Cheapest Auto Insurance in Columbus, Ohio (2024)

Car insurance in Columbus costs $138 per month, which is slightly more than the statewide average of $114 per month but slightly less than the monthly nationwide average of $160.

Columbus is the most populous city in Ohio, which likely contributes to its higher car insurance rates. 

Here’s what you should know about comparing car insurance quotes and finding a policy with the best rate in Columbus.

3 of the cheapest car insurance companies in Columbus

Car insurance rates vary widely in Columbus. Your rates will depend on your unique situation and coverage needs, but the three insurers below are a good place to start your search.

Best insurer for teen drivers: State Farm

Best insurer for drivers with a speeding ticket: Erie

Best insurer for drivers with a DUI: Auto-Owners

How to get the cheapest car insurance in Columbus

“Every driver would benefit from an insurance review from a local insurance agent to determine the appropriate coverage limits for them,” says Eric Fisher, agent and owner of Outdoor AdvINSURE, an Ohio insurance brokerage.

You should also consider how factors like your credit score, driving record, when and where you drive, where you keep your car, and the car itself affect your rates.^[1]

Next, compare quotes from a few different Columbus insurance companies. Rate trends might be consistent from one company to the next, but the rates themselves vary widely.

Here are some ways to save money and lower your premiums:

• Increase your deductible.

• Purchase multiple policies from the same insurance company.

• Improve your credit score.

• Apply for discounts.

• Avoid speeding and other risky driving behaviors.

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Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Columbus: Mile Auto

Liability-only car insurance is the minimum coverage most states require. It covers you if you cause an accident that injures passengers, other drivers, or pedestrians or damages their property.^[2]

While bodily injury and property damage liability coverage won’t cover your own injuries or property damage in a crash you cause, it protects your assets against lawsuits by the people who suffered injuries or damage.

Liability insurance in Columbus costs $92 per month, on average. The companies listed below offer the cheapest car insurance policies for drivers looking for liability-only coverage in Columbus.

Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Columbus: Mile Auto

Full-coverage car insurance means you have liability coverage as well as physical damage coverage for your vehicle. It includes collision and comprehensive coverages for damage from both collision and noncollision events.^[2]

“A driver who finances a vehicle or has a lease must carry physical damage coverage on their vehicle,” says Fisher. “Otherwise, the coverage is optional.”

Columbus drivers pay a monthly average of $184 for full coverage-insurance. The following companies offer some of the cheapest average quotes available for full coverage.

Car insurance requirements in Ohio

Ohio is a tort state, which means the insurer for the person at fault in an accident pays for the resulting damages. Ohio car insurance laws mandate the types and amount of insurance you must carry.^[3]

Minimum insurance requirements don’t always provide enough coverage to protect a driver fully.

“A person could have state-minimum liability coverage along with physical damage coverage and have full coverage, when in fact they have very poor coverage because of their low liability limits,” says Fisher.

Optional auto insurance coverage can help fill those gaps. Consider purchasing the following coverages in addition to liability coverage:

• 

  Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage

  Uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance covers your injuries if you’re in an accident caused by a driver who doesn’t have liability coverage or doesn’t have enough liability coverage.

• 

  Medical payments coverage

  MedPay covers medical expenses for you and your passengers, up to certain limits, for injuries you suffer in an accident, regardless of who’s at fault.

• 

  Roadside assistance coverage

  Roadside assistance covers you if your car breaks down on the side of the road and you need assistance or towing services.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident

An incident is an event that might affect your car insurance price. It could mean an at-fault accident, but not always. Moving violations, such as speeding tickets and DUIs, also affect your premiums because they indicate to the insurer that you’re more likely to file a claim.

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Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket: Mile Auto

Speeding was a contributing factor in 29% of all traffic fatalities in 2021, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.^[4] Insurance companies raise prices for drivers who have been caught speeding, but you can still get a good quote.

Columbus drivers with a speeding ticket pay $137 per month for liability coverage and $274 per month for full coverage. In the table below, you can see how rates compare for drivers with a clean record and drivers with speeding tickets.

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

Any kind of accident can result in a rate increase, but at-fault accidents have the strongest effect on your premiums. Liability insurance for Columbus drivers with an accident on their record costs $140 per month, on average.

The following insurers offer the lowest quotes for drivers with accidents on their driving record.

Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI: Hugo

Of all the incidents likely to increase your car insurance costs, DUIs typically have the most effect.^[5] A DUI typically doubles your premium if you’re insured in Columbus, no matter what company you use. Columbus drivers with a DUI pay an average of $159 per month for minimum coverage. That average increases to $317 per month for full coverage.

The following insurers offer the cheapest quotes for drivers with DUIs in Columbus.

Cheapest car insurance for seniors: Hugo

Conventional wisdom says young drivers are riskier drivers, and that’s true, to a point. Teens pay high premiums that gradually decrease until about age 35. But prices begin to climb again once a driver reaches age 70. Still, senior drivers pay less than the average driver, according to Insurify data.

Senior drivers in Columbus pay an average of $62 per month for liability insurance. Explore rates for senior drivers in the table below.

Cheapest car insurance for teens: State Farm

Teen drivers pay higher car insurance rates than other age groups, with premiums 45% to 50% higher than average in Columbus. Their youth and lack of experience behind the wheel make them riskier for insurance companies to insure, which often results in higher prices.

Teen drivers in Columbus pay monthly averages of $164 for liability coverage and $328 for full coverage.

Despite the higher averages, insurance companies provide teens with various ways to reduce their costs, including staying on their parents’ insurance policies, driving an inexpensive car, and keeping their grades up to earn a good student discount.^[6]

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Columbus car insurance quotes by credit tier

Ohio doesn’t allow insurance companies to use credit-based insurance scores as the sole factor in setting premiums. But they can use credit as one of the factors when evaluating how risky you are to insure.^[7]

As you can see in the chart below, higher credit scores correlate with lower premiums, while drivers with bad credit scores typically pay higher premiums.

Is car insurance more expensive in Columbus?

Location is a major factor in how much you pay for insurance. Premiums vary from one ZIP code to the next, based on crime and accident rates, for example.

Columbus drivers pay more than the national average for car insurance. And they pay more than residents of most other Ohio cities Insurify looked at — Canton in particular. But you’ll pay less in Columbus than if you lived in Toledo.

More cities in Ohio

Here’s a look at the average monthly quotes for popular cities in Ohio and how they compare to Columbus’s average.

Columbus car insurance FAQs