Low-cost car insurance in Iowa

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In Iowa, Travelers offers the cheapest average premium at $1,449 per year. For comparison, the statewide average monthly cost is $186, though individual rates vary depending on your driving profile, location, and vehicle.

Every state sets its own car insurance rules. In Iowa, the minimum liability requirement is $20,000 for bodily injury per person, $40,000 for bodily injury per accident, and $15,000 for property damage per accident.

For drivers who want greater protection, full coverage can be a smart investment. It combines liability with both collision and comprehensive coverage, ensuring that your own car is also covered in the event of an accident, theft, weather damage, or other unexpected events.

Below, we highlight which insurers provide the most affordable rates across different driver categories.

Key Takeaways

Travelers has the cheapest average premium in Iowa, coming in at $1,449 per year – about $779 compared to the state average.
For drivers with an at-fault accident on their record, Travelers offers the lowest rates, with annual costs averaging $2,051.
The 52246 ZIP code is the least expensive area in Iowa for car insurance, with an average yearly premium of $1,806.

Low-cost car insurance companies in Iowa

Among all insurers in Iowa, Travelers comes in lowest at $1,449 per year – $779 less than the statewide average. Keep in mind that your actual premium depends on factors like age, driving history, ZIP code, and the type of car you drive.

Comparing quotes from multiple companies is the best way to make sure you’re getting a competitive rate.

Below are the annual premiums from the cheapest car insurance companies in Iowa.

Company	Average annual rates
Travelers	$1,449
Auto-Owners	$1,772
GEICO	$1,871
State Farm	$2,005
West Bend Insurance Company	$2,036
IMT Insurance	$2,066
Progressive	$2,079
Allstate	$3,046
Iowa Farm Bureau	$3,212
Grinnell Mutual	$3,670
USAA*	$1,319

*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.

How we choose low-cost car insurance companies in Iowa

170+

Carriers reviewed

78M+

Quotes analysed

34K+

ZIP codes examined

ZIP codes with the cheapest car insurance in Iowa

In Iowa, drivers living in the 52246 ZIP code enjoy the lowest average annual premium at $1,806. Check the table below to see which other ZIP codes in the state have more affordable rates.

ZIP code	City	Average annual rates
52246	Iowa City	$1,806
52241	Coralville	$1,808
52245	Iowa City	$1,819
52242	Iowa City	$1,822
50014	Ames	$1,846
52240	Iowa City	$1,857
50010	Ames	$1,859
50021	Ankeny	$1,902
50323	Urbandale	$1,913
50023	Ankeny	$1,922

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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.

Car insurance rates in Iowa by city

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Low-cost car insurance in Iowa by age

Teenagers pay significantly more for car insurance than adults in Iowa. For instance, a 16-year-old driver pays $6,366 more on average than a 40-year-old.

The following table shows car insurance rates by age group in Iowa.

Age group	Full coverage annual premiums
Teens (16-19)	$6,134
Young Adults (20-24)	$3,491
Adults (25-60)	$2,223
Seniors (65-75)	$2,000

Low-cost car insurance in Iowa by driver history

Insurers weigh your driving record heavily when setting premiums. You can expect your rates to rise if you’re ticketed or at fault in an accident. On the other hand, drivers with clean records are considered lower risk and usually qualify for cheaper coverage.

Low-cost car insurance after a speeding ticket in Iowa

A single speeding ticket in Iowa can push your rates up by 33%, or about $730. Along with the fine, that makes speeding a costly mistake. Here are a few insurers that still provide lower-priced coverage after a ticket.

Company	Average annual premium	New rate after accident	% Increase	$ Increase
Travelers	$1,449	$2,120	46%	$671
State Farm	$2,005	$2,141	7%	$135
Progressive	$2,079	$2,615	26%	$536
Auto-Owners	$1,772	$2,730	54%	$958
GEICO	$1,871	$2,930	57%	$1,059
Allstate	$3,046	$3,346	10%	$300
USAA*	$1,319	$1,642	24%	$323

*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.

Low-cost car insurance after an accident in Iowa

Being at fault in an accident will drive your premiums up, but some insurers remain more affordable than others. Travelers is the lowest-cost option for these drivers, with an average annual premium of $2,051.

If you’ve had an accident, comparing quotes can help you avoid overpaying. See the table below for the cheapest companies after one at-fault accident.

Company	Average annual premium	New rate after accident	% Increase	$ Increase
Travelers	$1,449	$2,051	42%	$603
State Farm	$2,005	$2,276	13%	$271
Auto-Owners	$1,772	$2,341	32%	$570
Progressive	$2,079	$3,014	45%	$934
GEICO	$1,871	$3,293	76%	$1,422
Allstate	$3,046	$4,472	47%	$1,426
USAA*	$1,319	$1,954	48%	$636

*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.

Low-cost car insurance after a DUI in Iowa

A DUI often places drivers in the high-risk driver category, resulting in much higher rates. Still, some companies in Iowa keep their premiums lower than others. The table below shows the most affordable options available after a DUI.

Company	Average annual premium	New rate after accident	$ Increase	% Increase
State Farm	$2,005	$2,141	$135	7%
Progressive	$2,079	$2,195	$115	6%
Travelers	$1,449	$2,211	$763	53%
GEICO	$1,871	$3,365	$1,494	80%
Allstate	$3,046	$4,002	$956	31%
Auto-Owners	$1,772	$4,301	$2,530	143%
USAA*	$1,319	$2,176	$857	65%

*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.

Average cost of car insurance Iowa

Full coverage insurance costs more than minimum liability insurance, but the extra cost is worth it for most drivers. That’s because minimum liability only pays for injuries or damage you cause to others, leaving you to cover repairs or replacement of your own car out of pocket. Full coverage, on the other hand, includes collision and comprehensive insurance, so your vehicle is protected in situations like accidents, theft, storms, or vandalism.

The average cost of full coverage car insurance in Iowa is $285 less than the national average car insurance rates in the U.S.

We recommend that you carry at least coverage limits of 100/300/100 – that’s $100,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $300,000 per accident, and $100,000 in property damage coverage. These limits provide a better safety net if you’re involved in a serious accident where costs could quickly exceed minimum requirements.

What is full coverage car insurance?

Full coverage car insurance includes bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage, as well as comprehensive and collision coverage. Collision insurance covers your vehicle if it’s damaged or destroyed in an accident, while comprehensive insurance provides protection against damage that is caused by something other than collisions, such as hail or theft.

If you lease or finance your car in Iowa, your lender may ask you to purchase collision and comprehensive insurance beyond the state-mandated liability coverage.

The bottom line on saving and staying protected

Everyone wants to save on car insurance, but skimping on coverage can leave you with big bills after an accident.

The best approach is to balance affordability with protection. Always compare quotes from at least three companies to find the cheapest car insurance in Iowa.

Methodology

Insure.com gathered data from Quadrant Information Services to get car insurance rates in Iowa. The rates are based on a sample profile of a 40-year-old male and female driving a Honda Accord LX with a good insurance score and no violation on record for a full coverage insurance policy with limits 100/300/100 and $500 comprehensive and collision deductibles.

We analyzed 53,409,632 insurance quotes from 170 insurance companies across 34,588 ZIP codes nationwide.

To determine car insurance rates for high-risk drivers with a history of traffic violations, we used a sample profile of a 40-year-old male and female driver who own a Honda Accord LX.

We also used sample profiles of drivers from different age groups: Teen drivers (Age 16-19), young drivers (Age 20-24), adult drivers (Age 25-60) and senior drivers (Age 65-75)

We determined the premiums for a high-risk driver with the following incidents applied

1 At-fault property damage accident over $2K
1 At-fault property damage accident under $2K
At-fault bodily injury accident
Poor credit
DUI/DWI first offense
Speeding 30+ over limit
Speeding ticket 1-10 MPH over limit
Speeding ticket 11-29 MPH over the limit

These are sample rates, and your exact rates may vary.

Shivani Gite

Contributing Writer

Shivani Gite is a personal finance and insurance writer with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She is passionate about making insurance topics easy to understand for people and helping them make better financial decisions.