The Best Car Insurance in Ohio in 2024

Nationwide is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, and is our most affordable provider in the state. In Ohio, a full coverage policy from Nationwide costs approximately $390 less a year than the statewide average of $1,355. Nationwide also offers some of the most affordable minimum coverage rates. In addition to its low rates, Nationwide offers a variety of discounts, including its pay-per-mile program, SmartMiles, which can help customers bring their rates down even further.

Affordable Rates in Ohio

Nationwide’s full coverage rates are the cheapest among our top picks in Ohio. On average, USAA’s minimum coverage is approximately $200 cheaper per year than Nationwide’s. That said, USAA is only available to military members and their immediate families, which makes Nationwide our favorite overall for cheap auto insurance in Ohio.

Good Rates With Poor Credit or a Speeding Ticket

Like most states, Ohio allows insurance companies to consider credit scores when determining auto insurance rates. Individuals with low credit scores pay more for auto insurance. In some cases, poor credit is just as costly as a DUI.

Along with USAA, Nationwide has the lowest rates among our top picks for drivers with poor credit in Ohio.

Nationwide also has some of the best rates for drivers with speeding tickets in Ohio.

Save with SmartMiles

Nationwide offers a usage-based discount through its pay-per-mile program SmartMiles, which makes it a great choice for low-mileage drivers in Ohio. Low mileage drivers may include:

• People who work from home
• Drivers with short commutes
• Households with an extra car driven less frequently
• Retirees

Your savings through SmartMiles will vary depending on how much you drive each month, and you can track your savings online. SmartMiles assigns you a base-rate, as well as a per-mile rate, which is multiplied by the amount of miles you drive. Your monthly premium is determined by adding these two rates together. Customers signed up to SmartMiles can save an additional 10 percent by regularly practicing safe-driving habits.

After you sign up, Nationwide sends a small device to connect to your car that monitors your mileage. You can also opt into SmartMiles using a connected car, which will share your driving information.

USAA is known nationally for its lower than average rates and high levels of customer satisfaction. Ohio is no exception; USAA consistently scores the highest of any provider reviewed in J.D. Power’s Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Study. USAA customers can bring their premium rates down further with USAA’s plentiful discount options. Keep in mind, regardless of the state you live in, USAA is only available to military members and their families.

Strong Customer Service

USAA scores higher than average both in J.D. Power’s Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction study, which is broken down by region, and in its Claims Satisfaction Study. While USAA is technically ineligible to rank due to its limited availability, this suggests that most customers are highly satisfied with USAA’s customer and claims service.

On the less positive side, the CRASH Network Insurer Report Card, which surveys collision repair shops on the practices of insurance companies, rates USAA a D+ overall. This suggests that some customers may not be satisfied with its claims handling process. However, USAA has a higher insurer report card rating of B+ from its direct repair, or “in-network” shops. This suggests customers have better claims experiences when they take their vehicles to a USAA-affiliated shop.²

Discounts Options

USAA offers its customers a broad selection of discounts. The following discounts are available to USAA customers in Ohio:

• Good Driver Discount: Drivers who maintain a clean driving record for more than five years may be eligible for a discount. Customers could also save up to 30 percent with usage-based app USAA SafePilot.
• New Vehicle Discount: Save on your premium if your vehicle is under three years old.
• Anti-Theft Device Discount: Vehicles installed with anti theft devices may cost less to insure.
• Vehicle Storage Discount: Drivers storing their car due to deployment or other reasons may receive up to 60 percent off their comprehensive coverage premiums.
• Loyalty Discount: Customers can save up to 10 percent on their premiums if their parents areUSAA members, through the MyUSAA legacy discount.

Bundling with USAA

USAA doesn’t just sell auto insurance. Customers may be able to save with USAA by bundling with other insurance policies, including:

• Motorcycle
• Motorhome
• ATV and UTV
• Boat
• Classic Car 
• Renters
• Homeowners
• Condo
• Mobile home
• Rental property
• Valuable personal property
• Flood
• Umbrella
• Farm and ranch
• Collectibles
• Windstorm
• High-value home
• Small business
• Commercial auto
• Professional liability
• Life
• Accidental injury
• Travel
• Bicycle and electric bike
• Mobile phone protection
• Aviation

Note that homeowners, renters, and life insurance are typically eligible for bundling, but not every policy type is. Speak to a USAA customer service representative to learn which policies qualify.

Allstate is one of the largest insurance providers in the United States, offering a range of auto policies through its vast network of agents. Its financial stability and local service offerings put it in the top tier of auto insurance providers. Homeowners and renters will enjoy the benefits of bundling since the insurer offers significant discounts. For most people, Allstate can provide affordable minimum or full coverage, which makes it one of our top picks for auto insurance in Ohio.

Local Agents

Allstate works with a network of exclusive agents that operate as small businesses in your local community. There are over 50 agents in Ohio — from Cleveland to Columbus — who can assist you in finding the right amount of insurance based on where you live. Local insurance agents can typically get you lower auto insurance rates, less restrictive policies, better coverage, and fair insurance claims settlements.

Policy Bundling

We identified Allstate as the best auto insurance provider for bundling home and auto insurance. Sixty-six percent of Ohio residents own a home. That rate increased in 2018, 2019, and 2020 before decreasing from 2020 to 2022.³ If you’re looking to decrease both your home and auto insurance rates, Allstate offers a bundling discount of up to 25 percent; this deal also applies to renters and condo owners.

Student Discount

Ohio is home to a number of universities, from large public research institutions like Ohio University and the University of Cincinnati to smaller liberal arts colleges like Kenyon College. Allstate’s flexible student discount gives you three ways to qualify. If you’re unmarried and under age 25, you can apply this discount if you fulfill just one of the following requirements:

1. Attend school at least 100 miles away from home and don’t take your car
2. Maintain a 2.7 GPA or higher
3. Complete the teenSMART driver education course, available to Allstate customers at a discounted rate of $69.95

Liberty Mutual has a robust set of digital tools and lots of discounts to lower your auto insurance premium. One thing we love about the company is its safe driving discount program. Liberty Mutual is a great option for teachers as well because it provides up to $2,500 in reimbursement if teaching materials or school-owned items are stolen while in your car. Discounts for military members, homeowners, and drivers with no violations sweeten the deal for many Ohio drivers looking for cost-effective insurance. Like Direct Auto which specializes in high-risk drivers, Liberty Mutual does offer SR-22s. However, Liberty Mutual does not offer non-owners policies, which is sometimes considered a form of non-standard insurance.

Safe Driving Discount Program

Residents of Ohio can take advantage of Liberty Mutual’s RightTrack program, which monitors driving behavior. (This program is not currently available in all states). You get an initial discount of 10 percent for participating and up to 30 percent after a 90-day tracking period. This program requires you to download the Liberty Mutual Mobile app on your smartphone. The company monitors your driving habits, including braking, acceleration, and nighttime driving. Depending on the amount you drive and your driving habits, Liberty Mutual will adjust your premium.

Liberty’s mobile app allows users to do a variety of other tasks, including:

• Access ID cards
• Pay and manage bills
• File and track claims
• Add drivers
• Access and sign documents electronically
• Talk to Liberty via chat
• Call roadside assistance

Online Tools

Liberty Mutual has robust online tools, and it benefits you to use them. To personalize your auto insurance, you can use Liberty Mutual’s online quote tool. Once you purchase a policy, you can manage it online by creating an account, including updating vehicles/drivers and your coverage. Most importantly, if you purchase your policy online or choose to receive your documents online, you’ll save money with Liberty Mutual’s online purchase and paperless policy discounts.

Liberty Mutual has the highest reviewed app of any provider reviewed here. Direct Auto has the lowest rated app, suggesting customers are less consistently satisfied with its digital tools compared with Liberty Mutual.

Liberty Mutual also scored above average in the Service category of J.D. Power’s 2024 Insurance Digital Experience Study, though USAA, Allstate, and Nationwide scored higher:⁴

High-risk car insurance defines a number of circumstances. Perhaps you were caught driving without insurance in Ohio, or you have a DUI on your record. Direct Auto offers reasonable rates for high-risk drivers, who often pay more than drivers with a clean record for the same coverage. Though Direct Auto does not make their regional pricing data available, the company’s national average annual rate of $4,128 is higher than those of standard insurers. Still, if you have a bad driving record, bad credit, or insurance gaps, then it is still a good bet. Direct Auto also offers discounts geared toward teen drivers, seniors, and other demographic groups who tend to have higher premiums.

Teen Drivers

The cost of auto insurance for teens is very expensive due to higher fatality and crash rates. On average, car insurance for teens costs $3,571 annually, which is 258 percent higher than the national average annual auto insurance cost of $2,071.

Like Liberty Mutual and Nationwide, Direct Auto offers a number of discounts geared toward making auto insurance for young drivers more affordable: driver training, good driving habits, good student, and multi-car/family. Students with a B average or higher (minimum 3.0 GPA) can save up to 10 percent on car insurance, as can drivers under age 21 who complete a state-approved driver education course.

We identified Direct Auto as the best auto insurance for teens in multi-car households. Teens who drive separately from their parents or plan to buy a car get a nice discount. When you add a teen driver at the same time as a new car to an existing Direct Auto insurance policy, you may be eligible for a 25 percent discount.

Flexible Payment

Direct Auto offers more flexible payment options than most providers. You can choose:

• The day of the month you make your payment
• How often you’ll pay (in full or in installments)
• To make a down payment to lower your monthly costs
• The manner in which you pay your premium: cash at a Direct Auto location, online, or automatic payments

Non-Owner Insurance

High-risk and non-owner insurance often overlap. Perhaps you’re a new driver who got your license to drive rental cars or establish residence, or you caused an accident in a borrowed car. Non-owner insurance provides coverage if you’re driving a car you don’t own.

High-risk drivers can purchase non-owner insurance from Direct Auto, which will handle filing an SR-22 if you need one. These filings are needed after a DUI or other serious moving violation as proof of insurance. Direct Auto offers bodily injury liability, property damage liability, medical payments, and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.