As the fourth-largest city in the country, Houston is a thriving area with its busy roads and highways full of drivers coming and going. It’s a lively junction found near the Gulf of Mexico and Galveston Bay with more than 2 million residents who call the Magnolia City home.
With so much ground to cover, the price of auto insurance can vary significantly from place to place, so the cheap auto insurance companies in Houston may not be the same elsewhere. Still, locals have a few options when it comes to the cheapest auto insurance Houston has to offer.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Houston, TX
The average cost of auto insurance in Houston is priced at $2,146 per year for full coverage and $691 per year for minimum coverage, according to 2021 data from Bankrate.com. However, Houston auto insurance could be a lot more affordable, depending on which provider you choose.
For example, while a minimum coverage policy from Sentry averages $1,454 per year, White Mountains’ average rate is $527 per year. Full coverage has a similar range of average premiums, from $1,529 per year with Geico to $4,092 per year with Kemper.
Provider | Average Annual Minimum Coverage Premium* | Average Annual Full Coverage Premium* |
White Mountains | $527 | $1,676 |
State Farm | $665 | $1,651 |
Geico | $503 | $1,529 |
Allstate | $700 | $2,033 |
Mercury | $659 | $2,052 |
Chubb | $800 | $2,639 |
USAA | $510 | $1,556 |
MetLife | $872 | $2,679 |
AmTrust Financial | $527 | $1,979 |
State Auto Insurance | $855 | $2,872 |
California Casualty | $888 | $3,394 |
Fred Loya | $626 | $3,154 |
Kemper | $939 | $4,092 |
Delek | $894 | $1,786 |
Nationwide | $584 | $1,540 |
Sentry | $1,454 | $3,923 |
*Data from Bankrate.com
Car Insurance in Houston, TX
From its southern perch, Houston is a city that experiences regular inclement weather each year, including the occasional hurricane or tropical storm. There is a lot of rain, so between weather-related issues and the sheer number of drivers on the road, car insurance in Houston can bring higher risk than other cities with fewer residents and fewer road hazards.
Houston minimum insurance requirements
There is a minimum amount of car insurance that you must maintain in order to drive in Houston, Texas.
You must include the following minimum coverage for your Houston auto insurance policy.
- $30,000 bodily injury liability limit per person
- $60,000 bodily injury liability limit per accident
- $25,000 property damage liability
There is additional, optional coverage that you may add or reject.
- $2,500 personal injury protection (PIP)
- $30,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury liability limit per person
- $60,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury liability limit per accident
- $25,000 uninsured motorist property damage liability with a $250 deductible
In Texas, you are not required to carry uninsured and underinsured motorist, collision or comprehensive coverage. However, this is always a good idea because it will protect you in the event that you are in an accident.
Houston’s at-fault law
Texas is an at-fault state. This means that if someone causes you to be involved in an accident, the party responsible for the accident is also the party that pays for the damages they incurred, such as damage to your property or personal injuries. These are expenses typically paid out through one’s insurance company.
Houston Car Insurance FAQs
Methodology
Reviews.com reviews products, services and companies based on five criteria to help readers understand how companies compare based on similar metrics. For the best car insurance companies, our editorial team compared affordability, customer support, coverage options, customer satisfaction scores and online resources from each company to determine top providers.
As for average pricing, we used Bankrate.com’s data of car insurance in Houston, based on the profiles of a 40-year male and female. For full coverage, the details used were the following:
- $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $50,000 property damage liability per accident
- $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
- $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
- $500 collision deductible
- $500 comprehensive deductible
To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our base profile drivers own a 2019 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.
These are sample rates and should only be used for comparative purposes.