30-Year Term Life Insurance Rates by Age

A 2026 baseline rate chart, and the five factors that move your real quote off it.

Term life rates follow a predictable curve: flat and cheap through your 20s and early 30s, then a steady climb that accelerates hard after 50. Below is a 2026 rate chart for a $500,000, 30-year term policy — non-tobacco, Preferred Plus health class — based on InsuranceGeek's consolidated market data across A-rated carriers.

Estimates derived from InsuranceGeek's 2026 rate curve (30-year term running 70% above the 20-year term at each age) applied to their published 20-year and 10-year benchmarks. Your actual quote depends on full underwriting — treat this as a planning baseline, not a guaranteed price.

Why the curve bends the way it does

Insurers price almost entirely on mortality risk, which rises with age. Rates increase roughly 30–55% between your early 30s and early 40s, then accelerate further — the jump from 40 to 50 is typically larger in dollar terms than the entire climb from 30 to 40. That's the actuarial reason "buy while you're young" isn't just marketing copy: every year you wait is a year of higher baseline pricing layered on top of whatever health changes happen to show up in the meantime.

What moves you off this baseline

• Health class: Standard-rated applicants can pay 90%+ more than Preferred Plus for identical coverage — the biggest single lever after age.
• Tobacco use: Smokers typically pay 2–4x non-smoker rates, though most carriers restore non-smoker pricing after 12 months to several years nicotine-free, depending on the carrier.
• Gender: Women pay less at every age due to longer average life expectancy — the gap widens as you get older.
• Coverage amount: Pricing isn't linear — doubling coverage from $250K to $500K often costs less than double, since insurers spread fixed policy costs across the larger amount.