Key Takeaways
- Erie has the cheapest car insurance rates in Philadelphia for nearly all driver and coverage categories, including adults who buy minimum and full coverage.
- The average cost of car insurance in Philadelphia is 35% higher than the state average for minimum coverage and 51% higher than the state average for full coverage.
In this article
The cheapest car insurance companies in Philadelphia, PA
The cheapest car insurance companies for drivers in Philadelphia are Erie, Allstate, State Farm and USAA, according to our survey of the city’s top providers.
Erie: Cheapest overall
Allstate: Cheapest with a DUI
USAA: Cheapest for young drivers (full coverage)
Erie is the cheapest car insurance company overall in Philadelphia due to offering the city’s lowest rates for both minimum- and full-coverage policies.
Allstate is the cheapest auto insurance company for Philadelphia drivers with a DUI on their records. Its average rate in this situation is $171 a month cheaper than the city average rate of $413 a month.
USAA offers the lowest rates to teen drivers in Philadelphia who buy full-coverage policies. Its average rate here is $417 a month – $498 less than the city average.
To find your best and cheapest rates on any amount of coverage, compare car insurance quotes from multiple companies.
Philadelphia car insurance minimums
Under Pennsylvania’s financial responsibility laws, Philadelphia motorists are required to carry 15/30/5 car insurance. This means policies must include at least the following coverages and limits:
- Bodily injury liability: $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident. Covers medical treatment for others injured in an accident you cause.
- Property damage liability: $5,000. Covers damage to other people’s vehicles or property in an accident you cause.
Pennsylvania drivers also need to have at least $5,000 of medical payments coverage. This covers medical treatment for injuries you and/or your passengers suffer in a car accident.
Although collision coverage and comprehensive coverage are not required by state law, they are usually required for a car loan or lease.
- Collision covers damage to your own vehicle, generally after an accident you cause or a hit-and-run.
- Comprehensive covers theft of the vehicle and damage from any cause other than a collision, such as fire, flood, vandalism, falling objects and many types of glass breakage.
If your share of costs from a car accident, including your own medical bills, exceed the amounts available from insurance, the shortfall comes out of your own pocket. This is why it’s important to consider coverages and limits that exceed the state’s minimum requirements.
Uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist insurance are among the other important optional coverages available in Pennsylvania.
- Uninsured motorist covers costs that exceed your medical payments limit for injuries to you and your passengers in an accident caused by a driver with no insurance.
- If you and/or your passengers are injured in an accident caused by a driver without enough insurance to cover your entire claim, underinsured motorist insurance covers the shortfall.
- In Pennsylvania, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverages do not pay for repairs to your vehicle or other property.
Additional information about car insurance requirements and coverages in Philadelphia is available on the Pennsylvania Insurance Department website.
Find cheap car insurance in Philadelphia
Cheapest minimum-coverage auto insurance rates in Philadelphia: Erie
Erie has the cheapest car insurance rates in Philadelphia, charging an average of $73 a month for minimum-coverage policies.
The average cost of minimum-coverage car insurance in Philadelphia is $112 a month.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $73 |
| Allstate | $98 |
| USAA | $112 |
| City average | $112 |
| State Farm | $113 |
| Nationwide | $123 |
| Progressive | $127 |
| GEICO | $269 |
| Rates are for minimum-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with a good driving record. | |
A minimum-coverage auto insurance policy meets Pennsylvania’s financial responsibility requirements for medical payments and liability coverage. However, minimum coverage does not cover repairs to your own car.
Cheapest full-coverage auto insurance rates in Philadelphia: Erie
Erie offers the cheapest full-coverage car insurance rates to Philadelphia drivers at $183 a month, on average. State Farm and Allstate are close behind at $239 and $242 a month, respectively.
The average cost of full-coverage car insurance in Philadelphia is $277 a month.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $183 |
| State Farm | $239 |
| Allstate | $242 |
| USAA | $243 |
| Nationwide | $257 |
| Progressive | $271 |
| City average | $277 |
| GEICO | $506 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with a good driving record. | |
In addition to meeting state requirements for medical payments coverage, full-coverage auto insurance includes higher liability limits than a minimum-coverage policy as well as collision and comprehensive coverages. Collision and comprehensive are separate coverages, but both pay for repairs to your own vehicle and are typically required for a car loan or lease.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a prior incident
Erie is the cheapest car insurance company in Philadelphia for drivers with a speeding ticket or accident on their records. Allstate offers the city’s cheapest rates for drivers with a DUI.
Cheapest for drivers with a speeding ticket: Erie
Erie offers the cheapest car insurance to Philadelphia drivers with a speeding ticket, with rates averaging $197 a month. The next-best rates are available from State Farm, $239 a month, and Allstate, $242 a month.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $197 |
| State Farm | $239 |
| Allstate | $242 |
| Progressive | $271 |
| USAA | $273 |
| Nationwide | $297 |
| City average | $311 |
| GEICO | $655 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with one speeding ticket on his driving record. | |
Cheapest for drivers with an at-fault accident: Erie
Erie offers the cheapest car insurance rate to Philadelphia drivers with an at-fault accident on their record, charging $197 a month for full coverage.
Erie’s rate for drivers with an accident is only $14 more per month than its rate for drivers with a clean record.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $197 |
| Allstate | $328 |
| State Farm | $329 |
| USAA | $354 |
| Progressive | $403 |
| City average | $413 |
| Nationwide | $421 |
| GEICO | $861 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with one at-fault accident on his driving record. | |
Cheapest for drivers with a DUI: Allstate
Philadelphia drivers with a DUI can find the most affordable car insurance rates from Allstate, which charges an average of $242 a month for full coverage.
A DUI raises your car insurance rate by 49%, on average, in Philadelphia.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Allstate | $242 |
| Erie | $289 |
| Nationwide | $297 |
| Progressive | $307 |
| USAA | $325 |
| City average | $413 |
| State Farm | $448 |
| GEICO | $983 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with one DUI on his driving record. | |
Compare car insurance quotes from top companies
Cheapest car insurance for senior drivers: Erie
Erie offers the cheapest car insurance for senior citizen drivers in Philadelphia, with rates that are considerably lower than those offered by its nearest competitors, Allstate and State Farm.
Erie’s average rate for minimum-coverage car insurance for 60-year-olds is $68 a month. This is $5 a month cheaper, or 7% lower, than what the company charges 35-year-olds for the same coverage.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $68 |
| Allstate | $98 |
| State Farm | $105 |
| Nationwide | $109 |
| USAA | $112 |
| Progressive | $113 |
| City average | $118 |
| GEICO | $224 |
| Rates are for minimum-coverage car insurance for a 60-year-old male with a clean driving record. | |
Erie also has the cheapest full-coverage car insurance rates for Philadelphia seniors, charging an average of $169 a month. This is 8% lower than what it charges 35-year-old drivers for the same policies.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $169 |
| Allstate | $203 |
| State Farm | $218 |
| Progressive | $219 |
| Nationwide | $221 |
| USAA | $227 |
| City average | $237 |
| GEICO | $401 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 60-year-old male with a clean driving record. | |
Cheapest car insurance for young drivers: Erie and USAA
Erie has the cheapest auto insurance rates for young drivers in Philadelphia who buy minimum-coverage policies at $163 a month. USAA has the city’s lowest rates for teens who buy full coverage at $417 a month.
For minimum coverage, Erie’s rate is 57% lower than the city average of $380 a month. For full coverage, USAA’s rate is 54% lower than the city average, which is $915 a month.
| Insurance company | Minimum coverage | Full coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Erie | $163 | $424 |
| USAA | $180 | $417 |
| Nationwide | $309 | $707 |
| Progressive | $338 | $801 |
| State Farm | $352 | $787 |
| City average | $380 | $915 |
| GEICO | $438 | $975 |
| Allstate | $880 | $2,295 |
| Rates are for an 18-year-old male with a clean driving record. | ||
Teens have the highest crash rates among all age groups, and this is one of the main reasons why auto insurance companies charge high rates to teen drivers.
If you are a teen, you can typically get a better auto insurance rate by being added to a policy with a parent or guardian than you can on your own. Many companies offer discounts to families with young drivers who maintain good grades and/or complete an approved driver education program.
Car insurance laws in Philadelphia
No-fault car insurance
Pennsylvania is a "choice" state for no-fault auto insurance. This means you can choose between limited-tort and full-tort insurance when buying a policy.
A limited-tort car insurance policy restricts your ability to sue an at-fault driver who injures you in a car accident. A full-tort policy does not have these restrictions. Limited-tort policies usually are cheaper than full-tort ones.
SR-22 insurance
Pennsylvania is one of six states that do not require high-risk drivers to file an SR-22 after incidents like DUIs or driving without insurance.
In many other states, filing an SR-22 proves you have at least the minimum amount of car insurance the state requires.
Even without the SR-22 requirement, you’ll still face fines and other penalties if you get a speeding ticket, cause an accident, drive under the influence or drive without adequate insurance. Your car insurance rates may go up as a result of these infractions, too.
Philadelphia car insurance FAQ
How much is car insurance in Philadelphia?
The average cost of car insurance in Philadelphia is $112 a month for minimum coverage and $277 a month for full coverage.
Why is car insurance so expensive in Philadelphia?
Increases in car accidents and the costs of repairing cars are among the factors blamed for rising car insurance prices across Pennsylvania and the nation. Car insurance rates also tend to be higher in concentrated cities such as Philadelphia, where the risks of accidents and theft are generally higher than in rural areas.
Who has the cheapest car insurance in Philadelphia?
Erie Insurance has the cheapest car insurance for many of the driver profiles we analyzed in Philadelphia. However, you may qualify for lower prices with other companies, depending on how each one weighs the various factors they consider in determining rates.
Methodology
We obtained non-binding car insurance quotes for a typical driver in every Philadelphia ZIP code through Quadrant Information Services. Unless otherwise noted, a typical driver is a 35-year-old male with a clean driving record. He owns a 2012 Honda Accord LX and drives an average 13,500 miles a year.
Minimum-coverage insurance rates are based on a policy meeting Pennsylvania’s minimum requirements for medical payments coverage, bodily injury liability and property damage liability.
Full-coverage policies include the following coverages, limits and deductibles:
- Medical payments: $5,000
- Bodily injury liability: $100,000 per person/$300,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $100,000
- Collision coverage: $500 deductible
- Comprehensive coverage: $500 deductible
QuoteWizard.com LLC has made every effort to ensure that the information on this site is correct, but we cannot guarantee that it is free of inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. All content and services provided on or through this site are provided "as is" and "as available" for use. QuoteWizard.com LLC makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, as to the operation of this site or to the information, content, materials, or products included on this site. You expressly agree that your use of this site is at your sole risk.