Best & Cheapest Maryland Car Insurance as Rated by Customers in 2020
When choosing a Maryland car insurance company, you want to make sure you’re making the right choice to protect you and your car. Clearsurance reviews help you decide which Maryland car insurance company is right for you. At Clearsurance, we want to help you better understand how a company performs before you even purchase a policy so you can select the best auto insurance in Maryland. With thousands of car insurance reviews from unbiased policyholders, we have reviews and rankings for hundreds of car insurance companies so you can evaluate and compare the best Maryland car insurance companies.
In the table above, you can sort through all the Maryland car insurance companies ranked on Clearsurance. The rating next to each company — the insurer’s Clearsurance score — is based exclusively on the ratings provided by customers. Note: Only those companies with at least 25 car insurance reviews are eligible to appear in the best Maryland car insurance rankings.
Interested in learning more about one of these Maryland car insurance companies? You can visit the company’s profile page to find out what additional coverages they offer, any discounts they offer and read car insurance reviews to learn from the experiences of other policyholders.
On this page:
- Who offers the cheapest teen car insurance rates in Maryland?
- Who offers the cheapest car insurance rates for a married couple in Maryland?
- Who offers the cheapest senior car insurance rates in Maryland?
- 10 Cheapest areas in Maryland for car insurance
- 10 Most expensive areas in Maryland for car insurance
- Minimum car insurance coverage and limits in Maryland
Who offers the cheapest teen car insurance rates in Maryland?
Among the five largest car insurance companies in Maryland, Erie Insurance Group is the cheapest car insurance option for both male and female teen drivers on average.
| Company | Female teen rates | Male teen rates |
|---|---|---|
| Allstate Insurance | $2,937 | $3,691 |
| Erie Insurance Group | $1,058 | $1,207 |
| Geico | $2,556 | $2,596 |
| Nationwide | $2,733 | $3,445 |
| State Farm Insurance Company | $2,253 | $2,658 |
These rates are based on profiles for 18-year-old male and female drivers in Maryland. The car used was a 2015 Honda Civic EX. We used the minimum car insurance state limits. The rates displayed should only be used for comparative purposes as individual rates in Maryland will differ. Rate data is provided by Quadrant Information Services.
Who offers the cheapest car insurance rates for a married couple in Maryland?
Out of the most popular car insurers in the state, Erie Insurance Group offers the cheapest car insurance rates for married couples in Maryland on average.
| Company | Married couple rates |
|---|---|
| Allstate Insurance | $2,180 |
| Erie Insurance Group | $1,700 |
| Geico | $2,145 |
| Nationwide | $1,924 |
| State Farm Insurance Company | $2,702 |
These rates are based on a 35-year-old married couple with two drivers and two vehicles on a policy. The cars used were two 2015 Toyota Highlander LEs. Full coverage was used with 100/300/50 limits and a $500 collision and comprehensive deductible. The drivers had 1 driving incident within the past 3 years and they both have a good credit score. The rates displayed should only be used for comparative purposes as individual rates in Maryland will differ. Rate data is provided by Quadrant Information Services.
Who offers the cheapest senior car insurance rates in Maryland?
Erie Insurance Group provides the cheapest car insurance rates for male and female senior drivers on average in Maryland. In the table below, you can see Maryland car insurance rates for male and female senior drivers for the five largest companies in the state.
| Company | Female senior rates | Male senior rates |
|---|---|---|
| Allstate Insurance | $1,768 | $1,803 |
| Erie Insurance Group | $815 | $815 |
| Geico | $1,128 | $1,160 |
| Nationwide | $1,127 | $1,231 |
| State Farm Insurance Company | $1,401 | $1,401 |
These rates are based on profiles for 65-year-old male and female drivers. The car used for each was a 2015 Toyota Camry LE. Full coverage was used with 100/300/50 limits and a $500 collision and comprehensive deductible. The drivers had zero incidents within the past three years and a good credit score. The rates displayed should only be used for comparative purposes as individual rates in Maryland will differ. Rate data is provided by Quadrant Information Services.
10 Cheapest areas in Maryland for car insurance
Since car insurance rates depend on factors such as crime rate and accidents in your area, car insurance rates in Maryland can vary from area to area. The area with the cheapest car insurance in Maryland is Smithsburg. In the table below, you can see the top 10 cheapest areas in Maryland for car insurance based on average rates for single adults.
| Area | Car insurance rates |
|---|---|
| Smithsburg | $1,444 |
| Cascade | $1,446 |
| Chewsville | $1,447 |
| Maugansville | $1,448 |
| Clear Spring | $1,453 |
| Big Pool | $1,457 |
| Williamsport | $1,460 |
| Rohrersville | $1,462 |
| Sabillasville | $1,464 |
These rates are based on a 35-year-old single adult with one driver and one vehicle on a policy. The car used was a 2015 Toyota Highlander LE. Full coverage was used with 100/300/50 limits and a $500 collision and comprehensive deductible. The driver had 1 driving incident within the past 3 years and had a good credit score. The rates displayed should only be used for comparative purposes as individual rates in Maryland will differ. Rate data is provided by Quadrant Information Services.
10 Most expensive areas in Maryland for car insurance
Car insurance in Maryland can be more expensive in some areas of the state than others. This is because car insurance rates are based on factors such as frequency of car accidents, driving behavior and crime rate in your area. The table below displays the top 10 most expensive areas in Maryland for car insurance based on average rates for a single adult.
| Area | Car insurance rates |
|---|---|
| Gwynn Oak | $3,163 |
| Randallstown | $2,838 |
| Windsor Mill | $2,811 |
| Baltimore | $2,795 |
| Pikesville | $2,700 |
| Capital Heights | $2,670 |
| District Heights | $2,634 |
| Oxon Hill | $2,611 |
| Bladensburg | $2,575 |
| Suitland | $2,547 |
These rates are based on a 35-year-old single adult with one driver and one vehicle on a policy. The car used was a 2015 Toyota Highlander LE. Full coverage was used with 100/300/50 limits and a $500 collision and comprehensive deductible. The driver had 1 driving incident within the past 3 years and had a good credit score. The rates displayed should only be used for comparative purposes as individual rates in Maryland will differ. Rate data is provided by Quadrant Information Services.
Minimum car insurance coverage and limits in Maryland
It’s important for drivers in any state to know the minimum coverage required by law, but it’s especially important in Maryland, as it requires more coverage than most states. In addition to bodily injury and property damage, Maryland also requires that drivers purchase uninsured motorist protection as well as personal injury protection, often referred to as PIP.
Below, we’ve outlined the minimums set by the state, but, keep in mind that these are only the minimums. You should consider purchasing higher limits to ensure that you aren’t underinsured in the event of a costly accident. You can learn more about different car insurance coverages and what the limits mean on our blog.
Maryland state minimum requirements:
Liability:
- Bodily injury — $30,000 per person
- Bodily injury — $60,000 per accident
- Property damage — $15,000 per accident
Personal injury protection:
- $2,500 per person
Underinsured/uninsured motorist:
- Bodily injury — $30,000 per person
- Bodily injury — $60,000 per accident
- Property damage — $15,000 per accident
Bodily injury liability provides coverage for injuries sustained by the other vehicle’s driver and passengers if you are held responsible for an accident. This coverage also kicks in to defend you in the event of any legal claims.
Property damage liability provides coverage in the event you damage someone else’s property in a car accident, most commonly the other vehicle, but also things like a home or fence.
Personal injury protection provides coverage for any medical expenses or income loss that result from a car accident. It also provides coverage, up to the policy’s limits, for family members in the vehicle and for a few other situations. In Maryland, some drivers are able to waive their PIP requirements if they feel they have adequate health insurance coverage to cover them in the event of an accident.
Uninsured motorist coverage offers protection for you in the event that you are injured in an accident by an at-fault driver who doesn’t have insurance. According to 2015 data from the Insurance Information Institute, 12.4 percent of Maryland drivers are uninsured. This coverage means you’ll be protected against these drivers, up to the limits you select for your policy.
How car insurance rates are calculated in Maryland
When searching and comparing quotes from the best auto insurance companies in Maryland, it can be frustrating trying to understand how your insurance rates are calculated. While there is no exact formula that each car insurance company uses when providing you a quote, there are many factors that do contribute to the price you pay for your insurance. Among the factors that car insurers consider are:
- Your driving record
- How much you drive
- Location
- Age
- Marital status
- Gender
- Your car’s make, model and year
- Your credit history
- Amount of car insurance coverage (required coverage and optional add-ons, such as collision and comprehensive)
One of the biggest misunderstandings when it comes to insurance rates is that the history of drivers in your area also contributes to how much you pay. For instance, even if you go two years without an accident, if there were a lot of accidents near you recently, your rates might still go up. Why is that the case?
Insurance companies disperse risk across all policyholders so that when it comes time to pay a claim, they have enough money to pay out. But imagine a scenario where they only raised rates for drivers with an accident. For drivers who had an expensive claim, the drivers simply wouldn't be able to afford the raised rates that are based off how much their insurer had to pay after an accident. So instead, insurance companies slightly increase rates across the board to offset the costs, though of course the at-fault driver may see a larger increase.
How to save money on your car insurance in Maryland
At the end of the day, we’d all like to have the best coverage at a cheap, affordable price from one of the best Maryland car insurance companies. While you never want to sacrifice quality to save a couple of dollars, there are some different ways you can lower your car insurance premium.
Here are six ways you may be able to lower your car insurance rates:
- Bundle your car insurance with other policies
- Consider raising your deductibles
- Pay your car insurance policy in full
- Try usage-based car insurance
- Monitor price changes to your policy
- Shop for better insurance rates
How Clearsurance rates and ranks the best car insurance companies in Maryland
Consistent with its mission towards greater transparency, Clearsurance does not keep its rating and ranking formulas in a black box. Our algorithm analyzes a range of inputs from our independent community of insurance customers, including:
- Price
- Customer Service
- Claim service
- Likelihood to renew
The algorithm also takes into account the percentage of what customers say the company does well vs. the percentage of what customers say the company could do better.
The Clearsurance customer ratings and rankings are derived entirely from customer reviews and ratings.
Car insurance guide
Whether you’re buying your insurance direct or going through an agent, understanding the different car insurance coverage options is a must. Do you know what is covered by comprehensive coverage? Are you familiar with uninsured motorist coverage? Do you know how a deductible works?
We want to make sure you’re equipped with a proper knowledge of car insurance, so check out our car insurance guide. Looking for more educational information about car insurance? Check out our car insurance blog for more information and topics related to car insurance.