Why Men Usually Pay More For Car Insurance Than Women

Like many Americans, you've probably heard numerous pieces of advice on how you can save money on car insurance. However, a lot of advice fails to mention a common factor in coverage rates — a driver's gender. Even if you shop around for quotes to find a better rate, men will generally pay more for auto insurance coverage than women do, and this is largely thanks to years of data showing that men are statistically more dangerous drivers. This translates to a higher risk level for insurance companies, as well as any other industry that uses risk-based pricing, and can be a key reason behind higher rates.

According to Consumer Affairs, male drivers were involved in 72% of fatal car accidents in 2023. Meanwhile, according to a 2024 report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), annual motor vehicle fatalities for men are more than double the fatalities involving women. According to MarketWatch, men also get 50% more speeding tickets than women do, while multiple studies have found that men tend to engage in more reckless driving behavior in general.

Still, despite this significantly higher risk, you might be surprised to learn that the difference in car insurance costs for men are not as extreme as you might expect. According to Quadrant Information Services data, via MarketWatch, men pay an average of $1,391 for car insurance annually while women pay $1,340 — a 4% difference. However, this can vary significantly depending on what state in live in.

Insurance rates naturally vary by location, and the same can be said of gender-specific price differences. MarketWatch data shows that, in most states, men pay between 2% and 7% more than women for auto coverage. However, in Wyoming, men pay an eyebrow-raising 13% more. One explanation for this is the fact that Wyoming is among the few states with more men than women in its population, with 2024 Federal Highway Administration data showing over 51% of the state's registered drivers are male. Meanwhile, a 2024 state accident report from the Wyoming Department of Transportation found that male drivers accounted for at least 11,056 accidents that year while female drivers were involved in 6,443. 

It's also important to realize that seven U.S. states actually have laws banning insurance companies from using gender as a factor in pricing. If you live in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, or Pennsylvania, you don't have to worry about gender alone affecting your insurance premiums.

Despite men generally paying more for auto insurance than women, the situation actually changes depending on a driver's age. For instance, younger drivers in their teens and early 20s are considered the riskiest, so naturally these are the ages when insurance is highest – regardless of gender. Meanwhile, car insurance rates tend to be cheapest for early seniors, hitting their lowest prices for all drivers in their 60s before spiking up again in their 70s and 80s. 

Meanwhile, per Experian data, a person's 30s are when rates begin decreasing for adult drivers. However, this is also when women start to actually pay more than men for car insurance, on average. In fact, women pay more than men up until their 50s, when things even out before men take the lead again in their 70s. That said, a person's driving record can, and does, have a significant impact on their rates so safe driving could potentially keep any gender-specific price differences minimal.