Life & Income Protection
Life Insurance Cost by Age and Health
Computed live from MoneyGeek and InsuranceGeek 2026 term life rate data.
A full reference table, not just two example points, showing $500,000 in term life coverage across every sourced age and health combination.
Data sourced from MoneyGeek, InsuranceGeek
$500,000, 20-year term: monthly cost by age and health tier
| Age | Excellent (preferred plus) | Good (preferred) | Average (standard) | Below average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | $17.79 | $22.05 | $34.50 | $38.41 |
| 30 | $17.79 | $22.05 | $34.50 | $38.41 |
| 35 | $21.66 | $26.84 | $42.00 | $46.75 |
| 40 | $27.33 | $33.87 | $53.00 | $59.00 |
| 45 | $40.99 | $50.81 | $79.50 | $88.50 |
| 50 | $61.61 | $76.37 | $119.50 | $133.03 |
| 55 | $102.86 | $127.50 | $199.50 | $222.08 |
| 60 | $175.56 | $217.61 | $340.50 | $379.04 |
Every figure above is computed live from the same age-baseline and health-multiplier data this site's own term life insurance needs calculator uses, at a fixed $500,000 coverage amount and 20-year term, so this reference table cannot drift out of sync with the calculator's own numbers if the underlying rate data is ever updated.
The two factors compound, they do not just add
Age is the larger factor overall: the gap from the youngest to oldest sourced age point, at the best health tier, already spans roughly 21.3x. But health status is not a rounding error on top of that curve, at age 40 specifically, the gap between excellent health and below-average health runs about 116% for the identical coverage amount.
One detail the table makes visible that a single example point cannot: the dollar size of the health-tier gap grows as age increases, even though the percentage gap between health tiers stays roughly constant.
That is simple math, a fixed percentage applied to a bigger baseline produces a bigger dollar difference, but it means improving your health classification before applying matters more in real dollar terms the older you are, not less.
Frequently asked questions
How much does $500,000 in term life insurance cost by age?
At average health, roughly $34.5/month at age 25, climbing to roughly $340.5/month at age 60, for a 20-year term policy, according to MoneyGeek's 2026 rate data. The table above shows every sourced age point across all 4 health tiers.
Does health status matter as much as age?
Age matters more overall, but health status still moves the price substantially at any given age. At age 40, for example, the gap between excellent health and below-average health is about 116%, for the identical $500,000 coverage amount and the same insurer.
Why does the health-tier dollar gap look bigger at older ages than younger ones?
Because health multipliers are percentages, not flat dollar amounts, applied to a rising baseline. The same percentage gap between excellent and below-average health translates into a much bigger dollar swing at age 55 or 60, where the baseline premium is already high, than it does at age 25, where the baseline is still low.
This is why improving your health tier matters more in absolute dollar terms the older you are.
Is this the same rate data used elsewhere on this site?
Yes, this table is generated directly from the same sourced MoneyGeek and InsuranceGeek rate data used by the term life insurance needs calculator, computed live from the underlying constants rather than a separately maintained table, so it cannot silently drift out of sync with the calculator's own numbers.