Average pet insurance cost in every state
Accident-and-illness coverage averages $43/mo for dogs and $23/mo for cats nationally — but unlike car and home insurance, the map flips: the cheap states are in the South (Alabama, $32/mo) and the expensive ones are where veterinary care costs the most (Alaska, $66/mo). Your premium tracks your local vet bill, not the weather. Estimate your pet's premium with age and breed size factored in.
Average monthly dog insurance premium, cheapest to priciest. Tap any bar for the state breakdown.
All 50 states + D.C., ranked by dog premium
Monthly accident-and-illness premiums, from a one-year rolling median of 250,000+ real quotes across 10+ pet insurers. Dog figures blend all breeds and ages; cat figures do the same.
| # | State | Dog /mo | Cat /mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | $32 | $15 |
| 2 | Mississippi | $32 | $11 |
| 3 | Oklahoma | $33 | $15 |
| 4 | Arkansas | $34 | $20 |
| 5 | Ohio | $35 | $18 |
| 6 | South Carolina | $36 | $17 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | $37 | $16 |
| 8 | Georgia | $38 | $23 |
| 9 | Indiana | $38 | $18 |
| 10 | New Mexico | $38 | $16 |
| 11 | North Carolina | $38 | $20 |
| 12 | Texas | $38 | $20 |
| 13 | Missouri | $39 | $17 |
| 14 | Nevada | $39 | $18 |
| 15 | Louisiana | $40 | $20 |
| 16 | West Virginia | $41 | $17 |
| 17 | Minnesota | $42 | $20 |
| 18 | Tennessee | $42 | $18 |
| 19 | Iowa | $43 | $18 |
| 20 | Michigan | $43 | $18 |
| 21 | Virginia | $43 | $21 |
| 22 | Washington | $43 | $26 |
| 23 | Kentucky | $45 | $22 |
| 24 | Nebraska | $45 | $21 |
| 25 | North Dakota | $45 | $20 |
| 26 | Pennsylvania | $45 | $21 |
| 27 | Utah | $45 | $22 |
| 28 | Montana | $46 | $18 |
| 29 | New Jersey | $46 | $30 |
| 30 | Florida | $47 | $24 |
| 31 | Wisconsin | $47 | $24 |
| 32 | Wyoming | $47 | $25 |
| 33 | Illinois | $48 | $23 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $48 | $24 |
| 35 | Arizona | $49 | $25 |
| 36 | California | $49 | $25 |
| 37 | Kansas | $49 | $22 |
| 38 | Oregon | $49 | $25 |
| 39 | Hawaii | $50 | $27 |
| 40 | Idaho | $50 | $25 |
| 41 | Maryland | $50 | $25 |
| 42 | Maine | $51 | $26 |
| 43 | Vermont | $52 | $22 |
| 44 | Colorado | $53 | $29 |
| 45 | Connecticut | $54 | $28 |
| 46 | New Hampshire | $55 | $26 |
| 47 | New York | $56 | $28 |
| 48 | Delaware | $57 | $32 |
| 49 | Washington, D.C. | $60 | $34 |
| 50 | Massachusetts | $64 | $31 |
| 51 | Alaska | $66 | $30 |
The single most reliable way to cut your premium is comparing quotes — insurers quote wildly different premiums for the same pet — comparing plans routinely cuts the bill by a third or more.
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What the big pet insurers charge nationally
For the same benchmark dog, published averages differ by more than 50% between major insurers — and each company's age curve is different, so the cheapest insurer for a puppy is rarely cheapest for a senior dog.
| Carrier | National avg (dog, accident & illness, monthly) | vs U.S. average | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lemonade | $34/mo | -21% vs US avg | Get quotes → |
| Pets Best | $36/mo | -16% vs US avg | Get quotes → |
| Embrace | $41/mo | -5% vs US avg | Get quotes → |
| Healthy Paws | $45/mo | +5% vs US avg | Get quotes → |
| Spot | $50/mo | +16% vs US avg | Get quotes → |
| Fetch | $53/mo | +23% vs US avg | Get quotes → |
National market averages compiled July 2026 from published rate analyses; your quote will differ. Quote links go to our comparison partner and may earn us a commission at no cost to you.
What actually moves your pet insurance premium
Four variables dominate: your pet's age (senior dogs cost roughly 2.5x what puppies do to insure), breed (a French bulldog costs nearly double a mixed breed, because insurers price in genetic conditions), your location's veterinary costs (which is why Alaska and Massachusetts top the table while Mississippi anchors the bottom), and your plan design — deductible, reimbursement rate and annual limit.
The single most impactful decision is timing: premiums are lowest for young pets and pre-existing conditions are never covered, so insuring early locks in both a lower rate and broader coverage than waiting until the first health scare.