Best car insurance in Pennsylvania for 2024

Our 2024 Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories. 

Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlighting where they fall short.

• Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, average quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services (if available), as well as any of the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best, Demotech and the NAIC, were analyzed.
• Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated each company’s discount options listed on its website.
• Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways an auto and home insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.

Tier scores are unweighted to show the company's true score in each category out of a possible five points.

Before you consider additional coverage, it’s helpful to first understand the minimum insurance requirements in your state. Like other states, Pennsylvania requires all drivers to carry a certain amount of car insurance in order to drive legally. While you won’t be able to purchase less than the state-required minimums, checking the Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) website could help you understand how you’re covered.

As a no-fault state, Pennsylvania requires drivers to carry personal injury protection (PIP) on top of bodily injury liability and property damage liability. Bodily injury liability provides financial protection for the injuries you cause during an accident, while property damage liability will help cover the damage to someone else’s property. Personal injury protection is usually only required in no-fault states and provides coverage for you and your passengers’ medical bills that result from an accident. While PA’s minimum insurance requirements offer decent financial protection, the state-mandated coverage limits may not be high enough in the event of a serious incident. Many insurance experts recommend purchasing limits higher than what the Pennsylvania DMV requires.

Pennsylvania laws are not the only thing that can influence the amount of insurance you need. If you finance or lease your vehicle, your lender or lessor could require you to carry additional coverage on top of the state minimum limits. Typically, financial institutions will require you to carry a full coverage car insurance policy, which includes comprehensive and collision coverage, to protect the asset that they technically own.

You may also want to consider gap insurance if you have a car loan or lease agreement. Because vehicles depreciate relatively quickly, your outstanding balance may be higher than the actual cash value of the vehicle should it be totaled. Gap insurance is designed to help pay the difference between your insurance payout and the remaining amount you owe on the car.

Your life circumstances can impact the car insurance you need and the discounts you’re eligible for, as well. If you have a teen driver, for example, you are likely paying a higher premium than you were before your child was licensed. Looking for a company that offers discounts and safe driving programs for young drivers might help you identify the best car insurance in PA for you and your family.

Or, you might have a few accidents, tickets or a DUI conviction on your record. This means that insurance companies are likely to view you as a high-risk driver. Having realistic expectations of your premium and looking for companies with coverage options, discounts and features geared toward your needs could help you find a good fit.

Lastly, don’t neglect environment-specific insurance needs. For instance, Pennsylvania is ranked first in the country for animal-vehicle collisions, which may make adding comprehensive coverage to your policy a worthwhile investment.

Finding cheap car insurance in the Keystone State shouldn't be too difficult if you do your research and shop around — and Bankrate can help with both. The cheapest coverage in Pennsylvania is likely to differ from one driver to another since insurers base premiums on personal factors including your age, location and driving history, as well as your vehicle's age, make and model. A clean driving record may earn you the lowest rates, and available discounts can also help to keep the rate you pay low. When looking for affordable coverage, it can help to ask for quotes from a range of insurers to see which is able to give you the lowest rate. Make sure you ask each company for the same types and levels of coverage, so you can do an apples-to-apples comparison.

Yes, Pennsylvania is a no-fault state. This means that personal injury protection (PIP) coverage for medical benefits is required, although the state refers to it as “First Party Benefits (FPB).” PIP benefits in Pennsylvania can include medical payments, lost wages, essential services and funeral expenses. In no-fault states, your insurance must be used to pay for your injuries first after an accident, regardless of fault.

No-fault states often limit your ability to sue another driver for injuries. However, unlike other no-fault states, Pennsylvania allows drivers to choose a tort option when they purchase an auto insurance policy. You can choose between limited tort or full tort, which define what you can and cannot seek legal compensation for after an accident. Full tort will allow you to sue for pain and suffering, whereas limited tort will not unless your injuries meet a specific set of criteria.

When getting car insurance, you’ll need to provide personal information like the name, address, birthday and driver’s license number of all drivers to be included in the policy. For vehicle information, the company will need the year, make and model of your car, its vehicle identification number (VIN) and odometer reading. If you know what coverage limits and deductibles you want, this can also be provided at the quoting stage. However, if you’re not sure at the quoting stage, that won’t be an issue — a licensed insurance agent can help explain the process and quote several different coverage options if you would like to compare them.

On average, car insurance in Pennsylvania costs $205 per month for a full coverage policy and $45 per month for minimum coverage. Keep in mind that these are just statewide average figures we have included for comparison purposes. Your exact insurance cost will likely vary based on things like your credit-based insurance score, driving history, annual mileage, marital status, vehicle make and model and more. By law, Pennsylvania insurers are not allowed to consider your age when determining your car insurance rate, though.