On this page
A healthy non-smoker buying a $500,000, 20-year term life policy pays roughly $17 to $20 a month at age 30, about $25 to $30 at age 40, and $52 to $64 at age 50, based on the rate chart published by Fidelity Life. This term life insurance rates by age chart shows the full spread by age, gender, and term length, plus what moves your quote away from the chart.
What does the term life insurance rates by age chart show?
The chart shows estimated monthly premiums for a $500,000 policy for a healthy non-smoker at each age. Rates stay almost flat through your 20s and 30s, climb steeply in your late 40s and 50s, and jump again after 60. Women pay less than men at every age because insurers price from life expectancy tables where women live longer on average.
| Age | Men, 10-year | Men, 20-year | Men, 30-year | Women, 10-year | Women, 20-year | Women, 30-year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | $16.40 | $19.80 | $28.00 | $13.40 | $17.00 | $22.60 |
| 30 | $16.40 | $20.40 | $29.00 | $13.60 | $17.80 | $25.20 |
| 40 | $21.40 | $30.00 | $48.00 | $17.80 | $25.40 | $38.60 |
| 50 | $40.80 | $64.40 | $115.40 | $34.80 | $51.60 | $87.60 |
| 60 | $102.20 | $189.60 | Not offered | $70.60 | $128.20 | Not offered |
| 70 | $298.00 | $471.00 | Not offered | $213.25 | $358.50 | Not offered |
Source: Fidelity Life, rates for a $500,000 policy, healthy non-smoker. These are chart estimates before underwriting. Your final rate depends on your health class, which the insurer assigns after your application and, for larger policies, a medical exam.
How do 10-year term life insurance rates by age compare with longer terms?
A 10-year policy is the cheapest per month at every age because the insurer’s risk window is shortest. On the Fidelity Life chart, a 40-year-old man pays $21.40 a month for 10 years of cover against $30.00 for 20 years and $48.00 for 30 years. The catch is renewal: buying again at 50 costs far more than locking the 30-year rate at 40.
Match the term to the job. A 10-year policy fits a short debt or the last years before retirement savings take over. A 20-year policy covers most mortgages and the years until children finish school. A 30-year policy suits younger buyers and new parents who want cover into their 60s. Our guide to choosing your term life length works through the trade-offs, and the senior term life insurance rates by age chart pattern above shows why waiting is costly: at 60, only 10 and 20-year terms are widely offered, at several times the age-40 price.
Why do rates climb so fast after 50?
Insurers price term life from mortality tables, and the probability of dying during the policy term rises sharply with age. A 30-year-old is unlikely to die before 50, so the insurer expects to collect premiums and never pay a claim. A 60-year-old buying 20 years of cover is far more likely to die before 80, and the premium reflects that risk.
Health amplifies the age effect. The best term life insurance rates by age chart figures assume a preferred health class. A standard health class at the same age can cost 50% more, and a table rating for a managed condition can double the preferred price. Our breakdown of term life cost by health class shows how preferred, standard, and table ratings change the bill.
How much coverage should the chart be based on?
Most working adults need 10 to 12 times their annual income in coverage, so the $500,000 column fits someone earning around $45,000 to $50,000. Higher earners should read the $1,000,000 column of any chart instead, which is usually less than double the $500,000 price because policy fees are spread over a larger benefit. Parents should size cover to the mortgage, childcare, and the years until the youngest child is independent.
If $500,000 quotes still strain the budget, shorten the term before you shrink the benefit. A family that needs $500,000 for 15 years is worse off with $250,000 for 30 years. You can also compare the lowest-cost carriers in our ranking of the cheapest term life insurance companies, and weigh term against permanent cover in term life vs whole life insurance.
What do $250,000 and $1,000,000 policies cost by age?
Halving the benefit does not halve the price, because every policy carries fixed fees. Policygenius rate data, reproduced in GoodRx’s life insurance guide, prices a 20-year term at age 35 at $16.63 a month for $250,000 and $25.62 for $500,000 for a woman, and $18.95 against $30.44 for a man. At 55 the same steps are $61.79 to $109.49 for a woman and $85.40 to $152.22 for a man. Doubling cover from $250,000 to $500,000 adds roughly 55% to 75% to the premium, not 100%.
The same pattern holds at $1,000,000. Buyers who need seven figures of cover should always quote it rather than assuming it doubles the $500,000 chart price. Per dollar of protection, larger policies are the cheapest term life you can buy, which is why sizing the benefit correctly matters more than haggling over a few dollars of premium.
How can you get a rate below the chart?
Apply while you are healthy, because a new diagnosis moves you to a worse health class for every future quote. Stop nicotine before applying, since smoker rates run two to three times non-smoker rates and most insurers require 12 months nicotine-free for the better class. Compare at least three insurers, because the same applicant can see prices differ by 30% or more between companies.
New parents often find the timing argument decisive: buying at 30 instead of 40 locks two decades of lower premiums. Our guide for term life insurance for new parents covers how much to buy alongside the rate charts.
Key takeaways
- A $500,000, 20-year policy costs a healthy 30-year-old about $18 to $20 a month, and roughly three times that at 50.
- Rates are nearly flat in your 20s and 30s, then climb steeply; after 60, 30-year terms disappear and prices jump again.
- Chart prices assume a preferred health class. Standard and table-rated applicants pay 50% to 100% more at the same age.
- Shorten the term before you cut the benefit if quotes are too high, and compare at least three insurers.
Frequently asked questions
How much is term life insurance for a 40-year-old?
On the Fidelity Life chart, a healthy 40-year-old non-smoker pays $30.00 a month for a $500,000, 20-year policy if male, and $25.40 if female. A 10-year term costs $21.40 and $17.80. Applicants in a standard health class should expect noticeably higher quotes after underwriting.
At what age does term life insurance get expensive?
The steep climb starts in the late 40s. A 20-year, $500,000 policy for a man rises from $30.00 a month at 40 to $64.40 at 50 and $189.60 at 60 on the Fidelity Life chart. Buying in your 30s locks the flat part of the curve for the whole term.
Do smokers pay more on the rates by age chart?
Yes, much more. Smoker rates commonly run two to three times the non-smoker chart price at the same age and health class. Most insurers require at least 12 months without nicotine, including vaping and patches, before they will price you in a non-smoker class.
Can a 65-year-old buy a 20-year term policy?
Some insurers sell 20-year terms to 65-year-olds, but choice narrows and prices are high, above the age-60 figures in the chart. Many buyers at 65 choose a 10 or 15-year term, or a smaller permanent policy for final expenses, because the 20-year premium rarely fits a retirement budget.
Why did my quote come in higher than the chart?
Charts assume the preferred health class, which only part of applicants receive. Blood pressure, build, cholesterol, family history, driving record, and hazardous hobbies can each move you to standard or a table rating. Ask which class you were assigned and whether another insurer weights your profile more kindly.
