Who Has the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes in Pennsylvania?

Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in Your Area

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The average cost of car insurance in Pennsylvania is $2,018. Based on our analysis of Pennsylvania auto insurance quotes, we identified Erie, State Farm and Nationwide as the cheapest insurers. The most expensive insurance company offered rates at $3,279, or more than 2.4x the cost of the cheapest car insurance company in Pennsylvania.

Given the wide variation in rates, consumers should shop around for multiple quotes to find the best rates. Read more below or enter your zip code above to begin quote comparison shopping among car insurance companies.

Cheapest auto insurance quotes in Pennsylvania

The insurance companies with the cheapest auto insurance quotes for a full coverage policy are Erie, State Farm and Nationwide. Together, these three insurers had an average annual cost of car insurance of $1,569, or more than 22% less than the Pennsylvania state average of $2,018.

This graph shows which car insurance companies had the cheapest rates in Pennsylvania to insure our drivers' vehicles.

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A full coverage car insurance policy includes bodily injury and property damage liability coverage, comprehensive and collision insurance and, sometimes, personal injury protection (PIP). Drivers seeking to protect themselves against damage to their own vehicles should consider buying a full coverage car insurance policy.

Below is the complete list of rates for the full coverage car insurance policy.

RankInsurerAnnual car insurance rate
1Erie$1,378
2State Farm$1,450
3Nationwide$1,878
4GEICO$2,461
5Allstate$2,824
6Progressive$3,279
NAUSAA$855
USAA is not ranked, as only current and former military members and their families are eligible for a policy. The average annual rates were based off a single 30-year-old Pennsylvania man who served as the benchmark we used to compare car insurance quotes from several companies. Your actual quotes will differ based on your own driving background and need for coverage, so it's always a good idea to shop around for auto insurance.

Best minimum coverage car insurance in Pennsylvania

For a minimum coverage auto insurance policy, Erie, State Farm and Nationwide offered the cheapest annual rates. Together, they quoted our profiled drivers $498 per year on average for coverage. That's about 19% cheaper than Pennsylvania state average of $615.

The table below ranks insurance companies in Pennsylvania from the least to most expensive when offering a minimum coverage policy.

RankInsurerAnnual auto insurance rate
1Erie$328
2State Farm$471
3Nationwide$696
4GEICO$708
5Progressive$821
6Allstate$1,056
NAUSAA$225
USAA is not ranked, as only current and former military members and their families are eligible for a policy.

The difference between the average cost of a full coverage policy ($2,018) and a minimum coverage policy ($615) in Pennsylvania is $1,403.

A minimum coverage auto insurance policy only meets Pennsylvania law's minimum required coverage limits. Unlike a full coverage policy, minimum coverage policies do not include comprehensive and collision coverage. While you can buy minimum coverage at a lower cost, lower coverage levels may put you at risk of insufficient protection following a car accident.

Cheap full coverage car insurance rates with an accident history in Pennsylvania

State Farm, Erie and Nationwide offered the cheapest full coverage auto insurance quotes for drivers with a prior accident on their driving record. Together, the three insurers averaged $2,144, or 29% less than the state average of $3,001.

The most expensive insurer in our sample was Progressive at $5,158, or three times more costly than the cheapest insurer, State Farm. This large disparity further underlines the importance of always shopping around for car insurance.

RankInsurerRate
1State Farm$1,716
2Erie$1,723
3Nationwide$2,994
4Allstate$3,953
5GEICO$4,300
6Progressive$5,158
NAUSAA$1,184
USAA is not ranked as only current and former military members and their families are eligible for a policy. The accident on our sample driver's record was an at-fault accident worth $2,000 in property damage.

Having just one accident on your driving record can lead to significantly more expensive auto insurance rates. In Pennsylvania, the difference in annual car insurance quotes between a full coverage policy with no prior accidents ($2,018) versus one with a single prior accident ($3,001) was nearly $983.

Best car insurance companies in Pennsylvania

Nationwide, Progressive and State Farm were three of the top rated insurance companies in Pennsylvania. These insurers receive the lowest share of complaints expected for a company of their size.

The worst rated car insurance company was GEICO, which had the highest complaint index at 1.21.

InsurerComplaint index
Nationwide0.36
Progressive0.36
State Farm0.57
Allstate0.69
Erie Insurance0.79
USAA1.09
GEICO1.21

To determine the top rated companies in Pennsylvania for auto insurance, we reviewed complaint index numbers. These numbers measure the share of complaints a company gets compared to its share of premiums in the market. A company with an index number of 1, such as Progressive, is right around the average for the state. Any company with a number below 1 is performing better than average compared to other insurers.

Pennsylvania car insurance requirements

Pennsylvania law requires that drivers have at least some degree of bodily injury and property damage liability coverage, along with some protection for their own personal injuries. If you have auto insurance, here are the minimum coverage limits you're required to have in Pennsylvania:

  • $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident of bodily injury liability insurance
  • $5,000 of property damage liability insurance
  • $5,000 of medical payments coverage

Cheapest car insurance in Pennsylvania by city

How much is car insurance in Pennsylvania cities? We were able to parse our Pennsylvania data by city and town to identify the three cheapest insurers in each. In most cities, Erie, State Farm and Nationwide were the cheapest auto insurance companies.

Drivers living in any of these cities can still knock off hundreds of dollars from their annual car insurance costs by comparing quotes. Bear in mind that your car insurance quotes will differ, as rates can change drastically depending on your driver profile.

CityInsurerAverage annual car insurance premium
AliquippaErie$1,165
State Farm$1,492
Nationwide$1,673
AllentownErie$1,338
State Farm$1,677
Nationwide$1,906
AltoonaErie$1,216
State Farm$1,407
Nationwide$1,764
BaldwinErie$1,249
State Farm$1,353
Nationwide$1,705
BerwickState Farm$1,174
Erie$1,217
Nationwide$1,575
Bethel ParkErie$1,254
State Farm$1,282
Nationwide$1,659
BethlehemErie$1,338
State Farm$1,470
Nationwide$1,790
BloomsburgErie$1,217
State Farm$1,265
Nationwide$1,563
BristolErie$1,763
State Farm$2,001
Nationwide$2,138
ButlerErie$1,329
State Farm$1,415
Nationwide$1,774
CarlisleErie$1,055
State Farm$1,143
Nationwide$1,608
ChambersburgErie$1,103
State Farm$1,210
Nationwide$1,678
ChesterState Farm$2,147
Erie$2,292
Nationwide$2,466
ColumbiaErie$1,260
State Farm$1289
Nationwide$1,687
DunmoreErie$1,309
State Farm$1,561
Nationwide$1,843
East StroudsburgErie$1,520
State Farm$1,868
Nationwide$2,072
EastonErie$1,237
State Farm$1,451
Nationwide$1,788
ElizabethtownErie$1,114
State Farm$1,269
Nationwide$1,565
EmmausErie$1,338
State Farm$1,411
Nationwide$1,809
ErieErie$1,385
State Farm$1,608
Nationwide$1,839
Franklin ParkErie$1,266
State Farm$1,442
Nationwide$1,776
HanoverErie$1,103
State Farm$1,275
Nationwide$1,610
HarrisburgErie$1,100
State Farm$1,512
Nationwide$1,772
HazletonErie$1,311
State Farm$1,582
Nationwide$1,883
IndianaErie$1,344
State Farm$1,582
Nationwide$1,883
JeannetteErie$1,245
State Farm$1,375
Nationwide$1,787
JohnstownErie$1,048
State Farm$1,268
Nationwide$1,808
LancasterErie$1,260
State Farm$1,293
Nationwide$1,615
LebanonErie$1,167
State Farm$1,274
Nationwide$1,597
McKeesportErie$1,391
State Farm$1,415
Nationwide$1,751
MechanicsburgErie$1,078
State Farm$1,235
Nationwide$1,492
MiddletownErie$1,100
State Farm$1,162
Nationwide$1,569
MonroevilleErie$1,358
State Farm$1,557
Nationwide$1,641
MurrysvilleErie$1,244
State Farm$1,413
Nationwide$1,822
NanticokeErie$1,276
State Farm$1,526
Nationwide$1,892
New CastleErie$1,377
State Farm$1,405
Nationwide$1,786
NorristownErie$1,726
State Farm$1,916
Nationwide$2,314
NorthamptonErie$1,237
State Farm$1,391
Nationwide$1,772
PhiladelphiaState Farm$2,658
Erie$2,928
Nationwide$3,476
PittsburghErie$1,419
State Farm$1,514
Nationwide$1,821
PlumState Farm$1,363
Erie$1,391
Nationwide$1,789
ReadingErie$1,296
State Farm$1,701
Nationwide$1,969
ScrantonErie$1,309
State Farm$1,543
Nationwide$1,772
SharonErie$1,255
State Farm$1,324
Nationwide$1,835
St. MarysState Farm$1,263
Erie$1,380
Nationwide$1,755
SunburyState Farm$1,178
Erie$1,208
Nationwide$1,653
West ChesterErie$1,534
State Farm$1,594
Nationwide$2,020
West MifflinErie$1,244
State Farm$1,380
Nationwide$1,745
Wilkes-BarreErie$1,276
State Farm$1,498
Nationwide$1,789

Below we identify the cheapest auto insurers in Pennsylvania's most populous cities:

  • Philadelphia
  • Pittsburgh
  • Allentown
  • Erie
  • Reading

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia earns the distinction of having some of the most expensive auto insurance policies in the state. Annual full coverage car insurance quotes in Philadelphia are $3,738, nearly 1.9x the cost of the statewide average.

RankInsurerAnnual car insurance quote
1State Farm$2,658
2Erie$2,928
3Nationwide$3,476
4GEICO$4,591
5Allstate$5,333
6Progressive$5,801
NAUSAA$1,379

If you're looking for cheap car insurance in Philadelphia, then be sure to include State Farm, Erie and Nationwide in your search, as these had the three lowest car insurance rates in our study. On average, annual quotes for these three insurers were $3,021 a year, or 19% cheaper than the Philadelphia average cost of car insurance.

Best auto insurance quotes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Car insurance rates in Pittsburgh were close to the Pennsylvania average at $170 per month, or $2,043 annually. Erie's quotes were the cheapest in Pittsburgh at $1,419 a year for our benchmark driver's full coverage policy, or 31% cheaper than the Pittsburgh average. Close behind was State Farm, which ranked as the second cheapest ($1,514), as well as Nationwide ($1,821).

RankInsurerAnnual car insurance quote
1Erie$1,419
2State Farm$1,514
3Nationwide$1,821
4GEICO$2,411
5Allstate$2,916
6Progressive$3,295
NAUSAA$924

The three most affordable companies had a composite rate that was 22% lower versus the Pittsburgh average. That difference translates into an average of $458 back in drivers' wallets every year. We recommend that consumers include these three companies in their search for the cheapest car insurance rates.

Best car insurance rates in Allentown, Pennsylvania

Allentown's average cost of car insurance was $2,141, or slightly above the Pennsylvania state average. If you're looking for the cheapest rates in Allentown, we recommend Erie, State Farm and Nationwide.

RankInsurerAnnual car insurance quote
1Erie$1,338
2State Farm$1,677
3Nationwide$1,906
4GEICO$2,663
5Allstate$2,911
6Progressive$3,600
NAUSAA$892

The composite annual premium of these three providers was $1,640 a year, which was $501 or 23% less than what the typical insurer charged in Allentown.

Cheap auto insurance quotes in Erie, Pennsylvania

Erie, Pennsylvania, ranks below average for all the cities we surveyed. At $1,992 per year, it cost our sample drivers just 1% less to insure their vehicles in Allentown compared to the typical city in Pennsylvania.

RankInsurerAnnual car insurance quote
1Erie$1,385
2State Farm$1,608
3Nationwide$1,839
4GEICO$2,296
5Allstate$2,779
6Progressive$3,156
NAUSAA$882

Cheap auto insurance quotes in Erie could be found at Erie, State Farm and Nationwide. In fact, the cheapest insurance company in town, Erie Insurance, shares the same name and is headquartered within the city at 100 Erie Insurance Place.

Best car insurance companies in Reading, Pennsylvania

The average cost of car insurance in Reading, Pennsylvania is $2,114 a year for full coverage car insurance. For low-cost auto insurance quotes in Reading, we recommend that drivers consider Erie, State Farm and Nationwide in their research for the cheapest rates. These insurance companies offered the best rates, and on average cost $459 less a year - a discount of 22% - compared the average cost of car insurance in Reading.

RankInsurerAnnual car insurance quote
1Erie$1,296
2State Farm$1,701
3Nationwide$1,969
4GEICO$2,681
5Allstate$2,788
6Progressive$3,495
NAUSAA$873

Average cost of car insurance in Pennsylvania

The average cost of car insurance in Pennsylvania is $2,018. The most expensive cities for auto quotes in Pennsylvania were primarily concentrated in urban areas, including Philadelphia, Chester and Bristol, which have average annual quotes of $3,042, or 51% above the state average.

The cheapest cities for car insurance in Pennsylvania were Carlisle, Mechanicsburg and Middletown with average annual rates of $1,654, or 18% below the state average.

Residents of the 50 most populous cities and towns covered in our Pennsylvania study, where quotes were available, can look to the table below to see how their hometown compared to other locations based on our benchmark drivers' average rates. Cities are ranked from most expensive to most affordable.

RankCityAverage car insurance rate
1Philadelphia$3,738
2Chester$2,816
3Bristol$2,573
4East Stroudsburg$2,534
5Norristown$2,508
6West Chester$2,194
7Allentown$2,141
8Reading$2,114
9Pittsburgh$2,043
10Monroeville$2,025
11Hazleton$2,020
12Dunmore$2,017
13Emmaus$2,008
14Plum$2,005
15McKeesport$1,998
16Easton$1,995
17Erie$1,992
18Scranton$1,989
19Bethlehem$1,985
20Wilkes-Barre$1,969
21Nanticoke$1,967
22New Castle$1,947
23Murrysville$1,946
24Northampton$1,940
25Jeannette$1,933
26Johnstown$1,931
27Indiana$1,912
28Altoona$1,904
29Franklin Park$1,896
30Baldwin$1,894
31Buttler$1,887
32West Mifflin$1,887
33Aliquippa$1,874
34Bethel Park$1,857
35Harrisburg$1,853
36Sharon$1,850
37Lock Haven$1,840
38Lancaster$1,798
39Sunbury$1,796
40St. Marys$1,792
41Columbia$1,789
42Elizabethtown$1,751
43Lebanon$1,748
44Hanover$1,734
45Berwick$1,720
46Chambersburg$1,719
47Bloomsburg$1,716
48Middletown$1,697
49Mechanicsburg$1,636
50Carlisle$1,629

Methodology

We analyzed quotes for insuring a 2015 Honda Civic EX owned by a single, 30-year-old male in Pennsylvania. The benchmark driver was profiled as having no credit history, making him equivalent to a driver with below-fair to poor credit, according to our data source, Quadrant Information Services. Rates were drawn from all available ZIP codes in Pennsylvania.

When our driver held a full coverage policy, coverage limits included were slightly above Pennsylvania's minimum state requirements.

Full coverage policy

Coverage typeStudy limits
Bodily liability$50,000 per person/ $100,000 per accident
Property damage$25,000 per accident
Uninsured/underinsured motorist BI$50,000 per person/ $100,000 per accident
Comprehensive & collision$500 deductible

Our minimum coverage rates represent the average cost of a car insurance policy that meets Pennsylvania's state's minimum requirements for auto insurance coverage.

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.

Michael Hoffmann

Michael Hoffmann is a Senior Research Analyst focused on insurance. He was previously a Technology Editor at The Economist Intelligence Unit and has had prior roles as an ETF and Equity Analyst focused on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and cloud computing.

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.