- Compact SUV models like the Kia Soul, Toyota Corolla Cross, Subaru Crosstrek, and Nissan Kicks are the top picks for having the cheapest auto insurance in Wilmington.
- Models with segment-leading car insurance rates include the Toyota GR Corolla (compact car), Subaru Crosstrek (compact SUV), Chrysler 300 (full-size car), and Mercedes-Benz CLA250 (midsize luxury car).
- Monthly car insurance rates for a few popular models include the Ram Truck at $122, GMC Sierra at $117, and Honda Accord at $102.
- Auto insurance quotes have significant variability from as little as $27 per month for the minimum required liability coverage to over $679 per month for high-risk drivers.
- Wilmington auto insurance averages $10 per year more than the North Carolina state average rate and $617 per year less than the United States national average.
Which cars have the cheapest insurance rates?
The models with the cheapest insurance prices in Wilmington, NC, tend to be small SUVs and crossovers like the Chevrolet Trailblazer, Subaru Crosstrek, and Toyota Corolla Cross. Average auto insurance quotes for the models in the top 10 cost $86 or less per month to insure for full coverage in Wilmington.
Examples of other vehicles that are ranked high in our car insurance cost comparison are the Chevrolet Colorado, Buick Envista, Subaru Outback, and Buick Encore. Average insurance cost is a little bit more for those models than the compact SUVs that rank near the top, but they still have an average cost of $91 or less per month in Wilmington.
The following table lists the 40 car, truck, and SUV models with the cheapest auto insurance in Wilmington, ordered by annual cost.
| Rank | Make/Model | Annual Premium | Cost Per Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Subaru Crosstrek | $936 | $78 |
| 2 | Chevrolet Trailblazer | $952 | $79 |
| 3 | Kia Soul | $988 | $82 |
| 4 | Nissan Kicks | $998 | $83 |
| 5 | Honda Passport | $1,010 | $84 |
| 6 | Buick Envision | $1,014 | $85 |
| 7 | Toyota Corolla Cross | $1,022 | $85 |
| 8 | Hyundai Venue | $1,030 | $86 |
| 9 | Mazda CX-5 | $1,034 | $86 |
| 10 | Ford Bronco Sport | $1,036 | $86 |
| 11 | Volkswagen Tiguan | $1,048 | $87 |
| 12 | Acura RDX | $1,060 | $88 |
| 13 | Nissan Murano | $1,064 | $89 |
| 14 | Buick Encore | $1,076 | $90 |
| 15 | Honda CR-V | $1,078 | $90 |
| 16 | Subaru Outback | $1,080 | $90 |
| 17 | Buick Envista | $1,084 | $90 |
| 18 | Chevrolet Colorado | $1,084 | $90 |
| 19 | Kia Niro | $1,086 | $91 |
| 20 | Volkswagen Taos | $1,086 | $91 |
| 21 | Subaru Ascent | $1,102 | $92 |
| 22 | Toyota GR Corolla | $1,102 | $92 |
| 23 | Honda HR-V | $1,104 | $92 |
| 24 | Nissan Leaf | $1,110 | $93 |
| 25 | Lexus NX 250 | $1,122 | $94 |
| 26 | Honda Civic | $1,124 | $94 |
| 27 | Volkswagen Atlas | $1,124 | $94 |
| 28 | Acura Integra | $1,126 | $94 |
| 29 | Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport | $1,128 | $94 |
| 30 | Subaru Forester | $1,130 | $94 |
| 31 | Kia Seltos | $1,132 | $94 |
| 32 | GMC Terrain | $1,134 | $95 |
| 33 | Hyundai Kona | $1,140 | $95 |
| 34 | Nissan Rogue | $1,140 | $95 |
| 35 | Mazda CX-30 | $1,142 | $95 |
| 36 | Cadillac XT4 | $1,144 | $95 |
| 37 | Ford Explorer | $1,148 | $96 |
| 38 | Toyota Highlander | $1,150 | $96 |
| 39 | Volkswagen ID4 | $1,150 | $96 |
| 40 | Ford Escape | $1,156 | $96 |
Data Methodology: Rated driver is a 40-year-old married male with no driving violations or at-fault accidents in the prior three years. Uninsured Motorist (UM), Underinsured Motorist (UIM) and medical payments coverages are included. Premium is averaged for all trim levels available for each vehicle and also for all Wilmington, NC Zip Codes. Updated February 23, 2024
A few other popular models making the list of the top 40 table above include the Volkswagen Atlas Cross Sport, the Honda Civic, the Nissan Leaf, the Kia Seltos, and the Toyota GR Corolla. Average car insurance rates for those vehicles fall between $1,086 and $1,156 per year in Wilmington.
As a comparison, some examples that have more expensive auto insurance include the Tesla Model Y which costs $117 per month, the Ram Truck which averages $122, and the Audi e-tron which costs $132.
The next section of this article goes into more detail about the average cost of car insurance for each different vehicle segment. This will give you a better understanding of the vehicle segments that have the overall least expensive Wilmington auto insurance rates.
Best types of vehicles for cheap insurance
If you’re shopping for a new vehicle, it’s important to know which categories of vehicles have more affordable car insurance rates.
As an example, you may be wondering if midsize SUVs have more affordable insurance than full-size SUVs or if sports cars cost more to insure than regular cars.
The chart below shows the average car insurance cost in Wilmington for each automotive segment. From an overal segment perspective, compact SUVs, vans, and midsize pickups tend to have the cheapest rates, with luxury and performance models having the highest car insurance rates.
It’s fine to use average rates by segment just as a starting point, because more accurate decisions can be made if you look at specific models to find out which vehicles in each segment have the best rates.
For example, in the small luxury car segment, car insurance rates range from the Acura Integra at $1,126 per year for full coverage insurance to the BMW M340i at $1,548 per year.
In the small luxury SUV segment, the average cost of insurance can vary from the Acura RDX costing $1,060 per year up to the Aston Martin DBX at $2,466 per year, a difference of $1,406 within that segment.
Lastly, in the large luxury car segment, the average cost of insurance varies from the Audi A5 costing $1,498 per year to the Mercedes-Benz Maybach S680 costing $2,654 per year.
How much does car insurance cost in Wilmington?
The average car insurance expense in Wilmington is $1,266 per year, which is 39.2% less than the U.S. average rate of $1,883. The average cost of car insurance per month in Wilmington is $106 for a full coverage policy.
In the state of North Carolina, the average cost to insure a vehicle is $1,256 per year, so the average cost in Wilmington is $10 more per year.
When compared to other larger cities in North Carolina, the cost to insure a vehicle in Wilmington is approximately $134 per year cheaper than in Charlotte, $210 per year less than in Fayetteville, and $120 per year more than in Winston Salem.
The age of the rated driver is the single-largest factor that determines the cost of auto insurance. The list below details how age impacts cost by breaking down average car insurance rates in Wilmington for young, middle-age, and senior drivers.
Average cost of car insurance in Wilmington, NC, for drivers age 16 to 60
- 16 year old – $4,510 per year or $376 per month
- 17 year old – $4,369 per year or $364 per month
- 18 year old – $3,912 per year or $326 per month
- 19 year old – $3,563 per year or $297 per month
- 20 year old – $2,546 per year or $212 per month
- 30 year old – $1,350 per year or $113 per month
- 40 year old – $1,266 per year or $106 per month
- 50 year old – $1,124 per year or $94 per month
- 60 year old – $1,050 per year or $88 per month
The next chart displays additional costs for drivers age 20 to 60 by showing a range of rates based on an assortment of driver ages, physical damage deductibles, and driver risk profiles.
Average car insurance rates in the chart range from $1,052 per year for a 40-year-old driver who qualifies for many discounts to $2,910 per year for a 30-year-old driver with a lot of violations and accidents.
When the rates shown in the chart are converted to monthly figures, the average cost of car insurance per month in Wilmington ranges from $88 to $243.
Wilmington car insurance rates can have a wide range and are impacted by a lot of factors. Due to the high likelihood of rate variability, this increases the need to get accurate auto insurance quotes when shopping online for the cheapest Wilmington car insurance.
Insurance rates for the most popular vehicles
The car insurance rates mentioned previously consist of an average based on every 2024 vehicle model, which is suitable for making overall comparisons such as the average cost difference by driver age or location. Average auto insurance rates are good for getting the answer to questions like “are car insurance rates in Wilmington cheaper than in Durham?” or “is car insurance cheaper in North Carolina or Florida?”.
But for more useful price comparisons, we should perform a rate analysis for the exact vehicle being insured. Every model has it’s own exposure profile for liability and physical damage claims, and this data enables cost comparisons.
The following chart details average insurance cost in Wilmington for some of the most popular cars, trucks, and SUVs.
Vehicles that are popular in Wilmington tend to be small or midsize sedans like the Volkswagen Jetta, Toyota Corolla, and Honda Accord and compact or midsize SUVs like the Nissan Rogue, Chevy Equinox, and Subaru Outback.
Additional popular models from different automotive segments include luxury models like the BMW 530i, Infiniti QX60, and Lexus RX 350 and sports cars like the Audi TT, Nissan GT-R, and Ford Mustang.
If you check to see which of the popular vehicles are in the prior list of the 40 models with the cheapest average auto insurance quotes, the majority do not rank on the list.
Expensive insurance could be due to buying a vehicle with a high MSRP, like a GMC Yukon which has an average cost of $59,295 or a Tesla Model Y with an average MSRP of $31,890. Another possible cause could be higher liability or medical insurance cost like a GMC Yukon XL or a GMC Sierra 2500 pickup.
Summary of key concepts
We covered a lot of data in this article, so here is a recap of some of the key concepts plus some additional information.
- Teenage female drivers have cheaper rates than teenage males – Teenage female drivers age 16 to 19 pay $549 to $300 less per year than their male counterparts.
- Insurance rates drop significantly from age 20 to 30 – The average 30-year-old Wilmington, North Carolina, driver will pay $1,196 less annually than a 20-year-old driver, $1,350 compared to $2,546.
- Cost per month ranges from $88 to $376 – That is the average car insurance price range for drivers age 16 to 60 in Wilmington, North Carolina.
- Wilmington car insurance prices are more expensive than the North Carolina state average – $1,266 (Wilmington average) versus $1,256 (North Carolina average)
- Car insurance is generally cheaper as you age – Auto insurance rates for a 50-year-old driver in Wilmington are $1,422 per year cheaper than for a 20-year-old driver.
- Wilmington, North Carolina, average car insurance cost is less than the U.S. average – $1,266 (Wilmington average) versus $1,883 (U.S. average)