For a 40-year-old driver with a clean record, Madison car insurance averages about $171 a month ($2,055 a year) for full coverage, based on the rates insurers had filed with state regulators as of Aug. 31, 2026. That’s 7% below the Wisconsin average of $184 a month. Progressive has the lowest full-coverage average among the six major insurers we compared (Acuity, Allstate, American Family, Erie, GEICO and Progressive), at about $105 a month.
Madison is priced below the Wisconsin average. Our benchmark driver pays about $13 a month less here than the state average and about $73 a month less than in Milwaukee.
Our data covers 12 ZIP codes with a Madison mailing address, and they sit in a narrow range, from about $164 a month in 53718 to $176 in 53726.
Cost data comes from the auto rates insurers file with state regulators, priced across all 12 Madison 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 Is Car Insurance in Madison, WI?
Full coverage in Madison averages $2,055 a year, or about $171 a month, for our benchmark driver. Liability-only coverage at Wisconsin’s 25/50/10 minimum averages $559 a year ($47 a month), and 50/100/50 liability with comprehensive and collision averages $2,115 ($176 a month).
- Full coverage (100/300/100, $500 deductibles): $2,055 a year ($171 a month)
- 50/100/50 with $500 deductibles: $2,115 a year ($176 a month)
- Liability only (25/50/10): $559 a year ($47 a month)
- Dane County: $2,018 a year ($168 a month) for full coverage
- Wisconsin average: $2,210 a year ($184 a month) for full coverage
- ZIP code range: $164 (53718) to $176 (53726) a month for full coverage
Cheap Car Insurance in Madison: Companies Compared
- Lowest average among the six major insurers we compared, full coverage: Progressive, at about $105 a month ($1,260 a year).
- Next lowest: GEICO and Erie at about $134 each, then Acuity at $188.
- Lowest liability-only average (25/50/10): Progressive, at about $23 a month, then Erie at $29.
- State Farm (Nov. 2025 rates)*: about $130 a month for full coverage, from its November 2025 rates.
- Also on our list: USAA at about $82 a month, Travelers at $90 and Auto-Owners at $205 (USAA sells only to military families).
- Most expensive in our data: American Family and Allstate, effectively tied at about $236 and $230 a month.
Progressive has the lowest full-coverage average among the six insurers in our Madison rate data. The published 2026 statewide Wisconsin rate studies we reviewed most often rank GEICO or Travelers cheapest for full coverage, apart from USAA, which sells only to military families; one puts American Family first. For liability-only coverage at 25/50/10 limits, Progressive has the lowest average among these six insurers, at about $23 a month, followed by Erie at $29.
Full-coverage averages by insurer in Madison
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: | Minimum Liability 25/50/10 (Yearly): | Minimum Liability 25/50/10 (Monthly): | Full Coverage (Yearly): | Full Coverage (Monthly): |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive | $276 | $23 | $1,260 | $105 |
| GEICO | $481 | $40 | $1,603 | $134 |
| Erie | $342 | $29 | $1,612 | $134 |
| Acuity | $514 | $43 | $2,260 | $188 |
| Allstate | $924 | $77 | $2,758 | $230 |
| American Family | $818 | $68 | $2,835 | $236 |
| State Farm (Nov. 2025 rates)* | $384 | $32 | $1,565 | $130 |
| USAA (military families)* | $292 | $24 | $984 | $82 |
| Travelers* | $447 | $37 | $1,074 | $90 |
| Auto-Owners* | $619 | $52 | $2,460 | $205 |
| Madison average | $559 | $47 | $2,055 | $171 |
This table uses Madison 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.
Madison Car Insurance Rates by ZIP Code
Across the 12 Madison ZIP codes we price, full coverage for our driver ranges from about $164 a month in 53718 to $176 in 53726, a gap of $146 a year. East-side ZIP codes such as 53716 and 53718 are the least expensive in our data, and ZIP codes around the University of Wisconsin campus and just south of it, such as 53713, 53715 and 53726, are the most expensive.
Lowest-priced Madison ZIP codes
Highest-priced Madison ZIP codes
Search the table for your ZIP code. The last column shows how far each ZIP code is above or below Madison’s average.
| ZIP Code: | Minimum Liability 25/50/10 (Yearly): | Minimum Liability 25/50/10 (Monthly): | Full Coverage (Yearly): | Full Coverage (Monthly): | Full Coverage vs. City Average: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53703 | $570 | $48 | $2,090 | $174 | +2% |
| 53704 | $563 | $47 | $2,069 | $172 | +1% |
| 53705 | $552 | $46 | $2,034 | $170 | -1% |
| 53711 | $558 | $47 | $2,042 | $170 | -1% |
| 53713 | $576 | $48 | $2,099 | $175 | +2% |
| 53714 | $566 | $47 | $2,051 | $171 | About average |
| 53715 | $563 | $47 | $2,102 | $175 | +2% |
| 53716 | $544 | $45 | $1,982 | $165 | -4% |
| 53717 | $558 | $47 | $2,055 | $171 | About average |
| 53718 | $538 | $45 | $1,967 | $164 | -4% |
| 53719 | $560 | $47 | $2,053 | $171 | About average |
| 53726 | $564 | $47 | $2,113 | $176 | +3% |
Your ZIP code matters
Does Better Coverage Cost More in Madison?
Full coverage at 100/300/100 limits costs less on average than 50/100/50 in our Madison data: $2,055 a year compared with $2,115, with the same $500 deductibles. 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. Acuity, Allstate, American Family and Erie charge less for 100/300/100 than for 50/100/50 for our benchmark driver.
Is Car Insurance Going Up in Madison?
Not for full coverage, for our benchmark driver. Comparing the four insurers that are in both sets of rates, in the same Madison ZIP codes, their full-coverage average fell from $2,180 a year nine months earlier to $2,114 in rates as of Aug. 31, 2026, a 3.0% drop. Progressive cut its Madison average 12.1% and American Family 3.1%, while Allstate’s and GEICO’s averages were unchanged. Acuity and Erie are new in our rates over the past nine months, so they’re left out, which is why these averages differ from the Madison average above. State Farm’s latest rates are from November 2025, so it’s left out of this comparison. Liability-only coverage at 25/50/10 limits rose 0.5%, led by American Family, which raised its liability-only average 2.4%.
What Shapes Car Insurance Costs in Madison
Dane County averages about $168 a month for full coverage, the 49th-most expensive of the 62 Wisconsin counties we price, so it’s among the less expensive counties in the state.
Nearby Dane County towns are priced close to the city: Middleton averages about $171 a month, Sun Prairie $167, McFarland $166 and Verona $164. Wisconsin insurers classify drivers partly by where the car is kept, so your ZIP code can move your price.
How Madison Car Insurance Compares With Other Wisconsin Cities
More Wisconsin cities and towns are in the Wisconsin rates by city table, and you can compare states on our car insurance rates by state page.
Milwaukee, about 75 miles east, averages $244 a month, and Racine, about 85 miles southeast, $183. Appleton averages $153.
What Car Insurance Is Required in Madison?
Drivers in Madison follow Wisconsin’s rules. Every policy must include at least:
- Bodily injury liability of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash
- Property damage liability of $10,000 per crash
- Uninsured motorist coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per crash, for injuries only
Underinsured motorist coverage and medical payments coverage are optional, but insurers must tell you they’re available. Our Wisconsin requirements guide covers the details and the penalties for driving uninsured.
How to Lower Your Car Insurance Rate in Madison
- Compare Progressive, GEICO and Erie first. Progressive has the lowest full-coverage average among the six major insurers we compared in Madison, about $105 a month, and GEICO and Erie are effectively tied for next, at about $134 a month each.
- Quote several insurers. Among the six major insurers we compared in Madison, the lowest and highest averages are about $131 a month apart for the same driver and car.
- Consider underinsured motorist coverage. It isn’t required in Wisconsin, but it pays when the driver who injures you has too little insurance. If you buy it, the limits must be at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per crash.
- Compare at every renewal. Over the past nine months, Progressive has cut its Madison average 12.1% and American Family 3.1%, 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 Madison, then compare free home insurance quotes.
Ready to compare
How We Calculated Madison 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: 72 full-coverage premiums from six insurers across 12 Madison ZIP codes, plus the same number of liability-only and 50/100/50 premiums.
- 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 Wisconsin’s 25/50/10 minimum, with 25/50 uninsured motorist coverage and no comprehensive or collision.
- 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. 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. 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. Acuity and Erie aren’t in the November 2025 rates and State Farm isn’t in the August 2026 rates, so they’re 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 published 2026 Wisconsin rate studies, scaled to our benchmark driver. They aren’t included in our averages or rankings. The State Farm row shows its November 2025 rates, so it isn’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 Wisconsin law and the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. We refresh these figures when new rate data is released.
Madison Car Insurance FAQ
For our benchmark driver, full coverage in Madison averages about $171 a month ($2,055 a year) and liability-only coverage about $47 a month, based on the rates insurers had filed with state regulators as of Aug. 31, 2026. Full coverage is 7% below the Wisconsin average of $184 a month.
Progressive has the lowest full-coverage average in our Madison rate data, at about $105 a month, followed by GEICO and Erie at about $134 each. For liability-only coverage, Progressive has the lowest average, at about $23 a month. The published 2026 statewide Wisconsin rate studies we reviewed most often rank GEICO or Travelers cheapest for full coverage, apart from USAA. Rates vary by driver, so compare quotes for your own car and ZIP code.
Madison, for our benchmark driver. Madison full coverage averages about $171 a month and Milwaukee about $244, a difference of about $73 a month for the same driver and car.
In our data, 53718 has the lowest full-coverage average in Madison, at about $164 a month, and 53726 the highest, at about $176. The ZIP code table on this page lists all 12.
In our Madison data, full coverage (100/300/100 with $500 deductibles) averages about $171 a month and liability-only coverage at 25/50/10 limits about $47, a difference of about $124 a month ($1,496 a year). Liability-only coverage won’t pay to repair or replace your own car after a crash, a theft or a storm. Wisconsin law doesn’t require full coverage, but a lender or leasing company may.
Not for full coverage, for our benchmark driver. Comparing the four insurers in both sets of rates (Acuity and Erie are new over the past nine months), their Madison full-coverage average fell 3.0%, from about $2,180 to $2,114 a year. That’s higher than the Madison average of $2,055 because it leaves out Acuity and Erie. Progressive cut its Madison average 12.1% and American Family 3.1%. Liability-only coverage at 25/50/10 limits rose 0.5%.
For our benchmark driver, full coverage in Madison averages about $171 a month. Nearby, Milwaukee averages about $244, Racine about $183 and Kenosha about $184. Madison is the least expensive of these; 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.
