Cheapest Auto Insurance in Iowa (2024)

Auto-Owners offers the cheapest liability rates in Iowa, at $22 per month.

10+ years writing on personal finance topics

Host of the Mental Health and Wealth podcast

Melanie is a blogger, author, and speaker specializing in personal finance and debt management. She’s also the author of the blog and book “Dear Debt.”

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15+ years in content creation

7+ years in business and financial services content

Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.

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Corporate communications director for Insurance Information Institute

20+ years in insurance and communications

As Director, Corporate Communications for Triple-I, Mark serves as the non-profit’s national spokesperson, sharing information and education on a wide array of insurance issues.

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7+ years experience in data analysis

Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

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Updated June 27, 2024

Save up to $717 by comparing quotes from the top 100+ insurance companies

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Cheapest recent rates in Iowa

We just helped a driver in Waukon, Iowa cover their Chevrolet Silverado with this quote from National General.

A Ankeny, Iowa driver just saved on coverage for their Chevrolet Traverse with this quote from Direct Auto.

GEICO's average rate for Iowa drivers with good credit and a clean driving record.

We just helped a driver in Cedar Rapids, Iowa cover their Dodge RAM 1500 with this quote from Bristol West.

A Centerville, Iowa driver just saved on coverage for their Jeep Grand Cherokee with this quote from Dairyland.

The General helped a Chevrolet Impala driver in Cherokee, Iowa save on car insurance with this quote.

Allstate's average rate for Iowa drivers with good credit and a clean driving record.

Farmers's average rate for Iowa drivers with good credit and a clean driving record.

Auto-Owners's average rate for Iowa drivers with good credit and a clean driving record.

*Quotes generated for Insurify users from Iowa within the last 10 days. Last updated on June 27, 2024

A Coralville, Iowa driver just saved on coverage for their Subaru Legacy with this quote from Safeco.

Bristol West helped a Honda CR-V driver in Mason City, Iowa save on car insurance with this quote.

GEICO's average rate for Iowa drivers with good credit and a clean driving record.

A Oskaloosa, Iowa driver just saved on coverage for their Buick Enclave with this quote from National General.

Direct Auto helped a Honda Odyssey driver in Urbandale, Iowa save on car insurance with this quote.

We just helped a driver in Urbandale, Iowa cover their Honda Odyssey with this quote from The General.

Allstate's average rate for Iowa drivers with good credit and a clean driving record.

Farmers's average rate for Iowa drivers with good credit and a clean driving record.

Auto-Owners's average rate for Iowa drivers with good credit and a clean driving record.

*Quotes generated for Insurify users from Iowa within the last 10 days. Last updated on June 27, 2024

Home to the college town of Iowa City and the capital of Des Moines, Iowa has a significant amount of farmland and a low crime rate, which positively affects its car insurance rates.[1] The average cost of liability-only insurance in Iowa is $61 per month, according to Insurify data, which is lower than the national average of $105 per month.

Learn what factors affect your costs and where to find cheap car insurance in Iowa.

Auto-Owners, USAA, and GEICO offer the cheapest liability rates in Iowa.

Iowa drivers pay an average of $1,830 per year for full-coverage car insurance.

The Insurance Information Institute found that 9.9% of Iowa drivers are uninsured.[2]

3 of the cheapest car insurance companies in Iowa

If you’re in the market for new auto insurance coverage, you have many factors to consider. Here are three of the cheapest options for car insurance in Iowa, and who might benefit the most from each company.

Keep them in mind as you begin your search.

Our editorial team spent more than 350 hours developing the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score and scoring insurance companies. The IQ Score objectively analyzes and calculates a score for insurers using more than 15 crucial criteria. The team weighted criteria by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings.

We rate each company on a 1-to-5 scale based on five categories: financial ratings, customer satisfaction, affordability, customer support and transparency, and availability. Insurify updates ratings once a year or as more recent information becomes available.

Best insurer for farmers: Auto-Owners

farmersAuto-Owners

Iowa has a strong history in the agricultural industry, and farmers looking for car insurance should consider Auto-Owners. The company offers affordable auto insurance coverage and farm insurance in one place.

As an auto insurer, Auto-Owners offers standard coverage options in addition to road-trouble service, gap coverage, and accident forgiveness. The company also offers a multi-policy discount, and you may qualify if you also get farm insurance, home insurance, or life insurance from Auto-Owners.

Offers gap coverage

Many available discounts

Coverage for classic or modified vehicles

Low customer rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) website

Not available in every state

Not as many discounts as some other insurers

Rate Increases Too Much for Someone on a Fixed Income

Pleased

Interested in Changing

Best insurer for veterans and military members: USAA

veterans and military membersUSAA

Iowa is home to more than 171,000 veterans and 1,300 active-duty service members, according to U.S. Census data and Military State Policy Source.[3][4]

USAA is a membership-based insurance and financial services company that works exclusively with the military community. It offers a range of insurance products and discounts if you’re on a military base or if you store your car on base during a deployment.

Military-specific discounts

Highly rated mobile app

Significant savings potential of up to 30% with SafePilot program

Poor customer satisfaction on Trustpilot[5]

Only available to military members and their families

Low customer rating on the BBB website[6]

Good

Never Stop Trying to Get a Better Deal!

USAA Critique

Best insurer for homeowners: GEICO

homeownersGEICO

According to U.S. Census data, 71.5% of Iowa residents own their home.[3] GEICO is a top option for homeowners, as the company offers savings when you bundle home and auto insurance.

GEICO offers standard coverage options as well as rental reimbursement, mechanical breakdown insurance, and emergency roadside assistance.

Mobile app available

15% good student discount

Streamlined claims process with Auto Repair Xpress

Limited agent network

Rideshare and gap insurance not available

Complaints on Trustpilot about surprise policy cancellations[7]

100

Too Much Money

Poor

How to get the cheapest car insurance in Iowa

Car insurance can be costly, but you can do some things to make it more affordable. In addition to driving safely and maintaining a clean record, the following steps can help you get the cheapest car insurance in Iowa:

Research discounts. Insurance companies may offer discounts based on your driving, affiliation, or safety features. Review which ones you qualify for and how much you could save.

Bundle insurance policies. You may get the best deal if you have more than one insurance policy with a company. Adding home insurance or renters insurance could lower your rate.

Check your credit report. Insurance companies may use your credit history as one of the factors to determine your rates. Drivers with good credit typically pay lower rates than drivers with poor credit. Review your credit report to ensure there are no errors that could be costing you money. If there are, dispute them with the appropriate credit bureau.

Compare options. Many insurance companies offer coverage to Iowa drivers, so compare several companies and quotes to find the best coverage for you.

Find Affordable Car Insurance in Iowa

Liability rates average $61 per month

Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Iowa: Auto-Owners

Liability-only coverage meets the basic minimum coverage required in Iowa. Liability insurance covers your liability and pays out to cover injuries and damages suffered by the other parties in an accident you cause. But it doesn’t cover any of your damages.

Liability-only coverage costs an average of $61 per month in Iowa.

The table below shows average monthly rates offered by many of the state’s top companies.

Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Iowa: Auto-Owners

With full-coverage car insurance, you’re typically getting state-required liability insurance, as well as collision and comprehensive coverage. If you’re financing a vehicle or want additional protection, full coverage is likely a good fit for you.

Drivers in Iowa pay an average of $152 per month for full coverage. 

In the table below, you can see the top insurance companies offering cheap full-coverage car insurance in Iowa.

Cheapest recent rates in Iowa

National General helped a Chevrolet Silverado driver in Waukon, Iowa save on car insurance with this quote.

A Ashton, Iowa driver just saved on coverage for their Chevrolet Impala with this quote from Bristol West.

Farmers's average rate for Iowa drivers with good credit and a clean driving record.

Dairyland helped a Jeep Grand Cherokee driver in Centerville, Iowa save on car insurance with this quote.

A Ashton, Iowa driver just saved on coverage for their Chevrolet Impala with this quote from Direct Auto.

We just helped a driver in Mason City, Iowa cover their Chevrolet Equinox with this quote from The General.

*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on June 27, 2024

We just helped a driver in Coralville, Iowa cover their Subaru Legacy with this quote from Safeco.

A Oskaloosa, Iowa driver just saved on coverage for their Buick Enclave with this quote from National General.

Farmers's average rate for Iowa drivers with good credit and a clean driving record.

We just helped a driver in Urbandale, Iowa cover their Honda Odyssey with this quote from The General.

A Mason City, Iowa driver just saved on coverage for their Honda CR-V with this quote from Bristol West.

Direct Auto helped a Honda Odyssey driver in Urbandale, Iowa save on car insurance with this quote.

*Quotes generated for Insurify users within the last 10 days. Last updated on June 27, 2024

Car insurance requirements in Iowa

Iowa requires drivers to carry at least minimum coverage or liability insurance. Iowa is an at-fault or tort state, which means it assigns fault to the driver that caused the incident.[8]

The table below shows the minimum requirements you must meet to drive legally in Iowa:[9]

While you’re only required to carry minimum liability car insurance, it can be a good idea to look into additional coverage options depending on your needs. You can consider the following coverages for more financial protection:

Liability-only insurance doesn’t cover the damage to your car if you’re in an at-fault accident. Collision coverage can help pay for damage to your vehicle.

It’s not just accidents you need to worry about. Comprehensive insurance will cover you in events like damage from falling rocks, floods, theft, and vandalism.

Personal injury protection coverage helps pay for medical expenses if you or your passengers get injured in an accident.

Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage helps pay costs if you’re involved in an accident with an uninsured driver or if you’ve been the victim of a hit-and-run.

If you’ve tried to secure coverage through conventional insurers and have been rejected, you can get car insurance through the Iowa Automobile Insurance Plan (IAIP).

The program began in 1969 and works with insurers to provide high-risk drivers coverage when they lack other options. Iowa drivers seeking coverage through the IAIP must certify they’ve been unable to get auto insurance coverage elsewhere.[10]

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident

While different factors affect your car insurance premiums, your driving history carries a lot of weight. People with a clean driving record free of incidents qualify for the most competitive rates. High-risk drivers with an incident on their record will likely receive more expensive rates.

Common incidents include speeding tickets, at-fault accidents, and driving under the influence (DUI) citations. In the sections that follow, you’ll see how different incident types can affect your rates.

Find Affordable Quotes in Iowa

Rates start as low as $28 for drivers with an incident

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket: Auto-Owners

Speeding affects reaction time and your ability to slow down, elevating your level of risk. Iowa drivers with excessive speeding can get a misdemeanor.[11] If you get a speeding ticket, your insurer will likely hike up your rates.

The average cost of car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket in Iowa is $224 per month for full coverage and $90 for liability only.

The table below shows what rates you might pay with a clean driving record versus having a speeding ticket on record.

7+ years experience in data analysis

Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

Read Editorial Guidelines

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident: Auto-Owners

Insurance companies raise car insurance premiums after an at-fault accident because there’s potential for it to happen again. 

Drivers with an at-fault accident in Iowa pay an average of $98 per month for liability coverage and $244 per month for full coverage.

The table below illustrates how much rates go up with an accident, compared to a clean driving record. You can also see which insurance companies offer the cheapest car insurance after an accident in Iowa.

7+ years experience in data analysis

Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

Read Editorial Guidelines

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI: Auto-Owners

Iowa drivers found driving under the influence face a range of consequences, including higher car insurance premiums. In Iowa, this is referred to as operating while intoxicated (OWI).

Car insurance companies consider a DUI conviction a major offense, and some insurers may refuse you coverage altogether. Others will raise your rates significantly due to the dangers and risks involved.

Liability-only coverage costs Iowa drivers $110 per month, on average.

Here are the cheapest options for car insurance in Iowa if you have a DUI and the effect it has on rates compared to a clean record.

7+ years experience in data analysis

Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

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Cheapest car insurance for seniors: Auto-Owners

Car insurance rates begin to decrease at age 35 and continue to drop well into retirement age. Senior drivers are generally eligible for lower rates because they have ample driving experience, a long driving history, and typically drive less. At around age 70, though, premiums start to increase because the risk profile for older drivers is elevated due to declining faculties.

Senior drivers in Iowa pay a monthly average of $97 for a full-coverage policy.

Here, you can see the cheapest car insurance for seniors in Iowa for both liability and full coverage.

7+ years experience in data analysis

Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

Read Editorial Guidelines

Cheapest car insurance for teens: Auto-Owners

Teen drivers are expensive to insure as they’re just getting their bearings with driving and learning the rules of the road. It’s not only the lack of experience, though.

Teens and other young drivers engage in risky activities like speeding, distracted driving, not wearing a seat belt, and driving while intoxicated.[12] Due to these factors, car insurance in Iowa for teen drivers is costly, as you can see in the table below.

Liability-only insurance for Iowa teens costs $105 per month, on average.

To get the cheapest car insurance, teens should be added to their parents’ insurance policy and see if they qualify for a good student discount if they get good grades. Getting a car with the latest safety features may also help.

7+ years experience in data analysis

Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

Read Editorial Guidelines

View Car Insurance quotes in Iowa

Compare quotes from 100+ top insurance companies

Iowa car insurance quotes by credit tier

The state of Iowa allows insurers to use a person’s credit history information for underwriting purposes. But insurers can’t use your credit history as the sole factor in determining rates, and they can’t use it against you to deny you a policy.

But your credit can affect the cost of car insurance in Iowa. Drivers with poor credit pay higher rates than drivers with good or excellent credit

The chart below illustrates how your credit tier can affect your rates in Iowa.

Iowa car insurance FAQs

If you still have questions about car insurance in Iowa, this additional information may help as you research your coverage options.

How much is car insurance in Iowa?

On average, car insurance in Iowa costs $61 per month for liability-only coverage and $61 per month for full coverage.

Which companies have the cheapest car insurance in Iowa?

Auto-Owners, USAA, and GEICO offer the cheapest liability rates in Iowa, at $22, $23, and $25 per month, respectively.

But these companies might not be the cheapest for you. Comparing quotes is the best way to find the cheapest insurance for your coverage needs.

What are the best car insurance companies in Iowa?

Insurify identified Auto-Owners, USAA, and GEICO as some of the best insurance companies in Iowa. These companies offer drivers plenty of discounts, coverage options, and have high Insurify Quality Scores of 8.5, 9.4, and 9.0, respectively.

What are the minimum car insurance requirements in Iowa?

Iowa requires drivers to have a minimum amount of liability insurance including $20,000 per person and $40,000 per accident in bodily injury liability, and $15,000 of property damage liability coverage.

Is Iowa a no-fault state for car insurance?

No. Iowa is an at-fault, or tort, state. This means that in an at-fault accident, your insurer is responsible for paying any costs related to the other driver’s injuries and vehicle damage.

How Iowa Drivers Measure Up

While most drivers know that car insurance quotes are determined in part by your personal driving history, many may be unaware that rates are also impacted by the average risk of the drivers around you as well. Check out Insurify's latest analysis of driving records in Iowa below:

Drawing from an internal database of over 4 million car insurance applications, the research team at Insurify analyzes patterns in car ownership and driver behavior - including how Iowa drivers measure up to their fellow motorists across the United States in areas including speeding, DUIs, and more. Insurify Insights publishes data-driven articles, trend analyses, and national rankings each week on all factors related to cars and those who drive them.

Most Popular Car in Iowa

State with the Most Speeding Tickets Rank

State with the Moving Violations Rank

State with the Most DUIs Rank

State with the most Suspended Licenses

While car accidents are a sadly unavoidable feature of time spent on the road, rates of accidents do vary from city to city and from state to state. Iowa is the #11 state in the country for drivers with an at-fault accident on their driving record.

While driving while intoxicated is never acceptable, it’s a more common offense than many assume. Iowa is the #5 state in the country for drivers with a prior drunk driving conviction.

Reckless driving refers to a specific traffic violation: when drivers willfully act dangerously in spite of the risks they’re imposing on both themselves and others. Iowa is the #7 state in the country for drivers with a reckless driving offense on record.

The Insurify team classifies rude drivers as those who commit one or more of the following driving offenses: failure to yield or failure to stop, improper backing, passing where prohibited, tailgating, street racing, or hit-and-run. Iowa is the #9 state in the country for drivers with a rude driving violation on record.

Exceeding the speed limit can endanger others and have a serious impact on your insurance costs. Iowa is the #1 state in the country for drivers with a speeding ticket on record.

Failing to yield the right of way isn’t just frustrating for other drivers; it’s dangerous, too. Iowa is the #30 state in the country for drivers with a failure to yield violation on record.

Insurify's team of data scientists and content specialists presents Insurify Insights, a series of automotive, home, and health studies focusing on the topics that impact us all. through expert analysis of over 4 million car insurance applications and an array of top data sources, the Insurify Insights team produces new data-driven articles, trend analyses, regional superlatives, and national rankings every week. See Insurify Insights as featured in Forbes, Fox News, USA Today, NPR, and more.

Methodology

Insurify data scientists analyzed more than 90 million quotes served to car insurance applicants in Insurify’s proprietary database to calculate the premium averages displayed on this page. These premiums are real quotes that come directly from Insurify’s 50+ partner insurance companies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quote averages represent the median price for a quote across the given coverage level, driver subset, and geographic area.

Unless otherwise specified, quoted rates reflect the average cost for drivers between 20 and 70 years old with a clean driving record and average or better credit (a credit score of 600 or higher).

Liability-only premium averages correspond to policies with the following coverage limits:

Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Services’ database of auto insurance rates.

Sources

Melanie Lockert is the founder of the blog and author of the book, "Dear Debt." Through her blog, she chronicled her journey out of $81,000 in student loan debt. Her work has appeared on Allure, Business Insider, Credit Karma, Fortune, and more. She is also the co-founder of the Lola Retreat and host of the Mental Health and Wealth show podcast. She lives in Los Angeles and enjoys jazz music, traveling, coffee, and spending time with her two cats and partner.

15+ years in content creation

7+ years in business and financial services content

Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.

Read Editorial Guidelines

Featured in

Corporate communications director for Insurance Information Institute

20+ years in insurance and communications

As Director, Corporate Communications for Triple-I, Mark serves as the non-profit’s national spokesperson, sharing information and education on a wide array of insurance issues.

Read Editorial Guidelines

7+ years experience in data analysis

Ph.D. in Computational Biology

Konstantin has led data teams across multiple industries, including insurance, travel, and biology. He’s led Insurify’s engineering team for more than three years.

Read Editorial Guidelines

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