Car Insurance in Wilmington, Delaware
Estimated full coverage in Wilmington runs about $1,965 a year ($164/month) — ▲ +11% versus the Delaware average, ranking 2nd most expensive of the 8 Delaware cities we cover.
Why car insurance in Wilmington costs more than the Delaware average
Insurers price by territory, and Wilmington's numbers explain most of the gap. With 73,176 residents on 10.9 square miles, the city's density (6,717 people per square mile) is 10.0 times the density where the typical Delaware resident lives (674). The average commute is 23.5 minutes (Delaware: 26.0), and 61% of workers drive alone. Together these put our location factor at 1.11× the state baseline for liability and collision.
| Factor | Wilmington | Delaware ref. | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population density | 6,717 / sq mi | 674 / sq mi | More vehicles per mile of road means more fender-benders and claims. |
| Average commute | 23.5 min | 26.0 min | Longer daily drives add exposure to crashes. |
| Commutes over 60 min | 6.4% | — | Long highway commutes raise mileage-based risk. |
| Drive alone to work | 61.3% | — | Share of workers commuting by car. |
| Public transit to work | 7.7% | — | Transit use lowers how much residents drive. |
| Work from home | 16.0% | — | Remote workers may qualify for low-mileage pricing. |
| Households without a car | 22.5% | — | Context for non-owner and occasional-driver policies. |
| Weather hazard score (FEMA) | 78.4 | 76.9 | Hail, wind, flood and hurricane exposure drive comprehensive claims. |
Car insurance cost by ZIP code in Wilmington
Rates can change from one ZIP code to the next. Across 5 Wilmington ZIP codes, our full-coverage estimate ranges from $1,870 in 19809 to $1,990 in 19805. Denser, longer-commute neighborhoods estimate higher. Click a column to sort.
| ZIP | Population | Density / sq mi | Commute | No car | Est. full / yr | vs. city |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19805 | 41,402 | 7,503 | 24.5 min | 12.8% | $1,990 | +1% |
| 19802 | 26,051 | 7,477 | 22.2 min | 20.7% | $1,955 | −1% |
| 19801 | 16,327 | 3,713 | 24.2 min | 30.0% | $1,915 | −3% |
| 19809 | 14,311 | 2,118 | 24.7 min | 5.7% | $1,870 | −5% |
| 19806 | 9,777 | 5,734 | 19.0 min | 16.2% | $1,880 | −4% |
Minimum car insurance in Wilmington
Wilmington drivers follow Delaware's rules: at least 25/50/10 liability coverage, personal injury protection. Delaware is at-fault (tort). We estimate state-minimum coverage in Wilmington at $890 a year, and $1,290 for 100/300/100 limits.
| Coverage | Required? | Minimum | What it pays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | Yes | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident | Injuries you cause to other people |
| Property damage liability | Yes | $10,000 | Damage you cause to other vehicles and property |
| Personal injury protection (PIP) | Yes | 15,000/30,000 Personal injury protection of at least $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident is required. | Your own medical bills and lost wages, regardless of fault |
| Uninsured motorist (UM) | No | — Uninsured motorist coverage is optional; property damage claims carry a $250 deductible. | Your injuries when the at-fault driver has no insurance |
| Underinsured motorist (UIM) | No | — Underinsured motorist bodily injury coverage is optional. | The gap when the at-fault driver’s limits are too low |
| Medical payments (MedPay) | No | — Medical expenses are covered through required PIP. | Medical bills for you and your passengers |
A valid Delaware insurance identification card must be kept in the vehicle.
Risk factors that shape Wilmington premiums
Accidents
Delaware recorded 126 traffic deaths, or 1.27 per 100 million vehicle miles (U.S.: 1.19), in the latest full year of federal crash data. Local crash frequency is folded into our density and commute factors.
Vehicle theft
Delaware's vehicle theft rate is 188 per 100,000 residents (U.S.: 197). The most-stolen vehicle in the state is the Ford Pickup (Full Size) (NICB). Theft losses are paid by comprehensive coverage.
Weather
FEMA rates New Castle County as very low for hail, relatively high for inland flooding and relatively high for strong wind, and relatively moderate for hurricanes.
Traffic & commuting
6.4% of Wilmington commuters spend an hour or more getting to work, and there are 1.18 vehicles per household. 16.0% work from home — worth mentioning to insurers that offer low-mileage pricing.
| Hazard | Risk rating | Score (0–100) | Insurance impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hail | 24.2 | Comprehensive (car); roof claims (home) | |
| Tornado | 88.1 | Comprehensive; dwelling | |
| Hurricane | 88.4 | Comprehensive; wind/hurricane deductibles (home) | |
| Inland (river) flooding | 97.6 | Comprehensive; home needs a separate flood policy | |
| Coastal flooding | 83.8 | Comprehensive; home needs a separate flood policy | |
| Strong wind | 88.3 | Comprehensive; dwelling | |
| Winter weather | 99.5 | Collision (icy roads); frozen pipes (home) |
Scores are national percentiles of FEMA's county risk (higher means more expected loss than most other U.S. counties).
Estimated car insurance in Wilmington by driver profile
A clean-record driver in their 50s pays the least in our Wilmington model (about $1,805 for full coverage); an 18-year-old on their own policy pays about $5,400, and a DUI pushes a 30-something to $3,635.
| Driver | Minimum | Standard | Full coverage | Full / month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teen driver (18, own policy) | $2,445 | $3,550 | $5,400 | $450 |
| Young adult (22) | $1,425 | $2,065 | $3,140 | $262 |
| Adult in their 30s | $890 | $1,290 | $1,965 | $164 |
| Adult in their 50s | $820 | $1,185 | $1,805 | $150 |
| Senior (72) | $995 | $1,445 | $2,200 | $183 |
| 30s, one at-fault accident | $1,290 | $1,870 | $2,850 | $238 |
| 30s, DUI on record | $1,645 | $2,385 | $3,635 | $303 |
Minimum vs. standard vs. full coverage in Wilmington
| Coverage level | What it includes | Per year | Per month | Typical range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State minimum liability | Only the liability (and PIP/UM where required) limits your state mandates. No coverage for your own car. | $890 | $74 | $730–$1,050 |
| Standard liability (100/300/100) | Higher liability limits plus uninsured motorist coverage. Still no coverage for damage to your own car. | $1,290 | $108 | $1,060–$1,520 |
| Full coverage | Standard liability plus collision and comprehensive, typically required on a financed or leased car. | $1,965 | $164 | $1,610–$2,315 |
Estimate your premium in Wilmington
Runs in your browser — nothing you enter is stored or sent to insurers.
Cheap car insurance in Wilmington: how to lower your rate
The cheapest policy is the one that fits your situation. These levers are priced with Wilmington's own numbers:
| Change | Est. yearly savings | Good fit if… |
|---|---|---|
| Raise collision/comprehensive deductible from $500 to $1,000 | $95 | You have savings to cover a bigger out-of-pocket repair. |
| Low-mileage / usage-based pricing (under 7,500 mi) | $140 | You're among the 16.0% of Wilmington workers who work from home, or you rarely drive. |
| Drop collision & comprehensive on an older car | $370 | The car is paid off and worth little more than a year of premiums. |
| Standard (100/300/100) instead of full coverage | $675 | No loan or lease requires physical-damage coverage. |
| Avoid one speeding ticket | $430 | Everyone — violations typically affect rates for three to five years. |
Also ask about bundling, good-student, paid-in-full and defensive-driving discounts, and re-shop at every renewal — the same driver can be priced very differently by different insurers. We don't recommend specific companies. Common car insurance discounts.
Comparing car insurance quotes in Wilmington
- Use identical limits and deductibles on every quote — e.g. 100/300/100 liability with $1,000 deductibles — or prices aren't comparable.
- Get quotes from different channels: captive agents, independent agents who quote several insurers, and direct online insurers. There are 0 offices listed below.
- Check complaint records with the Delaware Department of Insurance (complaint information) before you buy.
- Mention your ZIP code accurately — within Wilmington, our estimates differ by up to $120 a year between neighborhoods.
Car insurance agents near Wilmington, DE
Our open map data doesn't list individual insurance offices inside Wilmington yet. The map shows nearby agencies from Google Maps.
Map © Google. Office list: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0) - https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright; All The Places (alltheplaces.xyz), data released under the CC-0 waiver; run 2026-09-19-13-32-18. OSM license. Listings are informational and may be out of date.
Insurance cost of popular cars in Wilmington
| Model | Segment | Est. full coverage / yr | vs. average car |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honda CR-V | Small SUV | $1,505 | −23% |
| Subaru Outback | Wagon | $1,465 | −25% |
| Tesla Model 3 | Midsize car | $2,035 | +4% |
| Subaru Forester | Small SUV | $1,425 | −27% |
| Honda Civic | Compact car | $2,275 | +16% |
| Toyota Corolla | Compact car | $2,145 | +9% |
| Jeep Wrangler | Midsize SUV | $1,780 | −9% |
| Mazda CX-5 | Small SUV | $1,685 | −14% |
| MINI Cooper | Subcompact car | $1,505 | −23% |
| Tesla Model Y | Midsize SUV | $1,830 | −7% |
Car insurance in nearby Delaware cities
- Newark $1,810/yr · 13 mi
- Middletown $1,940/yr · 22 mi
- Smyrna $2,005/yr · 31 mi
- Dover $1,805/yr · 40 mi
- Milford $1,800/yr · 57 mi
- Georgetown $1,905/yr · 73 mi
- Seaford $1,905/yr · 75 mi
All Delaware cities and state rules · Homeowners insurance in Wilmington
Frequently asked questions
How much is car insurance in Wilmington, DE?
We estimate full coverage in Wilmington at about $1,965 a year ($164 a month) for a driver in their 30s with a clean record, and about $890 for Delaware's minimum liability coverage. Real quotes vary by insurer, driver and vehicle.
Why is car insurance in Wilmington more expensive than the Delaware average?
Our Wilmington estimate is 11% higher than the statewide figure. The model reflects a population density of 6,717 people per square mile (the typical Delaware resident lives at about 674) and an average commute of 23.5 minutes versus 26.0 statewide. Denser traffic and longer drives mean more claims, which insurers price into local rates.
What car insurance is required in Wilmington?
Drivers in Wilmington follow Delaware law: at least 25/50/10 liability coverage plus PIP.
Which ZIP code in Wilmington has the cheapest car insurance?
Among Wilmington's 5 ZIP codes, 19809 has the lowest estimate (about $1,870 a year for full coverage) and 19805 the highest (about $1,990), mainly because of differences in density and commute times.
How much is car insurance for a teenager in Wilmington?
An 18-year-old with their own full-coverage policy would pay around $5,400 a year in Wilmington by our estimate ($2,445 for minimum coverage). Adding a teen to a parent's policy is usually cheaper.
Does weather affect car insurance in Wilmington?
Yes. FEMA's National Risk Index rates New Castle County for inland (river) flooding (relatively high) risk. Weather mainly affects the comprehensive part of a policy, which pays for hail, flood and wind damage.
How we estimate this
We start from the state's average liability, collision and comprehensive premiums published by the NAIC, then apply a location factor (population density and commute time from the Census ACS, weather hazard scores from FEMA's National Risk Index), a vehicle factor (HLDI insurance-loss data where available, otherwise vehicle segment), and a driver-profile multiplier. Results are rounded ranges for comparison, not quotes. Read the full methodology.
- Delaware DMV: Vehicle registration insurance requirements
- Delaware DMV: Frequently Asked Questions (liability insurance)
- Delaware Department of Insurance: The Instant Insurance Guide: Auto
- Delaware Department of Insurance: File a Complaint
- NAIC 2022/2023 Auto Insurance Database Report
- NAIC Homeowners Insurance Report: Data for 2023
- Insurance Research Council uninsured motorist estimates (via Triple-I)
- IIHS Fatality Facts: state by state
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: Crime in the United States 2025 (Table 4)
- NICB 2022 Vehicle Theft Data: top 10 stolen vehicles by state
- FHWA Highway Statistics 2024, Table DL-1C (licensed drivers)
- FHWA Highway Statistics 2024, Table MV-1 (registrations)
- FHWA Highway Statistics 2024, Table VM-2 (vehicle-miles traveled)
- U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 population estimates
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (Wilmington and ZIP code tabulation areas)
- U.S. Census Bureau population estimates and Gazetteer files
- FEMA National Risk Index (county hazard ratings)
- Insurance office locations: OpenStreetMap contributors and All The Places