Best car insurance in West Virginia for 2024

Our 2024 Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories. 

Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlighting where they fall short.

• Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, average quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services (if available), as well as any of the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best, Demotech and the NAIC, were analyzed.
• Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated each company’s discount options listed on its website.
• Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways an auto and home insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.

Tier scores are unweighted to show the company's true score in each category out of a possible five points.

As is true in most states, West Virginia drivers need to carry a certain level of liability insurance to drive on public roads. Liability insurance is meant to cover costs sustained by the other car in an accident in which you are at fault. You will need to purchase at least the state minimum levels of insurance when you buy your policy. Many insurance experts, however, recommend that you have more than the minimum required coverage so that you are not saddled with out-of-pocket costs after an expensive accident.

If you finance or lease your car, your lending institution likely has a say in how much coverage you need. If you lease your car, for example, the lender has ownership of the vehicle. They will want to be covered in the event of damage to the vehicle. The same is true for a loan — the bank or loan originator has a vested interest in your car. Because of this, they are likely to require you to have collision and comprehensive coverage, which helps pay for damages to your car if you are in an at-fault accident.

Your policy should feature elements that make it work for your own needs, and in West Virginia, there may be options you should consider so that your policy works best for you. For example, if you live in West Virginia's rugged mountainous regions, you may want to consider emergency road service to help you out if you're stranded on a country road. If you live in a rural area that does not have public transportation, you may also benefit from rental car reimbursement in case your car is in the shop after an accident and you still need transportation. These optional coverages may cost you more, but can help you save in the long run if you are faced with an accident or vehicle malfunction.

When you contact a West Virginia car insurance company for a quote, the agent will typically need to know your age, the type of car you drive, your annual mileage and information about your driving record. You will also need to provide this information for all the drivers and vehicles you’d like listed on your quote. The agent may ask for your social security number to run a credit check, and while providing this information is usually optional, your quoted premium may be more accurate if you do. Some companies might provide anonymous car insurance quotes that require very little information, but these tend to be inaccurate.

West Virginia's average rates are below the national averages, making coverage more affordable than in many other states. Your own rate is likely to differ from these averages, however, since it's based on factors that are unique to your own situation. Your age, gender and credit rating, as well as your vehicle's age, make and model all play a role in determining rate. Your driving record also matters when determining your premium costs, with drivers who have a clean record generally earning the most favorable rates.

No single company always has the cheapest rates for every driver, especially since multiple factors go into determining the rate you pay. Every carrier uses its own proprietary method of determining rates, so you are likely to get a range of potential prices if you ask multiple companies for a quote. This is why many insurance experts recommend that you gather quotes from more than one company when you are looking for the cheapest rate in West Virginia, so you can determine who is able to offer you the most affordable coverage.

It depends. West Virginia drivers ages 16 to 17 years old will need to be on a parent’s policy in order to be insured, because of their age. Fortunately, some insurance companies offer numerous teen driver discounts which could help offset the high rates that are typically associated with younger drivers. Drivers who are 18 or 19 years old can purchase their own car insurance policy, but may still save by remaining insured on their parents' policy. Exploring car insurance quotes for each scenario may help you decide if it's better to keep your adult teen on your policy or have them purchase their own.