Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in Rhode Island (2024)
Key takeaways
- Travelers has the cheapest rates for both full coverage and liability car insurance in Rhode Island.
- The average rate of full-coverage car insurance in Rhode Island is $2,636 a year.
Best cheap insurance in Rhode Island
For most motorists, Travelers has the cheapest rates for both full coverage and liability auto insurance in Rhode Island.
However, teen drivers might find a better deal with Allstate, while those with a traffic violation or DUI (driving under the influence) conviction should try Amica or Progressive.
Cheapest full-coverage rates in Rhode Island: Travelers
Travelers has the cheapest full-coverage auto insurance for most Rhode Island drivers, at an average $1,876 a year, or $156 a month.
Nationwide is next at $2,592 a year, or $216 a month.
USAA does have the overall cheapest rate in Rhode Island, at $1,170 a year. However, it only provides car insurance to active duty and veteran military, as well as their families.
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance companies
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Travelers | $1,876 |
| Nationwide | $2,592 |
| Geico | $2,611 |
| Progressive | $2,658 |
| Amica | $2,665 |
| Allstate | $3,129 |
| Farmers | $4,384 |
| USAA* | $1,170 |
*USAA is only available for current or former military members and their families.
Full-coverage car insurance combines liability — which covers damage to the other party if you’re at fault — with comprehensive and collision insurance for yourself and your car. It covers your medical and repair expenses and protects you in other situations, such as auto theft.
Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Rhode Island: Travelers
Travelers also has the cheapest rate for liability-only car insurance in Rhode Island at $729 a year, or $61 a month.
Amica is the next cheapest at $1,139 a year ($95 a month).
Cheapest companies for liability car insurance
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Travelers | $729 |
| Amica | $1,139 |
| Progressive | $1,186 |
| Geico | $1,287 |
| Nationwide | $1,394 |
| Allstate | $1,686 |
| Farmers | $1,800 |
| USAA | $484 |
Liability car insurance covers the other party’s repair, medical and legal bills if you cause an accident, but it won’t cover your own car or medical care. Most states have minimum requirements for liability insurance.
Cheapest Rhode Island car insurance for teens: Allstate
Allstate offers the cheapest minimum coverage rates for Rhode Island teens at $3,688 a year, or $307 a month on average.
Geico is the next cheapest option at $3,994 a year, or $333 a month.
Cheapest car insurance companies for teens
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Allstate | $3,688 |
| Geico | $3,994 |
| Nationwide | $5,285 |
| Amica | $5,553 |
| Progressive | $5,657 |
| Farmers | $6,617 |
| Travelers | $7,426 |
| USAA | $1,554 |
Car insurance for teens costs more than for any other age group. Car insurance companies consider young drivers high risk due to lack of experience, and charge higher rates to offset the risk.
If you have a young driver in your home, consider adding them to your current car insurance. Your rates will go up, but it should still be cheaper than having separate policies (if you both have clean driving records).
Cheapest Rhode Island rates after a speeding ticket: Amica
Amica has the cheapest rates for Rhode Island drivers with a speeding ticket or similar traffic violation, at $2,665 a year, or $222 a month.
Nationwide is the next cheapest at $3,135 a year ($261 a month).
Cheapest car insurance companies with a ticket
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Amica | $2,665 |
| Nationwide | $3,135 |
| Progressive | $3,296 |
| Travelers | $3,495 |
| Allstate | $3,805 |
| Geico | $4,612 |
| Farmers | $5,153 |
| USAA | $1,332 |
A speeding ticket or similar violation stays on your driving record for at least three years. You can expect to see higher car insurance rates during this time.
Cheapest rates after an accident: Travelers
Travelers has the cheapest car insurance rate in Rhode Island for drivers with an accident on their record, at an average of $2,623 per year — about $219 a month.
Progressive is the next cheapest at $2,658 a year ($222 a month), since its average rate after an accident is no different from its standard full-coverage rate.
Cheapest car insurance companies after an accident
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Travelers | $2,623 |
| Progressive | $2,658 |
| Allstate | $3,129 |
| Geico | $3,374 |
| Nationwide | $4,017 |
| Amica | $4,215 |
| Farmers | $5,694 |
| USAA | $1,170 |
Cheapest car insurance rates after a DUI: Progressive
Progressive has the cheapest rate for Rhode Island car insurance after a DUI (driving under the influence) conviction. On average, it charges $2,966 a year, or $247 a month.
Travelers is the next cheapest after a DUI at $3,709 a year, or $309 a month.
Cheapest car insurance companies after a DUI
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Progressive | $2,966 |
| Travelers | $3,709 |
| Allstate | $4,566 |
| Nationwide | $5,147 |
| Farmers | $7,376 |
| Amica | $9,370 |
| Geico | $9,460 |
| USAA | $2,121 |
A DUI can lead to fines, penalties, jail time and license suspension. A first offense DUI in Rhode Island stays on your record for at least five years.
Car insurance companies consider drivers with a DUI very high risk and will charge them higher rates. In some cases, a DUI can result in denial or cancellation of your coverage.
Best car insurance companies with bad credit: Nationwide
Nationwide has the cheapest average rate for Rhode Island drivers with a poor credit score at $3,716 a year, or about $310 a month.
Geico has almost the same rate, just slightly higher at $3,736 a year ($311 a year).
Best car insurance for drivers with poor credit
| Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Nationwide | $3,716 |
| Geico | $3,736 |
| Amica | $4,186 |
| Travelers | $4,442 |
| Progressive | $4,496 |
| Allstate | $5,667 |
| Farmers | $9,532 |
| USAA | $2,399 |
Car insurance companies see a connection between your credit score and the chances of you filing a claim. This is still a heavily discussed subject, however, and has been restricted or even prohibited in some states.
If you’re not sure how good or bad your own credit score is, you can find out for free at LendingTree Spring before you shop for insurance.
Comparing car insurance companies in Rhode Island
| Company | LendingTree Score | JD Power customer satisfaction | AM Best |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  | 623 | A++ |
 |  | NA | A+ |
 |  | 638 | A++ |
 |  | 620 | A+ |
 | NA | 709 | A+ |
 | | 646 | A+ |
 | | 600 | A |
 | | 741 | A++ |
Travelers
Travelers has the most affordable car insurance rates in Rhode Island for both full coverage and liability-only, with full-coverage rates typically 29% cheaper than the state average. They also offer good discounts to lower your rate even further.
Pros
Cheapest rates in Rhode Island
Good range of discounts
Cons
J.D. Power Overall Customer Satisfaction rating 14 points lower than New England regional average
Geico
Geico offers a great range of discounts for Rhode Island drivers — with 16 or more to pick from. It also has good online access for customers.
However, Geico doesn’t offer gap insurance, which takes care of the remainder you owe on a financed car if it’s totaled. This could be bad if you have a brand new car.
Pros
Largest choice of car insurance discounts
Average full-coverage rate of $2,611 below state average
Cons
Few optional coverages
Doesn’t offer gap insurance
Amica
Amica has high customer satisfaction ratings for the New England region. It also has great discounts, like its StreetSmart program that rewards safe driving practices.
Amica isn’t the cheapest, though, with its average full-coverage rate of $2,665 about $30 above the Rhode Island average.
Pros
J.D. Power Overall Customer Satisfaction rating 72 points higher than regional average
StreetSmart program offers discount for safe driving practices
Cons
Average rate a little higher than average state rate
Rhode Island car insurance rates by city
Newport East has the cheapest rate for car insurance in Rhode Island, at $2,000 a year or $167 a month.
Providence is the most expensive, at $3,582 a year or $299 a month.
| City | Annual rate |
|---|---|
| Adamsville | $2,607 |
| Albion | $2,589 |
| Ashaway | $2,197 |
| Barrington | $2,479 |
| Block Island | $2,226 |
| Bradford | $2,209 |
| Bristol | $2,329 |
| Carolina | $2,311 |
| Central Falls | $3,221 |
| Charlestown | $2,292 |
| Chepachet | $2,617 |
| Clayville | $2,734 |
| Coventry | $2,482 |
| Cranston | $3,233 |
| Cumberland | $2,622 |
| Cumberland Hill | $2,613 |
| East Greenwich | $2,544 |
| East Providence | $2,845 |
| Exeter | $2,352 |
| Fiskeville | $2,824 |
| Forestdale | $2,874 |
| Foster | $2,709 |
| Glendale | $2,692 |
| Greene | $2,469 |
| Greenville | $2,745 |
| Harmony | $2,663 |
| Harrisville | $2,561 |
| Hope | $2,736 |
| Hope Valley | $2,248 |
| Hopkinton | $2,207 |
| Jamestown | $2,060 |
| Johnston | $3,351 |
| Kenyon | $2,336 |
| Kingston | $2,333 |
| Lincoln | $2,804 |
| Little Compton | $2,106 |
| Manville | $2,611 |
| Mapleville | $2,570 |
| Melville | $2,051 |
| Middletown | $2,004 |
| Misquamicut | $2,117 |
| Narragansett | $2,317 |
| Narragansett Pier | $2,317 |
| Newport | $2,086 |
| Newport East | $2,000 |
| North Kingstown | $2,358 |
| North Providence | $3,502 |
| North Scituate | $2,641 |
| North Smithfield | $2,525 |
| Oakland | $2,585 |
| Pascoag | $2,557 |
| Pawtucket | $3,121 |
| Peace Dale | $2,733 |
| Portsmouth | $2,097 |
| Providence | $3,582 |
| Prudence Island | $2,154 |
| Riverside | $2,960 |
| Rockville | $2,309 |
| Rumford | $3,015 |
| Saunderstown | $2,355 |
| Shannock | $2,322 |
| Slatersville | $2,566 |
| Slocum | $2,661 |
| Smithfield | $2,702 |
| Tiverton | $2,241 |
| Valley Falls | $2,610 |
| Wakefield | $2,325 |
| Wakefield-Peacedale | $2,311 |
| Warren | $2,517 |
| Warwick | $2,631 |
| West Greenwich | $2,523 |
| West Kingston | $2,364 |
| West Warwick | $2,638 |
| Westerly | $2,117 |
| Wood River Junction | $2,303 |
| Woonsocket | $2,596 |
| Wyoming | $2,270 |
The cost of car insurance in Rhode Island
The average cost of full-coverage car insurance in Rhode Island is $2,636 a year. For liability-only coverage, the average is $1,213 a year.
What you pay for a car insurance policy depends on several factors, including:
- Make and model of your car
- Address and ZIP code
- Claim history
- Coverage limits
- Deductible amount
- Discounts
Car insurance laws in Rhode Island
Minimum requirements for car insurance in Rhode Island
Rhode Island’s required liability coverage limits are often written as 25/50/25:
- $25,000 bodily injury coverage per person
- $50,000 bodily injury coverage per accident
- $25,000 property damage coverage
These limits may seem high, but an extended hospital stay or court case after an accident can hit — and surpass — that limit quickly. Any claim-related expenses after your limit is hit come out of your own pocket.
Consider increasing your liability limits in order to avoid financial difficulties.
Frequently-asked questions
Travelers is the cheapest company for both full-coverage insurance ($1,876 a year) and liability-only coverage ($729 a year).
However, you might find a better deal somewhere else, depending on your situation. For example, teen drivers might get the best rate with Allstate, while those with bad credit should check with Nationwide.
Rhode Island is an at-fault state for car insurance. The driver who caused the accident pays for the medical bills and car repairs of others involved.