Here you’ll learn everything you need to know to buy the best car insurance policy in Philadelphia for your particular situation. You’ll see which carriers are rated as the best car insurance companies for customer satisfaction and what the average car insurance rates are for your neighborhood.
You’ll also discover how much you can save from knowing how to make smart choices about coverage. And, find out how rates for Philadelphia drivers are affected by tickets, accidents and adding teen drivers.
- The average car insurance rate for Philadelphia drivers for minimum coverage is $536 a year, according to Carinsurance.com analysis.
- The liability coverage in Philadelphia, PA costs $715 per year.
- In Philadelphia, full coverage car insurance policy costs $1,990 a year.
- As per Carinsurance.com research, in Philadelphia, comparing quotes from companies can help you save an average $3,548 on your car insurance rates annually.
- How Much Does Car Insurance Cost in Philadelphia, PA?
- Who Has Cheapest Car Insurance in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania?
- Who Has The Best Car Insurance in Philadelphia, PA?
- How Much Car Insurance do I Need in Philadelphia, PA?
- Compare Car Insurance Quotes in Philadelphia, PA & Save Money
- Philadelphia, PA Car Insurance FAQ’s
- Philadelphia commuters
- Guide to car insurance (with rates) in cities of Pennsylvania
How Much Does Car Insurance Cost in Philadelphia, PA?
We all know that the cost of car insurance varies depending on your individual needs. But how much does it actually costs? CarInsurance.com analysed major insurers including Geico, Progressive Insurance Company (Progressive), State Farm, Allstate Co. and others, to determine average Philadelphia coverage costs for different levels and types.
The average rate for Philadelphia drivers for a year of minimum coverage is $536 according to our rate analysis. If you increased your coverage to 50/100/50, you would pay just about $14.92 more a month, or $179 more a year.
You can get full coverage (100/300/100) by paying $121.17 more a month, or an additional $1,454 a year more than minimum-level coverage.
Average Auto Insurance Rates in Philadelphia, PAThe following data shows, what you can expect to pay for car insurance in Philadelphia, on average.
- State Minimum Policy: $536 per year
- Liability Coverage (50/100/50): $715 per year
- Full Coverage (100/300/100): $1,990 per year
Who Has Cheapest Car Insurance in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania?
Automobile Ins Co of Hartford and Nationwide have the cheapest car insurance rates in Philadelphia, based on our rate analysis for three different coverage levels.
The driver profile is for age 40, with good credit and a clean driving record. You can see how major insurers rank for price in the chart below.
| Company | Liability Only – State Minimum BI/PD | Liability Only – 50/100/50 BI/PD | Full Coverage – 100/300/100 BI/PD – 500 Comp/Coll |
|---|---|---|---|
| Automobile Ins Co of Hartford | $353 | $532 | $1,328 |
| State Farm Mutl Automobile Ins | $423 | $568 | $1,559 |
| USAA Casualty Ins Co | $438 | $594 | $1,920 |
| GEICO Secure Ins Co | $446 | $734 | $1,590 |
| Allstate F&C Ins Co | $492 | $957 | $2,761 |
| Erie Ins Exchange | $553 | $807 | $2,350 |
| Auto-Owners Ins Co | $617 | $961 | $2,423 |
| Progressive Advanced Ins Co | $661 | $1,034 | $2,254 |
| Nationwide General Ins Co | $716 | $971 | $1,709 |
| Metropolitan Casualty Ins Co | $2,248 | $2,804 | $5,380 |
Who Has The Best Car Insurance in Philadelphia, PA?
Deciding who has the best car insurance to suit your needs depends on what is most important to you. For some it may be price, while others may value customer service the most. Still others may be looking for the convenience of mobile apps, or a company that offers the most car insurance discounts.
Below we list car insurance companies in Philadelphia, and who they are the best at serving, based on CarInsurance.com’s customer satisfaction survey of current policy holders and rate data analysis.
| Best for | Company |
|---|---|
| Claims | USAA |
| Value/Price | Auto Club of Southern California (Auto Club Enterprise Insurance Group) |
| Customer Service | Auto Club of Southern California (Auto Club Enterprise Insurance Group) |
| Websites/Apps | Auto Club of Southern California (Auto Club Enterprise Insurance Group) |
| Recommend | Auto Club of Southern California (Auto Club Enterprise Insurance Group) |
| Low Annual Mileage | State Farm Mutual Auto |
| Good Student | Nationwide P&C |
| Bundle | Allstate F&C |
| Paid in Full | Progressive Specialty |
How Much Car Insurance do I Need in Philadelphia, PA?
Below we’ll explain what coverage you need to drive legally, which is your state required minimum liability limits, and what types of car insurance you may need to be truly protected.
Minimum Car Insurance Requirements in Philadelphia, PA
Pennsylvania car insurance laws require only that you insure yourself against bodily injury and property damage liability, so it’s your choice whether to add coverage for yourself, your passengers, and your vehicle.
If you have a newer model car, it makes sense to get comprehensive insurance and collision coverage. In Pennsylvania, comprehensive costs $349 and collision costs $905, on an average per year, according to a rate data analysis done by CarInsurance.com.
These optional coverages come with a deductible. That’s the amount you pay before your insurance company pays. Typical deductibles amounts are $1,000, $500 and $250 – you choose which one you want. The higher the deductible is, the lower your rate will be.
The best car insurance coverage usually isn’t the cheapest. You may be used if you’re in an accident and your insurance doesn’t cover all of the damages. That means your home or savings could be in jeopardy.
To protect your assets, you should buy liability insurance in the following amounts:
- $1,00,000 to pay for others’ medical bills
- $3,00,000 to pay for injuries to others in an accident you cause
- $1,00,000 to pay for damage to others’ property
You should also consider buying these optional coverages:
- Comprehensive, which replaces stolen cars and covers damage to your car from floods, fire, hail, vandalism.
- Collision, which pays for damage to your car from accidents.
Compare Car Insurance Quotes in Philadelphia, PA & Save Money
You can save an average of $3,548 annually on a full coverage policy in Philadelphia by comparing car insurance quotes, according to CarInsurance.com’s rate analysis. While savings will depend on your particular circumstances, this shows that there is a significant benefit to shopping your policy.
Philadelphia, PA Car Insurance FAQ’s
How much does insurance go up after a speeding ticket in Philadelphia, PA?
A speeding ticket in Philadelphia will hike your car insurance rates by an average of 25% , or about $860 yearly. CarInsurance.com’s rate analysis shows how much more drivers in Philadelphia can expect to pay, on average, for speeding and other common violations.
Minor traffic violations, such as speeding, typically stay on your record for about three years, and you can expect to see the rate increase upon your policy renewal date. More severe infractions, such as DUI, typically stay on your record much longer.
How much does insurance go up for tickets in Philadelphia, PA?
Philadelphia drivers can expect to see a hike in their rates in the range of 36% for minor moving violations such as tailgating or blowing through a stop sign, 81% for more severe infractions such as DUI.
Below you’ll see how much rates increase, on average, for common traffic violations.
Remember, though, that because insurance companies assess risk differently, you can still save by comparison shopping, because one carrier may ding you a lot for a citation, while another may spike your rate by much less.
| Violation | Average rate | Rate after violation | $ Increase | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 speeding tickets 11 mph or over | $3,400 | $5,125 | $1,725 | 51% |
| Careless driving | $3,400 | $3,925 | $525 | 15% |
| Distracted driving ticket | $3,400 | $3,917 | $517 | 15% |
| Driving without a license or permit | $3,400 | $3,899 | $499 | 15% |
| Driving without insurance | $3,400 | $3,701 | $301 | 9% |
| DUI/DWI first offense | $3,400 | $6,288 | $2,888 | 85% |
| DUI/DWI second offense | $3,400 | $11,434 | $8,034 | 236% |
| Failure to stop | $3,400 | $3,899 | $499 | 15% |
| Failure to yield | $3,400 | $3,899 | $499 | 15% |
| Following too closely | $3,400 | $3,899 | $499 | 15% |
| Improper turn | $3,400 | $3,907 | $507 | 15% |
| Improper/illegal pass | $3,400 | $3,907 | $507 | 15% |
| Operating a vehicle in a race (highway racing) | $3,400 | $6,225 | $2,825 | 83% |
| Reckless driving | $3,400 | $4,788 | $1,388 | 41% |
| Seatbelt infraction | $3,400 | $3,659 | $259 | 8% |
| Talking on cellphone ticket | $3,400 | $3,833 | $433 | 13% |
| Texting ticket | $3,400 | $3,833 | $433 | 13% |
How much will an accident raise my insurance in Philadelphia, PA?
An accident will increase car insurance rates by 11% to 206%, on average, for drivers in Philadelphia. When you file a claim for an accident that’s your fault, typically your car insurance rates will increase.
However, claims under your comprehensive coverage, if you have it as it’s optional, typically won’t trigger an increase. That’s because comprehensive claims are for damage insurers consider to be beyond your control, for instance due to hail, fire, flooding, falling objects or collisions with an animal.
The table below shows how much for drivers in Philadelphia can expect to pay for common car insurance claims.
| Accident | Average Rate | Rate after claim | $ Increase | % Increase |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 At-fault property damage accident over $2K | $3,400 | $5,903 | $2,503 | 74% |
| 1 At-fault property damage accident under $2K | $3,400 | $3,772 | $372 | 11% |
| 2 At-fault property damage accident over $2k | $3,400 | $10,406 | $7,006 | 206% |
| At-fault bodily injury accident | $3,400 | $5,904 | $2,504 | 74% |
How much does it cost to add a teen driver to your insurance in Philadelphia, PA?
In Philadelphia, adding a 16-year-old daughter to your policy will hike your rates by $2,978 annually, or 150% It’s more for boys. Insuring your 16-year-old son will increase your yearly rate by $2,978, or 150% according to CarInsurance.com rate data.
Teen drivers are inexperienced, and are involved in more accidents than older drivers, according to federal research, and insurance companies categorize them as high-risk drivers, so they cost more to insure.
If you’re insuring a teen driver of any age, you can get expert tips, more rate data by age and details from our “Parents guide to insuring a teen driver.”
How much is SR-22 insurance in Philadelphia, PA?
CarInsurance.com data show that for drivers in Philadelphia, your rate will go up by an average of $2,392 or 70%. If you’re convicted of a serious offense, such as DUI or reckless driving, you may be required to have your insurance company file an SR-22 form on your behalf.
An SR-22 is a car insurance company’s guarantee to the state that you are carrying the legally mandated coverage. If you are required to have an SR-22 filed, your car insurance rates will increase.
Philadelphia commuters
The U.S. Census estimates that the average drive time for Philadelphia workers 16 and older to their job is 32.9 minutes. That is quite a bit longer than the national average of 26.9 minutes in 2017 (the latest available from the Census).
The mean time calculated by the Census for 2013-2017 includes time spent waiting for public transportation, picking up passengers in carpools and time spent on other activities related to getting to work.
Data USA compiled commuter information, and found that the average commute time for Philadelphia workers was 31.7 minutes in 2017. Data also broke down the three most common modes of transportation for commuters in Philadelphia.
They are:
- Drive alone: 51.1%
- Walked: 8.44%
- Public transit: 23.8%
The data additionally showed that 3.93% of the workforce in Philadelphia are “super commuters,” meaning they drive an excess of 90 minutes to their job.
Vehicle ownership
Compared nationally, Philadelphia households are within the average range for car ownership. The largest share of households in the city has one car, followed by two cars, according to recent statistics from Data USA. Less than 2% own five or more cars.
A U.S. Census survey in 2016 showed that there were estimated to be 1.8 vehicles available per household nationwide.
In Philadelphia, the study showed:
- 2015 Households Without Vehicles: 31.1%
- 2016 Households Without Vehicles: 29.5%
- 2015 Vehicles per Household: 1.03
- 2016 Vehicles per Household: 1.05
Let’s compare this finding to San Jose, for instance, in which only 5.1% of households had no cars in 2016. Washington, DC, however, had 37.3% of households without cars in 2016.
Philadelphia motor vehicle crashes
In 2018, Philadelphia County led the state in the most traffic-related fatalities, with 8.7%, followed by Alleghany at 5.7% and Bucks with 4.5%, according to a report from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Philadelphia County trailed Alleghany in the same report, coming in second for the most traffic crashes, with 8.6%. Alleghany had 9.6%.
Philadelphia County crashes five-year trend:
- 2014: 10,627 (8.8%)
- 2015: 11,544 (9.1%)
- 2016: 12,190 (9.4%)
- 2017: 11,160 (8.7%)
- 2018: 11,003 (8.6%)
Fatal crashes in Philadelphia County were:
- 2014: 97 (8.1%)
- 2015: 94 (7.8%)
- 2016: 101 (8.5%)
- 2017: 94 (8.3%)
- 2019: 103 (8.7%)
The city of Philadelphia has one of the highest fatal crash rates in the country, as Philadelphia Magazine reported in October 2019.
Over a five-year span, Philadelphia’s average traffic death rate was six deaths per 100,000 residents. That’s twice the rate of New York’s (3), and also greater than Boston (4) and Chicago (5). Philadelphia Magazine points out that in 2017 Philly’s rate of 6.5 was only a bit lower than Los Angeles, famous for its congestion and traffic accidents.
The Philadelphia Police Department launched a Fatal Crash Database in 2019, which shows all fatal crashes and is updated daily. It includes the location of the crash, age and sex of the victims and the investigative outcomes. During the period of Jan. 1 to Dec. 20, 2019, the Philadelphia Police Department reported a total of 79 fatal crashes. Stemming from those 79 crashes, nine arrests were made and one is pending.
Traffic deaths and severe injuries on Philadelphia streets in 2018
There were 340 traffic deaths and severe injuries that occurred on Philadelphia streets in 2018, according to numbers from the Pennsylvania Department of Motor Vehicles and included in a Vision Zero initiative summary
People involved in crashes in Philadelphia in 2018 were:
- People walking: 1,636
- People biking: 428
- People in a motor vehicle (including motorcycles): 21,157
People killed in crashes were:
- Killed while walking: 39
- Killed while bicycling: 3
- Killed in a motor vehicle (including motorcycles): 49
Philadelphia Pedestrian Fatalities
Crashes that killed pedestrians in Philadelphia County remained relatively consistent between 2014 and 2018, with somewhat of a dip in 2015.
Philadelphia pedestrian crashes:
- 2014: 38
- 2015: 26
- 2016: 44
- 2017: 37
- 2018: 42
There were 39 people killed while walking and three killed while bicycling in 2018 in Philadelphia, according to a Vision Zero report.
DUIs
There were 108 alcohol-related deaths in Philadelphia County between 2014 and 2018, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
DUI deaths in Philadelphia County were:
- 2014: 18
- 2015: 31
- 2016: 16
- 2017: 17
- 2018: 28
In the city of Philadelphia, there has been a 22% decline in DUI arrests from 2014 to 2019. That result may be attributed to the introduction and prevalence of ride-share options such as Lyft and Uber.
According to the Philadelphia district attorney’s office, the average amount of arrests from 2014 to 2017 in Philadelphia for DUI was 3,666 and the 2018-2019 average was 2,596, showing a drop of 29% between the two time periods.
City of Philadelphia DUI arrests:
- 2014: 3,774
- 2015: 3,839
- 2016: 3,648
- 2017: 3,401
- 2018: 2,910
- 2019 (as of Dec. 20): 2,282
Streets Where the Most DUIs Occur in Philadelphia
In 2015, the American Addiction Centers put together a study, including maps, of the most frequent locations for DUI arrests in major cities around the county. Their Philadelphia numbers show that Allegheny Avenue is the most likely place to get pulled over for a DUI in the city.
Top 10 places drivers (data from 2015) get pulled over for DUIs in Philadelphia:
- Alleghany Avenue: 166
- Broad Street: 98
- Lehigh Avenue: 78
- Kensington Avenue: 73
- Frankfort Avenue: 69
- 5th Street: 66
- Roosevelt Boulevard: 64
- 52nd Street: 58
- Aramingo Avenue: 56
- Front Street: 51
Traffic crashes during the holidays
The winter holiday season sees the highest percentage of traffic crashes, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation data.
In the Philadelphia region during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year travel periods, from Wednesday. Nov. 21, 2018 through Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, there were 333 impaired driver related crashes, including six fatal crashes. In Philadelphia during the 2017 holiday season, there were 71 impaired crashes, with four involving a pedestrian.
Speed-related fatalities in the Greater Philadelphia region
The greater Philadelphia region is made up of five counties in Pennsylvania (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia) and four counties in New Jersey (Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Mercer). In these nine counties, according to the most recent report from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, 28% of traffic fatalities in 2016 were speeding-related, which is an improvement from earlier years; 36% in 2015 were speeding-related.
Within the greater Philadelphia region, Chester County in Pennsylvania had the highest percentage of speeding-related fatalities at 54%, while Camden County in New Jersey had the lowest at 15%.
Speed-related crashes by county, 2016:
- Camden: 15%
- Delaware: 18%
- Mercer: 19%
- Philadelphia: 22%
- Gloucester: 23%
- 9-County Region: 28%
- Burlington: 34%
- Montgomery: 38%
- Bucks: 42%
- Chester: 54%
Vision Zero initiative
A group of national organizations in 2014 originally adapted Vision Zero, which was developed in Sweden, to establish a national strategy on highway safety referred to as Toward Zero Deaths (TZD). It focuses on data-driven topics such as safer drivers, safer passengers, safer users, enhanced medical services, safer infrastructure and safer vehicles.
Philadelphia officially became a Vision Zero city in October 2017, when its action plan was launched. The city highlighted the importance of reducing traffic crashes in Philadelphia and move toward a goal of zero traffic deaths by 2030.
In Philadelphia, approximately 53% of the city’s traffic-related deaths are a result of aggressive driving, which includes speeding and failure to yield, according to the Vision Zero report.
“Reducing traffic-related deaths to zero on Philadelphia streets by 2030 will require data-informed prioritization of investments,” said the report. “The High Injury Network provides that focus. Using a five-year trend of crash data (PennDOT, 2012 – 2016), the High Injury Network is comprised of the corridors across the city on which fatal crashes and crashes that result in severe injury occur. These crashes may have involved people in vehicles or people walking and biking.”
Philadelphia distracted driver law
Pennsylvania has a distracted driving law, but advocates for the law, and police, often tell media outlets that the state law is too weak to enforce effectively. Lots of the Keystone State’s neighbors have hands-free laws that ban people from even holding their devices while driving. For Pennsylvania drivers, it’s more about not typing and sending texts or other communication.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that in 2017, only two citations per municipality were issued statewide by police, an increase from previous years. Only 8,700 citations were issued under Pennsylvania’s texting and driving law, which was instituted in 2012, between 2013 and 2017.
The law prohibits as a primary offense any driver from using an Interactive Wireless Communication Device (IWCD) to send, read or write a text-based communication while his or her vehicle is in motion. A “text-based communication” is a text message, instant message, email or other written communication composed or received on an IWCD (which includes cell phones, smartphones, tablets, etc).
The violation brings with it a $50 fine if convicted. The penalty is a summary offense with a $50 fine, plus court costs and other fees. The violation carries no points as a penalty and will not be recorded on the driver record for non-commercial drivers. It will be recorded on commercial drivers’ records as a non-sanction violation.
Philadelphia’s most dangerous roads
Personal injury law firm Dallas W. Hartman P.C. collected PennDOT data on fatal car accidents throughout Pennsylvania that occurred from 2015-17, which found that six of the top-15 deadliest roads in the state are located in Philadelphia.
Deadliest Philadelphia roads, based on 2015-2017 data via PennDOT:
- Roosevelt Boulevard: 26 crashes, 30 fatalities, 7 alcohol-related
- Delaware Expressway: 16 crashes, 16 fatalities, 3 alcohol-related
- Schuylkill Expressway: 10 crashes, 12 fatalities, 1 alcohol-related
- Broad Street: 8 crashes, 12 fatalities, 1 alcohol-related
- Lehigh Avenue.: 7 crashes, 7 fatalities, 0 alcohol-related
- Bustleton Avenue: 7 crashes, 7 fatalities, 2 alcohol-related
Ask the Insurance Expert
Laura Longero
Executive Editor
Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.
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John McCormick
Editorial Director
John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.
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Leslie Kasperowicz
Managing Editor
Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.
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Nupur Gambhir
Managing Editor
Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.
Guide to car insurance (with rates) in cities of Pennsylvania
