Best Car Insurance in Ohio (September 2023)

Ohio drivers can expect to pay about $155 a month for car insurance — that’s the average rate in the state, according to Insurify data. The price you pay depends on your driving record, the type of car you drive, where you live, your credit score, and other factors insurance companies use to determine premiums.

Here’s what you need to know about buying car insurance in Ohio, including how much coverage you need to meet the state’s minimum requirements and what factors may affect your premium.

Best car insurance companies in Ohio

To ensure you get the best car insurance for your needs at the lowest possible rates, it’s a good idea to shop around. Insurify reviewed multiple criteria, including pricing, third-party ratings, customer satisfaction, and more, for 17 car insurance companies in Ohio to help you find the right coverage for you.

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Best car insurance overall: State Farm

State Farm is among the best car insurance companies in Ohio, with an IQ Score of 4.4 out of 5, solid coverage options, and multiple discounts. The company received higher-than-average customer satisfaction scores in the North Central segment of the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Auto Insurance Study and fewer than expected complaints, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).^[1]

State Farm earns strong ratings for financial strength from A.M. Best and S&P Global, and the company makes it easy to manage your policy online or via the app.

State Farm pros and cons

Best cheap car insurance in Ohio: Erie

Erie offers some of the lowest car insurance rates in Ohio and earned an IQ Score of 4.2. The average price of a liability-only policy is $48 a month, and full coverage is $64 a month. Both are significantly less than the state average of $92 a month for liability and $147 a month for full coverage in Ohio.

The company’s Rate Lock feature can keep your rate from increasing — even if you file a claim — unless you make certain changes to your policy. Erie’s financial strength is strong, earning a superior rating from A.M. Best.

Erie pros and cons

Best for affordability in Ohio: USAA

USAA offers a solid bang for your insurance buck, with an IQ Score of 4.4 and rates below the state average. The company offers standard coverage options and multiple ways to save. USAA received high customer satisfaction ratings in the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Auto Insurance Study and fewer than expected complaints in 2022, according to the NAIC.^[1]

USAA pros and cons

Best car insurance for college students in Ohio: American Family

American Family offers solid coverage options at decent rates with multiple discount opportunities that college students may find helpful. Students can save with the company’s good student, teen safe, away at school, young volunteer, and low mileage discounts. You may also qualify for the company’s generational discount if your parent is an American Family customer. American Family received an IQ Score of 4.2.

American Family pros and cons

Best car insurance for families in Ohio: Allstate

Allstate offers standard coverage to help protect your family and various discounts to help you reduce your premiums. The company has multiple ways for families to save, including good grades, TeenSMART, and distance learning discounts. You can receive a premium credit for every six months you don’t have an accident when you enroll in Allstate’s Safe Driving Bonus program.

Allstate offers optional accident forgiveness coverage, so your rate won’t automatically increase after an at-fault accident. The company earned an IQ score of 4.1.

Allstate pros and cons

Best car insurance for commuters in Ohio: Auto-Owners

Auto-Owners earned an IQ Score of 4 out of 5. The company offers standard coverages you’d expect from a car insurance company, plus specialty coverages to help protect you during your daily commute, including:

• Road trouble service: Get help if you break down, have a dead battery, run out of gas, lock yourself out, get a flat, and more.

• Additional expense: Receive funds to pay for food and lodging, in addition to a rental car, if your vehicle breaks down far from home.

• Collision advantage: Waive your collision deductible if you’re in an accident with another Auto-Owners customer.

• Accident forgiveness: Avoid a rate increase after your first at-fault accident.

Auto-Owners pros and cons

Best car insurance for sports car owners in Ohio: Farmers

Sports cars typically cost more to insure, repair, and replace than other types of vehicles because they’re built with high-performance parts. Farmers offers multiple discounts to help you save on your premium and various coverages to protect your finances in the event of damage or theft, including:

• Guaranteed value: Receive an agreed-upon value instead of the current market value if Farmers declares your vehicle a total loss.

• Customized equipment: This pays to repair or replace aftermarket equipment you add to your vehicle.

• Original equipment manufacturer (OEM): This covers the manufacturer’s original parts for repairs.

• New-car replacement: Get a brand-new version of your vehicle if a total loss occurs within the first two model years and 24,000 miles.

Farmers pros and cons

Best car insurance for luxury car owners in Ohio: Nationwide

Luxury cars are more expensive to repair and replace than standard vehicles. With an IQ Score of 4.1, Nationwide offers multiple coverage options to help protect your car and your finances if you need to repair or replace your luxury vehicle, including:

• Gap insurance: This pays the difference between what you owe on your loan or lease and your car’s actual cash value if Nationwide declares your vehicle a total loss.

• Total loss deductible waiver: This waives your deductible payment in the event of a total loss.

• Original equipment manufacturer (OEM): Repair your vehicle with original manufacturer’s parts instead of aftermarket parts (available through Nationwide Private Client).

• Agreed value: Receive a guaranteed value for your car instead of the current market value if it’s totaled or stolen (available through Nationwide Private Client).

Nationwide pros and cons

Best car insurance for high-risk drivers in Ohio: GEICO

People with driving infractions on their record typically pay higher rates than people with clean driving records. But GEICO’s rates for people with a less-than-stellar driving history are below the state average, and the company will file an SR-22 with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles if you need one. GEICO has a solid choice of standard coverage options, including emergency road service, which you can request from the app. It earned an IQ Score of 4.2.

GEICO pros and cons

Best for temporary car insurance in Ohio: Hugo

Hugo is a pay-as-you-go car insurance company that offers short-term car insurance in Ohio. Drivers who need temporary car insurance can purchase coverage for as little as three days, or in intervals of seven or 14 days, or one or six months. Three different coverage options allow drivers to choose minimum liability coverage, liability plus medical and accidental death coverage, or full coverage that includes liability, comprehensive, collision, medical, and accidental death coverages.

Hugo pros and cons

How Insurify’s experts used internal proprietary data to rate the top auto insurers

Data scientists at Insurify analyzed more than 40 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partner providers across the United States to compile the car insurance quotes, statistics, and data visualizations displayed on this page. The car insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers’ vehicles, driving records, and demographic information. Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates. With these insights, Insurify is able to offer drivers insight into how companies price their car insurance premiums. The data included on this page represent averages across all driver ages, gender, credit scores, and driver profiles for Ohio drivers.

How to shop for the best car insurance in Ohio

When deciding which car insurance company in Ohio is best for you, consider these factors:

• Coverage options: Not all car insurance companies offer the same coverage choices. Work with a company that has the coverage options you need to fully protect your finances.

• Discounts: Many car insurance companies offer discounts to make coverage more affordable.

• Service: Find out if current customers are satisfied by reading online reviews from reputable sites or getting recommendations from people you trust.

• Account management tools: Learn how you can manage your account, file a claim, or contact a representative if you have questions.

• Price: No one wants to pay more for car insurance than they have to. Get quotes from multiple insurers. Compare policies with the same coverage types, limits, and deductibles for an accurate assessment.

How to get the cheapest car insurance in Ohio

Insurance companies use many criteria, including your age, driving history, location, the type of car you drive, and more to determine the price you pay.^[3] There’s no single action you can take to reduce your car insurance rate. However, you can do a few things to make coverage more affordable.

• Shop around. Comparing multiple quotes helps ensure you get the best possible rates. If you don’t want to contact multiple companies individually, consider using a car insurance comparison site or working with an independent agent.

• Select coverage wisely. Purchase only the types of coverage you need and be mindful of your policy limits. Make sure you have at least the state-required minimum.

• Drive safely. High-risk driving behaviors and marks on your driving record can increase your rates.

• Increase your deductible. Higher deductibles typically result in lower premiums.^[4] Make sure you can reasonably afford a higher deductible if you ever file a claim before you increase it to lower your premiums.

Minimum car insurance requirements in Ohio

Some states require multiple coverage types, such as liability, medical payments, personal injury protection, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to drive legally.

Ohio only requires liability coverage in the following amounts:^[5]

Driving without legally mandated coverage in Ohio can result in severe penalties, which may include:^[6]

• Suspension of your license or registration

• Confiscation of your license plates

• Maintaining high-risk insurance coverage on file with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles

• Fines

Maintaining the minimum required coverage will help you avoid penalties. However, it may not be enough to protect you if you’re in an accident. Without adequate coverage, you may have to pay out of pocket for expenses that exceed your policy limits.

“The more coverage you have, the better protected you are when driving on the road,” says Dominic Frey, insurance agent at Hitchings Insurance Agency. He recommends maintaining 10 times the minimum requirement, while pointing out that purchasing 10 times the coverage won’t increase your premium tenfold. “It’s typically not even twice as much, assuming [you have] a clean driving record,” he says.

Liability-only vs. full-coverage insurance in Ohio

In Ohio, you only need liability auto insurance to meet the state’s minimum car insurance requirements. If you cause an accident, it protects other people by paying for their injuries and damage to their vehicle. It doesn’t pay for your injuries or your vehicle’s repairs.^[7] Liability-only coverage may make sense if the cost to repair your vehicle is more than it’s worth.

However, purchasing full-coverage insurance — which includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage — may be a better option in certain situations.

Collision pays for damage — up to the policy limit — that occurs in a crash with another vehicle or stationary object, flipping over, or hitting a pothole. Comprehensive pays for damage that results from non-collision-related events, such as severe weather, vandalism, theft, and more.

Full coverage may be a good option if:

• You drive a newer or expensive vehicle.

• You financed or leased your vehicle, since the lienholder may require it.

• You can’t afford to pay for repairs out of pocket.

Here’s a look at the cheapest auto insurance in Ohio by policy type for different car insurance companies. More than half of the companies Insurify ranked offer rates below the state average with several offering rates that are close to half the average.

The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Monday, September 18 at 12:00 PM PDT. 

Data reviewed by Konstantin Halachev

Konstantin HalachevVice President of Engineering

• 7+ years experience in data analysis

• Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

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Insurance Company	Average Monthly Quote: Liability Only	Average Monthly Quote: Full Coverage
State Farm	34	49
Mile Auto	39	57
Erie	40	58
Auto-Owners	40	58
Hugo	43	110
USAA	44	64
GEICO	44	63
Safeco	47	87
American Family	49	71
State Auto	54	125
Elephant	57	81
Midvale Home & Auto	58	97
Commonwealth Casualty	64	143
Clearcover	66	85
Progressive	67	113
Liberty Mutual	70	122
GAINSCO	76	138
Allstate	76	109
The General	78	145
Dairyland	81	204
Travelers	82	97
Farmers	84	121
Direct Auto	86	115
CSAA	93	161
Foremost	130	201
Bristol West	135	243

Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.

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Ohio car insurance rates by driving and accident history

It’s worth it to slow down and use caution. When you apply for car insurance, the provider considers multiple factors to determine your rates. One of those factors is your driving history, and it can significantly affect the price you pay. Good drivers who don’t have a history of speeding tickets, driving under the influence, or at-fault accidents typically receive much lower rates than people with a history of driving infractions.^[3] In Ohio, your rates may increase by 35% to 100%, depending on the infraction.

Here’s a look at average monthly quotes for the cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Ohio based on driving and accident history.

SR-22 insurance in Ohio

An SR-22 form shows you have the minimum amount of car insurance the state requires.^[8] In Ohio, your insurance company may need to file an SR-22 form with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles on your behalf if:^[9]

• You drive without insurance

• You cause an accident that results in injuries or property damage

• You have a DUI conviction

Insurers may submit an SR-22 form for you, but it’s a good idea to check with your insurance company or agent to be sure. The following insurers may file SR-22 forms in Ohio:

• Allstate

• American Family

• Bristol West

• Dairyland

• Direct Auto

• GEICO

• Kemper

• Progressive

• State Farm

• The General

• USAA

The length of time you need to maintain an SR-22 depends on the offense. If you cancel your policy or the insurance company discontinues your coverage, the insurer must notify the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles that you no longer have car insurance.^{[10] [11]}

Ohio car insurance quotes by credit tier

Many states, including Ohio, allow insurance companies to consider an applicant’s credit score when pricing a policy.^[12] Insurance credit scores help companies predict how likely it is someone will file a claim. Credit-based insurance scores aren’t the same as traditional credit scores lenders use to evaluate loan applications. However, models for both types of scores use information from consumer credit reports.^[13]

Although credit scores are just one of the factors insurance companies use, people with excellent or good credit scores typically qualify for lower rates than people with poor credit scores.

Car insurance quotes in Ohio cities

The average price of a car insurance policy in Ohio is $155 a month. However, you could pay more or less based on where you live. For example, the average cost of a policy in Toledo is $200 a month, while the price in Marion averages $131 a month.

The price difference is a result of where you live — another factor that insurers consider when determining your premiums.^[3]

“It comes down to statistics,” says Frey. When insurance carriers see that there are more claims or larger claims year after year in one city versus another, they charge more.

Ohio residents in some cities have average car insurance costs that are less than the state’s average. For example, Marion residents enjoy rates that are about 16% lower than the state average. The following table shows the cities with the cheapest car insurance rates in Ohio. 

Other Ohio residents can find themselves paying significantly more than their fellow state citizens. Below are the cities with the highest average rates in Ohio. Toledo residents take the biggest hit, with average rates that exceed the state average by about 29%. 

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Ohio car insurance rates by driver age

In general, young drivers pay more for coverage than older drivers because they’re statistically more likely to have an accident.^[3] Teen drivers in Ohio pay about double the rate of someone in their 30s.

Rates start dropping when you enter your 20s and continue to decline as you gain more driving experience — as long as you maintain a clean driving record. Prices level off in your 40s and remain steady through your 80s. The table below shows how age can affect insurance rates in Ohio.

Ohio car insurance FAQs

Insurify Insights

How Ohio Drivers Measure Up

While most drivers know that car insurance quotes are determined in part by your personal driving history, many may be unaware that rates are also impacted by the average risk of the drivers around you as well. Check out Insurify's latest analysis of driving records in Ohio below:

Methodology

Drawing from an internal database of over 4 million car insurance applications, the research team at Insurify analyzes patterns in car ownership and driver behavior - including how Ohio drivers measure up to their fellow motorists across the United States in areas including speeding, DUIs, and more.
Insurify Insights publishes data-driven articles, trend analyses, and national rankings each week on all factors related to cars and those who drive them.

Honda Civic

Most Popular Car in Ohio

#2

State with the Most Speeding Tickets Rank

#1

State with the Moving Violations Rank

#6

State with the Most DUIs Rank

#3

State with the most Suspended Licenses

• Accidents in Ohio

  While car accidents are a sadly unavoidable feature of time spent on the road, rates of accidents do vary from city to city and from state to state. Ohio is the #2 state in the country for drivers with an at-fault accident on their driving record.

  • Rank among states: #2
  • Percent of drivers in Ohio with an accident: 11.4%
• DUIs in Ohio

  While driving while intoxicated is never acceptable, it’s a more common offense than many assume. Ohio is the #6 state in the country for drivers with a prior drunk driving conviction.

  • Rank among states: #6
  • Percent of drivers in Ohio with a DUI: 2.5%
• Reckless Driving in Ohio

  Reckless driving refers to a specific traffic violation: when drivers willfully act dangerously in spite of the risks they’re imposing on both themselves and others. Ohio is the #4 state in the country for drivers with a reckless driving offense on record.

  • Rank among states: #4
  • Percent of drivers in Ohio with a reckless driving offense: 2.2%
• Rude Driving in Ohio

  The Insurify team classifies rude drivers as those who commit one or more of the following driving offenses: failure to yield or failure to stop, improper backing, passing where prohibited, tailgating, street racing, or hit-and-run. Ohio is the #2 state in the country for drivers with a rude driving violation on record.

  • Rank among states: #2
  • Percent of drivers in Ohio with a rude driving violation: 2.6%
• Speeding in Ohio

  Exceeding the speed limit can endanger others and have a serious impact on your insurance costs. Ohio is the #2 state in the country for drivers with a speeding ticket on record.

  • Rank among states: #2
  • Percent of drivers in Ohio with a speeding ticket: 13.3%
• Failure to Yield Rates in Ohio

  Failing to yield the right of way isn’t just frustrating for other drivers; it’s dangerous, too. Ohio is the #12 state in the country for drivers with a failure to yield violation on record.

  • Rank among states: #12
  • Percent of drivers in Ohio with a failure to yield violation: 0.2%

Insurify Insights

Insurify's team of data scientists and content specialists presents Insurify Insights, a series of automotive, home, and health studies focusing on the topics that impact us all. through expert analysis of over 4 million car insurance applications and an array of top data sources, the Insurify Insights team produces new data-driven articles, trend analyses, regional superlatives, and national rankings every week. See Insurify Insights as featured in Forbes, Fox News, USA Today, NPR, and more.