Methodology
Insura's estimate comes from a small, simplified model. This page shows all of it, including the parts that are assumptions.
Model version 0.1-illustrative. Assumptions last updated September 30, 2026.
What the calculator does
It turns six answers into an estimated monthly range for a car insurance policy. It is an educational estimate, meant to give you a sense of scale before you compare real quotes. It is not a quote, an offer of insurance or a prediction of what any particular insurer will charge.
What information it uses
- Your ZIP code, used only to identify your state
- Your vehicle's year and body style (from the make and model you choose)
- The driver's age
- Driving history over the last three years
- Miles driven per year
- Coverage level and deductible
It does not ask for a name, address, email, Social Security number, driver's license or VIN.
How the estimate is produced
- Start from a fixed reference point of $168 a month. This is a model assumption for the baseline profile, not a published market average.
- Multiply it by one adjustment for each of six inputs: location, vehicle, driver age, mileage, coverage and driving history.
- Widen the result into a range, because insurers price the same driver differently. The range is wider for profiles insurers tend to disagree on most.
- Round to whole dollars. The annual figures are the monthly figures times twelve.
The baseline profile is a driver aged 30 to 64 with a clean record, driving 10,000 to 15,000 miles a year in a four-to-eight-year-old sedan or SUV, with full coverage and a $500 deductible, in a state the model places in its typical-cost tier. That profile produces a midpoint of $168 a month.
The range runs from 84% to 124% of the midpoint. It widens by 4 points at each end for drivers under 25 or 75 and over, and again for drivers with any incident on their record.
Every adjustment the model applies
These figures are illustrative model assumptions. They reflect widely reported directional relationships in how insurers price risk. They are not insurer rates, regulatory filings or official market averages, and they should not be quoted as statistics.
| Lower-cost tier | × 0.88 |
|---|---|
| Typical-cost tier | × 1.00 |
| Elevated-cost tier | × 1.10 |
| Higher-cost tier | × 1.22 |
| Compact car | × 0.94 |
|---|---|
| Sedan | × 1.00 |
| SUV or crossover | × 1.00 |
| Minivan | × 0.95 |
| Pickup truck | × 1.04 |
| Electric vehicle | × 1.15 |
| Luxury vehicle | × 1.22 |
| Sports car | × 1.30 |
| 0 to 3 years | × 1.06 |
|---|---|
| 4 to 8 years | × 1.00 |
| 9 to 14 years | × 0.94 |
| 15 years or more | × 0.88 |
| 16 to 19 | × 1.90 |
|---|---|
| 20 to 24 | × 1.40 |
| 25 to 29 | × 1.10 |
| 30 to 64 | × 1.00 |
| 65 to 74 | × 1.05 |
| 75 and over | × 1.20 |
| Clean record | × 1.00 |
|---|---|
| One ticket | × 1.15 |
| One at-fault accident | × 1.35 |
| Multiple incidents | × 1.60 |
| Major violation | × 1.80 |
| Under 5,000 | × 0.92 |
|---|---|
| 5,000 to 9,999 | × 0.97 |
| 10,000 to 15,000 | × 1.00 |
| 15,001 to 20,000 | × 1.06 |
| Over 20,000 | × 1.12 |
| State minimum | × 0.45 |
|---|---|
| Liability, higher limits | × 0.62 |
| Full coverage | × 1.00 |
| Full coverage, high limits | × 1.18 |
| $250 | × 1.08 |
|---|---|
| $500 | × 1.00 |
| $1,000 | × 0.93 |
| $2,000 | × 0.87 |
What the estimate does not represent
- It is not a quote, a binding offer or a guarantee of any price.
- It is not based on any insurer's rating plan.
- It is not a published average for your state, city or ZIP code.
- It does not account for discounts, multiple drivers or multiple vehicles.
- It does not use credit-based insurance scores, claims databases or your driving record.
Why actual premiums vary
Every insurer builds its own pricing model and files it with state regulators. They weigh the same facts differently and use many more of them: your exact address, how long you've been insured, prior claims, credit-based insurance scores where state law allows, the specific trim and safety equipment of your vehicle, and discounts you qualify for. Two insurers can quote the same driver prices that differ by a wide margin, which is why comparing several quotes matters.
Known limitations
- Location is adjusted by state only. Prices inside a state vary widely.
- State tiers are coarse groupings, not measurements.
- The vehicle list is a starter set of common makes and models, and it does not confirm that a model was sold in a given year.
- State rules that restrict rating factors are not yet modelled state by state.
When assumptions are updated
The model carries a version number and an update date, shown at the top of this page and on every result. Whenever an assumption changes, both change with it. As Insura develops, illustrative assumptions will be replaced with sourced data, and each source will be cited here.