Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes in Illinois?

We recently analyzed auto insurance rates in the state of Illinois to give readers an indication of which companies were the cheapest for drivers. Even though the average annual cost in Illinois was just slightly over $1,158 for the policy, the truth is you can pay significantly more or less depending on where you live and which insurance company you decide to insure with. As such, we always tell our readers to get multiple quotes (from at least 3 different insurers!) so they can compare and get great rates. If you want to find out which auto insurers operate in your area, enter your zip code in the box above.

• Cheapest Auto Insurance Companies
• Best Car Insurance Rates: by City
• Best-Rated Auto Insurance Companies in Illinois
• Average Cost of Car Insurance: by City
• Illinois Auto Insurance Requirements

Cheapest Auto Insurance in Illinois

As part of our comparison study, we looked at quotes across multiple cities from 28 different companies in the state to identify which had the cheapest rates in Illinois for car insurance. We calculated the average quote at each company based on our benchmark driver, a single 30 year-old men, and ranked them from the cheapest insurers to the most expensive:

Our quote analysis found that Unique was the cheapest auto insurance company in Illinois for our sample drivers, on average. Close behind Unique was Farmers, Lighthouse, Rockford Mutual, and The Hartford, which rounded out the top five most affordable companies for car insurance in the Prairie State. Unique's rates were 45% cheaper than the state average for our sample motorists - in fact, a year at the costliest company could pay for over 3 years of coverage at Unique. Here are the rest of the companies:

Cheapest Car Insurance in Illinois: by City

With almost 58,000 square miles of land, Illinois is the fifth most populous state and the 24th largest by land mass in the country. Prices for auto insurance can vary depending on where people live and park their car in Illinois. The most expensive city in Illinois was Chicago. Costs in Chicago are about 1.8x costs in Normal, the cheapest city. Regardless of what average costs are in each city, comparing auto insurance quotes will lead to cheaper rates. Below you will find a table of cities in Illinois and their most affordable insurers.

Chicago, IL

The largest city in Illinois and 5th largest in the United States, more than 12 million people call the Chicago metro-area home. Chicago is also frequently referred to as the "Windy City" not because of the strong gusts blowing in off Lake Erie, but in remembrance of the politicians who ran the town in the 1800's. Auto insurance costs in the Windy City were found to be $1,765 per year for a state minimum policy, which works out to be 52% more expensive than our average.

If you're looking for cheap car insurance in Chicago, we suggest starting with Unique, Lighthouse, and Farmers. The average premium quoted at the three cheapest companies in Chicago was $780 for a minimum policy, which could mean about 56% more savings compared to the typical insurer here. It certainly pays to compare rates before choosing an insurer.

Aurora, IL

Illinois's second largest city, Aurora is a suburban town 40 miles west of downtown Chicago with 200,000 residents inside the city limits. As one of the first US cities to have electric street lights throughout town, Aurora is nicknamed the "City of Lights" and is so large it extends into four different Illinois counties. As the 2nd most populous city in the state, Aurora fared much better than Chicago in regards to auto insurance rates. Our sample drivers pay $1,108 annually. 

For low-cost auto insurance quotes in Aurora, include Unique, Farmers, Lighthouse, Auto Club Group, and The Hartford in your shortlist of companies to review. We found that these 5 insurers quoted our sample drivers in Aurora similar cheap rates, with a mean quote of $665 a year which is 40% less than what the typical Aurora motorist pays every year. Especially in the case of Unique, our sample motorist (single, 30 year old man) found quotes as cheap as $564 a year. Note that these rates are for full coverage.

Rockford, IL

Located in north-central Illinois with the beautiful Rock River running right through its downtown, Rockford, IL is the third most populated city in IL with 152,871 citizens in the city and more than double that if you include the entire metro area. Amongst other redeeming attributes of "Forest City" are its easy access to transportation, Illinois's biggest musical festival, and the affordable cost of living. Annual rates in Rockford on average are $1,122 or around $94 per month for our profiled motorist.

We found the best auto insurance quotes in Rockford at Unique, Lighthouse, and Farmers. Also not far behind were The Hartford and Auto Club Group. Rates from all five companies averaged $744 a year – that's 34% less than the average going cost of $1,122 in Rockford. Whether you are married or single, we recommend including these companies into your insurer shopping list. 

Joliet, IL

Illinois's fastest growing city and also its fourth largest, Joliet lies 45 minutes by car to the southwest of Chicago along the Des Plaines River. Formerly an industrial city, Joliet has seen significant growth in recent years from entertainment and cultural industries. Whether it's the casinos, the OTB, the racetracks, or the Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet is attracting more and more people to discover its beautiful city. Our four drivers found rates averaging $1,243 a year for car insurance just meeting the state's minimum requirements - almost at par with the composite average of $1,158.

In our analysis, however, savings could be found at these three companies, which had some of the lowest rates in Joliet: Unique, Lighthouse, and Farmers. Their average annual premium quote of $684 represents a 45% decrease versus the overall city. If you will like to add to some variety, also consider looking into Nationwide and Auto Club Group when you shop. Together, these five carriers had the most affordable auto insurance rates in Joliet for our profiled driver.

Naperville, IL

The most affordable auto insurance of Illinois's largest cities, Naperville is a suburb of Chicago and home to 143,000+ residents. Although once a farming town, Naperville has transformed into an affluent city which has been on innumerable "Best Places to Live" list throughout the years, and for good reason. Amongst Naperville's other past awards is the "Best Public Library" distinction, it is also the best city to live in for cheap auto insurance rates! And although the cost of living is almost 20% higher in Naperville than in the rest of Illinois, its car insurance rates are cheaper than average at $1,012 per year or $84 monthly for full coverage for our sample motorist.

Unqiue and Farmers take the cake with the cheapest auto insurance rates in Naperville with premiums running around $560 per year...45% cheaper than the Naperville average. Not far behind are Lighthouse, Pekin Insurance, and Rockford Mutual, which all represent at least $316 savings compared to what the typical Naperville insurers are charging.

Best-Rated Auto Insurers in Illinois

Trying to judge which auto insurance company is the most reliable and has the best customer service can be difficult. One statistic we think is useful is called the 'complaint ratio'. This figure captures the number of complaints each company receives in a calendar year per $1 million in written premiums. Looking for the company with the lowest complaint ratio can give you an apples-to-apples comparison in your search for the best auto insurance company.

Below is a list of Illinois insurers' 2013 complaint ratios, as calculated and published by the Illinois Department of Insurance based on the customer complaints reported. The lower the ratio, the better the company's rating.

Rank	Company	2013 Complaint Ratio per $1M Direct Written Premiums
1	COUNTRY Financial	0.08
2	Erie	0.13
2	Hanover	0.13
4	USAA	0.14
5	State Farm	0.15
6	Auto Owners	0.17
7	Progressive	0.18
8	Travelers	0.20
9	MetLife	0.22
10	American Family	0.22
10	Auto Club	0.22
10	Farmers	0.22
10	Safeco	0.22
14	Liberty Mutual	0.25
15	The Hartford	0.25
16	GEICO	0.30
17	Allstate	0.32
18	AAA	0.34
18	Madison Mutual	0.34
20	Unitrin	0.40
21	21st Century	0.42
22	Safe Auto	0.61
23	Delphi	0.73
24	Loya	1.02
25	Affirmative	1.25
26	American Access	1.43
27	Safeway	1.57
28	Esurance	1.71
29	First Acceptance	1.73
30	Mendakota	2.12
31	Stonegate	2.18
32	First Chicago	2.22
33	Apollo Insurance	2.29
34	Pekin Insurance	2.32
35	Conifer Insurance	2.35
36	Founders	2.54
37	The General	2.93
38	United Automobile	3.05
39	Interstate Bankers	3.21
40	National Heritage	3.52
41	Unique	3.78
42	American Alliance	4.94
43	American Freedom	5.99
44	Direct Auto	6.81
45	American Heartland	7.84
46	United Equitable	8.75

Average Cost of Car Insurance in Illinois: by City

If you'd like to see the average price of auto insurance in your city, here is a comprehensive list of the towns we looked at. They are listed in alphabetical order.

Illinois Auto Insurance Coverage Requirements

Drivers in Illinois need to abide by the state's mandatory minimum auto insurance requirements. Illinois is not a "no-fault" state and so drivers are only required to carry liability insurance. The following are the mandatory limits:

Study Methodology

The sample quotes we obtained were for full coverage to insure a 2011 Toyota Camry that is used for commute daily, averaging 12,000 miles a year. Our sample driver is a 30 year old single male with good credit and a clean driving history.

Finally, we looked at quotes from 28 auto insurance companies licensed to do business in Illinois, and averaged the sample rates to come up with a city average. The companies we included represented a sample of the largest insurers in the state, as well as some more local companies, including but not limited to: State Farm, Allstate, Farmers, COUNTRY Financial, Cincinnati Insurance, Grange Mutual, and 21st Century.

Surveyed auto insurance costs in Illinois are for illustrative purposes only and actual quotes will vary based on your physical residence, driving history, and other factors.

The state of Illinois requires financial responsibility and ability to pay for injury, death, and damage on the road. Their minimum auto insurance liability requirements are listed below. Note that our comparison analysis assumes slightly higher auto insurance coverage that provides more than the minimum required by state law: 

	State Minimum Limits	Analysis Limits
Bodily Injury	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
Property Damage	$20,000	$25,000
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury	$20,000 per person / $40,000 per accident	$25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
Uninsured Motorist Property Damage	Optional	$25,000
Collision / Comprehensive Deductible	Optional	$500