QuoteMoto California Car Insurance Cost Index · 2026 edition
California car insurance cost by city: what the state’s 2026 premium survey shows
For the same driver, car insurance in some California cities costs more than twice what it does in others. In the California Department of Insurance’s 2026 premium survey, a single driver licensed seven years with a clean record pays a median of $1,686 a year (about $141 a month) for basic 30/60/15 liability across the state’s 30 largest surveyed cities, and $5,202 a year (about $434 a month) for full coverage. City medians for basic liability run from $1,386 in Chula Vista to $2,958 in Glendale.
Source: California Department of Insurance, 2026 Automobile Insurance premium survey, premiums effective January 1, 2026. How we built this · SR-22 estimates (separate source) · Leer en español
Basic 30/60/15 liability
$1,686 a year
Median across 30 cities ($141 a month)
Full coverage
$5,202 a year
Median across 30 cities ($434 a month)
Same driver, Glendale vs Chula Vista
$1,572 more
Basic liability, per year
Key findings
Each finding below compares identical hypothetical drivers, so the differences come from the place or the insurer, not the person. All figures are annual premiums from the survey unless stated.
- 1
Where you live can double the price. For the same driver and the same basic 30/60/15 policy, the median premium is $2,958 a year in Glendale and $1,386 in Chula Vista, a gap of $1,572. Full coverage splits the same way: $8,551 in Glendale and $4,350 in Chula Vista.
- 2
Insurers disagree even more than cities do. In Los Angeles, 48 insurers priced the same basic policy for the same driver, from $1,303 a year (California Capital Ins Co) to $5,492 (Qualitas Ins Co), more than four times as much.
- 3
In the typical city, the lowest basic-liability premium in the survey is 39% below the median insurer’s. For full coverage the gap is 35%.
- 4
One at-fault accident raises the same insurer’s basic-liability premium by a typical 45% (44% for full coverage). One traffic ticket adds 26%, and a ticket plus an accident nearly doubles it (+98%).
- 5
A driver licensed two years instead of seven pays a typical 84% more with the same insurer in the same city. The median across the 30 cities goes from $1,686 to $3,137 a year for basic liability.
- 6
Big names don’t settle it. For this driver, Progressive’s United Financial Cas Co charged less than GEICO for basic liability in 25 of the 30 cities and for full coverage in all 30, while GEICO charged less than the Auto Club’s Interinsurance Exchange in 23 of 30 for both coverages. These are survey results for one profile, not a ranking for every driver.
- 7
The price moves inside a single city too. Across Los Angeles’s 14 survey areas, the median basic premium runs from $1,912 (Los Angeles – East) to $2,792 (Los Angeles – Vermont).
- 8
Across all 270 survey areas statewide, the lowest median for basic liability is $1,106 in Calexico (Imperial County) and the highest is $2,958 in Glendale (Los Angeles County).
- 9
Prices have moved since the survey date. From January 1 to September 30, 2026, CDI approved 15 private passenger auto rate changes for 12 surveyed insurers: 13 increases and 2 decreases (State Farm −6.2%, American National −4.6%), with a median of +4.0%.
Car insurance cost in California’s 30 largest cities
The table shows what the middle insurer charges (the median) and the lowest premium in the survey for the same single driver, licensed seven years with no tickets or accidents. Basic liability is a 2023 Toyota Camry; full coverage is a 2023 Honda Accord. Cities are sorted from the highest basic-liability median to the lowest.
| City | Basic liability: median of insurers | Basic liability: lowest premium (insurer) | Full coverage: median of insurers | Full coverage: lowest premium (insurer) | Insurers (basic / full) | CDI survey areas |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GlendaleLos Angeles | $2,958$247/mo | $1,526California Capital Ins Co | $8,551$713/mo | $4,267California Capital Ins Co | 48 / 40 | Glendale |
| Los AngelesLos Angeles | $2,339$195/mo | $1,303California Capital Ins Co | $6,616$551/mo | $3,758California Capital Ins Co | 48 / 40 | Los Angeles - Central; Los Angeles - East; Los Angeles - Echo Park; Los Angeles - El Sereno; Los Angeles - Farmers Market; Los Angeles - Griffith; Los Angeles - Highland Park; Los Angeles - Mar Vista; Los Angeles - Mid City; Los Angeles - Palms; Los Angeles - So. Central; Los Angeles - Vermont; Los Angeles - Wagner; Los Angeles - Westchester |
| Garden GroveOrange | $2,054$171/mo | $1,197California Capital Ins Co | $5,384$449/mo | $3,358California Capital Ins Co | 48 / 40 | Garden Grove |
| AnaheimOrange | $1,909$159/mo | $1,158State National Ins Co Inc., Tesla Insurance Company | $5,269$439/mo | $3,410California Capital Ins Co | 48 / 40 | ANAHEIM - Brookhurst Center; ANAHEIM - Federal |
| Santa ClaritaLos Angeles | $1,846$154/mo | $1,019Nations Ins Co | $5,186$432/mo | $3,428California Capital Ins Co | 48 / 40 | Santa Clarita |
| LancasterLos Angeles | $1,840$153/mo | $1,020Nations Ins Co | $5,338$445/mo | $3,321California Capital Ins Co | 48 / 40 | Lancaster |
| IrvineOrange | $1,824$152/mo | $1,055First Acceptance Ins Co, Inc. | $5,383$449/mo | $3,520California Capital Ins Co | 48 / 40 | Irvine |
| SacramentoSacramento | $1,797$150/mo | $1,016Nations Ins Co | $5,480$457/mo | $3,368California Capital Ins Co | 50 / 42 | SACRAMENTO - Rosemont; SACRAMENTO - Southgate |
| Long BeachLos Angeles | $1,788$149/mo | $1,138California Capital Ins Co | $5,356$446/mo | $3,339California Capital Ins Co | 48 / 40 | Long Beach - College; Long Beach - North |
| Santa AnaOrange | $1,787$149/mo | $1,108Integon Preferred Ins Co | $5,160$430/mo | $3,334California Capital Ins Co | 48 / 40 | SANTA ANA - Centennial Park; SANTA ANA - Logan Park |
| FontanaSan Bernardino | $1,730$144/mo | $1,141Integon Preferred Ins Co | $5,318$443/mo | $3,395California Capital Ins Co | 48 / 40 | Fontana |
| San FranciscoSan Francisco | $1,726$144/mo | $1,150California Capital Ins Co | $5,534$461/mo | $3,498California Capital Ins Co | 50 / 42 | SAN FRANCISCO - Glen Park; SAN FRANCISCO - Mission; SAN FRANCISCO - Nob Hill; SAN FRANCISCO -Sunset District |
| Moreno ValleyRiverside | $1,726$144/mo | $1,078Integon Preferred Ins Co | $5,218$435/mo | $3,361California Capital Ins Co | 48 / 40 | Moreno Valley |
| Huntington BeachOrange | $1,722$144/mo | $1,089Loya Cas Ins Co | $4,742$395/mo | $3,175California Capital Ins Co, Horace Mann Ins Co | 48 / 40 | Huntington Bh |
| Rancho CucamongaSan Bernardino | $1,705$142/mo | $1,093State National Ins Co Inc., Tesla Insurance Company | $5,278$440/mo | $3,359California Capital Ins Co | 48 / 40 | Rancho Cucamonga |
| ModestoStanislaus | $1,667$139/mo | $1,116Nations Ins Co | $5,134$428/mo | $3,294California Capital Ins Co | 50 / 42 | MODESTO - Dry Creek; MODESTO - Whitmore Park |
| San BernardinoSan Bernardino | $1,656$138/mo | $1,113Integon Preferred Ins Co | $5,402$450/mo | $3,380California Capital Ins Co | 48 / 40 | San Bernardino |
| StocktonSan Joaquin | $1,648$137/mo | $1,006Nations Ins Co | $5,420$452/mo | $3,316California Capital Ins Co | 50 / 42 | STOCKTON - 95206; STOCKTON - 95207 |
| OntarioSan Bernardino | $1,630$136/mo | $960First Acceptance Ins Co, Inc. | $4,988$416/mo | $3,244California Capital Ins Co | 48 / 40 | Ontario |
| RiversideRiverside | $1,616$135/mo | $1,085Loya Cas Ins Co | $4,789$399/mo | $3,292California Capital Ins Co | 48 / 40 | RIVERSIDE - 92503; RIVERSIDE - 92506 |
| OceansideSan Diego | $1,578$132/mo | $889Integon Preferred Ins Co | $4,668$389/mo | $3,092Integon Preferred Ins Co | 48 / 40 | Oceanside |
| FresnoFresno | $1,541$128/mo | $1,064State National Ins Co Inc., Tesla Insurance Company | $4,946$412/mo | $3,221California Capital Ins Co | 50 / 42 | FRESNO - Biola Junction; FRESNO - Sunnyside |
| OxnardVentura | $1,540$128/mo | $942Nations Ins Co | $4,811$401/mo | $3,316Horace Mann Ins Co | 48 / 40 | OXNARD - Northwest; OXNARD - South |
| San DiegoSan Diego | $1,525$127/mo | $929Integon Preferred Ins Co | $4,688$391/mo | $3,116Horace Mann Ins Co | 48 / 40 | SAN DIEGO - 92105; SAN DIEGO - 92154 |
| OaklandAlameda | $1,525$127/mo | $959Loya Cas Ins Co | $5,506$459/mo | $3,318California Capital Ins Co | 50 / 42 | OAKLAND - Piedmont; OAKLAND - San Leandro |
| San JoseSanta Clara | $1,521$127/mo | $978CSAA Ins Exch | $5,067$422/mo | $3,253California Capital Ins Co | 50 / 42 | SAN JOSE - 95111; SAN JOSE - 95127; SAN JOSE - Alamitos; SAN JOSE - Campbell |
| BakersfieldKern | $1,513$126/mo | $934Integon Preferred Ins Co | $4,811$401/mo | $3,295California Capital Ins Co | 48 / 40 | BAKERSFIELD - Kern City; BAKERSFIELD - Panama |
| FremontAlameda | $1,464$122/mo | $867Nations Ins Co | $4,842$404/mo | $3,132Wawanesa Gen Ins Co | 50 / 42 | Fremont |
| Santa RosaSonoma | $1,444$120/mo | $929Loya Cas Ins Co | $5,005$417/mo | $3,260California Capital Ins Co | 50 / 42 | SANTA ROSA - City Park; SANTA ROSA -Montgomery Village |
| Chula VistaSan Diego | $1,386$116/mo | $809Loya Cas Ins Co | $4,350$363/mo | $2,943Wawanesa Gen Ins Co | 48 / 40 | Chula Vista |
Same driver, every insurer: the six largest cities
Here is every insurer’s basic-liability premium for the same driver in California’s six largest surveyed cities, sorted by the Los Angeles price. The lowest premium in each city is in bold green. Names are exactly as CDI lists them; the 30-city file has all 30 cities.
| Insurer (as CDI names it) | Los Angeles | San Diego | San Jose | San Francisco | Fresno | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Capital Ins Co | $1,303 | $1,054 | $1,067 | $1,150 | $1,099 | $1,164 |
| State National Ins Co Inc.‡ | $1,459 | $1,044 | $1,173 | $1,158 | $1,064 | $1,176 |
| Tesla Insurance Company‡ | $1,459 | $1,044 | $1,173 | $1,158 | $1,064 | $1,176 |
| American National P & C | $1,532 | $1,229 | $1,202 | $1,276 | $1,370 | $1,362 |
| United Serv Automobile Assn | $1,588 | $1,382 | $1,196 | $1,183 | $1,276 | $1,352 |
| Integon Preferred Ins Co | $1,649 | $929 | $1,020 | $1,277 | $1,095 | $1,172 |
| Loya Cas Ins Co | $1,753 | $988 | $1,014 | $1,202 | $1,118 | $1,217 |
| Grange Ins Assn | $1,758 | $1,488 | $1,352 | $1,440 | $1,358 | $1,496 |
| First Acceptance Ins Co, Inc. | $1,805 | $1,056 | $1,257 | $2,186 | $1,119 | $1,382 |
| Horace Mann Ins Co | $1,818 | $1,259 | $1,348 | $1,494 | $1,449 | $1,522 |
| Amica Mutual Ins Co | $1,920 | $1,490 | $1,508 | $1,580 | $1,510 | $1,687 |
| United Financial Cas Co (Progressive Group) | $1,951 | $1,326 | $1,477 | $1,514 | $1,512 | $1,461 |
| Nations Ins Co | $2,012 | $1,104 | $1,073 | $1,501 | $1,122 | $1,016 |
| Wawanesa Gen Ins Co | $2,016 | $1,385 | $1,418 | $1,558 | $1,445 | $1,676 |
| 21st Century Cas Co | $2,075 | $1,511 | $1,524 | $1,691 | $1,684 | $1,871 |
| The Cincinnati Ins Co | $2,106 | $1,399 | $1,432 | $1,740 | $1,482 | $1,663 |
| California Casualty Ind Exch† | $2,124 | $1,432 | $1,296 | $1,390 | $1,365 | $1,599 |
| Travelers Commercial Ins Co | $2,143 | $1,391 | $1,432 | $1,712 | $1,446 | $1,623 |
| Permanent Gen Assur Corp | $2,150 | $1,617 | $1,504 | $1,758 | $1,610 | $1,840 |
| Safeco Ins Co of Amer | $2,162 | $1,692 | $1,680 | $1,746 | $1,738 | $1,788 |
| KnightBrook Ins Co | $2,175 | $1,153 | $1,222 | $1,674 | $1,200 | $1,478 |
| Safeway Ins Co | $2,233 | $1,633 | $1,531 | $1,536 | $1,548 | $1,932 |
| Mercury Ins Co | $2,264 | $1,626 | $1,561 | $1,618 | $1,534 | $1,898 |
| State Farm Mut Auto Ins Co | $2,335 | $1,768 | $1,549 | $1,534 | $1,708 | $1,864 |
| Response Indemnity Co of CA | $2,343 | $1,656 | $1,648 | $1,922 | $1,830 | $2,131 |
| Metromile Ins Co | $2,361 | $1,581 | $1,636 | $1,663 | $1,676 | $1,618 |
| Anchor General Ins Co | $2,402 | $1,431 | $1,514 | $2,047 | $1,528 | $1,463 |
| GEICO Protection Insurance Company | $2,414 | $1,538 | $1,435 | $1,466 | $1,470 | $1,748 |
| Mapfre Ins Co | $2,475 | $1,954 | $1,870 | $2,078 | $1,950 | $2,214 |
| Aspire Gen Ins Co | $2,497 | $1,500 | $2,293 | $2,997 | $1,328 | $2,282 |
| Orion Indemnity Co. | $2,509 | $1,491 | $1,458 | $1,563 | $1,491 | $1,728 |
| Drive Ins Co | $2,513 | $1,558 | $1,602 | $1,773 | $1,632 | $1,806 |
| Seaview Ins Co | $2,518 | $1,413 | $1,768 | $2,028 | $1,498 | $2,044 |
| Incline Natl Ins Co | $2,541 | $1,539 | $1,936 | $3,219 | $1,640 | $2,329 |
| Interins Exch of the Automobile Club (AAA) | $2,583 | $1,788 | $1,758 | $1,788 | $1,875 | $2,250 |
| Hartford Underwriters Ins Co | $2,627 | $1,840 | $1,842 | $2,054 | $1,856 | $2,166 |
| American Family Connect | $2,755 | $1,642 | $1,448 | $1,568 | $1,653 | $1,714 |
| Coast National Ins Co | $2,795 | $1,403 | $1,517 | $2,306 | $1,647 | $2,200 |
| Encompass Ins Co | $3,247 | $1,892 | $1,728 | $2,161 | $1,794 | $1,938 |
| Privilege Underwriters Recp Exh (PURE) | $3,385 | $2,086 | $2,129 | $2,482 | $2,173 | $2,518 |
| Viking Ins Co of WI | $3,387 | $1,558 | $1,702 | $2,857 | $1,562 | $2,246 |
| Nationwide Ins Co of Amer | $3,427 | $2,426 | $2,532 | $2,650 | $2,467 | $2,720 |
| Federal Ins Co (CHUBB) | $3,542 | $2,860 | $2,796 | $2,894 | $3,004 | $3,351 |
| Root Insurance Company | $3,676 | $2,094 | $2,072 | $2,150 | $2,118 | $2,414 |
| Farmers Ins Exch | $3,681 | $2,482 | $2,736 | $2,886 | $2,959 | $2,974 |
| Infinity Ins Co | $4,373 | $2,592 | $3,360 | $5,704 | $2,812 | $3,998 |
| Allstate Northbrook Ind Co | $4,783 | $2,658 | $2,803 | $3,748 | $3,025 | $4,088 |
| Qualitas Ins Co | $5,492 | $1,972 | $2,082 | $3,619 | $1,864 | $2,880 |
| CSAA Gen Ins Co | not in survey | not in survey | $2,093 | $2,594 | $2,058 | $2,518 |
| CSAA Ins Exch | not in survey | not in survey | $978 | $1,207 | $1,135 | $1,116 |
† CDI footnote: “primarily available to members or employees of various affinity groups or employers.” ‡ CDI footnote: the Tesla program focuses on Tesla customers.
Full coverage by insurer
| Insurer (as CDI names it) | Los Angeles | San Diego | San Jose | San Francisco | Fresno | Sacramento |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Capital Ins Co | $3,758 | $3,206 | $3,253 | $3,498 | $3,221 | $3,368 |
| Wawanesa Gen Ins Co | $4,560 | $3,270 | $3,324 | $4,006 | $3,333 | $3,678 |
| American National P & C | $4,633 | $3,902 | $3,984 | $4,400 | $4,267 | $4,304 |
| State National Ins Co Inc.‡ | $4,649 | $3,658 | $3,671 | $4,103 | $3,344 | $3,710 |
| Tesla Insurance Company‡ | $4,649 | $3,658 | $3,671 | $4,103 | $3,344 | $3,710 |
| Horace Mann Ins Co | $4,672 | $3,116 | $3,527 | $3,944 | $3,566 | $3,872 |
| United Serv Automobile Assn | $4,691 | $4,308 | $3,961 | $4,035 | $4,066 | $4,124 |
| United Financial Cas Co (Progressive Group) | $4,960 | $3,620 | $3,825 | $3,908 | $3,710 | $3,683 |
| Safeco Ins Co of Amer | $5,203 | $4,160 | $4,510 | $4,706 | $4,290 | $4,384 |
| Safeway Ins Co | $5,470 | $4,076 | $4,244 | $4,331 | $4,027 | $4,405 |
| Integon Preferred Ins Co | $5,492 | $3,638 | $3,786 | $5,162 | $4,154 | $4,884 |
| Aspire Gen Ins Co | $5,974 | $3,948 | $5,515 | $7,611 | $4,718 | $5,349 |
| Amica Mutual Ins Co | $6,046 | $4,846 | $5,038 | $5,205 | $4,876 | $5,219 |
| The Cincinnati Ins Co | $6,086 | $4,440 | $4,518 | $5,487 | $4,678 | $5,305 |
| Incline Natl Ins Co | $6,124 | $4,330 | $5,547 | $7,694 | $4,832 | $6,034 |
| Mercury Ins Co | $6,135 | $4,620 | $4,744 | $5,412 | $4,386 | $5,403 |
| California Casualty Ind Exch† | $6,244 | $4,131 | $4,087 | $4,558 | $4,286 | $4,952 |
| Response Indemnity Co of CA | $6,250 | $4,756 | $4,735 | $5,376 | $5,192 | $5,406 |
| American Family Connect | $6,516 | $4,242 | $4,380 | $5,244 | $4,376 | $4,799 |
| Metromile Ins Co | $6,602 | $4,533 | $4,916 | $4,924 | $4,686 | $4,724 |
| Travelers Commercial Ins Co | $6,631 | $4,528 | $4,693 | $5,663 | $4,732 | $5,408 |
| Permanent Gen Assur Corp | $6,823 | $5,218 | $5,280 | $6,030 | $5,180 | $5,652 |
| Root Insurance Company | $6,936 | $4,081 | $4,134 | $4,628 | $4,172 | $4,767 |
| Hartford Underwriters Ins Co | $7,188 | $5,250 | $5,319 | $6,118 | $5,224 | $5,780 |
| State Farm Mut Auto Ins Co | $7,217 | $5,872 | $5,458 | $5,582 | $5,220 | $5,844 |
| Infinity Ins Co | $7,384 | $4,836 | $6,352 | $9,470 | $5,378 | $6,980 |
| Orion Indemnity Co. | $7,504 | $5,082 | $5,097 | $5,455 | $5,154 | $5,622 |
| GEICO Protection Insurance Company | $7,507 | $5,011 | $5,126 | $5,479 | $5,114 | $6,006 |
| Encompass Ins Co | $7,613 | $5,402 | $5,450 | $6,696 | $5,969 | $6,024 |
| Drive Ins Co | $7,876 | $5,093 | $5,524 | $6,389 | $5,134 | $5,604 |
| Farmers Ins Exch | $7,947 | $5,275 | $5,965 | $6,716 | $6,224 | $6,119 |
| Seaview Ins Co | $8,009 | $4,864 | $5,981 | $6,810 | $5,016 | $6,267 |
| Interins Exch of the Automobile Club (AAA) | $8,103 | $6,054 | $5,981 | $6,815 | $5,670 | $6,871 |
| Coast National Ins Co | $8,489 | $5,124 | $5,823 | $8,208 | $5,805 | $7,575 |
| Mapfre Ins Co | $8,528 | $6,801 | $6,824 | $7,790 | $6,590 | $7,619 |
| 21st Century Cas Co | $9,235 | $7,556 | $7,042 | $9,062 | $7,739 | $8,566 |
| Nationwide Ins Co of Amer | $9,674 | $6,885 | $7,712 | $8,745 | $7,010 | $8,248 |
| Allstate Northbrook Ind Co | $9,724 | $7,791 | $6,143 | $8,508 | $6,436 | $7,848 |
| Privilege Underwriters Recp Exh (PURE) | $10,764 | $8,176 | $8,254 | $10,576 | $8,802 | $10,130 |
| Viking Ins Co of WI | $12,615 | $6,505 | $7,861 | $11,822 | $6,565 | $9,042 |
| CSAA Gen Ins Co | not in survey | not in survey | $7,616 | $11,418 | $8,472 | $9,409 |
| CSAA Ins Exch | not in survey | not in survey | $4,936 | $6,663 | $5,592 | $5,552 |
What a ticket, an accident or less experience adds
CDI prices the same driver with different records, which shows what one incident costs. The last column compares each insurer with itself in the same city, then takes the typical (median) change across all 30 cities.
| Driver profile (CDI number) | Median of city medians, 30 cities | Typical increase, same insurer and city |
|---|---|---|
| Basic liability, licensed 7 years, clean record (1122A) | $1,686$141/mo | — |
| Basic liability, licensed 7 years, one traffic ticket (1122B) | $2,196$183/mo | +26% |
| Basic liability, licensed 7 years, one at-fault accident (1122C) | $2,330$194/mo | +45% |
| Basic liability, licensed 7 years, one ticket and one accident (1122D) | $3,218$268/mo | +98% |
| Basic liability, licensed 2 years, clean record (1102A) | $3,137$261/mo | +84% |
| Full coverage, licensed 7 years, clean record (2522A) | $5,202$434/mo | — |
| Full coverage, licensed 7 years, one at-fault accident (2522C) | $7,157$596/mo | +44% |
The survey has no DUI, suspended-license or SR-22 profile, so it can’t price those. For SR-22, see the separate RateFoundry estimates further down, which come from a different source. Some insurers decline drivers with incidents altogether; the 21st Century footnote, for example, says it would decline the two-year-licensed driver with any ticket or accident.
Every survey driver here is single. Marital status is still an optional rating factor California insurers may use; the Insurance Commissioner proposed ending it on September 16, 2026. See what CDI proposed and the dates.
Inside Los Angeles: 14 survey areas, one driver
CDI surveys 14 areas it labels with the city of Los Angeles’s name. The same driver’s median basic premium changes by $880 a year between the cheapest and priciest of them.
| Survey area | Basic liability median | Full coverage median | Lowest to highest insurer |
|---|---|---|---|
| East | $1,912 | $5,574 | $1,109 – $3,643 |
| Westchester | $1,957 | $5,640 | $1,103 – $4,782 |
| Highland Park | $2,031 | $5,809 | $1,194 – $3,891 |
| El Sereno | $2,050 | $5,925 | $1,217 – $4,237 |
| Mar Vista | $2,140 | $6,008 | $1,203 – $4,775 |
| Griffith | $2,253 | $6,478 | $1,235 – $5,067 |
| Central | $2,259 | $6,976 | $1,308 – $6,962 |
| Palms | $2,306 | $6,329 | $1,257 – $6,962 |
| Echo Park | $2,388 | $6,766 | $1,335 – $6,962 |
| So. Central | $2,430 | $7,338 | $1,363 – $6,962 |
| Wagner | $2,446 | $6,996 | $1,396 – $6,962 |
| Mid City | $2,612 | $7,276 | $1,391 – $6,962 |
| Farmers Market | $2,652 | $7,432 | $1,366 – $6,962 |
| Vermont | $2,792 | $7,804 | $1,392 – $6,962 |
Statewide: the highest and lowest survey areas
Across all 270 survey areas, the five most expensive for basic liability are all in Los Angeles County. The five cheapest are in Imperial, Inyo, Modoc, Humboldt and Mendocino counties.
| Survey area | County | Basic liability median | Lowest to highest insurer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glendale | Los Angeles | $2,958 | $1,526 – $6,098 |
| Van Nuys | Los Angeles | $2,814 | $1,445 – $5,648 |
| Los Angeles - Vermont | Los Angeles | $2,792 | $1,392 – $6,962 |
| West Hollywood | Los Angeles | $2,678 | $1,426 – $6,025 |
| Los Angeles - Farmers Market | Los Angeles | $2,652 | $1,366 – $6,962 |
| Calexico | Imperial | $1,106 | $691 – $2,193 |
| Bishop | Inyo | $1,162 | $705 – $2,325 |
| Alturas | Modoc | $1,189 | $570 – $2,338 |
| Mckinleyville | Humboldt | $1,203 | $701 – $2,248 |
| Ukiah | Mendocino | $1,206 | $754 – $2,305 |
What changed after January 1, 2026
The survey is a snapshot of rates in effect on January 1, 2026. Since then CDI has approved rate changes for 12 of the insurers in it (through September 30, 2026, the latest list). The approved figure is the average change across the insurer’s program, so one driver’s renewal can move more or less. Because these were approved after January 1, 2026, the survey prices above don’t include them.
| Insurer (as CDI names it) | Program | Requested | Approved | CDI closed | CDI file |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Casualty Ind Exch | PRIVATE PASSENGER AUTO | +1.5% | +1.5% | 25-625 | |
| Infinity Ins Co | INFINITY SPEC AUTOMOBILE | +6.9% | +6.9% | 25-2194 | |
| State Farm Mut Auto Ins Co | PRIVATE PASSENGER AUTO | -6.2% | -6.2% | 25-2443 | |
| Infinity Ins Co | INFINITY RSVP AUTOMOBILE | +6.9% | +3% | 25-2462 | |
| California Capital Ins Co | CA PERSONAL AUTO (PREFERRED) | +8.5% | +3% | 25-2337 | |
| Travelers Commercial Ins Co | QUANTUM AUTO 2.0 | +4.6% | +3.1% | 25-2457 | |
| Wawanesa Gen Ins Co | PRIVATE PASSENGER AUTO - STANDARD/AFFINITY | +6.9% | +6.01% | 25-2519 | |
| Aspire Gen Ins Co | SAVINGS | +6.9% | +6.9% | 26-358 | |
| Aspire Gen Ins Co | Advantage | +6.9% | +6.9% | 26-340 | |
| Travelers Property Casualty Insurance Co | QUANTUM AUTO 2.0 | +4.5% | +4.5% | 25-2463 | |
| Safeway Ins Co | PERSONAL AUTO | +4.4% | +0.7% | 26-356 | |
| American National P & C | PRIVATE PASSENGER AUTO | +3.5% | -4.6% | 26-268 | |
| Metromile Ins Co | Private Passenger Auto | +6.9% | +4% | 26-506 | |
| Qualitas Ins Co | CALIFORNIA BORDERLESS | +26.7% | +18.5% | 26-561 | |
| Infinity Ins Co | INFINITY SPEC AUTOMOBILE | +6.9% | +6.9% | 26-701 |
For context, during 2025 CDI approved 23 such changes for 21 of the surveyed insurers, with a median of +12.0%; the largest were Nations Ins Co (+39.7%) and American National (+38.1%). CDI’s 2025 survey edition is no longer online, so this first edition of the index can’t compare survey to survey; the next edition can.
Why these prices look higher than other published averages
The survey’s numbers are often higher than the statewide averages on commercial rate sites, for reasons you can see in the method. CDI shows premiums before optional discounts (the clean-record profiles already include California’s Good Driver Discount). Its basic policy adds uninsured motorist and $2,000 medical payments coverage to the 30/60/15 minimum. Its full-coverage policy uses low $250 comprehensive and $500 collision deductibles on a 2023 car. Several national rate sites price a 35- to 40-year-old driver with $500 to $1,000 deductibles, and some apply discounts. Use the survey to compare places and insurers for the same driver, and a quote for your own price. California’s mandatory Good Driver Discount is explained separately.
Separate source: RateFoundry estimates from filed rates, not the state survey
How much does SR-22 insurance cost in California? Estimates from filed rates in 30 cities
An SR-22 by itself barely changes the price. In RateFoundry’s estimates from four insurance programs’ filed rate tables, adding an SR-22 filing for a clean-record driver raised each estimate by only that insurer’s filed SR-22 fee, $9 to $15 per filing, in all 30 of California’s largest cities. The rest of the price depends on the city and the insurer: from $1,541 to $7,119 a year for the same basic policy.
What the SR-22 filing added
$9 to $15
Filed fee per SR-22 filing, 4 programs, 30 cities
Typical city, with an SR-22
$2,574 a year
Middle of 4 estimates, median of 30 cities ($215 a month)
Programs RateFoundry could price
4 of 8
Root, Coast National, Bridger and National General: unavailable
These are not the state survey’s numbers. They come from RateFoundry, a rate engine that calculates estimates from the rates insurers file with the California Department of Insurance, run by us on October 10, 2026. How these estimates were made
- 1
The filed fee is the whole SR-22 difference in these estimates: $9 per SR-22 filing at Aegis SHIELD, $10 at Aspire Advantage and $15 at Aspire Savings and Infinity SPEC. In every one of the 30 cities, each program’s SR-22 estimate is its no-SR-22 estimate plus that fee.
- 2
The record behind an SR-22 costs far more than the form. California’s DMV requires an SR-22 to get your license back after a DUI conviction or a crash without insurance. Insurers price that record on its own; in the state survey on this page, one at-fault accident alone raised premiums by a typical 45%. These estimates use a clean record on purpose, to measure the filing by itself.
- 3
For the same driver with an SR-22, the middle of the four estimates runs from $1,854 a year in Chula Vista to $4,823 in Los Angeles (ZIP 90012). In the typical city it is $2,574 a year, about $215 a month.
- 4
The insurers disagree far more than the SR-22 moves the price. In the typical city, the highest of the four estimates is 50% above the lowest. In Los Angeles they run from $3,411 to $7,119 a year.
- 5
Treat the dollar amounts as rough. Priced for the state survey’s own driver where CDI publishes the survey ZIP code, with the Good Driver Discount the survey includes, Aspire Advantage’s estimates were a median 17% above the premiums Aspire reported to the state, and Infinity SPEC’s were a median 16% below Infinity’s. The with-and-without comparison doesn’t depend on those levels.
When California requires an SR-22, from the DMV’s California Driver Handbook: after a DUI conviction and after a crash without insurance.
Estimates by city, with an SR-22
Each row is the same driver with one SR-22 filing: single, licensed 7 years, clean record, 2023 Toyota Camry, the state survey’s basic limits, 12-month policy. Columns are in alphabetical order, which isn’t a ranking. Cities are sorted by the middle estimate, highest first.
| City | ZIP | Aegis SHIELD | Aspire Advantage | Aspire Savings | Infinity SPEC | Middle of the four |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los AngelesLos Angeles | 90012 | $3,411 | $3,902 | $7,119 | $5,744 | $4,823$402/mo |
| San FranciscoSan Francisco | 94102 | $3,168 | $4,571 | $3,577 | $5,722 | $4,074$339/mo |
| GlendaleLos Angeles | 91206 | $3,579 | $3,279 | $4,755 | $3,647 | $3,613$301/mo |
| OaklandAlameda | 94612 | $3,346 | $3,051 | $4,827 | $3,728 | $3,537$295/mo |
| SacramentoSacramento | 95814 | $2,627 | $3,341 | $3,057 | $3,555 | $3,199$267/mo |
| LancasterLos Angeles | 93534 | $2,784 | $2,621 | $3,102 | $3,939 | $2,943$245/mo |
| Santa ClaritaLos Angeles | 91355 | $2,410 | $3,001 | $2,727 | $4,296 | $2,864$239/mo |
| Long BeachLos Angeles | 90802 | $2,912 | $2,621 | $2,727 | $3,166 | $2,819$235/mo |
| San JoseSanta Clara | 95113 | $2,686 | $2,893 | $2,348 | $5,028 | $2,790$232/mo |
| Santa AnaOrange | 92701 | $2,336 | $2,352 | $3,476 | $3,135 | $2,744$229/mo |
| IrvineOrange | 92606 | $2,510 | $2,725 | $2,903 | $2,693 | $2,709$226/mo |
| FresnoFresno | 93721 | $2,937 | $1,965 | $2,475 | $2,825 | $2,650$221/mo |
| Moreno ValleyRiverside | 92553 | $2,024 | $2,364 | $3,321 | $2,847 | $2,605$217/mo |
| StocktonSan Joaquin | 95202 | $2,680 | $2,364 | $2,529 | $3,545 | $2,604$217/mo |
| Garden GroveOrange | 92840 | $2,515 | $2,352 | $2,674 | $3,658 | $2,595$216/mo |
| San BernardinoSan Bernardino | 92401 | $2,807 | $2,248 | $2,519 | $2,589 | $2,554$213/mo |
| Huntington BeachOrange | 92648 | $2,417 | $2,621 | $2,311 | $3,598 | $2,519$210/mo |
| RiversideRiverside | 92501 | $2,009 | $2,364 | $2,519 | $2,741 | $2,441$203/mo |
| FontanaSan Bernardino | 92335 | $2,066 | $2,304 | $2,519 | $2,625 | $2,412$201/mo |
| AnaheimOrange | 92805 | $2,408 | $2,352 | $2,371 | $3,298 | $2,390$199/mo |
| OntarioSan Bernardino | 91764 | $2,117 | $2,065 | $2,622 | $2,762 | $2,369$197/mo |
| ModestoStanislaus | 95354 | $2,290 | $2,434 | $2,139 | $3,135 | $2,362$197/mo |
| FremontAlameda | 94538 | $2,092 | $2,559 | $1,889 | $3,119 | $2,326$194/mo |
| Rancho CucamongaSan Bernardino | 91730 | $2,443 | $2,065 | $2,127 | $3,615 | $2,285$190/mo |
| Santa RosaSonoma | 95404 | $2,339 | $2,187 | $1,746 | $2,841 | $2,263$189/mo |
| OceansideSan Diego | 92054 | $2,052 | $2,411 | $1,541 | $2,694 | $2,232$186/mo |
| OxnardVentura | 93030 | $1,923 | $2,190 | $1,971 | $2,771 | $2,081$173/mo |
| BakersfieldKern | 93301 | $2,148 | $1,954 | $1,924 | $2,786 | $2,051$171/mo |
| San DiegoSan Diego | 92101 | $2,003 | $2,053 | $1,685 | $2,724 | $2,028$169/mo |
| Chula VistaSan Diego | 91910 | $1,688 | $1,860 | $1,847 | $2,096 | $1,854$154/mo |
What the SR-22 adds, program by program
The same calculation without the SR-22 shows what the filing adds. For each program the difference is the same in every city: its filed SR-22 fee.
| Program (insurer) | Filed SR-22 fee, per filing | Without SR-22: median of 30 cities | With SR-22: median of 30 cities | SR-22 minus no-SR-22, by city |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aegis SHIELD CA PPAAegis Security (Triton General MGA) | $9 | $2,405 | $2,414 | $9 in 30 of 30 cities |
| Aspire AdvantageAspire General Insurance Company | $10 | $2,354 | $2,364 | $10 in 30 of 30 cities |
| Aspire SavingsAspire General Insurance Company | $15 | $2,504 | $2,519 | $15 in 30 of 30 cities |
| Infinity SPEC AutomobileInfinity Insurance Company | $15 | $3,120 | $3,135 | $15 in 30 of 30 cities |
Which insurers RateFoundry could price
RateFoundry has filed-rate tables for seven insurers, eight programs in all. Four priced this profile in every city. The other four came back unavailable, and they stay that way here: no number is filled in for them.
| Program (insurer) | Result in this run | Rate filing (CDI file · SERFF · effective) | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aegis SHIELD CA PPAAegis Security (Triton General MGA) | okok in 60 of 60 | 25-2240 · PERR-134706089 · 2026-04-01 (approved 2026-06-04) | Priced in all 60 calculations. Uses the approved rate set effective April 1, 2026; as in the insurer’s own filed examples, the policy fee is included in the liability premium. |
| Aspire AdvantageAspire General Insurance Company | okok in 60 of 60 | 26-340 · PERR-134865702 · 2026-06-04 (approved) | Priced in all 60. With no VIN, a mid-table liability symbol is used. Filing 26-340 has no ZIP-to-territory map, so the engine uses the one from Aspire’s earlier filing 23-133. |
| Aspire SavingsAspire General Insurance Company | okok in 60 of 60 | 26-358 · PERR-134859148 · 2026-06-04 (approved) | Priced in all 60, without medical payments: Savings has no filed rate for that coverage, so it is left out. Uses a mid-table liability symbol and the higher of its two commute classes (15 miles or more). |
| Infinity SPEC AutomobileInfinity Insurance Company | okok in 60 of 60 | 25-2194 · NFNT-134708647 · 2026-04-06 | Priced in all 60. Infinity’s VIN factors aren’t in its public filing, so neutral vehicle factors are used. |
| Bridger CA Non-Standard AutoBridger Insurance (Incline National) | unavailableunavailable in 60 of 60 | 23-3457 + 24-1469 · PERR-133914500 · 2024 (23-3457 + 24-1469 deltas) | Unavailable. Its filed tables in RateFoundry offer only 15/30 bodily injury limits, below this profile’s 30/60. |
| Coast National BasicCoast National Insurance Company (Bristol West) | unavailableunavailable in 60 of 60 | 23-763 · BRWS-133610527 · 2023-10-19 | Unavailable. It needs a VIN to look up the car’s rating symbol, and this profile has none. |
| Integon Preferred VALUENational General (Integon Preferred) | unavailableunavailable in 60 of 60 | 24-1139 · GMMX-134127116 · 2025-07-15 | Unavailable. A 2023 Toyota Camry matches two rating symbols in its filed table, and without a VIN the engine doesn’t pick one. |
| Root Insurance Company | unavailableunavailable in 60 of 60 | none returned | Unavailable. RateFoundry prices Root only inside the cases it was checked against (6-month policies and two test vehicles), and in that check Root returned no price for SR-22 drivers. |
If you don’t own a car
Then the policy you’d need is a non-owner policy with an SR-22. RateFoundry doesn’t price non-owner SR-22, so none of these estimates apply to it. See SR-22 without a car for how that policy works, and the SR-22 filing guide for the filing itself.
How these estimates were made
RateFoundry is a rate engine built by Pedro Mendoza, one of QuoteMoto’s co-owners and the author of this page. It calculates non-binding premium estimates from the rate tables insurers file with the California Department of Insurance, following each program’s filed rating rules. It doesn’t ask insurers for quotes. When a program’s filed tables can’t price a profile, it reports that program as unavailable instead of estimating a number, and this page keeps those results as they came back.
We ran the engine (version ratefoundry-internal-alpha-2026-08-10, source revision d3853cc) on October 10, 2026, on our own computer and without contacting any insurer: 60 calculations, one with an SR-22 filing and one without in each of the 30 cities, plus 8 for the accuracy check below. Each rate file it used matched the checksum recorded in the engine’s file manifest. Two of its 19 files, the vehicle-symbol lookups for Root and Coast National, weren’t installed; they don’t affect this run, because both programs stop before that lookup for the reasons in the table above.
The driver is the closest match RateFoundry can take to the state survey’s basic-liability driver (CDI profile 1122A): single, licensed 7 years, no tickets, accidents or violation points, driving a 2023 Toyota Camry to work 9,000 miles a year (the survey says 7,600 to 10,000). The policy is a new 12-month policy with the survey’s basic limits: 30/60/15 liability, $2,000 medical payments, 30/60 uninsured motorist bodily injury and $3,500 uninsured motorist property damage. RateFoundry rates on years licensed, not age. Each city uses one ZIP code, at or near city hall, shown in the table. No VIN and no discounts are applied, including California’s Good Driver Discount. The state survey’s premiums for this driver do include that discount: it is mandatory for drivers who qualify, and this one (licensed 7 years, no points) does, so the accuracy check below applies it.
Where a filing needs something the profile doesn’t give, the engine applies a disclosed default, listed for each program in the table above. One default is worth naming: the engine records a male driver for Aspire, because one of its filed tables has a gender column. California doesn’t allow gender rating, and switching it changed none of the 60 results. The engine doesn’t apply insurers’ underwriting rules, so an estimate here doesn’t mean the insurer would accept the driver.
How accurate is it? RateFoundry’s accuracy has been measured once: on 16 blind test cases with 19 exact targets, its estimates reached 92.26% pricing parity (7.74% mean absolute error) against carrier prices from a commercial comparative rater. Those targets were Root’s California personal auto program and Aspire’s Advantage and Savings programs for named non-owner policies, not owned-car estimates like these; Infinity SPEC and Aegis SHIELD weren’t in the test, and RateFoundry doesn’t claim parity across all carriers. As a rough check, we priced the state survey’s own driver at the 8 survey areas whose ZIP code CDI publishes (2 each in San Diego, San Jose, Stockton and Riverside), with the Good Driver Discount the survey includes, and compared the results with the premiums the same insurers reported: Aspire Advantage’s estimates were a median 17% above (17% to 19% above), and Infinity SPEC’s a median 16% below (15% to 17% below). CDI’s Aspire premiums match Aspire’s Advantage program, so Aspire Savings isn’t compared. Part of the gap is timing: the filings RateFoundry uses for both insurers were approved in 2026, after the survey’s January 1 rates, and raised rates 6.9% on average. The rest comes from rating inputs the filings don’t publish, such as Aspire’s rating symbol for the car and Infinity’s VIN factors, so treat the dollar levels as rough. The SR-22 comparison doesn’t depend on them: it is the same calculation with and without the filing.
Each figure is, in RateFoundry’s words, a “non-binding premium estimate computed from public insurance rate filings” and “NOT a quote, NOT an offer of coverage”; actual premiums are set by the insurer. They include only the insurer’s filed fees, not any fee an agency or broker may charge. They aren’t QuoteMoto prices, and non-owner SR-22 isn’t priced here.
If your income is limited
California’s Low Cost Auto Insurance program sells a lower-limit liability policy at a state-set price that varies by county, for income-eligible drivers. See CLCA rates by county for every county’s price.
Questions people ask
- How much is car insurance in California per month?
- In the California Department of Insurance’s 2026 survey, the median premium across the 30 largest surveyed cities is $1,686 a year (about $141 a month) for basic 30/60/15 liability and $5,202 a year (about $434 a month) for full coverage with $250/$500 deductibles. That is for a single driver licensed seven years with a clean record. That driver qualifies for California’s Good Driver Discount, which is built into these premiums; optional discounts are not applied. Your price depends on your record, experience, car, ZIP code and insurer.
- Is $200 a month a lot for car insurance in California?
- $200 a month is $2,400 a year. In the 2026 state survey, that is more than the median basic-liability premium in 29 of the 30 largest cities (Glendale, at $2,958, is the exception) and less than the median full-coverage premium in all 30, where the lowest city median is $4,350 in Chula Vista.
- Which California city has the most expensive car insurance?
- Among the 30 largest cities in the 2026 survey, Glendale has the highest median for the same driver: $2,958 a year for basic liability and $8,551 for full coverage. Los Angeles is second, at $2,339 and $6,616. Across all 270 survey areas, Glendale is the highest for basic liability and Van Nuys for full coverage ($8,600).
- Which insurer is cheapest in California?
- It depends on the city and the driver. In the 2026 survey, California Capital Ins Co had the lowest full-coverage premium for the clean-record driver in 25 of the 30 largest cities. For basic liability no insurer was lowest everywhere: Integon Preferred Ins Co and Nations Ins Co were lowest in 7 cities each, and California Capital Ins Co and Loya Cas Ins Co in 5 each. These are survey results for one hypothetical driver, not a promise of your price.
- How much does an accident raise car insurance in California?
- In the 2026 survey, one at-fault accident raised the same insurer’s basic-liability premium by a typical 45% and its full-coverage premium by 44%, comparing each insurer with itself in the same city across 30 cities. One traffic ticket added 26%.
- Do these prices include discounts?
- No. CDI says the survey’s annual premiums are shown “before any applicable discounts are applied” and are “not an insurance premium quote.” Several insurers’ CDI footnotes describe discounts the survey leaves out; GEICO’s, for example, says good drivers with five clean years qualify for an additional 20% to 35%.
- How much does an SR-22 add to car insurance in California?
- In RateFoundry’s estimates for a clean-record driver in California’s 30 largest cities, adding an SR-22 filing raised the annual estimate by only the insurer’s filed SR-22 fee, $9 to $15 per filing, at all four insurance programs it could price. The filing is a small cost next to the record behind it: in the state survey on this page, one at-fault accident raised premiums by a typical 45%. These are estimates from filed rates, not quotes, and they come from a different source than the survey.
These are survey prices for hypothetical drivers. For prices on your own record, car and ZIP code, QuoteMoto is a comparison and referral service that connects California drivers with licensed agents, in English or Spanish.
Compare quotes for your profileMethodology: what these numbers are and are not
Every price on this page comes from the California Department of Insurance (CDI) 2026 Automobile Insurance premium survey. Each year CDI's Data Analytics and Reporting division gives insurers a fixed set of hypothetical drivers and asks for the annual premium each would pay in a list of ZIP codes. CDI says the ZIP codes "were selected based on the number of registered vehicles in various regions throughout the state, as provided by the California Department of Motor Vehicles." The 2026 survey covers 270 survey areas.
In CDI's words, the premiums "are effective as of January 1, 2026 and should be viewed as a general guide. The annual premiums shown are before any applicable discounts are applied. This is not an insurance premium quote." They are not QuoteMoto quotes, and nobody can buy a policy at these prices without applying. California's Good Driver Discount works differently: for the clean-record profiles it is built into the rate, which we confirmed against Aspire's filed rating tables, where CDI's two-year and seven-year premiums match the filed ratio only with the discount applied.
The drivers
All profiles come from CDI's 2026 profile workbook. The car is used to commute to work. CDI states no age, and California insurers may not use gender as a rating factor.
- Basic liability (profiles 1122 and 1102): 30/60/15 bodily injury and property damage liability, $2,000 medical payments, 30/60 uninsured/underinsured motorist and $3,500 uninsured motorist property damage. Single driver, 2023 Toyota Camry LE, 7,600 to 10,000 miles a year. Profile 1122 has been licensed 7 years; 1102 has been licensed 2 years. Letters A to D are the driving record: A none, B one traffic ticket, C one at-fault accident, D one ticket and one accident.
- Full coverage (profile 2522): 100/300 bodily injury, $50,000 property damage, $5,000 medical payments, 30/60 uninsured/underinsured motorist, $250 comprehensive and $500 collision deductibles with a collision deductible waiver. Single driver licensed 7 years, 2023 Honda Accord LX, 7,600 to 10,000 miles a year.
How a city figure is built
A survey area counts toward a city only when CDI labels it with that city's name. Los Angeles has 14 such areas, San Jose and San Francisco 4 each, and 13 of the 30 cities have 2. For each insurer we average its premiums across the city's areas, counting only insurers that priced every area, then report the median of those insurer averages along with the lowest and highest. The median is the middle insurer, so one very cheap or very expensive company doesn't move it.
The "typical increase" for a ticket, an accident or less experience compares the same insurer in the same city, then takes the median of those increases across all 30 cities.
Insurers left out of the full-coverage medians
CDI publishes each insurer's footnotes. Six say they priced liability limits other than the profile's 100/300/50, so their full-coverage premiums aren't like-for-like and are excluded from full-coverage medians and tables (they stay, flagged, in the all-areas file):
- First Acceptance: property damage capped at $25,000 (NAIC 10336)
- Nations: rated 30/60/15 with $500 deductibles (NAIC 13127)
- KnightBrook: limits above 30/60/15 rated at 30/60/15 (NAIC 13722)
- Federal (Chubb): rated a $300,000 combined single limit (NAIC 20281)
- Grange: rated 30/60 bodily injury and $15,000 property damage (NAIC 22101)
- Anchor General: rated 30/60/15 for the whole survey (NAIC 40010)
For basic liability, six insurers say they priced lower medical payments limits than the profile's $2,000 ($500 or $1,000): Anchor General, First Acceptance, KnightBrook, Loya, Nations and Qualitas. Medical payments is a small part of a liability premium, so they stay in the basic figures, but keep it in mind when one of them is the lowest price in a city.
Other footnotes matter when you read the insurer table. California Casualty says it is "primarily available to members or employees of various affinity groups or employers." The Tesla program (Tesla Insurance Company and State National) says it focuses on Tesla customers. Several insurers note discounts that the survey prices leave out. GEICO, for example, says good drivers with five clean years qualify for an additional 20% to 35% discount.
What the survey can't tell you
- Your own price. Age, car, exact ZIP, prior insurance and discounts all change it.
- SR-22 or DUI pricing. The survey has no profile with a license suspension, a DUI or an SR-22 filing. The SR-22 section uses a different source, RateFoundry, and has its own method note.
- Change from last year. CDI's 2025 edition is no longer online, so this first edition can't compare survey to survey. The rate-approval section below covers changes since January 1, 2026.
- Whether an insurer will accept a given driver. Some decline profiles; those show no price.
Retrieval, files and corrections
QuoteMoto read every premium from CDI's public comparison tool on October 9, 2026, profile by profile and area by area, and checked that the tool returned the expected CDI profile number for each request. The rate changes come from CDI's rate filing approvals list (year to date through September 30, 2026). Download the 30-city file (every insurer, every profile) or the all-areas file (270 areas, clean-record profiles). You can check any row in the CDI tool by choosing the same coverage, area, driver, years licensed, mileage, record and car. If you find a mismatch, tell us and we'll correct it and note the change here.
QuoteMoto's compilation, tables and files are licensed under CC BY 4.0: you may reuse them with credit to the "QuoteMoto California Car Insurance Cost Index" and a link to this page. The premiums themselves come from the California Department of Insurance survey; cite CDI as the underlying source.