Drivers in Peoria pay an average of $113 per month for car insurance, which is close to the Illinois state average of $117 and less than the overall national average of $144. The cheapest insurers in Peoria are Progressive, Auto-Owners, and State Farm, but you should always compare quotes to find the best rates.
Several factors can explain why Peoria drivers typically pay less for coverage than the average U.S. driver, including population density and traffic congestion.1 Drivers in suburban areas like Peoria typically pay less for coverage than residents of urban environments because of reduced traffic congestion and risk of accidents.
Here’s what you need to know about finding cheap coverage in Peoria.
Cheapest car insurance companies in Peoria
Car insurance rates vary quite a bit from one company to the next, and so, too, can the products and services insurance companies offer. The cheapest car insurer for you isn’t necessarily the one with the cheapest average rates. Rather, it’s the one that has the lowest rates for you specifically, based on factors like your driving record, the car you drive, and the coverages you need.
The quotes below reflect the average rates for top insurers in Illinois.
Best insurer for cheap rates: Auto-Owners
Best insurer for rideshare drivers: State Farm
Best insurer for low-mileage drivers: Mile Auto
How to get the cheapest car insurance in Peoria
Auto insurance companies consider many factors when determining your insurance rates.4 The amount of coverage you’re purchasing, your driving history, how much you drive and where, the type of car you drive, and where you keep your car can all influence how much you pay for auto coverage. Your credit history, age, and gender also play a role.
Finding the best car insurance rates is easier when you take a proactive approach. Check out the following tips for earning lower premiums:
Compare rates. Compare rates from a few different insurers to make sure you’re getting the best rate for the coverage you need.
Clean up your credit. Bringing past-due accounts current and paying down balances could help you qualify for a lower rate.
Safeguard your car. Peoria is the eighth-largest city in Illinois, but it has more auto thefts than any city in the state except for Chicago, according to data from the FBI.5 Moving your car from the street to a driveway or garage and installing an anti-theft device could reduce your insurance rate.
Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Peoria: Progressive
When you cause a car accident, liability insurance covers the medical expenses and property damages of the other driver and their passengers. With an average monthly rate of $81, Peoria’s liability-only car insurance costs are lower than the state average of $117 per month.
Progressive is the cheapest insurer for liability-only car insurance in Peoria, with an average cost of $46 per month.
You can see how Progressive compares to other low-cost auto insurers in the following table:
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Peoria: Auto-Owners
Full-coverage car insurance includes liability coverage as well as collision and comprehensive coverage, which extends coverage to your own losses.
Collision coverage is for accidents involving another vehicle or a stationary object, such as a fence or telephone pole. Comprehensive insurance covers non-collision mishaps such as fire, theft, vandalism, a tree falling on your car, and windshield damage. It also covers you when you hit a deer or other animal (or if it runs into you).
On average, Peoria drivers pay $146 per month for full-coverage car insurance. Compare quotes from the cheapest car insurance companies for full coverage in Peoria below.
Car insurance requirements in Illinois
Illinois is an at-fault state, which means the driver who caused the accident must cover the other driver’s injuries and property damage.
Motor vehicles registered and driven in Illinois must carry liability insurance for bodily injury and property damage. All liability policies include uninsured motorist coverage, which protects you if you have an accident with an uninsured driver.
Here are the minimum liability requirements for Illinois drivers:
The following coverages are optional, but you should consider purchasing them to more fully protect your vehicle and finances:
Illinois Automobile Insurance Plan
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident
An incident refers to any moving violation your insurer can see on your driving record or that prompts you to file an insurance claim. As a result of the report or claim, your insurer might increase your rates to adjust for the higher amount of risk you pose.
Common incidents include at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, and driving under the influence. The average cost of car insurance in Peoria for a driver with an incident on their record is $134 per month.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket: Progressive
Speeding tickets can result in increased car insurance premiums because violations on your driving record make you a riskier driver to insure. However, your rate is unlikely to change until your policy is up for renewal, which gives you time to shop around. How much more you’ll pay will depend on other violations on your record and the severity of the offense.
On average, Peoria drivers with a speeding ticket on their record pay $136 per month for car insurance.
The following table illustrates how a speeding ticket can affect your insurance rate in the city.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident: Auto-Owners
Though you might not face a penalty for filing a single claim for an accident caused by another driver, filing one for an accident you caused will likely increase your rate for the next few years.6 How much it increases varies by insurance company, and it may also depend on the circumstances of the accident and your driving history prior to the accident.
Drivers in Peoria with a past at-fault accident pay $149 per month for car insurance, on average. Compare quotes from some of the cheapest insurers in the city below.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI: Auto-Owners
Due to the severity of the offense, a DUI results in a number of penalties. Illinois allows auto insurers to cancel policies when a driver has driven while intoxicated within the past 36 months.7 Whether your insurer offers you coverage afterward or if you need to switch companies, you’ll pay a much higher rate with a DUI conviction on your record.
The average cost of car insurance for a Peoria driver with a past DUI is $182 per month. Insurance increases after a DUI vary by insurer, but as you can see from the insurers below, you’ll typically pay significantly more.
Cheapest car insurance for seniors: Auto-Owners
Your age influences how much you pay for car insurance. Drivers older than 35 and younger than 70 pay the lowest average rates for car insurance, benefitting from years of driving experience. However, drivers 70 and older have a higher risk of serious injury or death in an accident.8 By age 70, many insurers may increase rates to reflect that risk.
Senior drivers in Peoria pay an average of $95 per month for car insurance. The following table shows the cheapest average quotes for senior drivers from top insurers in Peoria.
Cheapest car insurance for teens: Auto-Owners
Teen drivers have an accident rate that’s four times higher than that of drivers age 20 or older, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).9 Due to this and a lack of driving experience, teenagers pay much higher car insurance rates than older drivers.
The Insurance Information Institute offers the following tips for young drivers to save money on coverage:10
Compare quotes.
Take a driver’s education course.
Maintain a “B” average to earn good student discounts.
Leave the car at home if attending a college or university 100 miles or more away from home.
Only drive the family’s least-valuable car.
Select a higher deductible.
The average cost of car insurance for teen drivers in Peoria is $239 per month. As you can see in the table below, rates vary from one insurance company to the next.
Peoria car insurance quotes by credit tier
Your credit history is a good predictor of whether you’re likely to file an insurance claim. Illinois allows auto insurers to consider your credit when calculating insurance rates. Drivers with excellent or good credit scores pay less than drivers with poor credit scores.
If you have poor or average credit, you can start improving your credit score in just a few days and see real progress within a month or two by catching up on overdue accounts and paying down debt.
Here are the average car insurance rates for Peoria drivers by credit tier.
Is car insurance more expensive in Peoria?
Peoria drivers pay $113 per month for car insurance, which is close to the overall state average but much less than the Chicago average of $156.
It’s unsurprising that Peoria drivers typically pay less for coverage than Chicago residents, due to the size and population density of Chicago. Peoria drivers likely benefit from lower premiums due to the lower rates of traffic congestion and motor vehicle theft that often come with a suburban area.
More cities in Illinois
Car insurance premiums vary by city and even ZIP code, depending on factors like crime rates, population, cost of living, and more. Below, you can see what drivers in other Illinois cities pay for car insurance.