Drivers in Wilkes-Barre pay an overall average of $136 per month for car insurance, similar to Pennsylvania’s state average of $126 per month and lower than the national monthly average of $144. Pennsylvania has a relatively small number of uninsured drivers, which could help keep rates low.
Here’s what you need to know about comparing quotes and saving money on your auto policy in Wilkes-Barre.
3 of the cheapest car insurance companies in Wilkes-Barre
Finding the cheapest car insurance will depend on your specific needs. While some companies offer overall lower rates than others, you may find a different company better meets your coverage needs. Taking time to look at your options can help you make an educated decision that helps you save money and get the best coverage possible.
Here are a few of the cheapest policies available for drivers in Wilkes-Barre based on different situations.
Best insurer for cheap rates: State Farm
Best insurer for teen drivers: Travelers
Best insurer for drivers with an accident: Foremost
How to get the cheapest car insurance in Wilkes-Barre
When you’re looking for cheap car insurance, you should consider a few different ways you can save money. Beginning the shopping process with some knowledge can help you get the best deal for the coverage you need.
Insurers consider several factors when determining insurance rates, including your driving record, age, location, vehicle type, and average mileage. For example, drivers in urban areas may pay elevated rates because accidents occur more frequently in heavy traffic.
If you want to save money on car insurance, try the following tactics:
Compare rates from multiple companies. Look at different rates and coverage types from at least three companies. Comparing rates helps ensure you get the best coverage for your needs.
Look for discounts through work or school. Check with your employer to see if it partners with specific companies for discounted policies. If you’re a student with good grades, you may also qualify for lower rates.
Bundle your home and auto policies. You can often combine your homeowners or renters insurance with your auto policy for a discount.
Improve your credit score. Insurance companies may use your credit history when determining your rates. You can improve your credit score by paying off debt, reducing your debt-to-income ratio, and paying your bills on time.
Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Wilkes-Barre: National General
Liability insurance is often the cheapest coverage option for drivers. If you have a loan on your vehicle or are leasing it, your lender or leasing company will require you to purchase full coverage. Liability insurance provides coverage for the other driver and their property if you cause injury or damage in an at-fault accident. It doesn’t cover you, your passengers, or your vehicle in an accident.1 Liability-only policies typically work best for drivers with older, less-expensive, and paid-off vehicles.
In Wilkes-Barre, the average cost of liability-only insurance is $104 per month. The table below provides a list of insurance companies that offer the cheapest liability rates.
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Wilkes-Barre: State Farm
Full-coverage insurance provides the most coverage for your vehicle and passengers in an accident. This coverage includes collision insurance and covers both personal costs and costs to other parties. A full-coverage policy with comprehensive coverage also provides additional protections against damages from storms, debris, theft, or vandalism.
Monthly, Wilkes-Barre drivers pay an average of $168 for full-coverage policies.
If you lease or finance your car, your lender may require you to maintain a full-coverage policy until you pay off your vehicle. You also may want to consider a full-coverage policy to protect against costs associated with an accident if you don’t have the cash on hand to replace your vehicle. Find which insurance companies offer the cheapest rates for full coverage in the table below.
Car insurance requirements in Pennsylvania
Like most states, Pennsylvania requires drivers to maintain a minimum amount of liability coverage for their vehicle. If you’re pulled over without insurance, you’ll have to pay a fee of at least $300 and could face a license suspension. In addition to bodily damage and property damage liability, Pennsylvania drivers must pay for medical benefits coverage.
Medical benefits coverage pays for medical expenses for you and anyone else covered under your policy after an accident, regardless of fault.2
Pennsylvania is a choice no-fault state, which means drivers can decide whether they want to purchase tort coverage to help them get additional payouts from a driver responsible for an accident.
Optional coverages typically available in Pennsylvania include:
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident
Drivers with incidents on their record could pay a higher rate than drivers with a clean record. Insurers view drivers with a history of claims and incidents — like at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, DUIs, and other moving violations — as higher risk. Other events, like accidents you didn’t cause or parking tickets, don’t have much of an effect.
The type of incident on your record can affect how much your rate increases.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with speeding tickets: State Farm
Drivers with a speeding ticket may pay slightly higher rates than drivers with a clean record. A history of speeding tickets could indicate to insurance companies that you’re a higher risk to insure.
Wilkes-Barre drivers with a ticket pay a monthly average of $139 and $225 for liability and full-coverage car insurance. The liability rates below are slightly higher than what a driver with a clean record would pay for the same policy.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident: State Farm
Insurance companies view drivers with an accident on their record as a higher-risk driver more likely to file future claims. If you have an accident, you’ll likely receive points on your driving record and see increased rates compared to drivers with clean records.
Drivers in Wilkes-Barre with an accident on their record pay an average of $121 per month for liability-only car insurance and $195 per month for full coverage.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI: National General
You’ll pay a significantly higher rate for insurance if you have a DUI In Pennsylvania, and you’ll also likely face license suspension or temporary revocation.
Though Pennsylvania doesn’t require SR-22 policies for drivers with a DUI conviction, the state does have strict laws that include fines, license suspension, probation, and mandatory alcohol treatment programs.4 Drivers in Wilkes-Barre with a DUI pay a monthly average of $167 for liability policies and $270 for full coverage.
Cheapest car insurance for seniors: National General
Insurance companies consider your age when determining your auto premium. Costs generally decrease for drivers with age. In particular, you tend to benefit from low rates at age 35 and beyond until you reach 70. Senior drivers have higher crash death rates per mile driven, as well as potential physical barriers.5
Though senior drivers face slightly increased rates, you can still find affordable auto coverage. Senior drivers in Wilkes-Barre pay an overall average of $121 per month for car insurance.
Cheapest car insurance for teens: National General
Insurance rates for teen drivers are much higher than premiums for older drivers since younger drivers are less experienced and statistically more likely to get into accidents.
Average policies for teen drivers in Wilkes-Barre cost $267 per month. Teens may qualify for lower rates by staying on their parents’ insurance (including when they head off to college). Additionally, teens can save money by opting for a safer vehicle, completing approved driver education courses, and getting good grades in school.
Wilkes-Barre car insurance quotes by credit tier
Pennsylvania allows insurance companies to use your credit history when initially determining your premium. Insurers can also use your credit history when you renew your policy, but only if doing so reduces your rates.6
Your credit score can affect your insurance rates because insurance companies may view your credit history as an indicator of your likelihood of filing claims. Drivers with excellent or good credit typically earn lower rates than people with poor credit.
The chart below shows the average rates drivers in Wilkes-Barre pay for full-coverage auto policies based on credit tier. The rates may vary depending on where you live and what insurance company you receive coverage from.
Is car insurance more expensive in Wilkes-Barre?
On average, drivers in Wilkes-Barre pay $104 per month for liability insurance and $168 for full-coverage insurance. In comparison to the state average — with monthly average rates of $94 for liability only and $158 for full coverage — Wilkes-Barre drivers pay a similar amount.
Auto rates within Pennsylvania may also vary based on where you live. For example, drivers in Wilkes-Barre pay less than drivers in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Reading, and Allentown, on average. Wilkes-Barre may have lower auto rates than other areas of the state since the community has a population of just under 45,000.
More cities in Pennsylvania
Here’s how the average cost of car insurance in Wilkes-Barre compares to other Pennsylvania cities.