Car insurance in Washington

Posted on May 13, 2017

Keeping track of a few details when shopping for Washington car insurance can save you hundreds of dollars a year in premiums. Here is some useful information pertaining to auto insurance for vehicle owners in the state of Washington. Use this to help customize the auto insurance coverage package that best suits your individual needs.

Washington State Minimum Liability Coverage

The minimum required liability coverage for car insurance in the state of Washington is 25/50/10 per vehicle. That means drivers are required to purchase no less than $25,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP), $50,000 in per-accident coverage for injuries to other people, and $10,000 in coverage against property damage.

Penalties for Driving Without Insurance in the State of Washington

People who get caught driving uninsured cars in the state of Washington face a minimum fine of $450, as well as community service. Driving with a suspended license can be punishable by higher fines of $1,000 or more. Repeat offenders may face jail time and the possibility of having their licenses permanently revoked.

Auto Insurance Rates in the State of Washington

The average annual car insurance premium for a vehicle owned in the state of Washington was $1,168 in 2016. This figure fell below the overall national average of $1,347.

Insurance premiums are calculated from a base rate that considers factors like local weather, crime rates, economy, population density and other site-specific demographics. The base rate is then adjusted up or down depending on the driver’s age, gender and marital status, credit history, other people living in the household, and type of car owned, among other things.

Low Cost Car Insurance Programs in the State of Washington

Insurers base their premiums on all members of a household, not just the owner of the car. One way to lower your premiums is to live alone. Another idea is to accept a higher deductible when buying your policy. Also, try to take care of smaller car problems yourself. No need to send premiums through the roof over a dented fender. Finally, take advantage of every possible available discount. These may include good driver discounts, good student discounts, senior citizen discounts, vehicle safety discounts, multiple policy discounts and multiple auto discounts, to mention only a few. Ask every agent you speak with about discounts.

Obtaining Auto Insurance Quotes in Washington State

The state of Washington is home to nearly 85,000 licensed car insurance agents. Some are employed by nationally recognized companies like Allstate, Geico, Nationwide, State Farm, 21^st Century, and Liberty Mutual. Others work for regional carriers like Dairyland, PEMCO and Western National. Some even work independently, perhaps running a business online. When choosing a smaller provider, check with the OIS to be sure your broker is legit. In any case, contact many agents in your area and also get free quotes online. Compare these quotes to secure the lowest possible premiums on Washington car insurance.

Washington Car Insurance

This page provides a plethora of facts and figures about Washington car insurance. Learn how drivers in the state of Washington can cut the cost of car insurance premium rates within their zip codes.

The population of the state of Washington was estimated at 7,288,000 in 2016. In size, Washington is a more or less medium state, ranking 13^th in total population, 25^th in overall population density, and 18^th in terms of land area by square miles.

The overall median age of Washington state residents is about 37.5 years. Roughly 12.2 percent of Washington state residents live at or below the poverty level, which is lower than the overall average poverty rate in the United States of 13.5 percent. The unemployment rate in Washington is 4.7 percent, only slightly higher than the national average unemployment rate of 4.4 percent. About one out of every six drivers in the state of Washington (roughly 16.1 percent) are operating uninsured vehicles. This makes the state of Washington the 10^th worst state in terms of uninsured drivers.

Washington state drivers often inquire about the statewide “average” annual premium for Washington car insurance. It seems to be everybody’s favorite FAQ. However, statewide averages are not much help to the majority of drivers in any state. Statewide averages are really not the best way to calculate personal car insurance premium rates. For one thing, there are big differences in premium rates between zip codes within the same state. For another thing, statewide averages are based on an imaginary “average” individual driver.

So unless you are, for instance, a 28 year old single male Washington driver with a clean driving record, a full time job, and a 2017 Ford Fiesta with 4 doors, 4-Wheel drive, automatic seat belts, and antilock brakes, which you drive less than 15,000 miles a year, the statewide average will simply not mean anything to you. Even if this “average” driver describes you exactly, your eventual auto insurance quote will still depend on your zip code, among other things.

For those who are curious, the statewide “average” premium rate for a state of Washington car insurance policy was about $1,170 last year, according to data from insure.com. This figure is quite a bit lower than the national “average” of about $1,224 at that time.

It would be of great benefit to drivers in Washington state to reduce rates even further by getting a few online quotes for Washington car insurance, from a number of different websites of major auto insurance carriers. Compare a few Washington zip codes, using your own demographic info. Compare quotes from the zip codes in your area.

Read further and learn all you need to know about car insurance in the state of Washington. This page features a list of both the cheapest and the priciest zip codes in the state to purchase Washington car insurance, as well as a list of the largest car insurance companies in Washington, the types of car insurance coverage Washington state drivers need, and some really weird Washington state traffic laws, as well as other detailed information about Washington car insurance.

Best Car Insurance Companies In Washington State

Recently, a team of researchers did a statistical study and provided a list of the top ten auto insurance companies in the United States, in terms of total revenue earned. According to their calculations, the top ten car insurance carriers in the United States are Allstate Insurance, State Farm Insurance, Geico, Progressive Insurance, Nationwide Group, AAA, Liberty Mutual Insurance, 21^st Century Insurance, GMAC, and AIG, in that order. This top ten list ranked auto insurance companies by the total dollar amount of annual premiums written, which provides a measure of their market share.

Shown below is a list of the top ten state of Washington car insurance companies, based on each company’s total market share:

Rank	Company	Premiums ($)	Market Share (%)
1	State Farm Group	$609,784	15.25
2	Allstate Insurance Group	$408,658	10.22
3	Liberty Mutual Insurance	$402,417	10.07
4	Farmers Insurance Group	$353,142	8.83
5	Progressive Insurance Group	$342,488	8.57
6	Berkshire Hathaway Insurance	$317,719	7.95
7	USAA Group	$305,062	7.63
8	Pemco Mutual Insurance	$241,118	6.03
9	American Family Insurance Group	$142,495	3.56
10	The Hartford Insurance Group	$132,486	3.31

Washington drivers are strongly advised to check out consumer reviews of at least a few major car insurance companies in the state of Washington, as well as some of the smaller, regional car insurance carriers that also serve the area. Washington car insurance company reviews appear on a number of independent review websites such as consumerreviews.com, expertinsurancereviews.com, pissedconsumer.com, reviews.com, yelp.com, and quite a few others. Just Google something like “Washington car insurance reviews,” and see what results come up. To learn of the financial strength of an auto insurance company, check out the websites of A.M. Best and / or the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

It goes without saying that there is no such thing as The One Best State Of Washington Car Insurance Company. Each auto insurance carrier is different, as is each auto insurance policyholder. However, insurance companies are competitive, so the major ones tend to keep up with each other. Also understand that all car insurance carriers get customer complaints, and all car insurance carriers are, at times, involved in lawsuits. That’s just a fact of large corporations that serve so many millions of people. In any case, drivers in the state of Washington are advised to compare auto insurance quotes between zip codes if they want an even bigger reduction on Washington car insurance premiums.

What Types Of Car Insurance Do Washington Drivers Need?

The minimum state liability requirements for Washington car insurance are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury to others, plus $10,000 for property damage liability. However, these amounts are too small to cover the cost of most auto accidents, so it is recommended that you increase these limits as your assets add up.

United States insurance analysts recommend that drivers in the state of Washington (as well as in every other state) buy more than the minimum auto insurance coverage required by state law. The suggested coverages for drivers in Washington (and everywhere else) are $100,000 for personal injury protection, $300,000 in per accident protection, and at least $50,000 insurance coverage against property damage.

Washington drivers are also encouraged to buy uninsured and underinsured motorist protection, also known as UMI. There is a relatively high rate of uninsured drivers in the state of Washington. Also, because of the low state minimums, most Washington drivers are underinsured.

Washington drivers might also decide to buy extra insurance products, such as comprehensive and collision coverage. These insurance types will cover the cost of vehicles that are damaged by collisions, tempestuous weather conditions, fires, floods, and falling or flying objects, as well as non natural disasters such as vandalism and car theft.

Not Very Well Though Out Washington State Traffic Laws

In the state of Washington, a motorist with criminal intentions must stop at the state line and telephone the chief of police before entering the state.
ALL motor vehicles in the state of Washington must be preceded by a man carrying a red flag (or a red lantern, if at night) fifty feet in front of the vehicle.
When two trains simultaneously approach a crossing, neither train may go until the other train has passed.
In Spokane, no one may kneel on a pedestrian skywalk.
In Wilbur, it is illegal to ride an ugly horse.

Best And Worst Zip Codes For Washington Car Insurance

The car insurance premium rates of the various zip codes of the state of Washington are influenced by many factors, such as population density, median annual income, median age of the residents, and neighborhood crime statistics like car theft and vandalism, to name just a few of the factors involved in establishing premium rates between zip codes.

Here is a list of the four priciest zip codes in the state of Washington to buy car insurance, where annual premium rates can range anywhere from about $1,200 to more than $1,700.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
98404 (Tacoma)	4,465	13.10%	24.40%

Tacoma is a mid sized city with a population of about 205,000. The city is located about 30 miles south of Seattle. This zip code is home to about 34,000 residents, with a population density about average. However, the poverty level is fully twice the state average of 12.2 percent. What’s more, unemployment is nearly three times the state average.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
98408 (Tacoma)	5,581	11.20%	16.70%

This zip code is home to nearly 19,000 people. Although population density is average, the unemployment rate here is well over twice the state average. The poverty rate is also on the high side.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
98421 (Tacoma)	45	55.00%	80.20%

This zip code on the Port of Tacoma is home to only about 300 people. There are several major industrial facilities located in this neighborhood. As you can see from the above unemployment and poverty statistics, this zip code is not a neighborhood where too many people buy car insurance.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
98108 (Seattle)	3,298	8.90%	21.20%

Seattle is Washington’s largest city, featuring a population of 686,800 as of 2016. The overall population density of Seattle is 8,188 people per square mile. This Seattle zip code is home to almost 20,000 people. The unemployment rate and the poverty rate are both quite a bit higher than state average in this neighborhood.

Here is a list of the four cheapest zip codes in the state of Washington to buy car insurance. Annual premium rates will range from around $700 to more than $1,150.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
99125 (Endicott)	2	3.20%	14.80%

This zip code is home to less than 500 people. The median age in this neighborhood is 49.4 years, virtually 12 years older than the Washington state average of 37.5. The poverty rate is a bit above the 12.2 percent state average, while unemployment is lower than the 4.7 percent state average. Population density approaches zero around here. At two people per square mile, how likely is a driver to collide with another vehicle?

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
99136 (Hay)	2	0%	14.30%

Only 35 people live in this rural Whitman County zip code in southeastern Washington, located nearly 10 miles south of La Crosse. Hay makes Endicott look like a major city. According to city-data.com, the median resident age here is 68.6 years, more than 30 years above the state average.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
99354 (Richland)	1,127	5.70%	14.00%

Richland is a city in Benton County with a population of just over 53,000, spread out across three zip codes. The city is located just north of Walla Walla and Kennewick, along the shores of the Columbia River. This Richland zip code has a population of about 23,000 people, with unemployment and poverty rates just above the state average, but still at manageable levels.

Zip Code	Pop Density	Unemployed %	Poverty %
99352 (Richland)	1,393	5.80%	8.10%

The resident population of this neighborhood is near 30,000. Poverty is refreshingly below the state average in this zip code, with unemployment only slightly above the state average.

Altogether, the state of Washington is home to 716 zip codes in 39 counties, wrapped around 491 cities, from Aberdeen to Zilla and all places in between. There’s a wide range of annual auto insurance premium rates on car insurance between the cheapest zip codes and the most expensive zip codes in the state of Washington.

Go online today and grab a few Washington car insurance quotes.

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