Key Takeaways
- Erie has the cheapest car insurance rates in Pennsylvania for most drivers.
- The average cost of minimum-coverage car insurance in Pennsylvania is cheaper than the national average. Full coverage is more expensive.
- Pennsylvania drivers with bad credit pay 71% more for car insurance than they would with good credit.
In this article
Understanding car insurance rates in Pennsylvania
Navigating the world of car insurance can seem complicated, but having a solid understanding of how rates are determined can give you an edge when seeking out the best policy for you. In Pennsylvania, as is the case nationwide, car insurance rates aren't arbitrary. They're calculated based on a range of factors that help insurance companies estimate risk. These factors can include everything from your personal driving record to where you park your car at night.
Factors affecting your car insurance rates
Car insurance rates in Pennsylvania, like in all other states, are determined by a variety of factors. These factors vary from state to state and include your driving history, age, credit score, the type of vehicle you drive and even where you live within the state. Insurance companies calculate risk based on these factors. For example, a more experienced driver with a clean driving record is likely to receive a lower rate than a younger driver or someone with multiple traffic violations. Similarly, areas with high traffic or crime rates may have higher insurance premiums due to the increased risk of accidents or theft.
The cheapest car insurance companies in Pennsylvania
Erie, Progressive and Nationwide are the cheapest car insurance companies for Pennsylvania drivers, according to our survey of the state’s top providers.
Cheapest for minimum coverage: Progressive
Cheapest for full coverage: Erie
Cheapest with bad credit: Nationwide
Cheapest for seniors: Erie
Erie Insurance is the cheapest car insurance provider for most Pennsylvania drivers. It offers the lowest rates for full coverage, drivers with a speeding ticket or accident on their records, senior drivers and married drivers.
Progressive has the cheapest rates in the state for drivers who want minimum-coverage car insurance. Nationwide is the best source of cheap car insurance in Pennsylvania if you have bad or poor credit.
To find the cheapest rates for the coverage you need, compare auto insurance quotes from several companies.
Pennsylvania car insurance state minimums
All Pennsylvania drivers must carry at least 15/30/5 car insurance. This means they need the following amounts of liability car insurance, at a minimum.
| Coverage type | State requirements |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $15,000 per person/$30,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $5,000 per accident |
| Source: Pennsylvania Insurance Department | |
Pennsylvania drivers also need at least $5,000 of medical benefits coverage. Medical benefits coverage pays to treat injuries you or passengers in your vehicle suffer if you’re involved in an accident, regardless of fault.
Cheapest minimum-coverage auto insurance rates in Pennsylvania: Progressive
Progressive is the cheapest car insurance company in Pennsylvania for drivers who want state-minimum coverage, charging an average $41 a month.
The average cost of minimum-coverage car insurance in Pennsylvania is $71 a month. This is 12% lower than the national average for such coverage.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Progressive | $41 |
| Erie | $48 |
| State Farm | $56 |
| Nationwide | $65 |
| Allstate | $105 |
| GEICO | $113 |
| USAA* | $65 |
| Rates are for minimum-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with a good driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Buying minimum-coverage car insurance that only meets the state’s coverage requirements is a good way to get the lowest possible rate, but it leaves you vulnerable to high out-of-pocket costs if you get into an accident.
Find out how much you can save on car insurance
Cheapest full-coverage auto insurance rates in Pennsylvania: Erie
For the cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Pennsylvania, go to Erie, which offers an average rate of $116 a month.
The average cost of full-coverage car insurance in Pennsylvania is $172 a month. This is 6% higher than the national average.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $116 |
| State Farm | $138 |
| Progressive | $153 |
| Nationwide | $158 |
| Allstate | $233 |
| GEICO | $242 |
| USAA* | $162 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with a good driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Full-coverage car insurance typically includes collision and comprehensive as well as liability coverage. No state requires full coverage, but you may need to buy it if you finance or lease your vehicle.
You should consider buying full coverage even if it’s not required if your vehicle is new or expensive. Otherwise, you might pay high out-of-pocket costs if you file a claim for damage done to your vehicle.
Cheapest car insurance in Pennsylvania for drivers with bad credit: Nationwide
Nationwide has the cheapest car insurance rates in Pennsylvania for drivers with bad credit, charging them an average of $217 a month for full-coverage policies.
USAA offers an even cheaper average rate of $162 a month to drivers with bad credit, but only current or former members of the military, as well as certain relatives, qualify.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Nationwide | $217 |
| Progressive | $263 |
| Erie | $272 |
| State Farm | $302 |
| Allstate | $385 |
| GEICO | $458 |
| USAA* | $162 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with poor credit and a good driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
The average cost of car insurance for Pennsylvania drivers with bad credit is $294 a month. This is 71% higher than what these same drivers would pay if they had good credit.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a prior incident
Erie has the cheapest car insurance rates for Pennsylvania drivers with a ticket or accident on their record. Nationwide and Progressive are cheapest for those with a DUI.
Cheapest for drivers with a speeding ticket: Erie
Erie offers the cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket on their records, charging $132 a month, on average.
Pennsylvania drivers with a speeding ticket pay 10% more for car insurance than they would if they had a clean driving record.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $132 |
| State Farm | $138 |
| Progressive | $153 |
| Nationwide | $184 |
| Allstate | $233 |
| GEICO | $311 |
| USAA* | $181 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with one speeding ticket on his driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Cheapest for drivers with an at-fault accident: Erie
Erie is the cheapest car insurance provider for Pennsylvania drivers with an at-fault accident. Its average rate of $164 a month is $26 a month cheaper than State Farm, its closest competitor.
Pennsylvania drivers who have an at-fault accident on their record pay 53% more for car insurance than they would if they had a clean record.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $164 |
| State Farm | $190 |
| Progressive | $238 |
| Nationwide | $261 |
| Allstate | $343 |
| GEICO | $410 |
| USAA* | $233 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with one at-fault accident on his driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Cheapest for drivers with a DUI: Nationwide and Progressive
A DUI on your record means much higher car insurance rates in Pennsylvania. Specifically, the average driver with a DUI pays 45% more for a full-coverage car insurance policy than they would with a clean record.
To get cheap car insurance with a DUI on your record, get a quote from Nationwide and/or Progressive. Both companies’ average rate for drivers with a DUI is $184 a month.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Nationwide | $184 |
| Progressive | $184 |
| Erie | $196 |
| Allstate | $233 |
| State Farm | $257 |
| GEICO | $470 |
| USAA* | $216 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 35-year-old male with one DUI on his driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Cheapest car insurance for senior drivers: Erie
Drivers tend to pay less for car insurance after a certain age, and our data shows that to be true. We found that Erie has the cheapest car insurance for seniors in Pennsylvania, charging $109 a month, on average. This is $7 a month less than what it charges the average 35-year-old driver.
The average 65-year-old driver in Pennsylvania pays 15% less for car insurance than a 35-year-old does, based on our research.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $109 |
| State Farm | $125 |
| Progressive | $126 |
| Nationwide | $143 |
| GEICO | $167 |
| Allstate | $203 |
| USAA* | $153 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 65-year-old male with a clean driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
Compare auto insurance quotes from top providers in Pennsylvania
Cheapest car insurance for young drivers: Progressive and Erie
Young drivers usually pay more for car insurance than older drivers do. That’s even true of the cheapest car insurance companies for young drivers in Pennsylvania, Progressive and Erie.
The average rates Progressive and Erie charge 18-year-old drivers are more than twice what they charge 35-year-old drivers for minimum- and full-coverage car insurance, respectively.
| Insurance company | Minimum coverage | Full coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Progressive | $117 | $478 |
| Erie | $127 | $313 |
| Nationwide | $172 | $452 |
| State Farm | $178 | $465 |
| GEICO | $185 | $478 |
| Allstate | $360 | $637 |
| USAA* | $105 | $276 |
| Rates are for an 18-year-old male with a clean driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | ||
If it’s any consolation, teen car insurance in Pennsylvania is cheaper than the national average. For example, the average cost of full-coverage car insurance for an 18-year-old driver in Pennsylvania is $443 a month, while the U.S. average rate is $607.
Cheapest car insurance for married drivers: Erie
Erie is the cheapest car insurance company for married drivers in Pennsylvania at an average rate of $110 a month. This is $6 a month less than what it charges a single driver for the same amount of coverage. And it’s about $30 a month less than what its closest competitors, State Farm and Nationwide, charge married drivers.
| Insurance company | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $110 |
| State Farm | $138 |
| Nationwide | $139 |
| Progressive | $142 |
| Allstate | $222 |
| GEICO | $267 |
| USAA* | $139 |
| Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a married 35-year-old male with a good driving record. *Only available to current/former military and their families. | |
The average married driver in Pennsylvania pays 4% less for car insurance than they would if they were single. Insurance companies charge married drivers lower rates because they’re less likely to be involved in an accident or otherwise file a claim than single drivers.
Car insurance laws in Pennsylvania
No-fault car insurance
Pennsylvania is a "choice" no-fault state for car insurance purposes. This means you can choose between limited-tort and full-tort car insurance when you buy a policy. A limited-tort policy, which tends to be the cheaper of the two options, restricts your ability to sue an at-fault driver who injures you in a car accident. Full-tort policies don’t come with these restrictions.
Pennsylvania driver report
Pennsylvania has some of the worst road conditions in the U.S., but its drivers are among the best in the country, according to our findings. Unfortunately, motorists in the Keystone State are footing the bill for inadequate infrastructure.
- Haverford, Penn Hills and Warminster have the best drivers in Pennsylvania.
- Altoona, Cranberry Township and Cheltenham have the worst drivers in Pennsylvania.
- Twenty-eight percent of the state's roads and 7% of bridges are in poor or unacceptable condition.
- Poor road infrastructure costs drivers $620 a year.
Best and worst drivers in Pennsylvania
Our team evaluated driving behaviors based on four factors to determine overall driving quality: accidents, speeding tickets, DUIs and citations. In our report on the best and worst drivers in the nation, Pennsylvania drivers are among the best overall, ranking 16th.
After analyzing thousands of insurance quotes from Pennsylvania residents, we found that Haverford has the best drivers, while Altoona is home to the worst.
Best Drivers by City
- Haverford
- Penn Hills
- Warminster
- Norristown
- Allentown
- Philadelphia
- Bensalem
- Abington
- Scranton
- Monroeville
Worst Drivers by City
- Altoona
- Cranberry Township
- Cheltenham
- Bethel Park
- Erie
- Pittsburgh
- Upper Darby
- Hazleton
- State College
- Harrisburg
Pennsylvania infrastructure rating
Roads and bridges in Pennsylvania are in rough condition, and it's costing drivers money. Potholes and failing road infrastructure cost the state's drivers an average $620 a year. Between poor road and bridge conditions, Pennsylvania ranks seventh-worst overall, according to our national report.
- Twenty-eight percent of roads are in non-acceptable condition.
- Seven percent of bridges are in poor condition.
- The average annual cost per motorist due to poor road and bridge conditions is $620.
Best and worst drivers by age group
Young people in Pennsylvania don’t have a great track record when it comes to driving. Drivers under 20 years old are significantly more dangerous compared to every other age group. They are nearly three times more likely to cause a driving incident than middle-aged drivers. Drivers between the ages of 20 to 29 are the second-worst group of drivers.
Pennsylvania car insurance: FAQs
Progressive has the cheapest car insurance in Pennsylvania if you only want state-minimum coverage. It charges $41 a month, on average, for this amount of insurance. Erie has the cheapest full-coverage car insurance in the state at an average rate of $116 a month.
The average cost of car insurance in Pennsylvania is $71 a month for minimum coverage and $172 a month for full coverage.
You need 15/30/5 car insurance to drive legally in Pennsylvania. This means you must have at least:
- $15,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per person
- $30,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per accident
- $5,000 of property damage liability coverage per accident
You also need at least $5,000 of medical benefits coverage.
Methodology
The rates shown in this article are based on an analysis of more than 300,000 auto insurance quotes obtained from Quadrant Information Services for sample drivers from across Pennsylvania.
Unless otherwise noted, our sample driver is a single 35-year-old. All sample drivers own a 2012 Honda Accord LX that they drive for an average of 13,500 miles per year.
Minimum-coverage rates reflect the cost of policies meeting the minimum liability limits required by the state.
Full-coverage policies include the following coverages, limits and deductibles:
- Bodily injury liability: $100,000 limit per person/$300,000 limit per accident
- Property damage liability: $100,000 limit
- Collision: $500 deductible
- Comprehensive: $500 deductible
Driver report: QuoteWizard analyzed over 100,000 car insurance quotes to determine Pennsylvania’s best- and worst-driving cities. Drivers were evaluated based on the number of accidents, citations, speeding tickets and DUIs in each city. QuoteWizard evaluated Federal Highway Administration data on road and bridge quality to determine the number of roads and bridges in “poor” or “unacceptable” condition.
Auto insurance by city
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