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State Farm, Geico, Travelers, Progressive and Allstate offer the best car insurance in New York based on our review of popular providers in the state
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Daniel is a MarketWatch Guides team writer and has written for numerous automotive news sites and marketing firms across the U.S., U.K., and Australia, specializing in auto finance and car care topics. Daniel is a MarketWatch Guides team authority on auto insurance, loans, warranty options, auto services and more.
Rashawn Mitchner is a MarketWatch Guides team editor with over 10 years of experience covering personal finance, loans, insurance and warranty topics.
Companies with the best car insurance in New York offer a broad range of coverage options at affordable rates. We at the MarketWatch Guides Team will take an in-depth look at each of the top five insurers in New York, which will include information about customer satisfaction and industry reputation.
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Our research found that State Farm offers the best car insurance in New York. While reviewing the top auto insurers in the state, we found that Geico, Travelers, Progressive and Allstate are also excellent choices for car insurance in New York.
We compared costs, customer satisfaction, reputation and coverage options to determine which companies offered the best auto insurance in New York.
*Our research team considers nationwide factors when rating providers. The ranking order of providers in this table is specific to car insurance in New York.
To determine customer satisfaction with the top insurers, our team referred to our August 2022 car insurance satisfaction study, in which we polled nearly 7,000 drivers. We also looked at how industry studies rated each provider, compiling information from:
In the sections below, we’ll cover each of the top insurance providers in New York.
J.D. Power score: 831/1,000
AM Best financial strength rating: A++
BBB rating: A+
Our in-depth review determined that State Farm is the best car insurance choice for New York drivers. The company is known for having low rates — its average full-coverage policy costs about 14% less than the national average.
State Farm also offers many discounts and telematics insurance programs to keep costs down. Drivers under 25 can enroll in Steer Clear® and save on their premiums. State Farm’s Drive Safe & Save™ usage-based program also helps policyholders get discounted rates.
Our review team reached out to State Farm for a comment on its mixed customer reviews but did not receive a response.
According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), State Farm is the largest car insurance provider in the country. The company offers full-coverage car insurance, which includes bodily injury liability coverage and property damage liability coverage. Full-coverage policies from State Farm also typically include:
State Farm also offers quite a few additional auto insurance coverage options, which include:
State Farm usually ranks well above average in J.D. Power consumer studies. In the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Auto Insurance Study℠, the company ranked in second place for overall customer satisfaction in New York, beating the regional average by nine points. State Farm also earned the highest score among large insurers in the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Insurance Shopping Study℠, with 885 out of 1,000 points.
In our August 2022 survey, over 19% of respondents had State Farm car insurance policies. The popular insurer received a 4.2-star rating out of 5.0 for overall customer satisfaction, matching the survey’s average.
Read more: State Farm insurance review
J.D. Power score: 829/1,000
AM Best financial strength rating: A++
BBB rating: A+
After State Farm, Geico is the second-largest auto insurer in the nation, holding 14.31% of the market share in 2021. Based on our research, Geico tends to be one of the cheapest car insurance companies in the nation. Its full-coverage insurance policies cost an average of $109 per month or $1,308 per year, making them about 24% cheaper than the national average.
The company is also known for its high coverage limits and significant number of discounts. These savings include reduced rates for good students, new car owners and good drivers.
Geico offers the six standard types of car insurance that generally make up full-coverage auto insurance policies. In addition, the company offers useful add-ons that include:
Geico has excellent financial strength, as evidenced by its AM Best rating. The company’s high rating from the BBB and its high score in the J.D. Power Auto Insurance Study show its commitment to customer service.
Sixteen percent of respondents in our 2022 survey reported having Geico insurance policies. Those policyholders gave Geico an average of 4.1 out of 5.0 stars for customer satisfaction.
Read more: Geico insurance review
J.D. Power score: 822/1,000
AM Best financial strength rating: A++
BBB rating: A
Travelers has good standing in the car insurance industry thanks to its lower-than-average rates and swift response to claims. Customers also value Travelers’ many savings opportunities. One is the Early Quote discount, which reduces your rate if you get a quote from Travelers before your policy with another insurer expires.
Our review team reached out to Travelers for a comment on its low customer ratings but did not receive a response.
In addition to the standard insurance types that make up a full-coverage policy, Travelers has optional coverages that include the following:
Despite its high ratings from AM Best and the BBB, Travelers has mixed scores in J.D. Power studies. In the regional J.D. Power Auto Insurance Study, Travelers matched the industry average for overall customer satisfaction in New York. The company ranked last in customer satisfaction among large insurers in the J.D. Power Insurance Shopping Study, earning 853 out of 1,000 possible points.
Only around 1.5% of respondents in our 2022 car insurance survey reported having Travelers policies. But those who did expressed high satisfaction with the company, giving it a 4.2-star rating out of 5.0.
Read more: Travelers insurance review
J.D. Power score: 811/1,000
AM Best financial strength rating: A+
BBB rating: F
Progressive is the third-largest auto insurance company on the market. This provider is a good choice for high-risk drivers, so New York drivers with at-fault accidents, recent speeding tickets or DUIs in their driving history may find affordable rates with Progressive.
Progressive offers accident forgiveness, both large and small. New Progressive policyholders automatically get small accident forgiveness, which keeps their insurance rates the same if their claim doesn’t exceed $500.
Like all large insurers, Progressive provides the standard auto insurance coverage types and some add-on options. These include:
Progressive often ranks below average in J.D. Power consumer studies. The company scored 11 points under New York’s regional average in the J.D. Power Auto Insurance Study. Progressive also scored lower than average for large insurers in the J.D. Power Insurance Shopping Study, earning 859 points out of 1,000.
Our review team reached out to Progressive for a comment on these scores and its BBB rating but did not receive a response.
Despite Progressive’s low industry ratings, it was the second-most popular car insurance provider in our consumer survey. About 17% of participants said they had Progressive policies, and they gave the insurer an average customer satisfaction rating of 4.1 out of 5.0 stars.
Read more: Progressive insurance review
J.D. Power score: 810/1,000
AM Best financial strength rating: A+
BBB rating: A+
According to the NAIC, Allstate is the fourth-largest car insurance provider in the country. The company has a claim satisfaction guarantee that will credit up to six months of insurance premiums if you’re not satisfied with how the company handles your claim. The Allstate Rewards® program encourages good driving habits by offering gift cards and shopping rewards through a points system.
Beyond the six standard types of car insurance coverage, Allstate offers many additional coverage options and discount programs. These include:
Allstate also offers Extended Vehicle Care, a service contract program with three coverage tiers that are similar to extended warranties. These tiers help cover the costs of mechanical breakdowns. Additionally, the company’s Deductible Rewards® program reduces your deductible for each year you go without a car accident.
Allstate tends to score below average in consumer studies. The company received New York’s second-lowest score in the J.D. Power Auto Insurance Study. But Allstate fared a little better in the J.D. Power Insurance Shopping Study, earning 854 out of 1,000 points, which placed it nine points below the industry average.
Our review team reached out to Allstate for a comment on these scores but did not receive a response.
About 9% of participants in our 2022 car insurance survey said they had Allstate policies. They were generally satisfied with the company, rating it 4.1 out of 5.0 stars on average.
Read more: Allstate insurance review
If you start shopping for coverage with a few key things in mind, finding the best car insurance in New York shouldn’t be too hard. Here are a few tips for finding the best rates in New York.
Before you start looking for car coverage, know the state minimum car insurance requirements. The minimum coverage required by the state of New York is:
New York is a no-fault state, which means your insurance company will pay your medical bills and cover lost wages regardless of who’s at fault for an accident.
There are certain things you should consider before getting car insurance quotes and purchasing coverage from an insurance agent. Where you live and who you’re insuring will play big roles in determining what types of coverage you get and how much of each you’ll need.
For example, if you live in an area of New York that gets blizzards each winter, consider buying comprehensive coverage to protect your car from potential weather-related damage. Comprehensive insurance also protects drivers who live in cities with high rates of auto theft.
Teen drivers are more likely to get into car accidents, so if you want to insure your teen driver’s car, PIP insurance will take care of any injuries that happen. Collision insurance will cover damages to your teen’s vehicle.
Lenders and lessors often require more car insurance coverage than the state of New York does. If you’re financing or leasing your vehicle, you may have to purchase a full-coverage policy.
Based on data from Quadrant Information Services, the average cost of a full-coverage auto insurance policy in New York is $232 per month or $2,783 per year. This is about 61% more expensive than the national average of $1,730 per year. These averages are for a married 35-year-old driver with a good credit score and a clean driving record.
Car insurance costs vary throughout New York state. Here’s a list of average rates for full-coverage policies for a 35-year-old driver in 18 New York cities.
*Car insurance averages by city are based on the three most popular providers per location.
When you’re looking for the best cheap car insurance, ask insurers about available discounts. Here are some of the most common car insurance discounts in New York.
Most major car insurance companies offer savings of at least 10% to students who maintain a B grade average or above. Since car insurance premiums are often highest for young drivers, find out whether you or your teen driver qualifies for this discount.
To encourage drivers to take as many safety precautions as possible, many providers offer price breaks to car owners who install anti-theft devices like car alarms and glass-break sensors.
Large insurance companies often have millions of policies. Printing materials and bills for each policy adds up, so many providers have started offering discounts to customers who choose to go paperless and set up automatic payments online.
The best car insurance companies in New York are State Farm, Geico, Travelers, Progressive and Allstate. Each was rated well in our 2022 car insurance survey, and they all have high financial strength scores from AM Best. These five providers also offer a wide range of insurance coverage options on top of numerous discounts.
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Here are some frequently asked questions about the best car insurance in New York.
A full-coverage car insurance policy in New York costs $232 per month on average, while minimum liability insurance in New York averages $123 per month. This is based on rate data from Quadrant Information Services.
In New York, the best car insurance comes from State Farm, Geico, Travelers, Progressive and Allstate. These companies offer some of the best rates and many coverage options for New York drivers.
To legally drive in New York state, you’ll need to carry the minimum liability limits of:
According to our data, the city of Fairport has the cheapest full-coverage car insurance in New York on average. A policy in Fairport, N.Y., costs an average of $101 per month or $1,211 per year.
Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best car insurance companies. We collected data on dozens of auto insurance providers to grade the companies on a wide range of ranking factors. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the insurers that scored the most points topping the list.
Here are the factors our ratings take into account:
Our credentials:
*Data accurate at time of publication.
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