Compare Cheap Car Insurance in Pennsylvania
We studied car insurance rates in Pennsylvania and found that Erie offers the best prices for different types of drivers but to ensure you receive the best rates, shop around and compare premiums from multiple companies.
Here's what you need to know about car insurance in Pennsylvania:
Cheapest car insurance companies in Pennsylvania
For the best rates in the Keystone State, you should gather premium estimates from Erie and State Farm. A car insurance policy from Erie costs an average $40 per month, while State Farm is slightly more expensive, at $49 a month.
USAA also offers highly affordable rates, but only current or former military members and some of their family members can buy policies from the insurer.
| Company | Average monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $40 |
| State Farm | $49 |
| Penn National | $61 |
| State average | $62 |
| Auto-Owners | $65 |
| Nationwide | $67 |
| Allstate | $74 |
| Progressive | $86 |
| GEICO | $87 |
| USAA | $30 |
| Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
Before shopping around for quotes, you should know the amount and types of coverage you need. The minimum liability plan is the bare minimum the state requires, and is mainly meant to protect other drivers and their vehicles in an accident.
Drivers who own more expensive vehicles should opt for higher coverage limits or additional protections.
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Pennsylvania
Similar to a minimum car insurance policy, you can find the most affordable rates for a full-coverage plan from Erie and State Farm. Both offer plans at a little over $100 per month, on average.
| Company | Average monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $105 |
| State Farm | $115 |
| Auto-Owners | $141 |
| State average | $143 |
| Nationwide | $151 |
| Progressive | $161 |
| Penn National | $167 |
| Allstate | $185 |
| GEICO | $192 |
| USAA | $72 |
| Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
The average cost of a full-coverage policy is more than twice the cost of the average minimum liability policy because full coverage offers protections not available with minimum coverage.
A full-coverage plan provides the basic state auto insurance requirements, as well as comprehensive and collision coverages.
Cheapest car insurance for young drivers in Pennsylvania
Drivers under the age of 30 are most likely to be involved in a car accident or receive a traffic citation. Due to this, young drivers receive some of the most expensive car insurance premiums.
Across the 16-to-20 age bracket, Erie and State Farm provide the cheapest full-coverage and minimum liability coverage.
Having to pay for insurance on an already limited budget can stress your wallet.You can potentially save on car insurance by:
- Taking advantage of discounts.
- Signing onto your parents' car insurance policy.
- Comparing rates from multiple insurers and letting companies compete for your business.
Cheapest car insurance for bad drivers in Pennsylvania
Driving history is one of the biggest factors insurance companies take into consideration to assess how "risky" you are. Drivers with a mark on their records receive higher premiums than their counterparts with clean records.
The best way to get back to your pre-incident insurance rates is to wait. Accidents and speeding tickets, for example, stay on your record for three to five years before falling off. An alternative to waiting is to look for ways to save money by applying discounts, bundling policies and seeing if switching companies is a better option.
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance for drivers with an accident
Accidents signal to insurance companies that you are a risky driver to insure. As a result, you'll often see the cost of your monthly premium increase after you've been in an at-fault accident.
Erie raised prices by as little as $8 a month, but GEICO hiked rates an average $142, illustrating the importance of comparing companies.
| Company | Monthly rate before | Monthly rate after | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erie | $105 | $113 | $8 |
| State Farm | $115 | $137 | $22 |
| Auto-Owners | $141 | $209 | $68 |
| Progressive | $161 | $236 | $75 |
| Allstate | $185 | $246 | $61 |
| Nationwide | $151 | $259 | $108 |
| Penn National | $167 | $278 | $111 |
| GEICO | $192 | $334 | $142 |
| USAA | $72 | $99 | $27 |
| Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |||
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance for drivers with a DUI
Most companies charge higher-than-average rates for car insurance to drivers with a DUI versus those with a clean record. GEICO, for instance, nearly tripled its rates following a DUI conviction.
However, if you shop around, you can find affordable premiums despite your record. For instance, State Farm and USAA increased monthly premiums by only $11 to $24, on average.
| Company | Monthly rate before | Monthly rate after | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Farm | $115 | $126 | $11 |
| Erie | $105 | $167 | $62 |
| Nationwide | $151 | $184 | $33 |
| Allstate | $185 | $185 | $0 |
| Progressive | $161 | $187 | $26 |
| Penn National | $167 | $338 | $171 |
| Auto-Owners | $141 | $339 | $198 |
| GEICO | $192 | $541 | $349 |
| USAA | $72 | $96 | $24 |
| Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |||
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket
Speeding is one of the most common traffic violations, so for drivers who have a ticket on their record, you'll be happy to hear that most insurance companies only raise premiums by a few extra dollars.
However, this doesn't mean you shouldn't gather multiple premium rates. Our analysis shows that Progressive and Allstate did not increase rates at all, but Penn National brought rates up by as much as $74, on average.
| Company | Monthly rate before | Monthly rate after | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erie | $105 | $113 | $8 |
| State Farm | $115 | $126 | $11 |
| Auto-Owners | $141 | $141 | $0 |
| Progressive | $161 | $161 | $0 |
| Nationwide | $151 | $184 | $33 |
| Allstate | $185 | $185 | $0 |
| GEICO | $192 | $202 | $10 |
| Penn National | $167 | $241 | $74 |
| USAA | $72 | $80 | $8 |
| Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |||
Best car insurance companies in Pennsylvania, according to customers
The best car insurance companies in the state not only have the lowest rates — they should also have top-tier service. A lot of car insurance companies tout that they have the cheapest rates, but if you receive little support from the company when filing a claim, the low rates won't be worth it.
We considered two industry sources to determine an insurer's level of customer satisfaction. The higher a company's J.D. Power score, the more positively it was rated. The lower a company's NAIC Complaint Index, the fewer customers filed a formal complaint with Pennsylvania state regulators.
| Company | J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Auto Insurance Satisfaction Study | National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Complaint Index |
|---|---|---|
| State Farm | 851 | 0.70 |
| Average | 842 | 1.00 |
| Erie | 856 | 1.32 |
| GEICO | 835 | 1.33 |
| Nationwide | 823 | 0.61 |
| Progressive | 834 | 0.47 |
| Allstate | 830 | 0.63 |
| Auto-Owners | N/A | 0.64 |
| Penn National | N/A | 0.00 |
| Note: J.D. Power assesses overall customer satisfaction on a 1,000-point scale with the average rating in the Mid-Atlantic region being 842. The NAIC Complaint Index is the rate at which customers file complaints to their state regulators. The median Complaint Index is 1.0. | ||
Average car insurance costs in Pennsylvania by city
Your rates not only vary depending on which state you live in, but also the city where you reside. Dense and high-traffic areas like Philadelphia have much higher rates than a significantly less populated city like Lancaster.
We compiled average rates for the 10 most populated cities in Pennsylvania.
| City | Average monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Allentown | $137 |
| Bensalem | $175 |
| Bethlehem | $129 |
| Erie | $127 |
| Lancaster | $115 |
| Philadelphia | $246 |
| Pittsburgh | $129 |
| Reading | $131 |
| Scranton | $130 |
| Upper Darby | $204 |
| Average rates are based on non-binding estimates provided by Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. | |
Car insurance requirements in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is one of 10 no-fault states in the country. Drivers in these states must carry some form of personal injury protection, which covers physical injuries resulting from car accidents, regardless of who caused the accident.
The state has an optional tort coverage drivers can take advantage of. Tort coverage refers to your ability to sue other drivers for pain and damages caused by an accident.
You must buy and maintain at least these types and amounts of car insurance to legally drive in Pennsylvania.
| Coverage requirement | Limits |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $5,000 per accident |
| Medical benefits coverage | $5,000 per person |
If you're caught driving without insurance, you could face the following penalties:
- A fine of $300 or more.
- A three-month suspension of your driver's license.
- A three-month suspension of your vehicle registration.
- Various fees to restore your driver's license or vehicle registration.
- Vehicle impoundment.
Driving conditions in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has one of the worst road infrastructures in the country, according to QuoteWizard's recent infrastructure study analyzing Federal Highway Administration data. The state ranks ninth for worst infrastructure, with 27% of roads considered unacceptable and 8.2% of bridge decks of poor quality.
Pennsylvania's infrastructure issues cost the average driver $610 per year, higher than the $556 national average.
Methodology
QuoteWizard conducted a comprehensive study of auto insurance rates in Pennsylvania through Quadrant Information Services. The quotes we gathered were for a single, 30-year-old male. He has a clean driving record, unless stated otherwise. He owns a 2012 Honda Accord LX and drives it an average 13,500 miles each year.
When searching for a full-coverage policy, our driver’s car insurance policy has 100/300/100 coverage limits and a $500 deductible.
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