
Erie, Nationwide, American Family, GEICO, and Travelers are our top providers in Wisconsin for cost, customer service score, coverage, and more.
Average Cost in Wisconsin
Average Cost in Wisconsin
Average Cost in Wisconsin
Although Wisconsinites enjoy some of the most affordable average premiums in the country, you may have experienced premium increases in your last renewal period. Our recommendations are based on coverage, cost, discounts, and local availability — tailored to a variety of driver profiles.
Wisconsin is home to some of the cheapest car insurance rates in the country. At $1,491 annually for full coverage, Wisconsin’s average premium is 38 percent lower than the national average ($2,399).
Category | Full Coverage Annual | Minimum Coverage Annual |
---|---|---|
Wisconsin Average | $1,491 | $484 |
U.S. Average | $2,399 | $635 |
With an average annual rate of $1,223 for full coverage, Appleton offers the cheapest average rate out of Wisconsin’s seven largest cities. Providers charge $1,990 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s largest city, making it the most expensive city for auto insurance.
City | Monthly average premium | Annual average premium |
---|---|---|
Appleton | $102 | $1,223 |
Green Bay | $103 | $1,234 |
Madison | $115 | $1,379 |
Kenosha | $126 | $1,517 |
Waukesha | $130 | $1,562 |
Racine | $137 | $1,640 |
Milwaukee | $166 | $1,990 |
Feature | Erie | American Family | GEICO | Nationwide | Travelers |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Average annual rate in Wisconsin | $1,247 | $1,292 | $1,298 | $1,808 (national average) | $1,597 (national average) |
J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Index for North Central (Ranking out of 1,000 points)1 | 684 | 653 | 651 | 646 | 596 |
Best for | People on a budget | Teens and parents of teens | People with bad credit | Commercial auto insurance | Older Americans |
Agents in Wisconsin | 100+ | 25+ | 1 | 50+ | 300+ |
Review | Erie review | American Family review | GEICO review | Nationwide review | Travelers review |
After USAA, Erie has the cheapest average rates in Wisconsin; and unlike USAA, there are no membership or affiliation requirements to buy insurance. Along with cheap rates, Erie has several perks, like pet and travel insurance, that come with every auto insurance plan.
If you’re looking for the overall cheapest provider for full coverage, Erie is a good option.
Company | Monthly average premium | Annual average premium |
---|---|---|
Erie | $104 | $1,247 |
American Family | $108 | $1,292 |
GEICO | $108 | $1,298 |
State Farm | $123 | $1,481 |
Progressive | $150 | $1,806 |
Allstate | $182 | $2,184 |
Concerned about your rates going up at your next renewal period? Erie has a rate lock feature that ensures your prices stay low even after an accident. With the rate lock feature, your premium won’t increase at your next renewal unless you add a new vehicle or driver to your policy.
Erie has the region’s highest J.D. Power Customer Service score. Its 684 score is nearly over 40 points higher than the regional average.
J.D. Power ranks auto insurance providers based on claims satisfaction, customer reviews, how long it takes to fulfill a repair, and customer experience when communicating with insurance providers. Its 2025 study was based on responses from more than 48,000 car insurance customers.
Wisconsin’s largest industries include manufacturing and farming — with the farming industry making up about nine percent of the state’s employees, and manufacturing employing over 3 million people.2 If you’re one of the many manufacturing or farming business owners in Wisconsin, you’ll need coverage for business vehicles.
Nationwide’s commercial auto insurance options protect your business vehicles, whether owned, leased, or borrowed. You can customize your policy depending on your industry, including construction, delivery services, and professional services. For businesses with multiple vehicles, Nationwide has fleet insurance coverage that includes out-of-state coverage.
With a commercial auto policy from Nationwide, you can insure:
The provider also offers Vantage 360 Fleet, a telematics program that helps small businesses manage fleet vehicles and monitor driver behavior. Using a smartphone app, Vantage 360 Fleet provides real-time insights into driving habits, so you can help your employees stay safe on the road and prevent accidents on the clock.
If you’re clocking in fewer than 8,000 miles on your vehicle, Nationwide’s pay-per-mile program, SmartMiles, offers a flexible auto insurance option tailored for low-mileage drivers. With SmartMiles, your premium is made up of two parts: a base rate (which covers fixed costs like liability and certain overhead) plus a per-mile charge. Each month, Nationwide tracks how many miles you drive and bills you accordingly.
Another of the benefits of SmartMiles is that you still get the same coverage options you’d expect from a traditional Nationwide policy. Plus, you can also qualify for an additional 10 percent off if you practice safe driving habits during your first SmartMiles policy period. These advantages are also why we named SmartMiles one of the best pay-per-mile auto insurance options among providers.
Whether you’re operating an ATV for transport or going on an adventure, Nationwide provides the coverage you need. The provider has optional coverages such as Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) endorsements if your vehicle is under 10 years old.
As a Nationwide customer, you can apply a plethora of discounts to your ATV policy. Qualify for a discount by:
Fun Fact:
Roughly a third of Wisconsin’s population lives in rural areas.3 Wisconsin is also the top state in the country for ATV/UTV spending,4 probably owing to the fact that many Wisconsin residents have access to rural terrain.
American Family has been serving customers since 1927, providing insurance for auto, home, motorcycles, and more. It serves 17 percent of Wisconsin’s drivers, making it the second-largest auto insurance company in the state. On average, it offers one of the best rates for households with teen drivers and several discounts that can help young drivers save.
Teens pay the highest rates out of any age group because younger drivers file more claims, get into more accidents, and receive more tickets than any other age group on average. While Erie and USAA offer similar rates for teens, American Family has a plethora of young driver discounts. If you’re under the age of 21, American Family offers some of the cheapest average rates for full coverage in Wisconsin.
Average with Teen Driver | Monthly | Annual |
---|---|---|
USAA | $218 | $2,614 |
American Family | $255 | $3,056 |
Erie | $254 | $3,044 |
GEICO | $320 | $3,084 |
State Farm | $383 | $4,600 |
Allstate | $557 | $6,679 |
Farmers | $607 | $7,286 |
If you want to bring you or your teen’s costs down, you should ask your agent about your discount eligibility. American Family has several general and teen-focused discounts that can bring costly teen premiums down.
Here are a few ways to save with American Family:
Pro Tip:
If you’re a parent of a teen, you will pay far less for car insurance by adding your teen to your policy instead of getting an entirely new policy. Signing up for a new policy for your teen can be twice as expensive as adding them to your plan.
American Family’s telematics program, DriveMyWay, is a great way to improve your or your teen’s driving habits while saving on your car insurance (up to 35 percent). The program gives you a personalized rate based on your driving habits, which determines your final discount.
Once you enroll in the program, you’ll get a 99-trip trial period. The DriveMyWay app will measure your driving habits during this trial period. At the end, your DriveMyWay score will apply to your future policy premiums.
To maximize your discount, avoid these driving behaviors:
While a low credit score usually triggers premium hikes, GEICO offers the most competitive rates for bad credit among providers in Wisconsin. With solid regional ratings, GEICO delivers reliable customer service and affordable rates, especially for those with bad credit, a clean record, and seniors.
On average, your car insurance rates will increase by 83 percent if you have a poor credit score in Wisconsin. For drivers in this category, GEICO has some of the most competitive rates in the state.
Average with Poor Credit | Monthly | Annual |
---|---|---|
GEICO | $172 | $2,059 |
USAA | $175 | $2,098 |
Acuity | $182 | $2,182 |
Erie | $223 | $2,676 |
Progressive | $233 | $2,791 |
Allstate | $267 | $3,206 |
State Farm | $289 | $3,471 |
Wisconsin average | $227 | $2,722 |
With GEICO, you can save with a sizable bundling discount, low-mileage discount, usage-based insurance program, and more.
Here are a few of GEICO’s discounts:
About 20 percent of Wisconsin’s roads are in poor condition, making it easy for vehicles to wear out quickly.5 If you have a new car, you can get mechanical breakdown insurance to ensure your car stays in top shape. Customers qualify for this type of coverage if they own a car that’s less than 15 months old and has less than 15,000 miles.
MBI will cover the cost of repair and replacement for all vehicle parts and systems. You’ll only pay a $250 deductible, which is affordable compared to the cost of major repairs. With this coverage, you can choose the repair shop. Even if you drive over a large pothole or need a full engine replacement, MBI will take care of everything.
Travelers stands out for senior drivers in Wisconsin seeking affordable and reliable car insurance. With an average annual premium of $1,241 for drivers over 65, Travelers offers the lowest rates in the state.
Auto insurance rates tend to increase as drivers reach their 60s and 70s, which means the cheapest providers in your 40s may not be the same as you get older.
In Wisconsin, Travelers offers the cheapest average rates for seniors. For drivers looking to strike a balance between cost and service, USAA, State Farm, and GEICO are solid alternatives.
Average for Seniors | Monthly | Annual |
---|---|---|
Travelers | $103 | $1,241 |
GEICO | $114 | $1,368 |
USAA | $117 | $1,407 |
State Farm | $131 | $1,572 |
Erie | $146 | $1,749 |
Nationwide | $149 | $1,793 |
Auto-Owners | $189 | $2,268 |
DID YOU KNOW?
A little over 19 percent of Wisconsin’s population is made of seniors, which is more than the national average of about 18 percent.6
If you’re looking to get additional coverage for your vehicle, Travelers has a long list of robust add-ons. Here are a few additional coverage options you can choose from:
Seniors that want to keep their rates low can sign up for one of Travelers’ accident forgiveness plans. A traffic violation or at-fault accident can push premiums up, making it difficult for seniors with a fixed income. With accident forgiveness, seniors can avoid rate hikes even after a violation or accident.
You can choose from two plans:
For drivers in Wisconsin, full coverage costs an average of $124 per month, and minimum coverage costs $40 per month.
Yes, Wisconsin is an at-fault state, which means the driver responsible for an accident is also required to cover the other party’s damages and injuries. If you’re responsible for less than 51 percent of an accident, you can receive compensation from the other party.
Here’s what you’re required to obtain in Wisconsin:
With rates starting as low as $24 to $26 per month for liability-only insurance, USAA and Erie are the cheapest minimum liability providers in the state.
According to data from the FBI arrest figures and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Wisconsin has the 7th-highest DUI arrest rate, with 460 arrests per 100,000 residents.
We analyzed auto insurance providers in Wisconsin based on four main criteria: cost, claims service, customer satisfaction, and coverage options.
Read more about our ratings and methodology.
It’s Now a Buyer’s Market for Auto Insurance, J.D. Power Finds. J.D. Power. (2025, June 10).
https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2025-us-auto-insurance-study
New Report Shows Strength of Wisconsin Manufacturing. WMC. (2025, June 26).
https://www.wmc.org/press-releases/new-report-shows-strength-of-wisconsin-manufacturing/
Rural Population in Wisconsin. America’s Health Rankings. (2025).
https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/measures/pct_rural_b/WI
Wisconsin is tops in nation for ATV/UTV spending. Here’s why new UTVs are driving the growth. Green Bay Press Gazette. (2025, Mar 07).
https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/life/be-wisconsin/2025/03/07/popular-atv-and-utv-use-in-wisconsin-propels-billions-in-spending/79229941007/
U.S. States With the Worst Roads. Construction Coverage. (2025, Sept 04).
https://constructioncoverage.com/research/states-with-the-worst-roads
Background. Supporting an Aging State- University of Wisconsin-Madison. (2025).
https://blogs.extension.wisc.edu/aging/tools/background/
Minimum insurance requirements. State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation. (2025).
https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/license-drvs/rcd-crsh-rpt/Auto-insurance.aspx