Accident and illness
Dogs
$749.29
Cats
$386.47
Independent practical guide
What Is the Average Pet Insurance Cost?
Understand which population, species and benefit category an average actually describes.
Policy-first
Independent
Useful checks
Key checks
What matters on this page
Use these checkpoints to frame the literal question before reading the full guide.
Data year
2024
US category-level premiums
Published
April 22, 2025
NAPHIA report
Basis
Weighted average
Exact formula not established
Direct answer
There is no useful single average for all pet insurance. NAPHIA’s 2024 US weighted-average annual premiums were $749.29 for dogs and $386.47 for cats in the accident-and-illness category. Those historical category averages are not a median, a current quote or a combined all-pet price.
The sections below show how to verify the answer and what can change it.
Read the table heading before the number
Evidence matrix
Published US annual premiums for 2024
| Coverage category | Dogs | Cats |
|---|---|---|
| Accident and illness | $749.29 | $386.47 |
| Accident only | $193.29 | $110.03 |
| Insurance with embedded wellness | $1,321.33 | $651.30 |
Accident only
Dogs
$193.29
Cats
$110.03
Insurance with embedded wellness
Dogs
$1,321.33
Cats
$651.30
Source: North American Pet Health Insurance Association, 2025 State of the Industry public highlights, page 22, published April 22, 2025. The table describes annual premiums per dog and cat in the US and labels the figures weighted averages. The reporting population is the report’s insured-pet market data, not all US households or a set of identical applicant quotes. The precise weighting formula and category-level sample counts were not established in this review.
Why averaging these six numbers is misleading
A simple mean would give a small product category the same weight as a large one and would combine unlike benefits. It would also erase the dog-versus-cat difference. Without appropriate category weights, do not calculate an all-pet average from this table. The table gives no median, interquartile range or probability that an individual offer falls below its average.
Evidence matrix
Monthly arithmetic, not monthly observations
| Category | Dog annual ÷ 12 | Cat annual ÷ 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Accident and illness | $62.44 | $32.21 |
| Accident only | $16.11 | $9.17 |
| Embedded wellness | $110.11 | $54.28 |
Accident and illness
Dog annual ÷ 12
$62.44
Cat annual ÷ 12
$32.21
Accident only
Dog annual ÷ 12
$16.11
Cat annual ÷ 12
$9.17
Embedded wellness
Dog annual ÷ 12
$110.11
Cat annual ÷ 12
$54.28
These rounded monthly equivalents are calculated from the annual values. They do not establish installment fees, discounts for paying annually, current premiums or the price difference caused by adding wellness to the same pet’s policy.
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Keep policy terms, deductible, reimbursement and limits beside the quote so the comparison stays consistent.
What the dataset cannot hold constant
Age, breed, place of residence, selected deductible, reimbursement and coverage limits are not matched in this table. The NAIC identifies such inputs as relevant to premiums. A difference between categories can reflect both benefit design and who bought the product; it is not a controlled experiment.
Checklist
Choose the right comparison
Pick the species and product category relevant to your question.
Keep the 2024 observation year separate from the 2025 publication date and today’s review date.
Compare an actual quote’s coverage with the category before using the number as context.
Treat unexpectedly low prices as a reason to inspect exclusions and benefit limits.
Build your own household budget from actual premiums and retained claim costs.
A better answer than one universal number
The published category averages are useful historical benchmarks. The unknown individual settings and weighting details limit interpretation; they do not require inventing a new average or pretending a live quote panel was measured.
FAQ
Common questions
Is this the typical bill every owner pays?
No. It is a weighted-average premium for a specified historical category, not the median owner’s total veterinary spending.
Can I subtract the categories to price wellness?
No. These are different insured populations and products, not matched policies with one add-on changed.
Keep exploring
Related guides
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