The best, cheapest car insurance in Wisconsin

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Best car insurance company in Wisconsin

Drivers in Wisconsin pay an average of $1,664 a year, or $139 per month, which is the 40^th highest in the country, according to our research.

Actual car insurance rates vary by company, and Nationwide, Erie Insurance, and others continue to offer some of the most competitive premiums in Wisconsin.

When it comes to the best cheap car insurance in Wisconsin, Nationwide is our No. 1 choice followed by Erie Insurance and Travelers.

Nationwide scores well with third-party rating organizations and it has an average premium in Wisconsin of $1,287 a year, or $107 a month, which is roughly $377 less than the Wisconsin average.

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 is the cheapest option for car insurance in Wisconsin.

Insurers consider a wide variety of factors when setting a premium including your driving record, credit score, age and marital status as well the vehicle. 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. “Florida, for example, is prone to extreme weather like hurricanes and its car insurance costs are consequently much higher.”

Insurance companies crunch all this data with proprietary algorithms, which can result in dramatic differences in premium quotes.

The numbers highlight these differences. Allstate is the most expensive insurer in Wisconsin with an average premium of $2,515 a year.

On the other hand, as mentioned above, the average premium for Travelers policyholders in Wisconsin is $1,089 a year. GEICO had the second cheapest coverage in Wisconsin at $1,195 and Nationwide rounded out the top three cheapest at $1,287.

Below is a list of the cheapest full-coverage car insurance rates in Wisconsin for a 40-year-old driver of a 2023 Honda Accord LX.

Cheapest full-coverage insurance in Wisconsin

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 – he will recommend higher coverage.

“Depending on their age/income and profession,” he says, “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

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 Wisconsin 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 $3,226 which is 213% more expensive than the most affordable coverage for seniors at $1,032 and 74% more than young drivers’ best rate of $1,854.

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 Wisconsin

Seniors pay more for car insurance than other drivers, excluding teens. Travelers is the best choice for seniors in Wisconsin, according to our data, with an average premium of $1,032 annually, which translates to $86 a month.

Nationwide was the second most affordable at $1,103 and GEICO was next with a premium of $1,279.

“Seniors tend to have slower reaction times and may suffer from vision or hearing impairments, which can impair their driving ability. This makes them more prone to accidents and thus considered high-risk by insurance companies,” says Tariro Goronga, CEO of DriveSafe driving schools in Colorado.

The table 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

Insuring a teen is always expensive; statistics show that inexperienced teen drivers get into more accidents and file more claims than more experienced drivers. In Wisconsin, the best insurer for teen drivers is Erie Insurance with an annual premium of $3,226 or $269 a month. Travelers was second most affordable at $3,692 a year or $308 monthly while Nationwide was number three at $4,479.

While teens are expensive to insure, there are a few ways to save some money. Most insurers offer a good student discount so if your teen is carrying a B average or above you should ask for a discount. Putting them in an older vehicle will also lower your insurance costs.

The chart below shows average premiums for teens.

Average rates for teens in Wisconsin

Average cost of car insurance in Wisconsin

Wisconsin is the 40^th most expensive state (Louisiana is number one) when it comes to car insurance with an average premium of $1,664.

The table below shows 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 Idaho

Which Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin for car insurance. Webster tops the charts at $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?

Rural areas are almost always cheaper than urban areas when it comes to car insurance. Fewer people and cars on the road mean fewer accidents and claims. The cheapest zip code for car insurance in Wisconsin is in Combined Locks with an annual premium of $1,303.

Least expensive ZIP codes in Wisconsin

Cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers in Wisconsin

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 $2,341 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 $2,662.

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

Explore other insurance options in Wisconsin

Non-owner auto insurance in Wisconsin

Average renters insurance cost in Wisconsin

Average homeowners insurance cost in 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.