Who Has the Cheapest Auto Insurance Quotes in Illinois?

We recently analyzed auto insurance rates in the state of Illinois to give readers an indication of which companies were the cheapest for drivers. Even though the average annual cost in Illinois was just slightly over $500 for a policy meeting the state minimums, the truth is you can pay significantly more or less depending on where you live and which insurance company you decide to insure with. As such, we always tell our readers to get multiple quotes (from at least 3 different insurers!) so they can compare and get great rates. If you want to find out which auto insurers operate in your area, enter your zip code in the box above and follow through to see what quotes there are. Otherwise, continue reading to learn more about the best auto insurance rates in Illinois.

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Cheapest Auto Insurance in Illinois

Cheapest Car Insurance in Illinois: by City

Chicago, IL

The largest city in Illinois and 5th largest in the United States, more than 12 million people call the Chicago metro-area home. Chicago is also frequently referred to as the "Windy City" not because of the strong gusts blowing in off Lake Erie, but in remembrance of the politicians who ran the town in the 1800's. Auto insurance costs in the Windy City were found to be $729 per year for a state minimum policy, which works out to be 34% more expensive than our 10-city average.

If you're looking for cheap car insurance in Chicago, we suggest starting with The Hartford, COUNTRY Financial, and Farmers. The average premium quoted at the three cheapest companies in Chicago was $378 for a minimum policy, which could mean about 48% more savings compared to the typical insurer here. However, Chicago was also the city with the widest range in annual rates; the highest quote we found was $2,406. As you can tell from the wide range of quotes in Chicago, it certainly pays to compare rates before choosing an insurer.

Aurora, IL

Illinois's second largest city, Aurora is a suburban town 40 miles west of downtown Chicago with 200,000 residents inside the city limits. As one of the first US cities to have electric street lights throughout town, Aurora is nicknamed the "City of Lights" and is so large it extends into four different Illinois counties. As the 2nd most populous city in the state, Aurora fared much better than Chicago in regards to auto insurance rates. It ranked 4th best city for low auto insurance costs – $498 annually for our sample drivers' minimum limits – among the 10 cities we studied.

For low-cost auto insurance quotes in Aurora, include Cincinnati, The Hartford, Farmers, SECURA, and COUNTRY Financial in your shortlist of companies to review. We found that these 5 insurers quoted our sample drivers in Aurora similar cheap rates, with a mean quote of $318 a year – or just below $160 for a 6-month policy, which is like saving $179 more compared to the typical Aurora motorist every year. Especially in the case of Cincinnanti Insurance, our sample motorists (2 single men and 2 married couples, range of age between 30 and 65) found quotes as cheap as $282 a year. Note that these rates are for a basic auto insurance policy meeting Illinois's minimum limits requirement, with some uninsured motorist protection.

Rockford, IL

Located in north-central Illinois with the beautiful Rock River running right through its downtown, Rockford, IL is the third most populated city in IL with 152,871 citizens in the city and more than double that if you include the entire metro area. Amongst other redeeming attributes of "Forest City" are its easy access to transportation, Illinois's biggest musical festival, and the affordable cost of living. Rockford's car insurance rates rank 3rd lowest among the cities we surveyed. Annual rates in Rockford on average are $493 or around $41 per month for our four profiled motorists.

We found the best auto insurance quotes in Rockford at Hastings Mutual, The Hartford, and SECURA. Also not far behind were COUNTRY Financial and Farmers, both of which offered similar coverage at around $355 a year. Rates from all five companies averaged $315 a year for a policy with limits of 25/50/25 for a Toyota – that's 36% less than the average going cost of $493 in Rockford. Whether you are married or single, we recommend including them into your insurer shopping list.

Joliet, IL

Illinois's fastest growing city and also its fourth largest, Joliet lies 45 minutes by car to the southwest of Chicago along the Des Plaines River. Formerly an industrial city, Joliet has seen significant growth in recent years from entertainment and cultural industries. Whether it's the casinos, the OTB, the racetracks, or the Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet is attracting more and more people to discover its beautiful city. Our four drivers found rates averaging $540 a year for car insurance just meeting the state's minimum requirements - almost at par with the composite average of $544.

In our analysis, however, savings could be found at these three companies, which had some of the lowest rates in Joliet: The Hartford, SECURA, and Cincinnati Insurance. Their average annual premium quote of $339 represents a 37% decrease versus the overall city. If you will like to add to some variety, also consider looking into Farmers and COUNTRY when you shop. Together, these five carriers had the most affordable auto insurance rates in Joliet for our four profiles.

Naperville, IL

The most affordable auto insurance of Illinois's largest cities, Naperville is a suburb of Chicago and home to 143,000+ residents. Although once a farming town, Naperville has transformed into an affluent city which has been on innumerable "Best Places to Live" list throughout the years, and for good reason. Amongst Naperville's other past awards is the "Best Public Library" distinction, it is also the best city to live in for cheap auto insurance rates! And although the cost of living is almost 20% higher in Naperville than in the rest of Illinois, its car insurance rates are cheaper than average at $467 per year or $39 monthly for basic 25/50/25 liability insurance for our sample motorists.

COUNTRY Financial (an Illinois local!) and The Hartford both take the cake with the cheapest auto insurance rates in Naperville with premiums running around $294 per year. 37% cheaper than the Naperville average. Not far behind are Farmers, SECURA, and Cincinnati, which all represent more than $100 savings compared to what the typical Naperville insurers are charging.

Best-Rated Auto Insurers in Illinois

Trying to judge which auto insurance company is the most reliable and has the best customer service can be difficult. One statistic we think is useful is called the 'complaint ratio'. This figure captures the number of complaints each company receives in a calendar year per $1 million in written premiums. Looking for the company with the lowest complaint ratio can give you an apples-to-apples comparison in your search for the best auto insurance company.

Below is a list of Illinois insurers' 2013 complaint ratios, as calculated and published by the Illinois Department of Insurance based on the customer complaints reported. The lower the ratio, the better the company's rating.