Many different factors contribute to the final insurance rate. Generally, these pieces fall into the following categories:
Personal information - name, address, date of birth, gender, marital status, home ownership status, employment, education, credit history, membership status to various organizations, social security number (in some cases), age at which a driver's license was first obtained and very importantly, your driving record.
Family information - other primary drivers, other occasional drivers and their driving histories.
Vehicle information - year, make, model, primary use (pleasure/work), how often the vehicle is driven to work or school, business use of the vehicle, how long you've owned the vehicle, factory safety equipment, presence of an alarm/immobilizer system, expected annual mileage and zip code at which the vehicle is normally parked.
Previous insurance information - name of previous insurer, length of previous insurance, lapses in insurance, previous liability limits and other coverage.
Previous insurance claims, accidents and moving violations - essentially an elaboration on your driving record, including dates and severity of the events and costs of repair.
Desired coverage - limits on liability and whether or not comprehensive and collision are chosen.