Here you’ll learn everything you need to know to buy the best car insurance policy in Pittsburgh 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 Pittsburgh drivers are affected by tickets, accidents and adding teen drivers.

The Research

Who Has The Best Car Insurance in Pittsburgh, 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 Pittsburgh, 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 forCompany
ClaimsUSAA
Value/PriceAuto Club of Southern California (Auto Club Enterprise Insurance Group)
Customer ServiceAuto Club of Southern California (Auto Club Enterprise Insurance Group)
Websites/AppsAuto Club of Southern California (Auto Club Enterprise Insurance Group)
RecommendAuto Club of Southern California (Auto Club Enterprise Insurance Group)
Low Annual MileageState Farm Mutual Auto
Good StudentNationwide P&C
BundleAllstate F&C
Paid in FullProgressive Specialty

Cheap Car Insurance in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

GEICO Cas and State Farm Mutual Auto have the cheapest car insurance rates in Pittsburgh, based on our rate analysis for three different coverage levels. The driver profile is for age 30, with good credit and a clean driving record. You can see how major insurers rank for price in the chart below

CompanyLiability Only - State Minimum BI/PDLiability Only - 50/100/50 BI/PDFull Coverage - 100/300/100 BI/PD - 500 Comp/Coll
Geico Cas Co$320$374$1,072
State Farm Mut Auto Ins Co$379$470$1,383
Erie Ins Exch$432$504$1,321
Progressive Specialty Ins Co$525$667$2,024
Allstate Fire & Cas Ins Co$773$854$2,572
Nationwide Affinity Co of Amer$806$884$1,874

Car Insurance Coverage – How Much Car Insurance do I Need in Pittsburgh?

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 Pittsburgh

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 $170 and collision costs $810 , 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:

  • $100,000 to pay for others’ medical bills
  • $300,000 to pay for injuries to others in an accident you cause
  • $100,000 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.

The average rate for Pittsburgh drivers for a year of minimum coverage is $539 according to our rate analysis. If you increased your coverage to 50/100/50, you would pay just about $7 more a month, or $87 more a year. You can get full coverage (100/300/100) by paying $97.42 more a month, or an additional $1,169 a year more than minimum-level coverage.

Pittsburgh average for:

  • Minimum coverage: $539
  • 50/100/50: $626
  • 100/300/100: $1,708

Average Car Insurance Rates in Pittsburgh

CarInsurance.com analyzed car insurance rates from six car insurance companies for nearly every ZIP code in Pennsylvania. Here's how Pittsburgh's highest average rate 1,824 for ZIP 15211 compares to others, for a full coverage policy of 100/300/100 for a driver age 30:

  • $272 more than the least expensive average rate 1,552 in ZIP code 15276
  • $124 more than the state average 1700
  • $65 more than the national average rate $1,759

Compare Car Insurance Quotes in Pittsburgh – How to Save on Insurance Policy?

You can save an average of $1,500 annually on a full coverage policy in Pittsburgh 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.

Why Does Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Save Money?

No two insurance companies will charge the same amount of money for the same policy. So if you compare car insurance quotes and opt for the lowest, you won’t over pay. For example, the highest rate from any carrier surveyed for ZIP code 15211 , the priciest ZIP code Pittsburgh car insurance, was $2,674 . The lowest was 1,170. The difference is 1,504, which is how much you could overpay. That’s why car insurance comparisons are paramount to finding the best cheap car insurance for your situation.

Pittsburgh Car Insurance FAQ’s

How much does insurance go up after a speeding ticket in Pittsburgh?

A speeding ticket in Pittsburgh will hike your car insurance rates by an average of 8% , or about $106 yearly. CarInsurance.com’s rate analysis shows how much more drivers in Pittsburgh 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.

Pittsburgh drivers can expect to see a hike in their rates in the range of 8% for minor moving violations such as tailgating or blowing through a stop sign, 76% 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.

ViolationAverage rateRate after violation$ Increase% Increase
DUI/DWI third offense$1,295$3,191$1,896146%
DUI/DWI second offense$1,295$2,734$1,438111%
Reckless driving$1,295$2,276$98176%
Operating a vehicle in a race (highway racing)$1,295$2,244$94973%
DUI/DWI first offense$1,295$1,992$69654%
Careless driving$1,295$1,816$52140%
2 speeding tickets 11 mph or over$1,295$1,778$48237%
Distracted driving ticket$1,295$1,657$36128%
Driving without a license or permit$1,295$1,453$15712%
Improper/illegal pass$1,295$1,404$1088%
Improper turn$1,295$1,404$1088%
Following too closely$1,295$1,404$1088%
Failure to yield$1,295$1,404$1088%
Failure to stop$1,295$1,404$1088%
Texting ticket$1,295$1,392$977%
Talking on cellphone ticket$1,295$1,392$977%
Driving without insurance$1,295$1,324$292%
Seatbelt infraction$1,295$1,307$121%

An accident will increase car insurance rates by 4% to 28%, on average, for drivers in Pittsburgh. 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 Pittsburgh can expect to pay for common car insurance claims.

AccidentAverage RateRate after claim$ Increase% Increase
2 At-fault property damage accident over $2k$1,295$2,891$1,596123%
At-fault bodily injury accident$1,295$1,654$35828%
1 At-fault property damage accident over $2K$1,295$1,654$35828%
1 At-fault property damage accident under $2K$1,295$1,344$494%

In Pittsburgh, adding a 16-year-old daughter to your policy will hike your rates by $1,323 annually, or 102% It's more for boys. Insuring your 16-year-old son will increase your yearly rate by $1,322 , or 102% 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."

CarInsurance.com data show that for drivers in Pittsburgh, your rate will go up by an average of $827 or 64%. 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.