which company is the cheapest for you. Enter your ZIP code below to see how much you could be saving.

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Zebra Tip: Consider your spouse's driving record

Statistically, married couples are viewed as less risky drivers than single people (no shade to our single friends!), which can result in a lower rate for you as a married couple. 

That said, if either you or your spouse has a spotty record (think accidents, speeding tickets, DUIs, or even just a ton of unpaid parking tickets), your rate could increase if you purchase a joint policy. If that’s the case, it’s probably smart for you and your significant other to maintain separate car insurance policies.

Protect your car with the right coverage at the best value.

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About The Zebra

The Zebra is not an insurance company. We publish data-backed, expert-reviewed resources to help consumers make more informed insurance decisions.

  • The Zebra’s insurance content is written and reviewed for accuracy by licensed insurance agents.
  • The Zebra’s insurance editorial content is not subject to review or alteration by insurance companies or partners.
  • The Zebra’s editorial team operates independently of the company’s partnerships and commercialization interests, publishing unbiased information for consumer benefit.
  • The auto insurance rates published on The Zebra’s pages are based on a comprehensive analysis of car insurance pricing data, evaluating more than 83 million insurance rates from across the United States.