For a 40-year-old driver with a clean record, Wilmington car insurance averages about $282 a month ($3,387 a year) for full coverage, based on the rates insurers had filed with state regulators as of Aug. 31, 2026. That’s 17% above the Delaware average of $241 a month. Progressive and State Farm are effectively tied for the lowest full-coverage average among the four major insurers we compared (Allstate, GEICO, Progressive and State Farm), at about $234 and $239 a month.
Wilmington is the second-most expensive of the 33 Delaware cities and towns in our city table, after the city of New Castle, though three of its own ZIP codes, 19801, 19802 and 19805, cost more than New Castle. Our benchmark driver pays about $41 a month more here than the Delaware average and about $60 a month more than in Dover, about 40 miles south.
Before you compare Wilmington, DE, car insurance quotes, check your ZIP code: our data covers 10 ZIP codes with a Wilmington mailing address, which take in parts of Elsmere, Edgemoor and Pike Creek Valley, from about $254 a month in 19808 to $325 in 19801.
Cost data comes from the auto rates insurers file with state regulators, priced across all 10 Wilmington ZIP codes in our data, compiled by Quadrant Information Services and updated as new rates are filed.
Rates as of Aug. 31, 2026. Page reviewed Oct. 7, 2026.
How Much Does Car Insurance Cost in Wilmington, DE?
Car insurance in Wilmington, DE, costs about $282 a month ($3,387 a year) for full coverage, for our benchmark driver. Liability-only coverage at 15/30/10 limits averages $1,600 a year ($133 a month), and 50/100/50 liability with comprehensive and collision averages $3,378 ($282 a month).
- Full coverage (100/300/100, $500 deductibles): $3,387 a year ($282 a month)
- 50/100/50 with $500 deductibles: $3,378 a year ($282 a month)
- Liability only (15/30/10): $1,600 a year ($133 a month)
- New Castle County: $3,288 a year ($274 a month) for full coverage
- Delaware average: $2,888 a year ($241 a month) for full coverage
- ZIP code range: $254 (19808) to $325 (19801) a month for full coverage
Allstate is far more expensive than the other insurers here: its full-coverage average of about $484 a month is 2.1 times the average of the other four. We keep it in our averages because it’s a rate the insurer filed with state regulators; without Allstate, the Wilmington average would be about $232 a month.
Cheap Car Insurance in Wilmington: Companies Compared
- Lowest averages among the four major insurers we compared, full coverage: Progressive and State Farm, effectively tied at about $234 and $239 a month.
- Next lowest: GEICO at $254.
- Military families: USAA averages about $200 a month, but only for eligible members.
- Lowest liability-only average among these four insurers (15/30/10): GEICO, at about $91 a month, then State Farm at $108. USAA, which sells only to military families, is lower still, at about $71 a month.
- Also on our list: Travelers at about $179 a month, Nationwide at $201, Farmers at $229 and Donegal at $367.
- Most expensive in our data: Allstate, at about $484 a month, $2,999 a year more than Progressive for the same driver and car.
Progressive and State Farm are effectively tied for the lowest full-coverage average among the insurers in our Wilmington rate data that are among insurers anyone can buy from. USAA averages even less, at $200 a month, but it sells only to military members, veterans and their families. The recent statewide Delaware rate studies we reviewed disagree on which insurer is cheapest for full coverage: of the eight, two put GEICO first, two put Travelers first and four other insurers lead one each, apart from USAA, which sells only to military families. For liability-only coverage at 15/30/10 limits, GEICO has the lowest average among these four insurers, at about $91 a month, followed by State Farm at $108. USAA comes in even lower, at about $71 a month, but it sells only to military families.
Full-coverage averages by insurer in Wilmington
Monthly, for the same driver and car. Insurers marked with an asterisk in the table below aren’t in the chart.
Rates insurers filed with state regulators, compiled by Quadrant Information Services, as of Aug. 31, 2026. Benchmark 40-year-old driver, 100/300/100 with $500 deductibles.
| Insurance Company: | Liability Only 15/30/10 (Yearly): | Liability Only 15/30/10 (Monthly): | Full Coverage (Yearly): | Full Coverage (Monthly): |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA (military families) | $848 | $71 | $2,397 | $200 |
| Progressive | $1,485 | $124 | $2,810 | $234 |
| State Farm | $1,293 | $108 | $2,872 | $239 |
| GEICO | $1,093 | $91 | $3,048 | $254 |
| Allstate | $3,282 | $274 | $5,809 | $484 |
| Travelers* | $990 | $83 | $2,150 | $179 |
| Nationwide* | $1,538 | $128 | $2,408 | $201 |
| Farmers* | $1,261 | $105 | $2,742 | $229 |
| Donegal Insurance* | $1,739 | $145 | $4,406 | $367 |
| Wilmington average | $1,600 | $133 | $3,387 | $282 |
This table uses Wilmington ZIP codes only. See how we calculated these rates. Your own price depends on your car, driving record and coverage, so compare free car insurance quotes before you buy.
Wilmington Car Insurance Rates by ZIP Code
Across the 10 Wilmington ZIP codes we price, full coverage for our driver ranges from about $254 a month in 19808 to $325 in 19801, a gap of $857 a year. 19801, which includes downtown, is the most expensive of the 46 Delaware ZIP codes we price, and 19802 is next. 19808, at the heart of Pike Creek Valley, and 19807, northwest of downtown, are the least expensive Wilmington ZIP codes in our data.
Lowest-priced Wilmington ZIP codes
Highest-priced Wilmington ZIP codes
Search the table for your ZIP code. The last column shows how far each ZIP code is above or below Wilmington’s average.
| ZIP Code: | Liability Only 15/30/10 (Yearly): | Liability Only 15/30/10 (Monthly): | Full Coverage (Yearly): | Full Coverage (Monthly): | Full Coverage vs. City Average: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19801 | $1,890 | $158 | $3,899 | $325 | +15% |
| 19802 | $1,854 | $155 | $3,763 | $314 | +11% |
| 19803 | $1,482 | $124 | $3,255 | $271 | -4% |
| 19804 | $1,636 | $136 | $3,414 | $285 | +1% |
| 19805 | $1,679 | $140 | $3,527 | $294 | +4% |
| 19806 | $1,649 | $137 | $3,496 | $291 | +3% |
| 19807 | $1,390 | $116 | $3,080 | $257 | -9% |
| 19808 | $1,408 | $117 | $3,042 | $254 | -10% |
| 19809 | $1,569 | $131 | $3,280 | $273 | -3% |
| 19810 | $1,441 | $120 | $3,118 | $260 | -8% |
Your ZIP code matters
How Much More Does Better Coverage Cost in Wilmington?
Raising liability limits from 50/100/50 to 100/300/100 barely changes the average in our Wilmington data: with the same $500 deductibles, full coverage averages $3,387 a year and 50/100/50 averages $3,378. The full-coverage package doubles the per-person injury limit, triples the per-crash limit and doubles the property damage limit, and it raises uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage to 100/300. Allstate and Progressive charge less for 100/300/100 than for 50/100/50 for our benchmark driver.
Is Car Insurance Going Up in Wilmington?
Not for our benchmark driver. Comparing the four insurers that are in both sets of rates, in the same Wilmington ZIP codes, their full-coverage average fell from $3,708 a year nine months earlier to $3,635 in rates as of Aug. 31, 2026, a 2.0% drop. State Farm cut its Wilmington average 7.2% and Allstate 1.7%, while Progressive raised its average 1.2%; GEICO’s average was unchanged. USAA is new in our rates over the past nine months, so it’s left out, which is why these averages differ from the Wilmington average above. Liability-only coverage at 15/30/10 limits fell 2.1%, led by Allstate, which cut its liability-only average 4.0%.
Why Does Car Insurance Cost More in Wilmington?
New Castle County averages about $274 a month for full coverage, the most expensive of Delaware’s three counties in our data. Kent County averages $223 and Sussex County $210.
Within the city, 19801 averages about $325 a month and 19802 $314, while 19807 averages $257. The city of New Castle, to the south, averages $293, the highest of the 33 Delaware cities and towns in our city table. Where you live is one of the factors Delaware insurers use, so neighboring towns can be priced differently.
How Wilmington Car Insurance Compares With Other Delaware Cities
More Delaware cities and towns are in the Delaware rates by city table, and you can compare states on our car insurance rates by state page.
Elsmere, just west of the city, averages $294 a month, and Edgemoor, to the east along the Delaware River, $273. Claymont, about six miles northeast, averages $273, and Newark, about 12 miles west, $267.
What Car Insurance Is Required in Wilmington?
Drivers in Wilmington follow Delaware’s rules. Every policy must include at least:
- Liability coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash for injuries and $10,000 for property damage (25/50/10), or a $60,000 single limit
- Personal injury protection (PIP) of $15,000 per person and $30,000 per crash, which pays your own medical bills and lost wages whoever caused the crash
- Uninsured motorist coverage, which comes with every policy unless you reject it in writing
The liability-only prices on this page use 15/30/10 limits, below that minimum. Our Delaware requirements guide covers what PIP pays and the penalties for driving uninsured.
How to Lower Your Car Insurance Rate in Wilmington
- Compare Progressive and State Farm first. They have the two lowest full-coverage averages among the four major insurers we compared in Wilmington, about $234 and $239 a month.
- Quote several insurers. Among the four major insurers we compared in Wilmington, the lowest and highest averages are about $250 a month apart for the same driver and car.
- Turn in your plates before you cancel. The DMV requires plates back before you cancel insurance on a registered car; otherwise you can owe $100 for the first 30 days uninsured, $5 a day after that and a $50 reinstatement fee.
- Compare at every renewal. Over the past nine months, State Farm has cut its Wilmington average 7.2% and Allstate 1.7%, while Progressive has raised its average 1.2%, so the order in our table can shift.
- Ask about discounts and check your deductible. Many insurers lower rates for a clean driving record, paying in full or insuring more than one car, so ask which car insurance discounts you qualify for. Our full-coverage prices use $500 deductibles. A higher deductible lowers your premium but means you pay more yourself after a claim; see how your deductible works.
- Price a bundle. Pairing your auto policy with a home or renters policy usually earns a multi-policy discount. See home insurance costs in Wilmington, then compare free home insurance quotes.
Ready to compare
How We Calculated Wilmington Car Insurance Rates
Insurers must file their rates and rating rules with each state’s insurance regulator. Quadrant Information Services uses those filings to calculate what each insurer would charge a specific driver, and InsuranceQuotes analyzes those prices. This page uses rates in effect on Aug. 31, 2026.
- Sample: 50 full-coverage premiums from five insurers across 10 Wilmington ZIP codes, plus the same number of liability-only and 50/100/50 premiums.
- Insurer count: our Delaware averages come from five insurers, one of them USAA, which sells only to military families. With few insurers, the averages can move more when one insurer changes its prices. We publish them as calculated, without adjustment.
- Driver: a single 40-year-old driver, licensed 24 years, with good credit and no accidents or violations, driving a 2024 Toyota Camry LE they own, for personal use.
- Coverage: full coverage is 100/300/100 liability with $500 comprehensive and collision deductibles and 100/300 uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. We also price 50/100/50 with the same deductibles, and liability-only coverage at 15/30/10 limits, with 15/30 uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage and no comprehensive or collision. Delaware’s minimum has been 25/50/10 since Dec. 13, 2017, so our liability-only prices use lower limits than the law requires. Every Delaware policy must also include personal injury protection of at least $15,000 per person and $30,000 per crash; the requirements section of this page explains what it pays.
- Calculation: for each insurer we take its lowest eligible price in each ZIP code and average those prices across the ZIP codes. The overall average is the mean of every insurer-and-ZIP price, including USAA. Monthly figures are annual premiums divided by 12 and rounded.
- Rankings: we name a cheapest insurer only where it’s priced in at least half the ZIP codes and its lead over the next insurer isn’t so wide that it looks like an outlier. USAA sells only to the military community, so it’s shown but not ranked. Annual prices within 3% of each other are called effectively tied.
- Rate changes: we compare the same insurer in the same ZIP codes, for the same driver and coverage, in rates as of Nov. 30, 2025, and Aug. 31, 2026. USAA is new in our rates since November 2025, so it’s left out of rate-change comparisons; the other four insurers are in both sets of rates. Rate-change percentages are calculated from the annual premiums shown; other percentages use the rounded monthly figures.
- Insurers marked *: priced from recent published Delaware rate studies, scaled to our benchmark driver. They aren’t included in our averages or rankings.
- What this isn’t: a quote. These are modeled prices for one driver profile, calculated from insurers’ rate filings. Your price depends on your ZIP code, vehicle, driving record, coverage choices and discounts.
Coverage requirements come from Delaware law and the Delaware Department of Insurance. We refresh these figures when new rate data is released.
Wilmington Car Insurance FAQ
Car insurance in Wilmington, DE, costs about $282 a month ($3,387 a year) for full coverage and about $133 a month for liability-only coverage at 15/30/10 limits, for our benchmark driver, based on the rates insurers had filed with state regulators as of Aug. 31, 2026. Full coverage is 17% above the Delaware average of $241 a month.
Progressive and State Farm are effectively tied for the lowest full-coverage average among insurers anyone can buy from in our Wilmington rate data, at about $234 and $239 a month. USAA, which sells only to military members, veterans and their families, has a lower average still ($200 a month). GEICO’s average is next, at $254. For liability-only coverage at 15/30/10 limits, GEICO has the lowest average among the four major insurers we compared, at about $91 a month. Rates vary by driver, so compare quotes for your own car and ZIP code.
In our data, Wilmington full coverage averages about $282 a month, 17% above the Delaware average. New Castle County is the most expensive of Delaware’s three counties, and 19801, which includes downtown, averages about $325 a month, the highest of the 46 Delaware ZIP codes we price.
In our data, 19808 has the lowest full-coverage average in Wilmington, at about $254 a month, and 19801 the highest, at about $325. The ZIP code table on this page lists all 10.
In our Wilmington data, full coverage (100/300/100 with $500 deductibles) averages about $282 a month and liability-only coverage at 15/30/10 limits about $133, a difference of about $149 a month ($1,787 a year). Liability-only coverage won’t pay to repair or replace your own car after a crash, a theft or a storm. Delaware law doesn’t require full coverage, but a lender or leasing company may.
Not for our benchmark driver. Comparing the four insurers in both sets of rates (USAA is new over the past nine months), their Wilmington full-coverage average fell 2.0%, from about $3,708 to $3,635 a year. That’s higher than the Wilmington average of $3,387 because it leaves out USAA. State Farm cut its Wilmington average 7.2% and Allstate 1.7%, while Progressive raised its average 1.2%. Liability-only coverage at 15/30/10 limits fell 2.1%.
For our benchmark driver, full coverage in Wilmington averages about $282 a month. Nearby, Elsmere averages about $294, Edgemoor about $273 and New Castle about $293. Edgemoor is cheaper; prices depend mostly on ZIP code, so compare quotes for your own address.
- About the Author
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Michael Giusti is a senior insurance analyst, business journalist, and university professor with over 20 years of experience. He serves as department chair at Loyola University New Orleans and contributes to Insurance Thought Leadership, U.S. News, and other leading financial outlets.
