Cheapest Car Insurance in Wisconsin (August 2024)

AAA offers the overall cheapest car insurance for drivers in Wisconsin. American Family, based in Madison, Wisconsin, is also the most affordable insurance company for other types of drivers.

If you’re looking for options that balance cost and quality service, we found the companies that provide the best car insurance in Wisconsin.

On average, MoneyGeek found that the cheapest car insurance for a minimum coverage policy is from:

• AAA: $243 per year
• GEICO: $266 per year

Dairyland is the most expensive car insurance company for minimum coverage, with an average annual cost of $815.

Auto insurance that meets Wisconsin state law’s minimum insurance requirements only offers bodily injury liability, property damage liability and uninsured motorist coverage.

A minimum coverage policy only covers the cost of injuries or damages you cause to others but doesn’t cover damages to your car. Consider getting full coverage insurance with comprehensive and collision coverage if you want broader protection to cover damages to your vehicle.

Based on our extensive research, the cheapest full coverage car insurance providers in Wisconsin are, on average:

• American Family: $564 per year
• AAA: $565 per year

Dairyland is the most expensive insurer for full coverage, charging an average of $2,329 per year. Adding comprehensive and collision coverage to your policy increases your annual premium. For instance, American Family’s full coverage option is around $247 more than its minimum coverage option.

Full coverage car insurance offers better financial protection. It covers damages from both on-road and off-road incidents.

Your actual rates depend on how much car insurance you need. MoneyGeek’s sample full coverage policy has the following liability limits:

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $100,000 property damage liability per accident

If you’re looking for ways to lower your premiums, you may consider reducing your liability limits, removing your comprehensive and collision coverage or raising your deductible for comprehensive, collision or both. However, this will expose you to greater financial risks in the event of an accident.

Many auto insurance companies provide personalized quotes on their websites for free. However, completing the form can take up to 15 minutes. You’ll also have to repeat this process several times to compare quotes from multiple companies and find the cheapest option.

MoneyGeek’s car insurance calculator can do the heavy lifting for you. Our free online tool helps you pick the most affordable insurer and gives you a quick estimate customized to your personal driver profile. You’ll get all these without having to provide specific personal information. It’s a great tool to start your search.

Age is one of the most significant factors affecting car insurance rates in Wisconsin. On average, Nationwide and American Family offer the cheapest options, depending on what age group you and your family belong to.

On average, the cheapest car insurance companies for teens on their parent’s policy in Wisconsin are:

• Nationwide: $1,258 per year for male teens and $1,148 per year for female teens
• GEICO: $1,477 per year for male teens and $1,379 per year for female teens

Kemper charges the highest premiums for teens on their parent’s policy, at average rates of $6,693 for male drivers and $5,418 for female drivers. Car insurance rates for teens significantly decrease as they age. In Wisconsin, GEICO offers the cheapest car insurance rates for 19-year-old men ($1,091 per year).

Generally, teen drivers pay lower premiums if they’re added to a parent’s policy than if they buy their own. A teen under 18 must have a parent or guardian co-sign their policy to obtain it legally. For instance, the average 16-year-old Wisconsin male driver might have to pay $5,599 annually if they buy their own policy. Being added to a parent’s policy brings the cost down to around $2,396, which is a $3,203 difference.

Many insurance providers offer discounts for young drivers. According to our research, Allstate, Auto-Owners, Farmers, Progressive and Travelers provide both distant student discounts and discounts for students with good grades. GEICO, Nationwide and State Farm only provide a good student discount.

On average, we found that the cheapest car insurance providers for Wisconsin drivers in their 20s are:

• American Family: $677 per year
• GEICO: $818 per year

Dairyland charges the highest car insurance rates for young adults at an average of $3,089 per year.

Drivers in their 20s typically pay more for car insurance than middle-aged drivers. On average, a 25-year-old driver in Wisconsin will pay $336 more than a 40-year-old driver for a full coverage policy.

The cheapest car insurance providers for senior drivers in Wisconsin are, on average:

• American Family: $594 per year
• AAA: $638 per year

Dairyland is the most expensive insurer for seniors, at approximately $2,290 per year.

Depending on the insurer, seniors sometimes pay slightly less than middle-aged drivers. For instance, 65-year-old Wisconsin drivers pay $24 less than 40-year-old drivers for the same coverage. Additionally, most insurers tend to charge drivers in their 70s and 80s higher car insurance rates due to an increased risk of accidents.

Senior drivers might be able to take advantage of discounts. For example, Allstate, American Family, Farmers and GEICO provide senior discounts. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean companies offering senior discounts automatically have the lowest rates. Age is just one of several factors used to calculate premiums.

In Wisconsin, American Family is the most affordable insurance provider for those with speeding tickets, at-fault accidents and OWIs on their record. It is also the cheapest insurer for sports car drivers and those with poor credit.

MoneyGeek found the following companies offer the cheapest auto insurance for drivers with tickets:

• American Family: $752 per year
• Erie: $854 per year

Dairyland is the most expensive provider, with an annual rate of about $3,897. In Wisconsin, drivers with tickets on their records pay an average of $330 more for coverage than those with a clean record.

These insurers charge the lowest full coverage rates to Wisconsin drivers with an at-fault accident on their driving records:

• American Family: $633 per year
• AAA: $932 per year

A full coverage policy from Dairyland is the most expensive option at approximately $4,232 per year. We found that an at-fault accident could increase your premiums by up to $530.

On average, the following insurers are the cheapest options for full coverage car insurance if you have an OWI on your driving record:

• American Family: $752 per year
• Chubb: $1,028 per year

At around $3,340 per year, Dairyland is the most expensive insurer for drivers with an OWI. We found that drivers with an OWI are charged approximately $573 more per year — a significant increase that would also occur in states with DUI or DWI.

On average, these companies offer the cheapest car insurance rates to drivers with poor credit:

• American Family: $633 per year
• AAA: $718 per year

State Farm has the highest rates at an average annual premium of $6,137 for a full coverage policy.

Generally, insurers consider those with lower credit scores as riskier to insure and charge them higher rates. We found that, on average, Wisconsin drivers with credit scores of 580 and below are charged $703 more than those with credit scores above 750.

Auto insurance providers found that those with lower credit-based insurance scores are more likely to file claims and charge them higher rates. Although using credit history as a basis for calculating premiums isn’t legal in all states, it is allowed in Wisconsin.

Over time, you can reduce your insurance rate by improving your credit score. You can also compare rates from multiple insurers and take advantage of common discounts.

The car insurance companies offering the cheapest full coverage rates for drivers with sports cars are, on average:

• American Family: $591 per year
• Travelers: $709 per year

At approximately $2,799 per year, Dairyland is the least affordable company for sports car drivers.

Generally, sports cars are more expensive to insure because they have higher repair and replacement costs than standard vehicles. For example, drivers with a Ford Mustang pay $250 more than those with a Toyota Camry LE.

MoneyGeek used a Ford Mustang as its sample sports car in this study, but costs may differ depending on your particular car model. Sports, electric, and luxury cars are generally more expensive to insure; otherwise, the model may not be a significant factor. However, this may not be true for all states.

American Family is the cheapest car insurance provider for active-duty military members and veterans, with an average rate of $564 per year. It offers specific coverages and discounts for military-affiliated policyholders.

USAA, which tailors its policies to members of the military community, is the third cheapest option. Its policies are available in all U.S. states and cost an average of $570 per year.

The city and ZIP code where you live impact the cost of your car insurance. Drivers who live in neighborhoods with higher rates of car theft, vandalism, theft or accidents are typically charged higher premiums because they are more likely to file a claim.

For example, Green Bay has the cheapest rates from AAA for full coverage insurance, at roughly $474 per year. In Milwaukee, the most expensive city, the same AAA policy costs more, at an average of $717 per year.

Use our table below to see how average car insurance rates differ per city.

Most states, including Wisconsin, require minimum coverage limits of bodily injury liability (BIL) and property damage liability (PDL). In addition to these coverages, Wisconsin state law requires uninsured motorist coverage.

Wisconsin requires drivers to purchase a car insurance policy that meets the minimum coverage limit. This includes bodily injury liability, property damage liability and uninsured motorist coverage. A minimum coverage policy might be cheaper but exposes you to greater financial risks from an at-fault accident. We recommend getting as much liability coverage as you can afford.

Wisconsin state law requires you to file an SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility if you have severe violations, such as an OWI or driving without a valid license. SR-22 insurance may increase your coverage requirements.

MoneyGeek recommends purchasing bodily injury liability insurance of at least $100,000 per person and $300,000 per accident and property damage coverage of at least $100,000 per accident for greater financial protection from at-fault accidents.

If you financed or leased your car, you’re likely required to have comprehensive and collision insurance on your policy.

Collision insurance covers the cost of repairing your vehicle in the event of an at-fault accident with another vehicle or object, like a tree or light pole. Comprehensive insurance pays for the cost of repairing your car if it is damaged in a non-collision incident, including theft, vandalism, fire and severe weather hazards such as floods and falling trees.

Comprehensive and collision coverages are a good idea — 80% of U.S. drivers carry these coverages, according to the Insurance Information Institute. With the rising costs of vehicles and escalating vehicle theft rates, the coverage is not just for "expensive" cars and should be considered by most drivers.

If you’re unable to get auto insurance for any reason, Wisconsin’s Financial Responsibility Law permits other alternatives to satisfy the required financial responsibility. These are:

• Certificate of self-insurance: You may apply as a self-insurer if you have more than 25 cars registered under your name. You also need to provide proof of financial ability to cover any potential accident claims for each vehicle. This means you’ll need lots of extra cash in reserve to cover damages to your car and another person’s car and property, as well as possible lawsuits.

• Surety bonds: A surety bond requires a company to pay its financial obligations in the event of an accident. Surety bonds cost only a percentage of the bond total, making them a cheap alternative to traditional auto insurance.

• Personal funds: You must provide proof that you have enough funds that you don’t use for business or other personal purposes to cover your financial responsibility.

Wisconsin residents looking for car insurance options commonly have concerns about cost and service quality. Our answers to the frequently asked questions are a good starting point for learning more.