Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes in Iowa? (2017)

Location and company are two of the main factors behind the cost of auto insurance for drivers in Iowa. We crunched the numbers using a sample driver profile as a benchmark, and found that while premiums average $1,147 per year for our driver, they differed dramatically by city and company. In Iowa, rates differed by $235 a year from the costliest to the cheapest car insurance company. This gap underscores the need to compare quotes (three at a minimum) to make sure you're getting good rates. Type your zip in the box above for a list of insurers in your area to start the process.

• Cheapest Car Insurance Companies
• Best Auto Insurance Rates in IA: by City
• Cost of Car Insurance in IA: by City
• Best Car Insurance Companies in Iowa

Cheapest Auto Insurance in Iowa

To determine which carriers had the best car insurance rates in Iowa, we looked at car insurance quotes from 12 companies in 158 cities for our male driver’s Toyota Camry. Out of those carriers, here are the five with the cheapest rates overall in rank order.

Three insurers, Progressive, Hastings, and Partners Mutual, had the best rates for insuring our driver’s vehicle. Farm Bureau Mutual, State Farm, and GEICO were three other companies that also had some of the cheapest car insurance quotes in Iowa. The six companies had an average annual premium of $879, which was 23% cheaper than the 12-company mean in the state.

Most Expensive Auto Insurance Companies in Iowa

On the other hand, the most expensive companies in Iowa were: Victoria Insurance, MetLife, and Sentry. They ranked with the three highest annual premiums for our profiled driver in Iowa, and averaged about $1,781 a year - 55% more expensive than the Iowa mean. The three priciest companies cost about 2x the three cheapest companies' mean, potentially equivalent to two years' worth of coverage in the Hawkeye State.

List of Car Insurance Companies

Here is a table with all the Iowa auto insurance providers in our study, from the cheapest rates to the most expensive, and their respective average annual cost of insurance for our sample drivers:

Cheapest Car Insurance in Iowa: by City

As to who the most affordable companies are at the local level, take a look at our table below. We've outlined the three insurers with the best auto insurance rates in ten of the largest cities and towns in Iowa to provide motorists with a more local view. Keep in mind that these rates are based on our single male driver with a good credit score and excellent track record on the road, and your actual quotes will differ since they're tailored to your coverage amounts, vehicle, and past driving history, etc.

Cities with the Cheapest Car Insurance in Iowa

Our five most affordable cities had an average annual premium of $1,027 – 11% cheaper than the typical city in Iowa. All of these cities are relatively populated. Out of the 150+ cities in the Hawkeye State, here are the five with the lowest auto insurance costs:

Iowa City, IA

The fifth largest city in Iowa takes the first spot with an average annual rate of $995 – beating the state average by 13%. Iowa City was incorporated in 1839 and was the original capital of the Iowa Territory. One of the largest employers in the city is the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Also, the city is home to the headquarters of the ACT college testing service.

Mason City, IA

Mason City ranks second on our list of cities with the most affordable auto insurance in Iowa. Motorists can insure their cars at a rate approximately 13% lower than the state average. The average annual premium is $996. The “River City” is located on the banks of the Winnebago River in northern Iowa and was settled by John McMillin in 1854. The city is famous for its musical heritage. Broadway playwright Meredith Willson, whose most famous work is The Music Man, hailed from Mason City. The city hosts an annual Battle of the Bands called the North Iowa Band Festival.   

Ames, IA

Ames was founded in 1864 after the Cedar Rapids and Missouri Railroad laid down tracks in the area. Railroad mogul John Insley Blair and his wife were among the first settlers. Ames is located near Interstate 35 and the cross-country leg of the Union Pacific Railroad. The city is home to Iowa State University of Science and Technology. It is also home to the National Animal Disease Center, the largest federal animal disease center in the U.S. In Ames, the average annual rate for auto insurance is $1,038, about 10% lower than the state mean. 

Clear Lake, IA

Clear Lake is home to many state parks and businesses involved in the tourism industry. It is the fourth most affordable city for auto insurance in Iowa. Our sample male driver can insure his car for an annual rate of $1,048, which is about 9% below the state average.

North Liberty, IA

North Liberty has the fifth most affordable auto insurance in Iowa, and it is a town with the second quickest growth rate in the state. Our driver can purchase car insurance at an annual premium of $1,058, which is about 8% lower than the state mean.

Cities with the Most Expensive Car Insurance in Iowa

The cost of auto insurance in the five most expensive cities in Iowa averaged around 19% greater than the state mean. The mean annual premium for these five cities was $1,365. The sizes of these cities range widely in size, from 5,000 to 80,000. 

Des Moines, IA

Des Moines is the capital of Iowa. As the most populated city in Iowa, Des Moines is also known as a top location for insurance companies. Our sample driver finds his most expensive annual premium in this city at $1,496, which is about 30% above the state average. 

Council Bluffs, IA

Council Bluffs takes the second spot on our list of expensive cities for car insurance. The average annual cost of insurance here is $1,402, 22% less favorable than the state mean. Council Bluffs was at one point fifth largest rail center in the 1930s but the overhaul of the railroad industry meant a major loss of jobs for the city. The Union Pacific Museum, a museum dedicated to the history of the railroad, is big tourist draw.

Glenwood, IA

Glenwood ranks third on our most expensive cities list with an average annual cost of $1,339 – 17% higher than the state mean. Located on the east side of the Missouri River, Glenwood was settled by Mormons in 1848. The city became well-known for its fruit production in the late 1800s. Today, the city draws tourists with the nearby Loess Hills and the National Scenic Byway, which are roads distinguished for their picturesque scenery and other cultural significance. 

Corning, IA

Corning takes the fourth spot on our list of expensive insurance with an average annual cost of $1,305 – 14% more expensive than the state mean. The city’s most famous son is the late comedian Johnny Carson. Corning was first established in 1860 by French Icarians, and the French heritage is celebrated today through “Le Festival De L’Heritage Francais.”  

Diagonal, IA

Diagonal is the fifth most expensive town for auto insurance in Iowa, with a population of only 328 people in 2015. The town is situated along the Grand River and only has a land area of 0.90 square miles. Drivers can expect annual premiums of $1,284, which is about 12% above the state average.

Average Cost of Auto Insurance in Iowa by City

We've only highlighted the top five cheapest and most expensive cities, but there were a lot of other cities included in our premium comparison analysis. In total, we surveyed 158 cities in Iowa, which ranged from Ackley to Winterset. Based on the average premium data for our profiled drivers within each city, we determined that the statewide mean for Iowa is $1,148 per year. Here are the cities ranked from the lowest rates to the highest rates.

Best Auto Insurance Companies in Iowa

To find the best auto insurance companies, we calculated a complaint index for some of the largest companies in Iowa. A complaint index can be a measure of how satisfied consumers are with their carriers, based on receiving the fewest complaints, and how well an insurer is performing compared to its competitors. We calculate the Iowa index by finding companies’ complaints relative to total in-state written premiums in 2013 and dividing it with the state’s total industry complaint to premium ratio. An index of 1 is average; the lower the index number, the better the company is rated and is performing versus its competitors. In Iowa, many carriers had no complaints, so they had an index of 0.

How We Conducted the Study

For this study, we used a sample profile for a thirty year old single male driver who owned a 2011 Toyota Camry with an average of 12,000 miles annually. He had a good credit history and a stellar driving record. We assumed basic liability protection for the 2011 Toyota Camry. Iowa is one of the few states in the nation that doesn’t require auto insurance. The law requires that a driver show proof of financial responsibility if he or she gets into an accident or loses driving privileges. We included national insurers such as GEICO, Allstate, and State Farm as well as regional insurers like Farm Bureau Mutual (IA Group) and Hastings Mutual in our study. While Iowa doesn't explicitly require auto insurance.  

158 cities were included in our premium comparison study, and are presented below from Ackley to Winterset:

Sources: 
Iowa Financial Responsibility Law: http://www.iowadot.gov/mvd/ods/financial.htm
Iowa Census Data: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/19000.html
Image Courtesy of dirkhansen / Flickr: https://flic.kr/p/5yVa2X