If you’re looking for cheap Illinois auto insurance, finding the best deal can be challenging. Insurance costs vary depending on your age, gender and myriad other factors. Even shopping from one company to the next for a single policy can produce very different quotes.
To help drivers in Illinois shop smarter, NerdWallet tested rates from the nine largest insurers in the state and found the three cheapest options for these motorist groups:
- Good drivers
- Young drivers
- Drivers with one at-fault accident
- Drivers with poor credit
- Retired drivers
Cheapest for good drivers
For drivers with no at-fault accidents, DUIs or moving violations; range of average prices: $883 to $2,250 a year
price
- $883/year
price
- $1,146/year
price
- $1,258/year
The average for good drivers among the three cheapest companies was $1,096 per year. USAA came in as the most affordable option in our analysis, but these policies are available only to active or retired military and their families. For non-military shoppers, State Farm was the next cheapest — roughly $250 a year more than USAA — and the company offers similar coverage and a wide assortment of discounts that safe drivers can take advantage of, including discounts for good driving and accident-free driving.
Cheapest for young drivers
For drivers in their early 20s; range of average prices: $338 to $1,048 a year
price
- $338/year
price
- $504/year
price
- $507/year
Drivers in their early 20s, since they may not yet have families or significant savings to protect, often can get by with leaner coverage than older motorists, and find comparatively cheap insurance as a result. All three of the most affordable companies we found scored rates under $45 a month. For those who qualify, USAA had particularly low sample quotes, only $28 a month on average.
Cheapest for drivers with one at-fault accident
Range of average prices: $1,172 to $4,048 a year
price
- $1,172/year
price
- $1,373/year
price
- $1,548/year
At-fault accidents raise your risk profile and typically cause your insurer to pay out hefty settlements, which is why it’s common for shoppers who have this sort of incident on record to see higher quotes than normal. In our test, the lowest average estimate available to a driver with one at-fault accident was almost $300 a year more than the best deal for a driver of the same age with a clean history. USAA again led the field with the lowest sample rates, and the company also offers an accident forgiveness feature that keeps customers’ premiums from spiking if they’ve gone at least five years between at-fault crashes.
Cheapest for drivers with poor credit
For drivers placed in the lowest credit tier at determined by the industry; range of average prices: $1,354 to $2,501 a year
price
- $1,354/year
price
- $1,406/year
price
- $1,527/year
Credit-based insurance scores are among the factors that companies use to determine rates. In Illinois, having poor credit can really cost drivers. The lowest average quote we found for motorists in this category, from 21st Century, was almost $500 a year higher than the cheapest deal for good drivers with no credit issues. USAA was the next-closest competitor in our analysis — about $4 a month more than 21st Century.
Cheapest for retired drivers
For drivers in their mid- to late 60s who no longer use their car for commuting; range of average prices: $826 to $2,250 a year
price
- $826/year
price
- $1,014/year
price
- $1,195/year
Older drivers may fear rising auto insurance costs as they age, but our research found that the lowest average quote for retired motorists in Illinois was even cheaper than that for good drivers more than half their age. The biggest reason for this price drop is that retired drivers usually travel far fewer miles per year than those who commute daily. And the less drivers are behind the wheel, the lower the risk for accidents. With quotes for this category topping out at $2,250 a year, however, it’s still important for retirees to shop around if they want to avoid higher rates.
Minimum Illinois auto insurance requirements
Illinois law requires drivers to carry liability insurance and uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage (UMBI) in the following amounts:
- $25,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $50,000 bodily injury liability per incident
- $20,000 property damage liability per incident
- $25,000 UMBI per person
- $50,000 UMBI per incident
Even though this will be enough to legally drive in the state, Illinois residents should consider getting more than the minimum requirements for better financial protection. For example, causing an accident could easily leave more than $20,000 in property damage, and any repairs that exceed your limit would have to come out of pocket.
Check out NerdWallet’s guide to state car insurance requirements to learn more about coverage options for your policy in the Land of Lincoln.
Alternative car insurance in Illinois
Drivers with DUIs, poor credit or other factors making it difficult to qualify for traditional auto insurance can seek coverage through the Illinois Automobile Insurance Plan (IAIP). This network of insurers is available for high-risk drivers who are denied coverage on the voluntary market.
For even more help finding cheap Illinois auto insurance quotes, try NerdWallet’s easy-to-use comparison tool.
METHODOLOGY
For most categories, NerdWallet averaged rates from the largest insurers for 30-year-old men and women in 10 ZIP codes and with 100/300/50 liability insurance limits and 100/300 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage. We used a 2012 Toyota Camry in all cases.
Our sample retired driver was 67 and drove 50% fewer annual miles than other groups. Our sample young driver was 22 and carried the minimum required coverage. These are sample rates generated through Quadrant Information Services. Your own rates will be different.
Alex Glenn is a staff writer for NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: aglenn@nerdwallet.com.
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