The best, cheapest car insurance in Illinois

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Best car insurance company in Illinois

In Illinois, the average premium for car insurance is $1,532 a year or $128 a month, which is the 43^rd highest in the country – Louisiana was number one.

For drivers looking for cheap car insurance in Illinois, Automobile Club MI (AAA), Travelers, GEICO, Progressive and others on our list are great options, offering plenty of coverage options at affordable rates.

Our research found Erie Insurance offers low rates when compared to its competitors and received high marks when we look at other factors including J.D Power customer satisfaction scores, financial strength rankings and complaint data. Erie Insurance was our top scorer and was awarded 4.25 out of 5 stars.

Country Financial finished second in our rankings with a score of 4.23 stars and GEICO was third at 4.13 stars.

The best car insurance companies in Illinois

How we picked the top auto insurance companies

When choosing the top car insurance companies in the state, we not only looked at the average cost of coverage but also J.D. Power customer satisfaction scores, AM Best financial strength ratings and National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint rankings. National averages were used where state/regional data was not available.

For each of the four metrics, we gave companies in each state from 1 to 5 (5 being the best) based on how they performed in each category. Those components were then given the following weights to arrive at an overall star rating.

• Premiums: 25%
• JD Power: 30%
• AM Best: 25%
• NAIC: 20%

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Cheapest car insurance in Illinois

Automobile Club MI (AAA) has the lowest average rate in Illinois at $979 a year or $82 a month.

Travelers is the next most affordable at $1,119 annually and GEICO at $1,178. While these insurers had the cheapest average premiums, there are plenty of other options for coverage in the state.

Insurers consider a wide variety of factors when setting a rate and use proprietary algorithms which can result in dramatic differences in premium quotes. Where you live also affects rates.

“States that have a higher rate of severe weather that damages cars or helps cause accidents will typically have higher rates,” says Chong Gao, director of product management R&D at Mercury Insurance. “Illinois, for example, is prone to extreme weather like hurricanes and its car insurance costs are consequently much higher.”

The data shows how shopping around for coverage can result in savings. While Automobile Club MI (AAA) had the lowest average rate at $979, Allstate was the most expensive at $2,742.

Below are the cheapest car insurance rates by state. To calculate these rates, we used data for a 40-year-old driver of a 2023 Honda Accord LX – one of the most commonly insured vehicles – to provide a consistent and realistic comparison across states.

Cheapest full-coverage insurance in Illinois

Full coverage car insurance in Illinois

As noted, the rates above are for full coverage car insurance. Residents of Illinois will often be advised to get full coverage, which includes both liability protection as well as collision and comprehensive. Liability helps pay medical and legal bills for injuries or damages you are responsible for after an accident. However, liability doesn’t cover damage to your vehicle or your injuries.

Collision will pay to repair your vehicle if it is damaged after colliding with another vehicle or object. Comprehensive covers perils such as fire, theft, flooding, vandalism and more.

You can find out more about liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage here.

Shopping for car insurance in Illinois

Shopping around for coverage is a great way to make sure you are getting the best rates on your auto insurance. Experts often tell consumers to shop for insurance yearly. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should be looking to switch.

“I recommend that people stay with the same insurance company, as they tend to get a better rate when they have been with the same carrier for more than 12 months. The more tenure you have with a carrier, the more potential there is to earn benefits,” says Tim Bottini, a Country Financial insurance agent based in St. Louis. “The carrier can also review your claims history and provide information about applicable discounts.”

But make sure you are comparing like coverage levels and deductibles.

“It is extremely important to make sure you start off with an apples-to-apples comparison,” Bottini says. “However, if a person has low limits, say 25/50/25 – limit per person/per occurrence/limit for property damage – I am going to recommend and quote at least 50/100/100. Depending on their age/income and profession, I would quote higher limits to protect their net worth and earnings potential.”

Bottini also says people can save money on their car insurance by keeping their credit score up, following the speed limit and placing both home and auto insurance with the same carrier.

Cheapest car insurance in Illinois by age

Statistics show that young drivers, because they are inexperienced and tend to take more risks, have more accidents and claims, all of which lead to higher premiums for younger drivers.

“Data indicates that teenagers and seniors are riskier drivers, so they often pay more for auto insurance than other policyholders in different age groups,” says Chong Gao, director of product management R&D at Mercury Insurance. “For teenagers, the lack of driving experience is a significant factor that impacts their rates; younger drivers with little experience behind the wheel tend to pay higher insurance premiums.”

Erie Insurance is the cheapest insurer in Illinois for teens.

Age factors into a premium as the data clearly shows. Teens pay the highest rates by far with the lowest premium coming in at $3,235 which is 226% more expensive than the most affordable coverage for seniors at $992 and 94% more than young drivers’ best rate of $1,670.

Rates start to drop, assuming their driving record stays clean as teens move into their young adult years and tend to stay stable until a driver gets into their 70s when rates will go up a bit.

Cheapest car insurance for senior drivers in Illinois

Seniors in the state pay more for coverage than all other driver groups, except for teens. Automobile Club MI (AAA) is the most affordable option for seniors with a yearly premium of $992 or $83 a month. GEICO was the second cheapest at $1,033 and Travelers rounded out the top three at $1,148.

Seniors tend to pay more for coverage due to age. Many seniors suffer from vision and hearing issues as well as slowing reflexes. In addition, medications they may take can impact their driving. All of these factors combined lead to more accidents and claims which will result in a higher premium.

The chart below shows the average premium for senior drivers.

Average rates for seniors in Illinois

Car insurance for young drivers in Illinois

While young adults pay less than teen drivers, they still pay more than older more experienced drivers. The best choice for young adults (early 20s) in Illinois is Automobile Club MI (AAA) with an annual rate of $1,670 or $139 a month.

Travelers had the second cheapest premium at $1,783 a year followed by GEICO was third at $1,917.

If young drivers keep their driving record clean, their rates will drop down as they move out of their 20s.

The table below shows the best insurers for young drivers in Illinois:

Average rates for young drivers in Illinois

Car insurance for teen drivers in Illinois

Although teen drivers always pay much higher premiums than other driver groups, Erie Insurance offers teens the cheapest rate at $3,235. Teen drivers are inexperienced and are big risk takers which results in more accidents and claims, pushing up the cost of coverage.

“Teenagers are more likely to be involved in accidents than older drivers because of their lack of experience. This increased risk results in higher insurance rates because insurance companies regard them as high-risk drivers,” says Goronga. “Teenagers are also more likely to engage in risky driving behaviors, such as distracted driving or speeding, increasing their chances of being involved in an accident.”

Automobile Club MI (AAA) has the second most affordable premium at $3,507 a year followed by Auto-Owners at $3,536 annually.

Our data clearly shows how dramatic premium differences can be for teens and how important shopping your coverage is when trying to find the best rate for your specific risk factors. While Erie Insurance was the most affordable at $3,235, Allstate was the most expensive with an annual premium of $8,196.

There are a few ways to save some money when insuring a teen. Ask your insurer for a good student discount if they are carrying a B average or better. Putting your teen in an older vehicle that you wouldn’t repair after an accident can help save some money by dropping collision and comprehensive. Just keep in mind that doing so means you’ll be on the hook for any damage if they’re in a crash.

The chart below shows average premiums for teens in Illinois:

Average rates for teens in Illinois

Average cost of car insurance in Illinois

The average cost of car insurance in Illinois is $1,532, which makes it the 43^rd most expensive state in the country behind Louisiana and Florida.

Metropolitan areas – and all states have them – equals lots of drivers, which often leads to car crashes and claims.

“States with a higher population density have more cars on the road and thus more accidents and claims, increasing insurance rates. A more rural state like Iowa will have significantly lower average yearly car insurance costs compared to a highly metropolitan state like Illinois,” says Gao.

Below are the cheapest car insurance rates by state. To calculate these rates, we used data for a 40-year-old driver of a 2023 Honda Accord LX – one of the most commonly insured vehicles – to provide a consistent and realistic comparison across states.

Average rates for a 40-year-old in Idaho

Which Illinois ZIP codes are the most expensive for car insurance?

Insurers consider the ZIP code where your car is parked when setting a premium. High crime rates or frequent severe weather will result in a higher premium.

According to our analysis, the following ZIP codes are the most expensive in Illinois for car insurance. Calumet City tops the charts at $2,108 a year.

Here are the most expensive ZIP codes in Illinois for car insurance:

Most expensive ZIP codes in Illinois

Which Illinois ZIP codes are the cheapest for car insurance?

When it comes to cheap car insurance in Illinois, these ZIP codes have the most affordable coverage. The area around Bloomington has the lowest premiums in Illinois with an average premium of $1,331.

Least expensive ZIP codes in Illinois

Cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers in Illinois

If you have an at-fault accident, DUI or speeding ticket on your driving record, your insurer may consider you a high-risk driver and will push up the cost of your coverage.

A speeding ticket increases the average premium to $1,943 and will stay on your record and impact your premium for three years.

If you are responsible for an accident, your rates will push the average cost of coverage to $2,301.

A DUI is considered a major violation and will raise the average premium to $3,185.

The table below shows the average increase for drivers with an incident on their record:

How much rates increase in Illinois after a traffic incident

Minimum car insurance requirements in Illinois

Most states require all drivers to carry a minimum amount of liability coverage to drive legally. Illinois requires drivers to carry 25/50/20 in liability coverage, which translates into:

• $25k for bodily injury and $50,000 for death for a person involved in an accident
• $50k for bodily injury and $100,000 for death for two or more people in an accident
• $20k for property damage for a single accident

These required minimums are fairly average when compared to other states. However, these minimums are rarely enough coverage if you are involved in a serious accident. Once your coverage levels are exceeded, you will be on the hook for any remaining damage.

Experts typically recommend carrying 100/300/50 as a minimum liability coverage level.

What our expert says

Q: How does a state’s population affect car insurance rates?

Chong GaoDirector of product management R&D at Mercury Insurance.

“States with a higher population density have more cars on the road and thus more accidents and claims, increasing insurance rates. A more rural state like Iowa will have significantly lower average yearly car insurance costs compared to a highly metropolitan state like Illinois.”

Explore other insurance options in Illinois

Non-owner car insurance in Illinois

Average renters insurance cost in Illinois

Average homeowners insurance cost in Illinois

Mark Vallet

Contributing Researcher

 

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Mark Vallet is a Denver-based insurance expert and journalist with 18 years of experience covering the car insurance industry. He specializes in breaking down complex insurance topics into clear, expert-backed insights that help drivers make smarter insurance coverage decisions.