- Our take
- States where Erie offers coverage
- What does Erie car insurance cover?
- How does Erie Insurance rank
- How much is Erie car insurance?
- Erie car insurance rates by state
- Erie Insurance rates for teens
- Erie Insurance rates for adults
- Erie Insurance rates for seniors
- Erie Insurance rates by driver profile
- Erie Insurance discounts
- Sources & Methodology
- What do people ask about Erie Insurance?
Our take
Erie ranked No. 1 in our study of the Best Car Insurance Companies of 2024. It has the lowest premiums and the highest customer satisfaction ratings. Its mobile app could be more robust and isn’t rated very highly by users, but if you can get a great rate and excellent customer service, a limited smartphone app is not likely to be a dealbreaker.
However, Erie is only available in 12 states, which might mean it’s not an option for you. As its name implies, Erie’s primary territory is centered around the Great Lakes, from Wisconsin in the west to New York in the east and Tennessee in the south.
States where Erie offers coverage
Erie offers car insurance coverage in 12 states around the Great Lakes region as well as Washington, D.C.
| State |
|---|
| Illinois |
| Indiana |
| Kentucky |
| Maryland |
| New York |
| North Carolina |
| Ohio |
| Pennsylvania |
| Tennessee |
| Virginia |
| Washington D.C. |
| West Virginia |
| Wisconsin |
*Some state rates will vary based on the addition of a hurricane deductible and may be much higher when included.
What does Erie car insurance cover?
Erie offers a complete line of car insurance coverages, as well as policies for home, condo, life, and business.
All primary car insurance coverage options are available:
- Liability
- Collision
- Comprehensive
- Personal injury protection (PIP) and medical payments (MedPay)
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
Additional coverage offerings:
- Roadside assistance
- Rideshare coverage
- First accident forgiveness
- Windshield replacement
- Rental car reimbursement
- Golf cart and classic car coverage
- New car replacement
How does Erie Insurance rank
Erie ranked No. 1 in our annual survey of the top 15 car insurance providers. It offers the lowest premiums and has excellent customer satisfaction ratings. Credit rating agency AM Best also gives it a strong A+ rating.
The company also scored the highest in the 2024 J.D. Power shopping satisfaction study and had the second-best score in the research firm’s auto claims satisfaction survey.
Here's a look at how it compared to a selection of competitors.
| Company | AM Best | J.D. Power auto claims satisfaction | NAIC complaint ratio* | Average annual premium(out of 5) | Overall score(out of 5) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie | A+ | 902 | 0.61 | 5.00 | 4.67 |
| Auto-Owners | A++ | 888 | 0.5 | 4.74 | 4.65 |
| Auto Club Group | A+ | 848 | 0.8 | 4.5 | 4.3 |
| American Family | A | 882 | 1.1 | 4.22 | 4.01 |
*The lower a company’s score, the fewer the number of complaints filed with the NAIC. A score higher than 1.0 means it had a higher-than-average number of complaints.
How much is Erie car insurance?
Low premiums are Erie’s strongest selling point. It consistently offers some of the lowest premiums for drivers in the 12 states it services.
The average full coverage rate for a 40-year-old driver with Erie are $1,480 per year or $123 per month. That's compared to $1,548 per year at Nationwide, which had the second-lowest rates, and $2,509 per year for Allstate, a major carrier at the pricier end.
Here is a comparison of rates with several competitors. Premiums are based on full coverage insurance at 100/300/100, with a $500 collision/comprehensive deductible for a 40-year-old driver with a good driving record.
| Company | Average annual rate | Average monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Erie | $1,480 | $123 |
| Auto-Owners | $1,554 | $129 |
| American Family | $1,698 | $142 |
| Amica | $2,216 | $185 |
Erie car insurance rates by state
Insurance rates are based on a number of factors, but one of the biggest is where you live.
Some states have considerably higher insurance rates due to such factors as frequent hail events, flooding and higher litigation costs.
Drivers in North Carolina and Ohio will find they qualify for some of the best rates with Erie, while those in West Virginia and Maryland can expect to pay some of the most expensive rates Erie has on offer.
Here’s a look at average annual Erie car insurance rates by state for a 40-year-old driver.
| State | State minimum | Liability, 50/100/50 | Full coverage, 100/300/100 liability, $500 deductibles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $320 | $360 | $1,489 |
| Maryland | $600 | $660 | $1,685 |
| North Carolina | $309 | $345 | $1,082 |
| New York | $575 | $689 | $1,814 |
| Ohio | $226 | $273 | $1,132 |
| Pennsylvania | $263 | $354 | $1,550 |
| Tennessee | $307 | $395 | $1,598 |
| Virginia | $331 | $371 | $1,288 |
| Wisconsin | $207 | $241 | $1,313 |
| West Virginia | $368 | $440 | $1,709 |
Erie Insurance rates for teens
As is the case with practically all insurers, teenage drivers will pay some of the most expensive rates for car insurance with Erie, but rates come down substantially by the time you enter your 20s.
The average cost of a teen car insurance policy at Erie is $3,737 a year.
Here’s what a teenage driver can expect to pay with Erie compared to average rates at other ages and with other companies.
| Company | Teenage drivers aged 16-19 | Young adults aged 20-24 | 40-year-old adult |
|---|---|---|---|
| Erie | $3,737 | $2,369 | $1,480 |
| Auto-Owners | $3,842 | $2,498 | $1,554 |
| American Family | $4,515 | $2,424 | $1,698 |
| Progressive | $7,174 | $3,242 | $1,998 |
Erie Insurance rates for adults
While it can vary slightly by insurance company, adults will pay some of their cheapest rates between 55 and 60. At Erie, rates begin to creep upwards for adults at about 60, with the lowest rates around age 55.
At 55, Erie’s rates average $1,353 for a male driver and $1,299 for a female.
Here’s what adults can expect to pay on average for full coverage car insurance with Erie at various ages.
| Age | Average yearly premiums male | Average yearly premiums female |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | $1,822 | $1,914 |
| 30 | $1,594 | $1,657 |
| 35 | $1,496 | $1,561 |
| 40 | $1,457 | $1,502 |
| 45 | $1,417 | $1,437 |
| 50 | $1,385 | $1,367 |
| 55 | $1,353 | $1,299 |
| 60 | $1,369 | $1,293 |
| 65 | $1,431 | $1,354 |
Erie Insurance rates for seniors
Senior drivers start seeing rates increase, usually after age 65.
There is evidence that driving becomes riskier as we age due to slower reflexes, weaker eyesight, and other factors related to aging.
While senior car insurance is a little more expensive, it’s not nearly as high as the rates for teen drivers, as seniors have a lot of experience on the road.
At Erie, the average cost of car insurance at age 65 is $1,431 for a male and $1,354 for a female.
Here’s what older drivers can expect to pay for full coverage with Erie at various ages.
| Age | Average yearly premiums, male | Average yearly premiums, female |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | $1,369 | $1,293 |
| 65 | $1,431 | $1,354 |
| 70 | $1,553 | $1,478 |
| 75 | $1,745 | $1,686 |
Erie Insurance rates by driver profile
Your driving record is another good risk indicator, as previous tickets and accidents increase the risk of more in the future. This, along with factors like your credit history, make up your driver profile.
A poor credit rating is statistically correlated with an increased likelihood of filing a claim, and many insurers hike rates as a result; Erie raises rates more for poor credit than for a speeding ticket or accident.
Here’s a look at what drivers with common negative marks on their profiles can expect to pay for full coverage insurance with Erie, based on a 40-year-old drive.
| Clean record | At-fault accident | Speeding ticket | Poor credit rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,480 | $2,032 | $1,750 | $3,325 |
Erie Insurance discounts
Erie is already the lowest-priced car insurer among the top 15 carriers, but you can qualify for a discount to lower your rate even further.
Like most carriers, Erie offers a wide range of discounts for bundling policies, installing safety devices, and paying your premium up front. Discounts range from about 5% to 30%, and it is possible to qualify for multiple discounts.
Erie car insurance discounts include the following:
- Multi-car and multi-policy discounts
- Installed car safety equipment
- Reduced usage
- Young drivers
- Annual payment plan
- Accident forgiveness after 3 years
- Diminishing deductible
- Storing your vehicle for 90 days or more
- Going away to college
Sources & Methodology
Methodology
Insurance.com editors in 2024 collected rates from Quadrant Information Services for a 40-year-old male and female driving a 2023 Honda Accord LX for state minimum coverage, liability only with 50/100/50 limits and a full coverage insurance policy with limits 100/300/100 and $500 comprehensive and collision deductible. Rates were gathered for multiple driving records and different credit levels. The rates presented are the average of rates for males and females. We analyzed 53,409,632 quotes, 34,588 ZIP codes and 170 insurance companies nationwide.
Source
Erie website, “Auto Insurance Discounts.” Accessed August 2024.
What do people ask about Erie Insurance?
To help you choose the right company, we found the questions people frequently ask about Erie online and answered them right here.
Why is Erie Insurance so cheap?
Many factors go into how an insurance company calculates rates, but the biggest is risk. Companies reduce risk by charging more to riskier drivers and less to good ones. Some companies position themselves to avoid higher-risk drivers, which lowers rates for all of their customers. Serving a more limited area helps, too. Erie doesn’t offer coverage in high-risk states like Florida. Of course, Erie may not be cheap for everyone.
What is Erie Rate Lock?
Rate lock is an option you can add to your policy that ensures your rate will not go up on renewal. With rate lock, only certain changes to your policy, like adding a new vehicle, will affect your rates. However, you may pay more for a rate lock policy than for one without it.
Is Erie a good insurance company?
In our survey, customers gave Erie top marks for customer satisfaction and J.D. Power also gave it high marks for auto claims satisfaction.
The primary downside of Erie is the limited number of states it serves. It’s only available in 12 states.
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