“In Pennsylvania, they’re also paying about $500 more a year than what the average Ohio driver is paying,” said Matt Brannon, a senior economic analyst. “So Ohio benefits from having less severe weather.”
Ohio’s 6% decrease in costs in 2025 saved drivers an average $86, according to Insurify. Despite this saving, Ohio auto insurance has still increased 44% since 2021, which is an increase of $953.
Key insights from Insurify’s report:
- The average annual full-coverage premium in Ohio is now $1,368, well below the national average of $2,144.
- On a city level, Dayton-area residents pay $1,462 on average for auto insurance – $94 more than the state average.
- Last year, Ohio auto insurance decreased $86.
- In 2026, Insurify projects Ohio auto rates will stay relatively flat, increasing slightly to an average of $1,377.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
How do insurance carriers land on a rate?
Factors outside of a person’s driving history play into how insurance carriers determine car insurance rates, according to Dan Scroggins, vice president of Personal Lines Insurance at AAA Club Alliance.
“Most carriers are going to create rates based on an individual geographic area, so a state or a part of a state,” Scroggins said.
Such as, how many claims occur in an area over time, as well as how much those claims cost.
Increasing litigation costs over accident claims have been another factor that have driven up car insurance costs, according to Scroggins.
“Litigation funding has had a significant increase in the cost of injury claims, sometimes doubling and tripling what would have been the regular payout,” Scroggins said.
Personal driving records still do play a part in how someone’s individual rate is determined.
“If you have speeding tickets, if you have accidents, those are going to be things that drive your personal cost up, regardless of what the base rate is for that particular carrier in that particular market,” Scroggins said. “But secondly, you need to look at how much you drive and where you drive and who’s listed on the policy.”
Rates will likely increase for families when it’s time to add their teens and young adult drivers to the plan due to their lack of driving experience.
Heavier traffic congestion makes getting around more expensive
City drivers also face higher costs due to cities being more crowded, according to Brannon.
“Higher concentrations of people living in the same place leads to more accidents and more insurance claims, which causes insurers to raise their rates,” Brannon said.
Drivers in Ohio’s cities still pay more than the state average, according to Insurify:
- Cincinnati: $1,607 ($239 more than Ohio average)
- Columbus: $1,669 ($301 more than Ohio average)
- Cleveland: $1,673 ($305 more than Ohio average)
- Toledo: $1,679 ($311 more than Ohio average)
- Akron: $1,557 ($189 more than Ohio average)
- Dayton: $1,462 ($94 more than Ohio average)
While Ohio’s city drivers may pay more than the state average, they still pay less than drivers in other more densely populated states. The average driver in New York pays about $3,019 for car insurance, according to Insurify.
“(Ohio is) also not as dense of an area as some of the other states. If you look at more urbanized states, states where a higher share of people live in big cities, you often see higher car insurance rates in those types of places,” Brannon said.
How to get lower rates
Car insurance experts say combining plans with other forms of coverage can help lower costs.
“Don’t underestimate how much you can save by bundling‚” Brannon said, suggesting people combine their homeowner’s insurance policy or their renter’s policy with their car insurance.
Practicing safe driving, and also driving less in general, can help keep costs lower.
“The thing that is most important to your insurance pricing is having a good safe driving record,” Brannon said. “So drive carefully. Drive less when you can because the less you drive, the less chance you have of getting into an accident.”
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