How to Compare Home Insurance Quotes (2024)
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Best Homeowners Insurance in Pennsylvania (2024)

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Content was accurate at the time of publication.

Westfield has the cheapest homeowners insurance in Pennsylvania. However, Erie stands out as the state’s best overall homeowners insurance company, based on its combination of rates, customer service scores and policy offerings.

Find the Cheapest Home Insurance Quotes in Your Area

Westfield has the cheapest homeowners insurance quotes in Pennsylvania. Its rates average $1,017 a year, or $85 a month, for a typical home.

The next-cheapest quotes come from Penn National, at $1,219 a year, and Erie, at $1,311 a year.

CompanyAnnual rate
Westfield$1,017
Penn National$1,219
Erie$1,311
USAA*$1,358
State Farm$1,515
Allstate$1,522
Nationwide$1,665
Travelers$1,896
Farmers$3,185
Chubb$4,594

Since rates vary by customer, compare quotes from multiple companies when it’s time to buy or renew your home insurance to get your best rate.

Erie is the best overall homeowners insurance company in Pennsylvania, based on a combination of price, customer satisfaction and policy offerings.

Pennsylvania’s top home insurance companies

CompanyAnnual rateSatisfaction scoreComplaint rating
Best overall: Erie$1,311 855 (Excellent)0.72 (Good)
Best price: Westfield$1,017 Not rated0.08 (Excellent)
Best small company: Penn National$1,219 Not rated0.52 (Good)
Best large company: State Farm$1,515 829 (Excellent)0.95 (Average)
Best for military families: USAA$1,358 881 (Excellent)0.36 (Excellent)

Satisfaction scores are from J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Home Insurance Study. Rankings are based on a 1,000-point scale, with a segment average of 819.

Complaint ratings reflect confirmed complaints recorded by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2022. A 2.0 rating reflects twice as many complaints as expected for a company’s size. A 0.5 rating means half as many.

Best overall home insurance company in Pennsylvania: Erie

Erie is the not cheapest home insurance company in Pennsylvania, but it has a higher customer satisfaction rating than most of its competitors. Erie’s policy highlights include guaranteed replacement cost coverage for your home at no extra charge.

ProsCons

 Rates are 32% lower than the state average

 Guaranteed replacement cost ensures enough money to rebuild your home

 Additional discounts for bundling your home and auto insurance

 Instant quotes not available online

Best home insurance price in Pennsylvania: Westfield

Westfield’s excellent complaint rating reflects its ability to meet customer expectations while keeping its rates low.

ProsCons

 Cheapest home insurance rate in Pennsylvania

 Lower, or better, complaint rating than most other home insurers

 Policy upgrades provided for bundling your home and auto insurance

 Does not offer instant online quotes or a smartphone app

 Endorsements to customize your coverage are limited

Best small home insurance company in Pennsylvania: Penn National

Penn National doesn’t crack the top 10 for market share in Pennsylvania. Nevertheless, it holds its own against its larger competitors with low prices and an excellent complaint rating. The company’s A rating from AM Best speaks to its financial stability.

ProsCons

 Rates are 37% lower than the state average

 Dwelling coverage can be extended by up to 50%

 Various other endorsements and upgrades are also available

 Instant quotes not available online

Best large home insurance company in Pennsylvania: State Farm

State Farm only has slightly lower rates than Allstate and Nationwide. However, State Farm has a much higher satisfaction score than those companies.

ProsCons

 Rates are 21% lower than the state average

 Generous discounts for bundling home and auto insurance

 Personalized service from a wide network of agents

 State Farm agents don’t quote other companies’ rates

 Complaint rating is just average

Best for Pennsylvania military families: USAA

Along with low rates, USAA offers quality customer service and policy perks that can make you feel like a VIP.

ProsCons

 Rates are 30% lower than the state average

 Highest satisfaction score among all Pennsylvania home insurers

 Replacement cost coverage provided for your belongings at no extra charge

 Coverage for uniforms and military equipment included for active-duty service members

 Only current and former members of the military and their families can get insurance from USAA

 You get a different agent each time you call for help

The average cost of homeowners insurance in Pennsylvania is $1,928 a year, or $161 a month, for a typical home.

The price you pay depends on factors such as:

  • The amounts of coverage you need
  • Your credit and insurance history
  • Your area’s crime rates and exposure to severe weather
  • Any discounts you may be eligible to receive

Each insurance company weighs these factors differently. Getting home insurance quotes from a few different companies helps you find the cheapest rate.

Home insurance rates by coverage

Increasing the dwelling coverage of your home insurance policy by $50,000 usually only adds about $17 a month to your rate.

For example, a policy with $450,000 of coverage costs $199 more per year than one that insures your home for $400,000.

Dwelling coverageAnnual rate
$350,000 $1,730
$400,000 $1,928
$450,000 $2,127

Dwelling coverage pays to repair or rebuild your home. For a new mortgage, lenders typically require you to insure your home at its replacement value, which is the cost of rebuilding it.

You can choose a lower limit if you have a low loan balance or no mortgage at all. However, doing so puts you at risk of not getting enough insurance money to rebuild after a disaster.

Most insurance companies use a software program to estimate your home’s replacement value, based on its characteristics. Make sure the details the insurance company has about your home are accurate.

In Pennsylvania’s largest cities, home insurance rates range from $1,591 a year in Lancaster to $2,892 a year in Philadelphia.

In Pittsburgh, homeowners insurance costs an average of $1,862 a year, which is 3% less than the state average.

CityAnnual rate
Abington$2,145
Allentown$1,708
Bensalem$2,487
Bethlehem$1,708
Bristol$2,498
Erie$1,861
Lancaster$1,591
Lower Merion$2,321
Lower Paxton$1,713
Millcreek$1,814
Philadelphia$2,892
Pittsburgh$1,862
Reading$1,675
Scranton$1,812
Upper Darby$2,353

Homeowners insurance does not cover floods, but you can buy flood insurance to protect against this risk.

The average cost of flood insurance in Pennsylvania is $1,250 a year, or $104 a month, for policies from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Most flood insurance is bought through the NFIP, which is managed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Several private companies also offer it.

Lenders typically require flood insurance for a mortgage in a high-risk flood zone. However, flood insurance is often worth considering even if you own your home outright and/or if it’s in a low- or moderate-risk area.

You can find a home’s flood zone online in the Flood Map Service Center on FEMA’s website.

Other insurance protections for Pennsylvania homes

Earthquakes, mine subsidence and sinkholes are among the other Pennsylvania risks that standard homeowners insurance does not cover. Here’s how to protect against them:

  • Several home insurance companies offer earthquake insurance as an add-on to an existing home insurance policy.
  • You can get mine subsidence insurance from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The department’s website also has a map that shows if your home is above a known mine.
  • Sinkholes are a potential risk in areas of Pennsylvania with karst landscapes. Some companies offer sinkhole insurance as an add-on, and it’s also available as stand-alone insurance.

Homeowners insurance is not required by law in Pennsylvania, but lenders typically require it for a mortgage. If your home is in a high-risk flood zone, your lender will make you get flood insurance, too.

Bundling your home insurance with your auto policy and shopping around for the cheapest price are among the best ways to save money on homeowners insurance. Make sure your quotes include all discounts that may be available to you.

Homeowners insurance covers most common causes of damage or loss in Pennsylvania. These include fire, hailstorms, tornadoes, falling objects, burst pipes, vandalism and theft.

Homeowners insurance does not cover floods, earthquakes, mine subsidence, sinkholes or other earth movements. However, separate insurance is available for these excluded risks.

Methodology

The rates shown in this article are based on an analysis of nonbinding quotes obtained from Quadrant Information Services for sample homes in every Pennsylvania ZIP code. Unless otherwise noted, policies include:

  • Dwelling coverage: $400,000
  • Other structures: $40,000
  • Personal property: $200,000
  • Loss of use: $80,000
  • Personal liability: $100,000
  • Guest medical payments: $5,000
  • Deductible: $1,000

*USAA is only available to current and former members of the military and their families.