Historic Lowell was founded 200 years ago as a mill manufacturing town. This helped the city grow quickly as both immigrants and locals sought work. 

Today, even though Lowell is the fifth-largest city in the state, residents only pay an average of $108 per month for auto insurance — slightly less than the state average of $119. However, while rates in Lowell remain manageable, you can take steps to lower your car insurance costs. 

Here’s what you need to know about finding cheap auto insurance in Lowell, Massachusetts.

Cheapest car insurance companies in Lowell

The cheapest car insurance companies in Lowell won’t be the same for every driver. That’s because each insurer uses different criteria to set rates for drivers. These criteria include factors like gender, marital status, ZIP code, driving history, and credit. And even if multiple insurance companies use the same factors, the weight applied to these factors can vary from one insurer to the next.

To find the best insurance coverage for your needs, you must compare quotes from several insurers. As you begin your search, keep the insurers below in mind.

Best insurer for coverage options: Travelers

Best insurer for discounts: Midvale Home & Auto

Best insurer for accident-free drivers: Safeco

How to get the cheapest car insurance in Lowell

No single insurance company offers the cheapest auto insurance for every driver. That’s because insurers use various factors to set each customer’s premium. These factors might include your driving history, age, marital status, credit, and ZIP code. To save money on your coverage in Lowell, you have to compare quotes from multiple insurers.

Here are some additional strategies you can use to get the cheapest car insurance and the right coverage in Lowell:

• Drive safely. Insurance costs are lowest for the drivers with the cleanest records. That’s why it’s a good idea to take a defensive driving course to learn the skills you need to avoid accidents and maintain a clean driving record.

• Adjust your coverage. Increasing your deductible, dropping collision or comprehensive coverage, or decreasing your liability coverage amounts can all lower your insurance costs. While you don’t want to carry more coverage than you need, make sure you don’t lower your coverage so much that you can’t afford the out-of-pocket costs after an accident.

• Bundle your policies. Most insurance companies offer discounts to customers who purchase home insurance or renters insurance with their auto insurance.

Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Lowell

If you’re at fault in a car accident, your liability insurance will pay to repair or replace the other party’s damaged vehicle and any medical costs associated with the accident. But liability-only insurance doesn’t cover the cost of repairing or replacing your car if it’s damaged.

Midvale offers the cheapest liability rates in Lowell, starting at $75 per month. Here, you can see a collection of other insurers and their monthly liability coverage averages.

Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Lowell

Many drivers in Lowell may prefer to carry full-coverage car insurance since it provides more protection. Specifically, full coverage includes collision and comprehensive coverages. Comprehensive pays to repair or replace your car if it’s damaged by something other than an accident, such as theft, severe weather, vandalism, or flooding.

Leased motor vehicles generally require full-coverage insurance, but this kind of coverage is otherwise optional for drivers.

The state average for full coverage in Massachusetts is $145 per month. In Lowell, Midvale also has the lowest quotes for full-coverage insurance. Here you can see a collection of average monthly quotes from top insurers.

Car insurance requirements in Massachusetts

Massachusetts is a no-fault auto insurance state.3 This means that each driver must file a claim with their own insurance company for injury claims after an accident, no matter who was at fault. Personal injury protection will provide for your own medical expenses, up to 75% of lost wages, and replacement services, up to the limit you choose.

However, Massachusetts also uses the 51% Bar Rule for determining legal recourse after an accident.4 Under this rule, any driver who is considered 51% at fault or greater can’t sue anyone else for the accident. Drivers who are less than 51% at fault can sue other parties, but the plaintiff’s percentage of negligence will reduce the defendant’s liability.

Massachusetts requires drivers to purchase four compulsory types of coverage:

While drivers in Massachusetts aren’t required to carry more than the above minimum coverage types and limits, it may be prudent to increase these coverage amounts.

You may also want to consider adding these types of coverage:

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident

Not every driver has a clean driving record. If you have an incident on your driving history — such as an at-fault accident, a speeding ticket, a DUI, or another moving violation — it can be more difficult to find cheap car insurance in Lowell. However, though insurers may consider drivers with an incident on their records to be higher risk, you can find affordable rates from the right insurers.

In this section, you’ll see how different incident types affect your insurance costs.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket

Driving faster than the posted speed limit may be an everyday occurrence, but it’s still a dangerous activity. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 28% of traffic deaths in Massachusetts were speed-related in 2020. The link between speeding and traffic deaths explains why both police and auto insurers take speeding so seriously and why receiving a single traffic ticket for speeding can increase your insurance premiums.

The average monthly rate in Massachusetts for drivers with a speeding ticket on their record is $159. If you have a speeding ticket in Lowell, you may also find the most affordable rates from the following insurers.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident

Even in a no-fault state like Massachusetts, an at-fault accident on your record indicates that you may be a higher-risk driver than someone with no at-fault accidents. Depending on the severity and circumstances of the accident and your driving history, your insurer may increase your premiums or even drop you after an at-fault accident.

The overall average monthly premium for drivers with an at-fault accident in Massachusetts is $159. Here, you can see a collection of quotes offered by area insurers.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI

Driving under the influence (DUI) is among the most serious driving incidents. In Massachusetts, this type of infraction is called operating under the influence (OUI), and a first offense could result in a license suspension of 180 days and up to one year. It could also include a license reinstatement fee of $100 to $1,200, a fine of $500 to $5,000, and possible jail time.4

For obvious reasons, car insurance companies treat drivers with DUI citations as high-risk. In Massachusetts, drivers with a DUI pay an overall average of $192 for car insurance. Here, you can see how quotes vary by insurer.

Cheapest car insurance for seniors

Car insurance companies set prices for drivers partially based on age.

Rates tend to decrease for safe drivers around age 35 and stay low throughout adulthood until drivers reach their 70s. Around age 70, even the best drivers tend to experience declines in their reflexes and reaction times, making them more likely to get into accidents.

Seniors pay an overall average monthly premium of $94 in Massachusetts. Here, you can see how quotes vary from different insurers.

Cheapest car insurance for teens

Teen drivers have a higher rate of fatal crashes, according to the NHTSA, — predominantly because of their lack of experience and increased likelihood of engaging in dangerous driving behaviors, like speeding and distracted driving.

Not surprisingly then, insurance companies charge higher premiums for teen drivers. Fortunately, teens can lower their car insurance premiums with these strategies:

• Remain on a parent’s insurance policy. Teen drivers can get their own insurance policy, but staying on a parent or guardian’s policy will be far less expensive.

• Drive a safe car. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety put together a list of safe, practical, and affordable vehicles suitable for teen drivers on its website.

• Get good grades. Many insurance companies offer good student discounts to teen drivers who maintain a certain GPA.

Teens drivers pay a total average of $165 for insurance coverage in Massachusetts. Here, you can see the quotes offered for teen drivers by different insurers.

Is car insurance more expensive in Lowell?

In Lowell, the average liability-only cost is $74 per month, and the average full-coverage policy is $142 per month. This is considerably lower than the national average cost — $104 per month for liability-only coverage and $184 per month for full coverage.

Lowell residents also pay slightly less than Massachusetts drivers in general, since the Bay State has an average liability-only cost of $94 per month and an average full-coverage cost of $145 per month.

More cities in Massachusetts

Lowell’s liability-only auto insurance rates are lower than most other cities in Massachusetts. But full coverage is another story. Only Brockton has higher rates than Lowell for full coverage insurance. This means Boston, Worcester, and Springfield have cheaper rates for full coverage, despite being much bigger cities than Lowell.

Here, you can see how quotes in Lowell compare to other Massachusetts cities.