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Amy Beardsley is a seasoned insurance expert who’s been writing for Compare.com since 2023. She has more than 12 years of industry knowledge and expertise in auto, home, life, commercial, and other insurance products. Amy’s work has been published by Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, Legal & General, NerdWallet, Robinhood, Insurify, NEXT Insurance, and more.
Amy worked as a court administrator before becoming a content marketing writer. Her legal background has equipped her with the ability to simplify complex technical language into easy-to-understand content.
She graduated magna cum laude from Ferris State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Legal Studies.
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Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.
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St. Petersburg drivers face car insurance rates averaging $215 per month, compared to Florida’s state average of $193 per month. Several factors could be driving these high rates. For example, Florida has seen one of the nation’s biggest jumps in uninsured drivers, according to the Insurance Research Council (IRC).
Weather challenges haven’t helped either — in 2024, hurricanes Helene and Milton triggered more than 92,000 private passenger car insurance claims. But drivers in the Sunshine City have plenty of options to compare auto insurance and find affordable coverage.
State Farm offers St. Petersburg’s lowest average rates, at $76 per month.
Senior drivers get some of the best rates in the city, with nearly 300,000 Pinellas County drivers over 55 qualifying for age-related discounts.
Nearly 15 million tourists crowd Pinellas County roads every year, making defensive driving discounts especially valuable here.
Your St. Petersburg address affects the price of your car insurance, and factors such as neighborhood crime rates play a big role. With that in mind, let’s look at how the average car insurance rates in St. Petersburg compare to state and national averages, according to Compare.com data.
Location ▲▼ | Average Monthly Premium: Liability Insurance ▲▼ | Average Monthly Premium: Full Coverage ▲▼ | Average Monthly Premium: All Policies ▲▼ |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Petersburg | $171 | $258 | $215 |
| Florida | $153 | $233 | $193 |
| National average | $107 | $197 | $152 |
St. Petersburg drivers pay an average of $171 per month for liability insurance and $258 for full coverage. But your cost could be more or less, depending on factors like your age, driving history, and credit history. That said, using an insurance comparison site can help you look at different rates to ensure you’re getting the best deal.
Compare personalized quotes from St. Petersburg’s top insurers.
Despite St. Petersburg’s average rates, several insurers offer more affordable coverage. The table below shows the five cheapest car insurance companies in St. Pete, according to Compare.com data.
Company ▲▼ | Average Monthly Premium ▲▼ |
|---|---|
| State Farm | $76 |
| GEICO | $78 |
| Mile Auto | $127 |
| Allstate | $132 |
| Travelers | $157 |
| Root | $159 |
| Mercury | $173 |
| Direct Auto | $178 |
| Progressive | $207 |
| Infinity | $219 |
| Foremost | $228 |
| GAINSCO | $249 |
| Dairyland | $262 |
| Bristol West | $268 |
| The General | $335 |
State Farm has the lowest premiums in St. Petersburg, averaging $76 per month. Next, we’ll explore the cheapest insurers across different demographics.
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As much as we’d like to offer you a one-and-done solution to cheap car insurance, it isn’t that easy. The best car insurance company for a beach-side retiree might not work for a commuter. Instead of chasing the lowest advertised rate, it’s best to shop around to find the best company for your needs.
Here are three solid options for various demographics to kick off your search.
Average premium: $181 per month
Compare.com Rating: 4.53 out of 5
Lots of discounts
Rock-solid financial strength
Around-the-clock claims support
Scores low for customer satisfaction
Few local agents
Premiums not the cheapest
Though not necessarily the cheapest company, Farmers offers the most discounts among Florida’s 10 largest car insurance companies — the insurer lists 19 different ways to save on its website. You’ll find discounts big and small to knock down your rate, from using their Signal app to going paperless. Farmers even rewards you for owning a home, whether or not you bundle your homeowners insurance with your auto policy.
Average premium: $88 per month
Compare.com Rating: 4.65 out of 5
Accident forgiveness available
Local agents for personalized support
Quick digital claims process
Accident forgiveness is one-time only
Gap insurance not available
Below-average customer service
GEICO has commuters covered, whether you’re crossing the Howard Frankland or navigating tourist traffic on Gulf Boulevard. It offers mechanical breakdown coverage that works like an extended warranty so unexpected repairs don’t sideline your commute.
Plus, accident forgiveness is free after you’ve been accident-free for five years, or you can purchase it up front to benefit immediately.
Average premium: $83 per month
Compare.com Rating: 3.43 out of 5
Focuses on safe driving, not just age
Roadside assistance comes with every policy
Easy to use mobile app to manage your policy
Requires a test-drive to get a quote
Changes in driving habits can drive up the price
May deny coverage depending on driving behavior
Root flips traditional car insurance on its head by basing rates primarily on your actual driving. The catch is that you’ll need to complete a three-week test-drive through the company’s app before getting a quote. But for young drivers in St. Pete stuck with high rates despite clean records, Root’s behavior-based pricing could mean serious savings.
Compare personalized quotes from St. Petersburg’s cheapest companies.
The coverage levels you choose shape how much you pay for car insurance. Basic liability insurance, which covers injuries and damage you cause to others, is the cheapest option and meets the state’s minimum coverage requirements.
Below, we highlight five companies offering the cheapest liability insurance in St. Petersburg, according to Compare.com data.
If you have a newer car or an auto loan, you might want to consider full coverage — let’s look at your options next.
Full-coverage car insurance adds comprehensive and collision coverage to protect your car from theft, weather damage, and accidents — making it pricier than basic liability. State law doesn’t require you to purchase full coverage, but lenders typically call for it if you finance or lease your vehicle.
The chart below highlights the top five companies with competitive full-coverage rates in St. Pete, according to our data.
Factors beyond coverage levels will affect your rates. Next, we’ll focus on how age and driving record influence premiums.
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Insurers also look at your age when setting your car insurance rates. Teenagers pay the highest rates, while seasoned drivers tend to get lower rates. Plus, older drivers can lower their rate even more since Florida law allows insurers to offer discounts to drivers 55 and older who complete a mature driver (senior citizen) course.
Here’s how rates compare for age groups in St. Petersburg and the cheapest company for each, according to our data.
Age Group ▲▼ | Citywide Average Monthly Premium ▲▼ | Cheapest Insurer ▲▼ | Cheapest Insurer’s Average Monthly Premium ▲▼ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teens | $362 | GEICO | $127 |
| 40s | $214 | State Farm | $73 |
| Seniors | $175 | State Farm | $58 |
With more than 31,000 young drivers cruising around Pinellas County, finding affordable coverage for teens is a hot topic for local families. Car accidents are one of the top causes of death for teens, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and insurers charge more to offset the higher risk.
Teen drivers face the steepest rates — $362 per month in St. Pete, according to our data. But GEICO has more budget-friendly rates, at $127.
Good news for Pinellas County’s nearly 300,000 senior drivers: your years of experience behind the wheel pay off when it comes to car insurance premiums. The break in rates is because seniors tend to drive less, avoid rush hour, and have years of driving wisdom under their belts, which insurers love to see.
Senior drivers in St. Pete enjoy lower rates, paying around $175 per month, according to our analysis. State Farm has the best deal for seniors, at a monthly premium of $58.
Your driving record tells insurers a lot about how you handle St. Pete’s tourist-packed streets — even a single ticket could bump up your rates. On the flip side, a clean driving record will get you the best rates in town.
To understand how driving mishaps affect your wallet, here’s a table that shows how much St. Pete drivers pay based on different infractions and which companies offer the best rates after a slipup, according to Compare.com data.
Driving Record ▲▼ | Citywide Average Monthly Premium ▲▼ | Cheapest Insurer ▲▼ | Cheapest Insurer’s Average Monthly Premium ▲▼ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean record | $215 | State Farm | $76 |
| Speeding ticket | $262 | State Farm | $91 |
| At-fault accident | $283 | State Farm | $98 |
| DUI | $326 | State Farm | $120 |
A speeding ticket does more than sting your wallet — it’ll increase your insurance rates for the next few years, too.
St. Pete drivers with a ticket pay around $262 per month on average, according to our data. But don’t lose hope: State Farm is the cheapest insurer for this group, with monthly prices around $91, proving one mistake doesn’t have to wreck your budget.
Fender benders can have a bigger influence on your rates than what you’d see from a ticket. The average St. Pete driver with an accident pays $283 per month, according to our analysis. But State Farm offers more forgiving rates of around $98 — something to keep in mind while that accident ages off your record.
A DUI in St. Pete carries a heavy toll. It makes sense, given Pinellas County leads Florida in impaired driving crashes, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Beyond the legal consequences, you’re looking at the sharpest rate hike of any driving mistake.
St. Pete drivers with a DUI pay around $326 per month for car insurance. While State Farm offers the lowest monthly average, at $120, your best bet is always a designated driver.
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Nearly every state, including Florida, requires you to have car insurance to drive legally. The requirements are a bit different from other states since Florida is one of the few that run on a no-fault system. Here’s the minimum coverage you need to meet Florida car insurance laws:
Personal injury protection (PIP): $10,000
Property damage liability (PDL): $10,000
Bodily injury liability isn’t a strict requirement in Florida — unless you cause a crash that injures another driver. Then, the rules change, and you’ll need to add bodily injury liability coverage of $10,000 per person ($20,000 per crash). So don’t risk it, especially when most insurance experts suggest getting more than the minimum limits from the start.
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Living in a city where bridges, beach traffic, and afternoon thunderstorms are part of daily life means smart insurance shopping really matters. St. Pete’s rates are expensive, but you have plenty of options to keep your premiums in check. Here’s what works:
Bundle your policies: Combine your auto policy with your home or renters insurance to qualify for discounts.
Mind your mileage: If you work from home or take local routes, consider a usage-based insurance policy.
Keep your credit healthy: Florida insurers can use your credit history to set rates, so staying on top of your credit helps.
Practice safe driving: A clean driving record is one of the easiest ways to lower your premiums. A safe driver discount can shave as much as 30% off your car insurance.
Think before filing small claims: For minor dings, it might be cheaper to pay out of pocket (even small claims can raise your premium).
Shop around: Every insurer calculates rates differently, so comparing quotes is your best bet for finding a deal that fits.
Compare personalized quotes from the cheapest insurers in St. Petersburg.
If you have questions about car insurance in St. Petersburg, we’ve got answers. Here’s what St. Pete drivers ask most often, from how to find the cheapest rates to what happens if you drive without insurance.
State Farm has the cheapest average rates in St. Pete, averaging $76 per month, according to our research. Keep in mind your actual cost depends on factors like your driving record and age.
St. Pete drivers pay around $215 per month on average. Basic liability coverage will cost you about $171 per month, while full coverage clocks in at a higher monthly rate of $258, according to our data.
You’ll need $10,000 in both personal injury protection and property damage liability to meet Florida’s requirements. And if you cause a crash with injuries, you’ll also need $10,000 bodily injury coverage per person and $20,000 per crash.
If you drive without insurance in St. Petersburg, you could lose your license for up to three years. The state can also suspend your registration and charge steep reinstatement fees of up to $500.
Florida auto insurance is high thanks to frequent severe weather and the soaring numbers of uninsured drivers on the road. With more drivers uninsured, the financial risk increases, pushing up premiums for everyone.
Sources:
Insurance Research Council, “14 Percent of U.S. Drivers Were Uninsured in 2022, IRC Estimates,” accessed November 5, 2024.
Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, “Catastrophe Claims Data and Reporting,” accessed November 5, 2024.
Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, “Mature Driver Discount Insurance Courses,” accessed November 5, 2024.
Data scientists at Compare.com analyzed more than 50 million real-time auto insurance quotes from more than 75 partner insurers in order to compile the rates and statistics seen in this article. Compare.com’s auto insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers’ vehicles, driving records, insurance histories, and demographic information.
All the rates listed in this article have been collected from a combination of real Compare.com quotes and external insurance rate data gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. Compare.com uses these observations to provide readers with insights into how auto insurance companies determine their premiums.
Compare.com's #1 goal is to save you money. We publish resources that are based on hard-hitting data and years of industry experience to help you make more informed decisions with your wallet.
Learn more about us, our team, and what makes us tick.
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Amy Beardsley is a seasoned insurance expert who’s been writing for Compare.com since 2023. She has more than 12 years of industry knowledge and expertise in auto, home, life, commercial, and other insurance products. Amy’s work has been published by Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, Legal & General, NerdWallet, Robinhood, Insurify, NEXT Insurance, and more.
Amy worked as a court administrator before becoming a content marketing writer. Her legal background has equipped her with the ability to simplify complex technical language into easy-to-understand content.
She graduated magna cum laude from Ferris State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Legal Studies.
Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.
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