Methodology
Every premium figure on AutoQuote Hub is produced by one arithmetic model. This page publishes that model in full: the base rate, each multiplier, the exact value of each multiplier, and the data behind them. If a number appears anywhere on this site, you can reproduce it from what is written here.
The formula
A single annual premium estimate is the state base rate for the chosen coverage level, multiplied by one factor for location and one factor for each driver and policy attribute:
annual = stateBase(coverage) x cityMult x ageMult x recordMult x vehicleMult x deductibleMult x mileageMult x maritalMultThe monthly figure is the annual figure divided by twelve. The quoted range is the annual figure multiplied by 0.71x at the low end and 1.38x at the high end, which reflects how far apart carriers routinely price the same risk. Results are rounded to whole dollars for display only; rounding is never fed back into the calculation.
There is no machine learning, no personal data and no carrier rate filing behind any of this. It is a deterministic formula, and it is the same formula on every page of the site.
Base rate by coverage level
Each state carries two published base rates: a full-coverage average and a minimum-liability average. The coverage level selects between them.
| Coverage level | What it means | Base rate used |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum | State minimum liability | State minimum-liability average |
| Full | Full coverage (100/300/100 + comp & collision) | State full-coverage average |
| Premium | Full coverage, high limits + low deductible | State full-coverage average x 1.19x |
The per-state base rates and the statutory minimum limits are listed on the state index.
City multiplier
Urban density is the strongest geographic driver of auto premiums: claim frequency, vehicle theft, litigation rates and repair labour cost all rise with it. Every city in our dataset is assigned to one of six density tiers by population, and the tier sets the multiplier applied to its state base rate.
| Tier | City population | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| metro | 1,000,000 and above | 1.24x |
| major | 400,000 – 999,999 | 1.16x |
| large | 150,000 – 399,999 | 1.08x |
| mid | 60,000 – 149,999 | 1.00x |
| small | 30,000 – 59,999 | 0.94x |
| town | below 30,000 | 0.89x |
Population comes from the source dataset described below, not from a rating bureau. A city near a tier boundary can therefore sit one step above or below where a carrier would place it. State-level pages use the population-weighted average of their cities rather than a single tier.
Driver age
Age is the strongest single rating factor after location. The model interpolates linearly between the anchor points below, and clamps input to the 16–90 range.
| Age | Multiplier | Relative to a 30-year-old |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | 2.62x | 162% |
| 18 | 2.21x | 121% |
| 20 | 1.83x | 83% |
| 22 | 1.52x | 52% |
| 25 | 1.16x | 16% |
| 30 | 1.00x | 0% |
| 40 | 0.94x | -6% |
| 50 | 0.90x | -10% |
| 60 | 0.89x | -11% |
| 65 | 0.93x | -7% |
| 70 | 1.02x | 2% |
| 75 | 1.19x | 19% |
Driving record
A single violation is applied. The model does not compound multiple violations, and it does not age them out over three or five years the way a carrier surcharge schedule does.
| Record | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Clean record | 1.00x |
| 1 speeding ticket | 1.23x |
| 1 at-fault accident | 1.47x |
| DUI / DWI | 1.89x |
Vehicle type
A body-style factor standing in for repair cost, theft rate and injury claim severity. It is a class factor, not a lookup of a specific year, make and model.
| Vehicle | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Sedan | 1.00x |
| SUV / crossover | 1.05x |
| Pickup truck | 1.08x |
| Minivan | 0.95x |
| Luxury car | 1.34x |
| Sports car | 1.46x |
| Electric vehicle | 1.19x |
Deductible
The deductible only moves the comprehensive and collision half of a policy, so it is applied to full and premium coverage and ignored entirely on minimum liability.
| Deductible | Full / premium coverage | Minimum liability |
|---|---|---|
| $250 | 1.11x | 1.00x |
| $500 | 1.00x | 1.00x |
| $1,000 | 0.91x | 1.00x |
| $2,000 | 0.84x | 1.00x |
Annual mileage
| Annual mileage | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| 5,000 miles or less | 0.89x |
| 5,001 – 7,500 miles | 0.94x |
| 7,501 – 12,000 miles | 1.00x |
| 12,001 – 15,000 miles | 1.06x |
| 15,001 – 20,000 miles | 1.13x |
| over 20,000 miles | 1.20x |
Marital status
A married driver is modelled at 0.93x against 1.00x for an unmarried driver. This is the smallest factor in the model and several states restrict its use in real rating.
Carrier index
Carrier tables on this site rank a shortlist by a relative index, where 1.00 is a mid-market position. An index of 0.82 means the model places that carrier roughly 18 percent below the market estimate for the same driver. These are modelled relative positions used for ordering a list. They are not quoted prices, they are not derived from rate filings, and no carrier has reviewed or approved them.
| Carrier | Index | Modelled position |
|---|---|---|
| Geico | 0.82 | Usually cheapest for clean records |
| State Farm | 0.88 | Strong for young and student drivers |
| Progressive | 0.95 | Competitive after a ticket or accident |
| Travelers | 0.97 | Good multi-policy discounts |
| Nationwide | 1.00 | Mid-market, wide availability |
| USAA | 0.76 | Military members and families only |
| Allstate | 1.14 | Higher base rate, heavy discount stacking |
| Farmers | 1.21 | Agent-led, priced above market |
Worked example
A 25-year-old in a metro city, one at-fault accident, driving an SUV on full coverage with a $1,000 deductible, 15,000 miles a year, unmarried, in a state whose full-coverage base rate is $2,000:
2000 x 1.24 x 1.16 x 1.47 x 1.05 x 0.91 x 1.06 x 1 = 4,283Data sources
- City names, population and coordinates — GeoNames cities5000, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- ZIP codes — the open US ZIP Codes JSON dataset, matched to cities by name and state and, where no direct match exists, by nearest coordinates.
- Statutory minimum limits and no-fault status — the published requirements of each state Department of Insurance. Each state page links to its own regulator.
- State base rates — published industry state-average premium data for full coverage and for minimum liability.
Source data is fetched and normalised at build time, so the site is a static snapshot. Averages lag the market, and rate filings change through the year.
Known limitations
- The model has no credit-based insurance score, which is a major rating factor in most states and is prohibited in a few.
- It applies no discounts: multi-policy, multi-car, telematics, good student, defensive driving, paid-in-full and paperless are all absent.
- It does not price the specific year, make, model or trim of a vehicle, only a body-style class.
- It uses city-level density rather than the ZIP or garaging address a carrier rates on, and rates within a single city vary considerably by ZIP.
- It does not model claims history depth, coverage lapse, licence tenure, SR-22 filing surcharges or carrier-specific tier placement.
- Multipliers are independent and multiplicative. Real rating plans interact these factors, so the model is least accurate at the extremes, for example a teenage driver with a DUI.
What this is not
These figures are not a quote. Nothing on this site is an offer of insurance, a binding rate, or a price any carrier has agreed to. Only an insurer or a licensed agent can quote you, and only after underwriting your actual details.
This is not insurance advice. AutoQuote Hub is not an insurer, an agent or a broker, and is not licensed to give advice on coverage, limits or claims. Decide what coverage you need with a licensed professional.
We are not affiliated with any insurer. Carrier names appear for identification only and are the trademarks of their owners. No carrier sponsors, endorses or reviews this site, and no carrier supplies the numbers on it.
The carrier index is not a price. Index values are modelled relative positions used to order a shortlist, not quoted premiums, and they say nothing about what a specific carrier would charge you.
Your real premium will differ. The right way to use this site is as a reference point for what to expect, then to collect actual quotes from several carriers.
Corrections
If you find an error in a base rate, a minimum limit, a city assignment or the model itself, write to [email protected] and we will check it and correct it in the next build.
See also our terms of use and privacy policy.