Grand Rapids drivers pay an average of $125 per month for liability insurance, compared to the state average of $146 and the national average of $104. Michigan generally has high insurance premiums compared to the rest of the country.
A comparatively lower number of accidents — 562 in 2022 — for the city’s population size of nearly 200,000 may contribute to Grand Rapids’ relatively lower car insurance costs.1
Even with Michigan’s high car insurance rates, Grand Rapids drivers have plenty of ways to save money on car insurance, including comparing car insurance quotes, maintaining a clean driving record, and taking advantage of discounts offered by insurance companies.
3 of the cheapest car insurance companies in Grand Rapids
While Grand Rapids drivers have many car insurance companies to choose from, you should always consider your budget, driving record, and coverage needs when comparing insurance company options.
The companies below all provide highly-rated insurance coverage at some of the best prices in Grand Rapids. The quotes included below reflect statewide average costs in Michigan.
Best insurer for premium coverage: Chubb
Best insurer for affordable rates: Auto-Owners
Best insurer for military families: USAA
How to get the cheapest car insurance in Grand Rapids
If you’re looking to save money on your car insurance premiums in Grand Rapids, you have plenty of options. Here are a few ways to reduce your insurance premiums:
Compare quotes. Get quotes from multiple companies to see which offers the lowest premium for the coverage and customer service you need.
Bundle home and auto policies. Many insurance companies offer a discount when you bundle your auto insurance with a home or renters insurance policy.
Take advantage of discounts. Common insurance discounts include those for clean driving records, having certain vehicle safety features, setting up automatic payments, and more.
Increase your credit score. The better your credit score, the cheaper your insurance premiums will be.
Raise your deductible. Generally speaking, the higher your deductible, the lower your premiums will be, and vice versa.
Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Grand Rapids: Auto-Owners
Liability-only car insurance is generally the cheapest type of auto policy you can buy. Liability coverage pays for damages that result from an accident where you’re at fault, covering injuries to others and damage to other people’s property.
It’s important to note that, unlike most states, Michigan doesn’t allow drivers to carry just liability coverage since the state’s minimum coverage is higher than most. In Grand Rapids, the average cost of liability coverage is $125 per month.
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Grand Rapids: Auto-Owners
While liability coverage pays for damage to other people and their property, full-coverage car insurance also pays for damage to your own vehicle, regardless of who was at fault. Michigan doesn’t require full coverage, but it’s a good idea for most drivers.
You should carry full coverage if you have a valuable vehicle, still have a loan or lease on your car, or wouldn’t be able to replace it out of pocket if it were totaled. The monthly average cost of full coverage in Grand Rapids is $209.
Car insurance requirements in Michigan
Michigan’s minimum insurance requirements are higher than in many other states. While most states only require liability insurance, Michigan requires liability insurance, personal injury protection, and property protection insurance.
Here’s what those three coverages do:
Personal injury protection (PIP) pays for the policyholder’s medical bills and related expenses, including lost wages. Each policyholder’s PIP pays for their own expenses after a car accident, regardless of who was at fault.
Property protection insurance (PPI) pays for damages a policyholder’s vehicle does to other people’s property. It doesn’t pay for damage to other vehicles except for properly parked vehicles.
Residual liability insurance (BI/PD) pays for damages to other people and their property when a policyholder is at fault for an accident. The required bodily injury insurance pays for injuries to others, while the property damage liability insurance pays for damage to other property in another state.2
The coverages listed above are the only ones required in Michigan. But other optional coverages can protect you from financial losses. Here are a few you may want to consider:
Michigan no-fault insurance
One of the characteristics of Michigan’s no-fault law is that insured drivers can’t be sued after an accident, except in certain extreme situations. In those situations where a driver can be sued, their residual liability insurance would pay for the damages.
The situations where Michigan’s no-fault law allows an injured party to sue an insured at-fault driver include:
An accident in which someone was killed, seriously injured, or permanently disfigured
An accident with a non-resident driving a vehicle not registered in Michigan
An accident that took place in another state
An accident where one driver was at least 50% at fault and the not-at-fault driver doesn’t have insurance (up to $3,000 of coverage)
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident
Your driving record is an essential factor insurance companies consider when setting your insurance premiums. Incidents like speeding tickets, driving under the influence, and at-fault accidents show insurance companies that you’re a higher-risk driver, which often causes them to increase insurance rates.
The average cost of car insurance for Grand Rapids drivers with a past incident is $156 per month for liability coverage and $261 for full-coverage insurance.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket: Auto-Owners
If you get a speeding ticket, your premiums will likely increase. The amount depends on several factors, including your insurer’s policies, the speed you were driving, and whether you have previous speeding tickets on your record.
Grand Rapids drivers with a speeding ticket face an average monthly cost of $142 for liability-only coverage. Below, you can find some of the city’s cheapest liability insurance options for drivers with speeding tickets.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident: Auto-Owners
An at-fault accident will typically cause your insurance company to increase your premiums. When you cause an accident, your insurer has to pay for your claim, and you’ve shown that you’re a risky driver, indicating you may be more likely to file a claim in the future.
In Grand Rapids, drivers with at-fault accidents pay an average of $179 per month for liability auto insurance. Here are some of the lowest liability monthly quotes for drivers with an at-fault accident in the city.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI: Auto-Owners
Driving under the influence (DUI) is a very serious moving violation that can increase your insurance premiums significantly. In the immediate aftermath of a DUI, you’re likely to have your license suspended for anywhere from 180 days to a year, depending on the severity of the violation. You could even be subject to jail time.3
Once you can legally drive again, your insurance rates will almost certainly be higher than before the DUI. The average monthly cost of liability car insurance with a DUI on your license in Grand Rapids is $201. Here are some of the lowest car insurance quotes for drivers with a DUI in the city.
Cheapest car insurance for seniors: Auto-Owners
It’s common knowledge that young drivers pay higher insurance premiums, but you may be surprised to learn that senior drivers also pay higher premiums. Your insurance risk generally decreases over your lifetime if you’re a clean driver, but once you reach your 70s, your auto insurance risk rises, often resulting in higher premiums.4
Grand Rapids seniors pay an average of $105 per month for liability coverage and $175 for full coverage. Below are the average monthly car insurance quotes for seniors in the city.
Cheapest car insurance for teens: Auto-Owners
Young drivers pay higher insurance premiums than any other drivers on the road. Teen drivers lack driving experience and maturity, which can make them more likely to engage in high-risk driving behaviors and get into an accident.5
On average, teen drivers in Grand Rapids pay $189 per month for liability-only coverage and $316 for full coverage.
But teens and young adults still have plenty of ways to save money on car insurance. Many insurers offer discounts for young drivers, including those for good students or young drivers who take driver safety courses. Teen drivers can also save money by staying on their parents’ insurance policy for as long as possible.
Below are the average insurance quotes for teens in the city.
Is car insurance more expensive in Grand Rapids?
The average monthly car insurance rates in Michigan — at $146 for liability and $217 for full coverage — are much higher than the national average. For comparison, the U.S. average rates are $104 per month for liability coverage and $184 for full-coverage insurance. Grand Rapids drivers pay higher rates than the national average but lower rates than the state average.
Grand Rapids drivers pay an average of $125 per month for liability insurance and $209 for full-coverage car insurance. Coverage in Grand Rapids is cheaper than rates in some other cities in the state. For example, drivers in Detroit pay much higher rates, likely due to increased levels of risk related to population density and vehicle theft rates.
More cities in Michigan
Insurance premiums can vary significantly, even within the state of Michigan. Different cities — and even different ZIP codes — might have higher rates due to more accidents, more vehicle theft and overall crime, more uninsured drivers, and other factors.
The table below shows average car insurance quotes in other Michigan cities.