Cheapest Car Insurance in Pennsylvania (2024)
- Expertise: Auto insurance, home insurance and renters insurance
- Education: Sonoma State University (BA in English)
Aaron Besson has worked at LendingTree for more than seven years and has been a staff writer for the last five years. He specializes in producing research-backed content about auto, home and renters insurance. Aaron enjoys the deep dig into insurance data to get the right answers to hard questions. His work has been cited by CBS, iHeart Radio, the Sacramento Bee and Yahoo.
If you’re a driver living in Pennsylvania, Erie has the cheapest rate for full-coverage car insurance, with an average annual rate of $1,161 a year. The Hartford is next, with an affordable average rate of $1,212.
Comparing auto insurance quotes from several different companies increases your chances of finding the policy you need and want at the cheapest rate.
Savings Tips
You can save around $700 a year by comparing full-coverage car insurance quotes in Pennsylvania.
Erie, USAA and State Farm offer liability-only policies under $450 a year on average.
Erie offers the cheapest rates on average for drivers who have a speeding ticket or have been in an accident.
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Pennsylvania: Erie
Drivers in Pennsylvania looking for full-coverage auto insurance get the cheapest coverage from Erie. It charges the state’s drivers an average rate of $1,161 a year.
Cheapest companies for full-coverage car insurance
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $1,161 |
| The Hartford | $1,212 |
| State Farm | $1,405 |
| Nationwide | $1,922 |
| Allstate | $2,372 |
| Geico | $2,563 |
| Progressive | $2,571 |
| USAA* | $1,684 |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 30-year-old male with a clean driving record. *USAA is only available to military members and their families.
While full-coverage car insurance costs more than a liability-only policy, it can be worth the investment. Full-coverage car insurance combines liability, collision and comprehensive coverages. Collision coverage takes care of your damages after an accident. Comprehensive coverage handles damages to your car from non-collision sources, like a tree branch or ice. Comprehensive also covers theft or vandalism.
Pennsylvania law doesn’t require full-coverage car insurance. If you lease or finance your vehicle, though, you’ll probably need to have it.
Pennsylvania’s cheapest liability-only coverage: Erie
Pennsylvania drivers who want liability-only car insurance get the lowest rate with Erie, which charges an average of $338 a year. State Farm has the next-cheapest rate for most drivers at $407 a year.
While USAA has a cheaper average rate than State Farm, USAA limits its insurance coverage to currently serving and retired military personnel, as well as their families.
Cheapest companies for liability car insurance
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $338 |
| State Farm | $407 |
| The Hartford | $453 |
| Nationwide | $580 |
| Progressive | $773 |
| Geico | $812 |
| Allstate | $1,060 |
| USAA* | $404 |
Rates are for liability-only car insurance for a 30-year-old male with a clean driving record. *USAA is only available to military members and their families.
Liability-only car insurance, also known as “standard car insurance,” covers injuries and property damage you cause to others in an accident.
Cheapest rates for young drivers in Pennsylvania: Erie
Pennsylvania teens looking for liability-only car insurance get the most affordable rate with Erie, at an average of $838 a year. The Hartford is the next-cheapest option at $1,035 a year.
Cheapest liability car insurance companies for young drivers
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $838 |
| The Hartford | $1,035 |
| State Farm | $1,223 |
| Geico | $1,455 |
| Nationwide | $1,675 |
| Progressive | $1,909 |
| Allstate | $2,516 |
| USAA* | $718 |
Rates are for liability-only car insurance for an 18-year-old male with a clean driving record. *USAA is only available to military members and their families.
Teens pay the most for car insurance of all age groups. Auto insurers consider teen drivers high risk due to their lack of experience behind the wheel, and raise their rates to offset the chance of paying out on a claim.
A good way to lower the rates of a teen driver in your house is to add them to your car insurance policy. This will raise your rates, but it should still be cheaper than if you each had separate policies.
Cheapest rates after a speeding ticket in Pennsylvania: Erie
For drivers in Pennsylvania with a ticket on their record, Erie has the most affordable rate for car insurance at $1,303 a year. The Hartford has the second-lowest average rate of $1,464 a year.
Cheapest car insurance companies after a ticket
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $1,303 |
| The Hartford | $1,464 |
| State Farm | $1,499 |
| Nationwide | $2,339 |
| Allstate | $2,372 |
| Progressive | $2,571 |
| Geico | $3,961 |
| USAA* | $1,884 |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 30-year-old male with one speeding ticket. *USAA is only available to military members and their families.
A speeding ticket stays on your driving record for three to five years. During that time, you’ll probably see higher car insurance rates. Compare car insurance quotes from a number of companies to get your best rate in this and other situations.
Cheapest rates after an accident in Pennsylvania: Erie
If you’re looking for car insurance with an accident on your insurance record, Erie has the cheapest rate with an average of $1,303. The Hartford is next, with an average rate of $1,405 after an accident.
Cheapest car insurance companies after an accident
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $1,303 |
| State Farm | $1,405 |
| The Hartford | $1,638 |
| Allstate | $2,372 |
| Progressive | $2,571 |
| Nationwide | $3,287 |
| Geico | $4,690 |
| USAA* | $2,343 |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 30-year-old male with one accident. *USAA is only available to military members and their families.
Best rates after a DUI in Pennsylvania: The Hartford
Pennsylvania drivers with a DUI find the cheapest average rate for full-coverage car insurance from The Hartford, at $1,737 a year. Erie has the next-lowest rate at $1,911.
Cheapest car insurance companies after a DUI
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| The Hartford | $1,737 |
| Erie | $1,911 |
| Nationwide | $2,339 |
| Allstate | $2,372 |
| Progressive | $3,107 |
| State Farm | $3,331 |
| Geico | $4,411 |
| USAA* | $2,259 |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 30-year-old male with one DUI. *USAA is only available to military members and their families.
Auto insurance companies see drivers with DUIs as being high-risk. If you have a DUI on your record, expect to see your premium go up a lot. You may also have to deal with policy cancellation or refusal of coverage.
Best Pennsylvania rates for bad credit: Nationwide
If you’re looking for cheap car insurance with a poor credit score, Nationwide has the lowest rates for Pennsylvania drivers. It charges an average rate of $2,641 a year to drivers with bad credit. Erie is the second-cheapest at $2,712 a year.
Cheapest car insurance companies for drivers with poor credit
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Nationwide | $2,641 |
| Erie | $2,712 |
| The Hartford | $3,326 |
| Allstate | $3,960 |
| Progressive | $4,368 |
| Geico | $4,462 |
| State Farm | $5,991 |
| USAA | $1,684 |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 30-year-old male with poor credit. *USAA is only available to military members and their families.
Some car insurance companies see a connection between your credit status and the chances of filing a claim. This is controversial, and some states have banned or limited the practice of credit-based insurance scoring.
Pennsylvania insurance rates by city
Of the 25 most populated cities in Pennsylvania, State College residents pay the lowest average rate for car insurance, $1,492 a year. Philadelphia residents pay the state’s highest rate of $3,332 a year.
Car insurance rates by city in Pennsylvania
| City | Annual |
|---|---|
| Allentown | $1,965 |
| Altoona | $1,800 |
| Bethel Park | $1,739 |
| Bethlehem | $1,810 |
| Chambersburg | $1,595 |
| Easton | $1,814 |
| Erie | $1,844 |
| Harrisburg | $1,681 |
| Hazleton | $1,901 |
| Lancaster | $1,698 |
| Lebanon | $1,591 |
| Monroeville | $1,914 |
| New Castle | $1,771 |
| Norristown | $2,125 |
| Philadelphia | $3,332 |
| Pittsburgh | $1,900 |
| Plum | $1,867 |
| Pottstown | $1,960 |
| Pottsville | $1,708 |
| Reading | $1,889 |
| Scranton | $1,873 |
| State College | $1,492 |
| Wilkes-Barre | $1,932 |
| Williamsport | $1,678 |
| York | $1,654 |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 30-year-old male with a clean driving record.
The cost of car insurance in Philadelphia
The average cost of full-coverage car insurance in Pennsylvania is $1,861 a year. This is 6% lower than the national average rate of $1,976 for a full-coverage policy.
The average annual rate for liability-only coverage in Pennsylvania is $603, which is 22% lower than the national average of $773.
What you pay for car insurance is based on many factors, including:
- ZIP code
- Make and model of your car
- Your insurance history
- Policy coverage limits
- Your deductible
- Discounts provided
Car insurance laws in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is a “no-fault state” for car insurance. This means that if you’re in an accident, you file a claim with your own insurance company for resulting injuries, regardless of who is at fault. Pennsylvania insurers require policyholders to include personal injury protection (PIP) as part of their car insurance. PIP covers expenses due to an accident, including rehabilitation costs and lost wages.
Pennsylvania offers drivers the choice between two car insurance policy types, “full tort” and “limited tort.” A full-tort policy gives you the right to sue in court if you’re injured in an accident. Limited tort takes away the right to sue for pain and suffering after an accident and also limits your ability to sue for damages. Limited-tort policies tend to be cheaper than full tort.
Minimum coverage for car insurance in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s required liability coverage limits are:
- $15,000 bodily injury coverage per person
- $30,000 bodily injury coverage per accident
- $5,000 property damage coverage
Methodology
Unless stated otherwise, we looked at thousands of car insurance quotes in Pennsylvania for a 30-year-old man with good credit and no tickets, accidents or convictions for driving under the influence, using a 2015 Honda Civic EX.
The following coverage limits were used:
- Bodily injury liability: 50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $25,000
- Uninsured motorist: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident, where required by law
- Personal injury protection: minimum limits, where required by law
- Collision: $500 deductible
- Comprehensive $500 deductible