Which Insurer Has the BEST Chicago Car Insurance Quotes?
Which Insurer Has the BEST Chicago Car Insurance Quotes?
The average cost of minimum auto insurance in Chicago is approximately $1,198, with the cheapest insurance company, State Farm, offering rates as low as $716.
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in Chicago
The difference between the cheapest and most expensive insurer for a minimum policy is over $1,600, which shows how important it is to weigh all your options.
Over 2 million people call Chicago home with millions more people commuting daily into the "Windy City." With driving comes car insurance, and many Chicagoans need to buy or renew a policy every six months. Finding the best deal can be time-consuming, and it’s difficult to figure out where to start searching. Keep in mind that rates can vary by hundreds or thousands of dollars depending on your background and where you shop.
Table of contents
Cheapest minimum policy insurance in Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in Illinois and the third most populated city in the country. It’s no wonder that the city’s insurance prices tend to be higher than the state average. In fact, insurance rates in Chicago are $320 more expensive per year than the state’s average.
State Farm is the widely available insurer with the cheapest price with an annual rate of $716. Another option worth looking into is Country Financial, which has a rate of $838 per year.
Current and former military members and their families can also opt to get a quote from USAA, which is the best low-cost option at only $556 annually or roughly $46 per month. The company also has a reputation for great customer service and discounts for vehicle storage.
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in Chicago
The cheapest insurance policy is one that has the smallest amount of coverage needed to legally drive in the state of Illinois (in other words, the minimum coverage policy). State Farm has the best price for drivers looking for a minimum policy, but it’s important to remember that your driving history and profile can make your quote estimate very different from the one listed above.
Insurer | Annual Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| State Farm | $716 |
| Country Financial | $838 |
| American Family | $889 |
| Progressive | $1,001 |
| Travelers | $1,308 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
Cheapest company in Chicago for full coverage insurance
State Farm not only has the cheapest minimum policy but also the cheapest full coverage policy. Progressive has the second most inexpensive full coverage policy but might not be the best alternative to State Farm since it’s $648 more costly on average.
Former and current military members should look into USAA for a policy quote, as the company has the most affordable rate overall.
Rank | Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Farm | $1,740 |
| 2 | Progressive | $2,388 |
| 3 | American Family | $2,396 |
| 4 | Country Financial | $2,479 |
| 5 | Travelers | $3,128 |
| 6 | Geico | $3,420 |
| 7 | Allstate | $5,259 |
| 8 | Farmers Insurance | $5,579 |
| N/A* | USAA | $1,436 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
A full coverage policy includes comprehensive and collision coverage on top of the minimum state coverage requirements.
Most drivers in Illinois have comprehensive insurance. Comprehensive coverage protects you from damages caused by "acts of God," or events that are completely out of your control. A few examples include:
- Natural disasters, including thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail and snowstorms
- Vandalism or theft
- Fires or explosions
- Falling objects
Collision coverage is what you rely on when you crash into another car or object. Most car accidents will fall under collision coverage guidelines. For instance, it will insure you when:
- Hitting another car when the accident is your fault
- Hitting an object
- Your vehicle flips over
- You're a victim of a hit-and-run when you’re unable to use uninsured motorist coverage
- You drive into a ditch
Comprehensive and collision coverage is meant to protect your car in case of an accident. It’s recommended that you get a full policy if you are leasing or financing your vehicle, your car is less than 10 years old or your car is worth more than $3,000. Otherwise, you’ll be spending more on insurance than on your actual vehicle.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with prior accidents
Accidents will have one of the biggest effects on your auto insurance premium. If you have a history of accidents, your insurance company will probably increase your premium, as it sees you as a higher risk. Certain companies will increase insurance premiums by a small amount, while others can increase prices by over 50%.
State Farm bumped prices by the smallest average amount — about $342. Progressive drivers saw an average $819 annual increase following an accident.
Allstate had the biggest price jump, with an average price increase of 75%, while State Farm, which had the lowest price increase, brought premiums up by an average of 20%. USAA also had a small increase in premium price following an accident but has strict eligibility requirements.
Rank | Company | Car insurance quote before accident | Car insurance quote after accident | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Farm | $1,740 | $2,082 | $342 |
| 2 | Progressive | $2,388 | $3,207 | $819 |
| 3 | American Family | $2,396 | $3,577 | $1,181 |
| 4 | Country Financial | $2,479 | $3,179 | $700 |
| 5 | Travelers | $3,128 | $4,114 | $986 |
*USAA is not ranked because only military members (current and former) and their families are eligible.
In the event that you are involved in an accident, you could not only see a price increase but also lose certain discounts. A driver with a clean driving history can consider investing in accident forgiveness. It can protect you from the egregious price hikes that come with getting into an accident. However, the accident will still be on your record.
Cheapest full coverage auto insurance for young drivers
USAA is the cheapest overall insurer but is only available for current and former military members and their families. State Farm and Country Financial are also affordable options at similar price ranges.
Since young and inexperienced drivers are more likely to be involved in car accidents, it’s no surprise that insurers charge a much higher premium to offset the risk.
In fact, drivers under the age of 20 can expect to pay as much as three times more than the average person in their mid-30s. This makes it crucial for young drivers to do as much research as possible to ensure that they obtain top rates.
Rank | Insurer | Annual premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Farm | $5,686 |
| 2 | Country Financial | $5,863 |
| 3 | Geico | $7,900 |
| 4 | Progressive | $8,128 |
| 5 | American Family | $9,123 |
*USAA is not ranked because only military members (current and former) and their families are eligible. Our sample driver is an 18-year-old man.
You can also consider combining insurance plans with your parents if you’re a young driver. The cost of a combined policy will be cheaper than if you get two separate policies.
There are additional ways to save money if your income is low or if these premiums are out of your desired price range. One of the most important actions you can take is to look at additional insurers outside of this list.
A measure that all drivers should take is to look for discounts. Most insurers offer discounts, some of which you may currently qualify for:
Smart student
Maintaining a good academic record or achieving a certain GPA
Car safety
Installing safety, security or anti-theft devices, such as anti-lock brakes or cameras
Safe driver
Taking a defensive driving course or not getting into an accident for a certain amount of time
New car
If your car is less than a certain age or you are the first owner of a car
Best car insurance company in Chicago by customer service
The three insurers with the lowest rates of customer complaints are Country Financial, Farmers and Allmerica.
Price and customer service are equally important when it comes to determining which insurer you should purchase a policy from. Nothing builds trust more than seeing insurers go the whole nine yards to make sure that the claims process is smooth and all your questions are answered.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners lists companies with the lowest complaint index scores. A high complaint index indicates that consumers are making formal complaints at a high rate and the insurer has a poorer quality of customer service. The national median complaint index is 1.0.
Rank | Company | Market share | Complaint index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Country Financial | 5.66% | 0.04 |
| 2 | Farmers Insurance | 3.82% | 0.09 |
| 3 | The Hanover Group (Allmerica) | .59% | 0.10 |
| 4 | USAA | 2.03% | 0.10 |
| 5 | State Farm | 22.59% | 0.11 |
Complaint index listed are for the largest entity by premiums written within each insurance group.
How car insurance costs change by neighborhood in Chicago
Chicago is a large city with many neighborhoods. As a result, some places within the city may actually be more expensive than others. We surveyed the 57 ZIP codes of Chicago and found that neighborhoods near the Loop and the North Side are generally cheaper than those in the southern part of the city.
ZIP code | Neighborhood | Average premium cost |
|---|---|---|
| 60018 | Rosemont | $1,165 |
| 60601 | New Eastside | $1,111 |
| 60602 | Loop | $1,108 |
| 60603 | Grant Park | $1,147 |
| 60604 | South Loop | $1,143 |
Auto theft statistics in Chicago
Along with being one of the most populated cities in the country, Chicago also has the highest car theft rate out of any city in Illinois. The city reported 4,415 cars stolen in 2019, or approximately 162 cars for every 100,000 vehicles.
Rank | City | Population | Car thefts | Thefts per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago | 2,719,151 | 4,415 | 162.4 |
| 2 | Rockford | 146,198 | 170 | 116.3 |
| 3 | Joliet | 148,553 | 72 | 48.5 |
| 4 | Aurora | 201,364 | 63 | 31.3 |
| 5 | Naperville | 148,457 | 21 | 14.1 |
Motor vehicle theft data was pulled from the FBI 2019 Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report.
Minimum auto insurance requirements in Illinois
Almost all of the 50 states have a minimum amount of coverage all drivers are required to hold to be able to legally drive. In Illinois, the amount of coverage you need to carry is higher than in most other states but overall is still a small amount of car insurance to adequately protect you.
Coverage type | Amount required |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $20,000 per person |
| Uninsured motorist bodily injury liability | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident |
Just meeting the minimum requirements might be tempting considering that Chicago’s insurance rates are higher than in most areas of Illinois. However, simply obtaining the bare necessity may not be the best choice for your driver and car profile.
If your car is expensive or new, it’s recommended that you obtain additional protection. In the event that you do get into a severe accident, you’ll spend way more money paying for damages than if you bought additional coverage.
Methodology
We collected quotes from nine insurance companies across Chicago. Unless otherwise stated, our sample driver was a 30-year-old male who drove a 2015 Honda Civic EX looking for minimum coverage auto insurance. He had below-average credit and a clean driving record. The amount of coverage we opted for gave our driver a bit more than what is required by the state.
When we analyzed a full coverage policy, the following limits were set:
Coverage type | Illinois minimum | Study limits |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily liability | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident | $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident |
| Property damage | $25,000 per accident | $50,000 per accident |
| Uninsured/Underinsured motorist bodily injury liability | $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident | $50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident |
| Uninsured/Underinsured motorist property | $50,000 per accident | |
| Comprehensive and collision | $500 deductible |
ValuePenguin's analysis used insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes may be different.
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.