Best car insurance companies in Iowa
The cheapest company for you might differ from others.
That’s because car insurance companies have different ways of pricing policies and offering discounts that can help bring your own cost down. Here’s a glimpse into several of the most common insurers in Iowa to help you zero in on which options might be best for you.
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Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 50-plus partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Best car insurance overall in Iowa: USAA
If you’re a military member or related to one, USAA is one of your best options for car insurance due to its low rates, extremely high rate of satisfied customers, and high financial stability rating.
USAA is a particularly good choice if you prefer to handle your finances online — especially if you want to combine all your bank, investment, and insurance accounts with one institution.
USAA has an Insurify Quality (IQ) Score of 4.5 out of 5, with an average monthly premium of $66 for Iowa residents opting for a full-coverage plan.
Pros
Full-service financial firm
Offers military-specific discounts
Highest J.D. Power customer satisfaction rating in its region
Cons
Gap coverage not available
Only five branch locations
Only available for military members and their families
Best cheap car insurance in Iowa: State Farm
State Farm is the largest car insurance company in the country, making it exceptionally financially stable, with an A++ rating from A.M. Best. It also channels that money into a positive experience, as the company ranked fourth in the region for customer service by J.D. Power. It’s also one of the best options if you prefer digital tools, since its app is highly rated.
State Farm charges an average monthly premium of $66 for Iowa residents, and it has an IQ Score of 4.4.
Pros
Mobile app has high ratings
Lowest rates, on average, in Iowa
High J.D. Power customer satisfaction ratings
Cons
Coverage for aftermarket upgrades not available
Higher-than-average rates for people with bad credit
Doesn’t offer gap coverage for auto loans made outside of State Farm Bank
Best for affordability in Iowa: American Family
American Family is the second-cheapest car insurance option in Iowa, with premiums costing an average of $57 per month. With an IQ Score of 4.3, it’s also a great value, too. While it’s available in Iowa, keep in mind it’s not available in most states — an important consideration if you plan to move.
The company also offers a Diminishing Deductible option for an additional cost. This lowers your deductible by $100 each year you renew without filing a claim. Unlike other insurers, there are no limits to how much your deductible can go down, even to $0.
Pros
17 discount options available
Diminishing Deductible program can reduce your deductible to $0
Second-highest J.D. Power ranking for customer satisfaction in its region
Cons
Available in only 19 states
Relatively poor mobile app ratings
Lower financial strength rating than many other insurers
Best car insurance for commuters in Iowa: Travelers
Not surprisingly, Travelers offers a couple of good features for people who commute to work. Commuting can take many forms, and for people without a car who rely on public transportation but occasionally drive a vehicle, Travelers’ nonowner insurance is a good option.
Commuters who drive long distances are increasingly switching to electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrids due to their low fuel costs. If that’s you, you’ll appreciate Travelers’ discounts for these green vehicles. Travelers also received a relatively high IQ Score of 4.3, with the average monthly premium costing $97 for full-coverage insurance.
Pros
High financial stability rating
Offers nonowner insurance policies
Offers discounts for EVs and hybrids
Cons
Relatively low bundling discount
Rideshare coverage not available in Iowa
Slightly below-average customer service ratings
Best car insurance for families in Iowa: Allstate
If your family includes teenagers, you’ll appreciate Allstate’s teenSMART interactive online training program designed to help younger drivers develop better driving skills. They’ll get a discount for completing the course, and more than a dozen other discount options are available. Allstate also has a relatively good IQ Score of 4.1, with average monthly premiums of $70 for full coverage.
Pros
Claims satisfaction guarantee
Offers coverage for trips to Mexico
Many discount options for teen drivers
Cons
Rates are a bit on the high side
Poor J.D. Power customer satisfaction ratings
Higher-than-normal amount of customer complaints
Best car insurance for students in Iowa: Farmers
Many insurers offer student discounts, but Farmers has some exceptionally good offerings. Students younger than 25 can qualify for discounts if they share a family car, get good grades, or leave their car at home while attending school. And students whose parents or grandparents use Farmers can qualify for a discount when they split from their parents’ policy for the first time.
The average Farmers monthly premium costs $80 for full-coverage insurance, and Farmers maintains an IQ Score of 3.8.
Pros
Many different optional coverages available
Very low amount of customer complaints
Many discounts for younger drivers
Best car insurance for farmers in Iowa: State Auto
State Auto is one of the best options for Iowa’s many farmers because, in addition to personal car insurance, it also offers a wide range of options to completely protect your farm and ranch, including all the structures, materials, and vehicles. It even offers umbrella coverage for your operation.
State Auto is unique because it offers three basic auto insurance plans to choose from, with benefits increasing along each tier. You’re free to add or drop coverages within these plans as you need. The average cost for a full-coverage auto insurance policy through State Auto is $231 per month, and the company has a somewhat-lower IQ Score of 3.8.
Pros
Offers three customizable plan options
Full range of options for farm and ranch insurance
Telematics program offers up to 50% off rates at renewal
Cons
Quotes not available online
Very high customer complaint volume
Very high premiums compared to other insurers
Best car insurance for seniors in Iowa: Safeco
Iowa senior homeowners will appreciate Safeco’s single-loss deductible policy. If your home and car are damaged at the same time, such as in a storm, Safeco will allow you to file a claim for both with just one deductible, potentially saving you a lot of money.
Additionally, Safeco offers insurance options for golf carts and other “low-speed vehicles,” if you use these handy options for getting around. Safeco is relatively affordable, too, costing an average of $132 per month for full coverage ($61 per month for a liability-only policy). Insurify gives it an IQ Score of 3.8.
Cons
Policies only available through an agent
Relatively basic suite of coverage options
Relatively low J.D. Power customer satisfaction rating
Best car insurance for small-business owners in Iowa: Nationwide
Nationwide offers more specialized business insurance coverages than most of its competitors, allowing you to get the exact coverage you need without paying extra. In addition to the common general liability and errors and omissions coverage, Nationwide also offers specific coverage for different industries, such as restaurants, contractors, and auto repair shops.
Although Nationwide was rated dead last in terms of customer satisfaction by J.D. Power for the region, it does have an IQ Score of 4.1. The average cost of a full-coverage policy for personal car insurance is $121 per month.
Pros
Mileage-based insurance plan option
Lower-than-average volume of complaints
Extensive list of business insurance options
How Insurify’s experts used internal proprietary data to rate the top auto insurers
Data scientists at Insurify analyzed more than 40 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partner providers across the United States to compile the car insurance quotes, statistics, and data visualizations displayed on this page.
The car insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers' vehicles, driving records, and demographic information. Quotes for Allstate, Farmers, GEICO, State Farm, and USAA are estimates based on Quadrant Information Service’s database of auto insurance rates.
With these insights, Insurify is able to offer drivers insight into how companies price their car insurance premiums. The data included on this page represents averages across all driver ages, gender, credit scores, and driver profiles for Iowa drivers.