State profile · WA · CMS + NAIC
Washington drivers average $1153/yr for auto insurance, ranked #25 of 51 states by expenditure; federal marketplace denial filings are not reported for this state-based exchange.
The verdict
Washington runs its own health-insurance marketplace, so federal claim-denial data isn't reported here, but drivers pay an average $1153 a year for auto cover, near the $1191 national average (the 25th-most-expensive of 51 states), up 8% since 2019.
2019: $1068 average expenditure
$1,068 avg expenditure
2020: $1035 average expenditure
$1,035 avg expenditure
2021: $1030 average expenditure
$1,030 avg expenditure
2022: $1048 average expenditure
$1,048 avg expenditure
2023: $1153 average expenditure
$1,153 avg expenditure
What this shows Washington drivers' average auto cost rose 8% between 2019 and 2023.
Year over year, Washington's average auto expenditure rose 9.9% from 2022 to 2023, part of a 8% increase (+$85) since 2019. See the full 5-year state-by-state comparison.
Washington auto rates in detail →Washington: $1153/yr average auto expenditure (this state)
$1,153 avg expenditure
Pennsylvania: $1155/yr average auto expenditure
$1,155 avg expenditure
Illinois: $1153/yr average auto expenditure
$1,153 avg expenditure
Virginia: $1114/yr average auto expenditure
$1,114 avg expenditure
Alaska: $1113/yr average auto expenditure
$1,113 avg expenditure
No issuer-level claim-denial data is reported for Washington in the current CMS dataset.
Evidence map
The order below follows the evidence with the greatest bearing on this state record, while keeping the CMS claims filing, NAIC cost series, and state-rule context distinct.
Auto-cost position
Washington's 2023 average auto expenditure was $1153, 25th of 51 jurisdictions by cost and 3.2% below the national average. The figure reflects the coverage mix recorded by NAIC, not an individual driver's quote.
State insurance rules
Washington uses an at-fault (tort) auto-insurance system: the driver responsible for an accident, or their insurer, is liable for the other party's damages -- unlike the 12 no-fault states. Washington's insurance commissioner is a directly elected statewide office, one of 11 states where voters choose this role rather than a governor.
Nearest expenditure peers. By average auto expenditure, Washington's closest peers in PlainInsurer's dataset are Illinois ($1153/yr) and Pennsylvania ($1155/yr) -- both within a few dollars of Washington's own $1153/yr.
Border comparison. Washington borders Idaho and Oregon. Washington's auto costs run higher than 1 of them and lower than 1, by average auto expenditure -- geography is one of several factors (alongside regulation and risk pool) that shapes these differences, not a direct cause.
Washington operates a state-based health-insurance marketplace, so its issuers are not in the federal CMS Transparency-in-Coverage file. For health-plan denial data, consult the Washington Department of Insurance and the state exchange directly.
Rate regulation and guaranty-fund coverage are state-specific, so a state record can differ from an insurer's national average. Sources: CMS Transparency in Coverage PUF PY2026; NAIC 2023 Auto Insurance Database; Insurance Information Institute; Ballotpedia.
State insurance-department directory links come from NAIC. PlainInsurer is not affiliated with NAIC or CMS.
Every figure on PlainInsurer comes directly from NAIC MCAS and CMS Transparency in Coverage data; no editor types in numbers. See our editorial standards or methodology, or report an error. Data current as of 2026-08-11. Grades measure only the published complaint/denial data; we don't recommend any insurer or policy.