If you live in Portland, Oregon, and are looking for a new car insurance company, you’ll want to consider insurers like State Farm, USAA, and GEICO. Each is a top insurer in the Portland area and a good place to start if you’re looking for affordable rates.
The average car insurance rate in Portland is $162, which is higher than the average American driver pays, at $143 a month. Portland is also the third most-expensive city for insurance in the state, according to Insurify data. This could be due to the crime rate in the city or an increased accident rate due to the large population and influx of tourists.
Fortunately, the information presented here can help you find affordable insurance that matches your needs.
Portland drivers pay on average $133 per month for liability coverage, and $191 per month for full coverage.
Some companies offer cheap insurance in Portland, including State Farm, USAA, and GEICO.
It’s legal for insurers to review your credit score when determining your quote in Oregon.
Best car insurance companies in Portland
If you’re looking to save money, you’ll want to start by researching your options with the insurers below.
Our editorial team spent more than 350 hours developing the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score and scoring insurance companies. The IQ Score objectively analyzes and calculates a score for insurers using more than 15 crucial criteria. The team weighted criteria by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings.
We rate each company on a 1 to 10 scale based on five categories: financial ratings, customer satisfaction, affordability, customer support and transparency, and availability. Insurify updates ratings once a year or as more recent information becomes available.
- Third-party financial ratings: Insurify uses data from AM Best, S&P, Moody’s, and more to compare insurance companies’ credit and ability to pay out future claims.
- Customer satisfaction: To calculate this score, Insurify analyzed more than 55,000 customer reviews across 155 car insurance companies. We also consider third-party ratings from J.D. Power, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Trustpilot.
- Affordability: Our data scientists analyzed more than 90 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partners across the U.S., as well as available discounts, to calculate an affordability score.
- Customer support and transparency: This measures coverage options, ease of claims filing, and the insurer's transparency surrounding discounts, coverages, and claims process.
- Availability and reach: Insurify scores availability and reach by identifying the number of states in which insurers offer coverage and company size by market share.
Best insurer for low rates: State Farm
Best insurer for military members: USAA
Best insurer for discounts: GEICO
How to get the cheapest car insurance in Portland
Finding cheap insurance rates in Portland depends largely on how much comparison shopping you’re willing to do and your unique personal factors. Here are a few rules of the road to keep in mind as you look for cheap car insurance:
Liability-only coverage is always going to be cheaper than full coverage. Liability only means that you, instead of your insurer, will pay for your own damages and medical bills if you or your vehicle is in an accident where you’re at fault.
If you decide to pay a higher deductible, you’ll pay lower auto insurance rates. However, make sure to never set your deductible so high you can’t afford to pay it should you need to file a claim.
Check with your insurer to see if there are any discounts you qualify for that can bring your rates down.
Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Portland: Mile Auto
Liability-only car insurance protects you financially if you cause an accident that damages another person’s car or injures the other driver or passengers. All drivers in Oregon must carry at least liability-only coverage that meets the state’s minimum coverage requirements.
Portland drivers can find the cheapest liability coverage from Mile Auto for $90 per month.
In the table below, you can see the average quotes for liability-only coverage from many of the state’s top insurers.
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Portland: Mile Auto
While liability-only insurance generally covers the expenses incurred by others in an accident you cause, full-coverage car insurance goes beyond this to cover damage to you and your vehicle as well. Because of this, you should consider full-coverage car insurance if you have an expensive car or if you would find it a challenge to replace or repair your car if it were wrecked. Full-coverage insurance in Oregon also includes personal injury protection. If you think it would be hard to pay for hospital bills after an accident, you may want to consider full coverage.
“In today’s environment, older cars are holding their value a lot longer,” says Loretta Worters, vice president of media relations at the Insurance Information Institute. “So check with Kelley Blue Book or your bank to determine the car’s value. Auto dealers and banks can also tell you the worth of cars. Typically, if your car is worth less than 10 times the premium, purchasing full coverage may not be cost-effective.”
On average, full-cover insurance in Portland costs $191 per month. Portland drivers can find the cheapest full-coverage insurance from Mile Auto for $107 per month.
Here you can see a collection of average monthly quotes for full-coverage insurance in Portland.
Car insurance requirements in Oregon
To drive legally in Oregon, you need at least a liability-only car insurance policy that meets the requirements listed below.
This coverage threshold meets the minimum requirements in Oregon. But you can always enhance your coverage with any of the following:
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident
When a driver has an incident on the road — such as an at-fault accident, speeding ticket, DUI, or some other type of moving violation — it almost always leads to a spike in their premiums. Insurers see problematic driving behavior as a sign of increased risk and charge accordingly.
If you have an incident on your record, comparison shopping becomes even more important in order to find the best rates. In the following sections, you’ll see what you can expect to pay for car insurance based on your record.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket: Mile Auto
If you live in Portland and get a speeding ticket on I-84, for example, expect your car insurance premiums to go up. Oregon takes speeding seriously, and the state recently passed a law allowing every city to install speed cameras to enforce speed limits.4 Portland, meanwhile, has had speed cameras in the city for some time.
On average, Portland drivers with a speeding ticket pay $187 for liability insurance. But, they can still find cheap rates from Mile Auto for $114 per month.
Below is a look at the average monthly quotes you can expect to receive with a speeding ticket on your record.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident: Mile Auto
If you have an at-fault accident on your record, your premiums will climb, as insurers will see you as a higher risk. Fortunately, if you maintain a spotless record going forward, your rates should decrease after a couple years, depending on your insurer.
Mile Auto offers the cheapest coverage to Portland drivers with an accident on their record for $120 per month.
The table below provides you with an example of the average monthly quotes you can expect to receive with an at-fault accident on your record.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI: Mile Auto
Insurers generally view DUIs as the most serious of incidents, and if you have one on your record, you can expect your rates to jump dramatically. Some insurers may even drop you if you’re cited for DUI.
Drivers in Portland with a DUI typically pay $165 for liability coverage, and $237 for full coverage.
The table below shows what monthly quotes you would see, on average, for your insurance premiums with a DUI on your record.
Cheapest car insurance for seniors: Mile Auto
Insurers calculate premiums based on many factors, including age. Teens pay the highest premiums before rates drop, often around age 35. However, those rates start increasing again as drivers reach senior status. The exact age for this status varies by insurer. This increase in premiums is due, in part, to the slower reflexes common with the aging process, as well as the increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Mile Auto offers the cheapest insurance for Portland seniors at $70 per month.
If you’re a senior, the table below shows what you would pay monthly, on average, for your insurance premiums.
Cheapest car insurance for teens: Mile Auto
Because teenage drivers don’t have much driving experience, and because research shows that they’re more likely to have accidents, insurers charge higher premiums for this age group. Fortunately, you can find ways to reduce rates. For instance, a teenager driving a model that an insurer considers a safe vehicle would pay less than they would behind the wheel of a vehicle considered unsafe. Insurers also charge less when a teenage driver stays on their parents’ policy, and many insurers offer discounts for good grades and completion of a driver safety course.
Teen drivers can find the cheapest rates from Mile Auto for $195 per month.
Here’s a look at the average monthly quotes for teens in Portland.
Is car insurance more expensive in Portland?
Yes, insurance coverage is more expensive for drivers in Portland than in many other parts of the country. The U.S. national average is $103 a month for liability-only coverage and $182 for full coverage. In Portland, Oregon, you’ll pay considerably more. On average, a Portland driver will pay $133 for liability-only coverage and $191 for full coverage.
Rates may be higher in Portland due to the increased risk of crimes or accidents, as well as the higher cost of repairs after an accident.
More cities in Oregon
How does car insurance in Portland stack up against other cities across the state? The table below should give you an idea. On average, drivers pay $191 a month for full-coverage car insurance in Portland, which is higher than many other cities in Oregon.
Portland car insurance FAQs
Looking for more information on how to find the most affordable car insurance in Portland? Find answers to your questions here.
How much is car insurance in Portland?
Drivers pay an average of $133 for liability-only coverage and $191 for full coverage in Portland. This is considerably higher than the U.S. national average of $103 for liability-only coverage and $182 for full coverage.
What are the best car insurance companies in Portland?
The best insurance companies in Portland include State Farm, USAA, and GEICO. State Farm offers the lowest rates and has award-winning customer service. USAA also provides low rates and offers numerous benefits to military members and their families. Finally, GEICO offers scores of discounts that could allow you to reduce your car insurance premium by more than you would have expected.
Why is car insurance so expensive in Portland?
Car insurance in Portland could be expensive for several reasons, including a higher risk of crime and accidents due to its large population. The city’s higher cost of living could also make repairs more expensive, inflating rates.
Can auto insurers in Portland use your credit history to determine rates?
Yes. Insurers are legally allowed to review your credit history when determining your rates in Oregon. Insurers generally view those with lower credit as being more risky to insure. As such, if you have low credit, you can expect to receive a more expensive quote than you would if you had a higher credit.