The best, cheapest car insurance in Wisconsin

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Best car insurance company in Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, the average premium for car insurance is $1,664 a year or $139 a month, which is the 40^th highest in the country – Louisiana was number one.

For drivers looking for cheap car insurance in Wisconsin, Travelers, GEICO, Nationwide, Erie Insurance and others on our list are great options, offering plenty of coverage options at affordable rates.

Our research found Nationwide 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. Nationwide was our top scorer and was awarded 4.46 out of 5 stars.

Erie Insurance finished second in our rankings with a score of 4.44 stars and Travelers was third at 4.36 stars.

The best car insurance companies in Wisconsin

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 Wisconsin

Travelers has the lowest average rate in Wisconsin at $1,089 a year or $91 a month.

GEICO is the next most affordable at $1,195 annually and Nationwide at $1,287. 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. “Wisconsin, 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 Travelers had the lowest average rate at $1,089, Allstate was the most expensive at $2,515.

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 Wisconsin

Auto insurance premiums vary significantly from city to city, so drivers need to be sure they’re getting the best deal. Insure.com has done the research for you. Get more information on auto insurance rates by city below.

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Full coverage car insurance in Wisconsin

As noted, the rates above are for full coverage car insurance. Full coverage car insurance adds collision and comprehensive to your liability insurance coverage, so your vehicle is repaired or replaced after an incident.

Full coverage insurance includes collision and comprehensive which will pay to repair your vehicle. Collision covers damage caused by a collision with another vehicle or object while comprehensive repairs damage done by perils such as fire, theft, flooding, vandalism, and more.

Learn more about liability, collision and comprehensive coverage.

Shopping for car insurance in Wisconsin

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 Wisconsin by age

Car insurance rates will vary by age as reams of statistics show that teen and young adult drivers, because they are inexperienced on the road, take bigger risks and are more likely to get in anaccident and file a claim, which is why they pay more for coverage than older more experienced drivers.

Travelers turned out to be the best insurer in Wisconsin for drivers of all ages. The numbers show the difference between young and old drivers with the lowest premium for a teen coming in at 91% more than the lowest premium for a senior driver.

Once a driver hits 25, rates will start to drop, assuming they keep their driving record clean, and will stay stable until their 70s when they will start climbing a bit.

Cheapest car insurance for senior drivers in Wisconsin

Seniors in the state pay more for coverage than all other driver groups, except for teens. Travelers is the most affordable option for seniors with a yearly premium of $1,032 or $86 a month. Nationwide was the second cheapest at $1,103 and GEICO rounded out the top three at $1,279.

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 Wisconsin

Car insurance for young drivers in Wisconsin

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 Wisconsin is Travelers with an annual rate of $1,854 or $155 a month.

GEICO had the second cheapest premium at $1,901 a year followed by Erie Insurance was third at $2,125.

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 Wisconsin:

Average rates for young drivers in Wisconsin

Car insurance for teen drivers in Wisconsin

Adding a teen to a car insurance policy will always push up the rate. Teens are the least experienced drivers out on the road which leads to more accidents and claims and higher premiums.

“Teen drivers are statistically more likely to be involved in accidents due to their lack of driving experience and tendency to engage in risky behaviors like speeding,” says Eliezer Zupnick, founder of East Leads Group LLC. “Teens are involved in three times as many auto accidents per mile compared to drivers aged 20 and up, making them a high-risk category for insurers.”

For Wisconsin teens, Erie Insurance is the most affordable option with a premium of $3,226 a year or $269 a month. Travelers is the next most affordable at $3,692 a year or $308 a month followed by Nationwide running $4,479 a year.

If your teen has a B average or better, ask for a good student discount to help save a bit of money. Having your teen drive an older vehicle will also help save some money. If the car is old enough that you wouldn’t repair it after an accident, you may be able to drop collision and comprehensive.

The chart below shows average premiums for teens in Wisconsin:

Average rates for teens in Wisconsin

Average cost of car insurance in Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, the average premium is $1,664, which makes Wisconsin the 40^th most expensive state for coverage.

All states have large metropolitan areas, which will always push up the cost of insurance as more vehicles on the road lead to more accidents and claims. A high crime rate will also impact rates.

“If a state has a higher rate of car insurance claims associated with vandalism or car theft, prices are usually higher because car insurance companies view insuring these cars as a higher risk for them,” says Chong Gao, director of product management R&D at Mercury Insurance.

The chart below is the average rate in each state for a 40-year-old driver of a 2023 Honda Accord LX.

Average rates for a 40-year-old in Wisconsin

Which Wisconsin ZIP codes are most expensive for car insurance?

Where your vehicle spends its days and nights will impact your rate. Frequent severe weather or a high crime rate will raise the cost of insurance for everyone in the area.

Our data shows that Webster is the most expensive area for coverage with an average premium of $2,033 a year.

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

Most expensive ZIP codes in Wisconsin

Which Wisconsin ZIP codes are the cheapest for car insurance?

When it comes to cheap car insurance in Wisconsin, these ZIP codes have the most affordable coverage. The area around Combined Locks has the lowest premiums in Wisconsin with an average premium of $1,303.

Least expensive ZIP codes in Wisconsin

Cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers in Wisconsin

Drivers with a speeding ticket, DUI or at-fault accident on their record are often considered high-risk drivers and end up paying more for coverage. The increase can range from reasonable for a speeding ticket to a big leap in costs for a DUI.

The data showed that a speeding ticket will result in a 49% increase, pushing the average rate to $2,341. Speeding tickets will typically impact your premium for at least three years.

An at-fault accident will raise your rates by 69% to an average of $2,662. A DUI will result in the biggest increase, sending your premium up 139% to an average of $3,763.

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

How much rates increase in Wisconsin after a traffic incident

Minimum car insurance requirements in Wisconsin

Most states require drivers to carry a minimum amount of liability car insurance, and Wisconsin is no exception. Drivers are required to carry 25/50/10 in liability coverage, which translates into:

• $25k for injury/death per person
• $50k for injury/death per accident
• $10k for damage to property

But state-required minimums are rarely enough coverage in a serious accident. If you cause an accident and the damages exceed your coverage levels, you will need to cover the damages out of pocket.

The most common required coverages are $25,000 bodily injury liability per person, $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident and $25,000 property damage.

Experts typically recommend carrying 100/300/100 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 Wisconsin.”

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.

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