The words “affordable” and “auto insurance” really shouldn’t be used together, especially when shopping around for the lowest insurance rates for postal workers. To help control this cost, let’s familiarize you with some situations that help determine car insurance rates, and see how we can help you cut the cost of the next policy you buy.
For postal employees, one of the more important factors that determine car insurance rates is the neighborhood you call home in Chicago. Regions with more people or even just more weather-related claims tend to have higher rates, whereas areas that tend to be more rural benefit from having to pay less for coverage.
The following table ranks the most expensive areas in Illinois for postal workers to buy auto insurance in. Chicago is ranked #1 costing $1,544 for coverage, which is around $129 monthly.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chicago | $1,544 |
| 2 | Cicero | $1,526 |
| 3 | Berwyn | $1,406 |
| 4 | Skokie | $1,405 |
| 5 | Des Plaines | $1,286 |
| 6 | Evanston | $1,276 |
| 7 | Oak Lawn | $1,269 |
| 8 | Orland Park | $1,184 |
| 9 | Joliet | $1,180 |
| 10 | Waukegan | $1,176 |
| 11 | Mount Prospect | $1,169 |
| 12 | Tinley Park | $1,166 |
| 13 | Palatine | $1,155 |
| 14 | Elgin | $1,139 |
| 15 | Schaumburg | $1,123 |
| 16 | Rockford | $1,119 |
| 17 | Bolingbrook | $1,116 |
| 18 | Arlington Heights | $1,106 |
| 19 | Peoria | $1,082 |
| 20 | Springfield | $1,070 |
| 21 | Aurora | $1,043 |
| 22 | Decatur | $1,024 |
| 23 | Naperville | $1,022 |
| 24 | Bloomington | $971 |
| 25 | Champaign | $962 |
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Rate quotes are approximated as the specific zip code location can influence coverage rates noticeably.
Finding cheap insurance is not most people’s favorite thing to do, and figuring out which company offers the most affordable insurance rates for postal workers involves more quotes for comparison. Each auto insurance company uses a different method to establish rates, so we’ll take a look at the insurance companies with the most affordable rates in Illinois.
Best Auto Insurance Prices for USPS Employees
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Hartford | $769 |
| 2 | Rockford Mutual | $822 |
| 3 | Titan | $860 |
| 4 | Erie | $914 |
| 5 | Cincinnati Insurance | $915 |
| 6 | USAA | $959 |
| 7 | Travelers | $961 |
| 8 | SECURA | $965 |
| 9 | State Farm | $972 |
| 10 | Utica National | $984 |
| 11 | Safeco | $1,063 |
| 12 | Auto-Owners | $1,064 |
| 13 | Amica | $1,076 |
| 14 | GEICO | $1,085 |
| 15 | California Casualty | $1,161 |
| 16 | Farmers | $1,170 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,185 |
| 18 | MetLife | $1,207 |
| 19 | Progressive | $1,243 |
| 20 | State Auto | $1,273 |
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The Hartford has some of the lowest car insurance rates in Chicago at around $769 per year. This is $580 less than the average policy premium paid by Illinois drivers of $1,349. Rockford Mutual, Titan, Erie, and Cincinnati Insurance also rank well as some of the cheapest Chicago, IL insurance companies.
As the example above demonstrates, if you are currently insured with Rockford Mutual and switched to The Hartford, you could earn an annual premium reduction of in the neighborhood of $53. Insureds with Titan may save as much as $91 a year, and Erie insureds might reduce rates by $145 a year.
To find cheaper insurance rates for your vehicle, click here or feel free to get quotes from the companies below.
Understand that those policy prices are averaged across all types of insureds and vehicles and and are not calculated with a specific location for postal workers. So the auto insurance company that can offer you the best price may not even be in the top 36 companies in the list above. That’s why you need to get quotes using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
The car, truck, or SUV you are buying coverage for is one of the largest considerations when shopping for affordable car insurance for postal workers. Vehicles with high performance features, poor crash test ratings, or a high likelihood of having liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than more modest models. The information below presents auto insurance rates for the cheaper vehicles to insure.
| Insured Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $2,091 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Regular Cab 2WD | $2,250 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $2,295 |
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $2,344 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $2,422 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $2,429 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $2,422 |
| Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan | $2,506 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $2,548 |
| Toyota Corolla LE | $2,556 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 2WD | $2,629 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $2,724 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $2,740 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport Islander Package 4WD 2-Dr | $2,753 |
| Toyota Camry Hybrid | $2,769 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LS Crew Cab 2WD | $2,778 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS AWD | $2,776 |
| GMC Sierra SLE Regular Cab 2WD | $2,783 |
| Toyota Prius | $2,782 |
| Dodge Ram Crew Cab Laramie 2WD | $2,815 |
| Compare Cheap Rates Go | |
Prices based on single female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Illinois minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Price estimates do not factor in vehicle location which can revise coverage rates substantially.
Looking at the data, we can expect makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Ford F-150, and Dodge Grand Caravan are a few of the less-costly vehicles to insure for postal employees.
Choosing a good quality car insurance company can be challenging considering how many different companies insure vehicles in Illinois. The information shown below can help you choose which coverage providers you want to consider comparing rate quotes with. These rankings are only comprised of the largest companies in America, so companies that may only write in Illinois are not included in these rankings.
Top 10 Major Auto Insurers Overall in Chicago
- USAA
- 21st Century
- GEICO
- Nationwide
- AAA Insurance
- Liberty Mutual
- Safeco Insurance
- State Farm
- Travelers
- American Family
Full coverage or liability only
Reducing premiums for insurance is important to the majority of vehicle owners, and one good way to find cheaper insurance for postal workers is to only buy liability coverage. The illustration below illustrates the difference between insurance costs with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The rates are based on no claims or driving violations, $500 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are applied.
If we average the cost for all age groups, full coverage costs $1,674 per year more than carrying just liability coverage. That is a big expense that brings up the question when is the right time to remove full coverage. There is no specific rule of when to drop physical damage insurance, but there is a broad guideline. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than about 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
Impact of careless driving on Chicago insurance rates
One of the best ways to snag the best insurance prices in Chicago for postal employees is to be an attentive driver and avoid accidents and violations. The information below illustrates how violations and at-fault fender-benders drive up insurance costs for different age categories. The premiums are based on a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.
The data in the chart shows the average cost of car insurance in Chicago per year with no accidents and a clean driving record is $1,440. Add in one speeding ticket and the average cost hikes up to $1,675, an increase of $235 each year. Then throw in one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the yearly cost of insurance for postal workers goes up to an average of $2,342. That’s an increase of $901, or $75 per month, just for not being more responsible behind the wheel!
The importance of shopping around
Chicago, IL insurance rates are impacted by many factors which can substantially decrease or increase the price you have to pay for coverage. Simply turning a year older, adding a teenager to your policy, or getting into an accident can trigger rate changes resulting in some rates now being more affordable than competitors.
Not only may your risk profile change, but companies modify pricing as often as every three months to adjust for heavy claims or excess profits. Heavier than normal losses can cause more expensive premiums, while lower claim expenses can cause more affordable Chicago car insurance rates.
The data below shows rates for the cheapest car insurance in Chicago, IL for a 40-year-old female driver with a clean driving record, no accidents, and a high credit rating. When comparing rates based on her current risk factors, The Hartford has the best car insurance rates in Chicago at $1,260 per year. This is $89 less than the average policy premium paid by Illinois drivers of $1,349. Rockford Mutual, Titan, Erie, and Cincinnati Insurance are the rest of the cheapest Chicago, IL auto insurance companies.
In this example, we will give the driver in the first example a couple of claims, slightly worse credit, and a blemish on her driving record. Due to the fact that every insurance company has their own guidelines to establish rates, comparing prices may now result in a different set of the cheapest Chicago car insurance companies as shown below.
USAA now has the best price on car insurance in Chicago, IL with Travelers, State Farm, SECURA, and Auto-Owners completing the list. This example shows why drivers need to do a thorough rate comparison to get the lowest auto insurance rates for postal workers. Car insurance prices can be altered by many things and can decrease or increase without notice, so the best option the last time you shopped your coverage around may now be an over-priced policy.