But not all insurance providers in New York charge the same rates. As insurance costs continue to rise in 2024, finding the right company for cheap insurance coverage should be a priority for all New York drivers.

Jerry’s

editorial team analyzed thousands of real car insurance quotes from drivers throughout New York State and conducted a nationwide study of drivers to find out which insurance companies are best meeting drivers’ needs in the Empire State. Here’s what we found.

Best New York car insurance company overall: Travelers

Best company for customer service: Progressive

Cheapest car insurance company in New York: Kemper

Best claims handling in New York: Plymouth Rock

The best car insurance companies in New York

In a survey of over 300 real drivers in New York State, nine auto insurance companies emerged as the best providers overall. The scores below show overall ratings for each insurance company based on a combination of factors, including:

The cost of coverage, as determined by analyzing thousands of real insurance quotes.

Customer service, as scored by real drivers and reflected in complaint indexes from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

Claims handling, as scored by real drivers and reflected in AM Best financial strength ratings, which measure a company’s ability to pay back claims.

Insurance company	Overall rating
Travelers	4.9
Kemper	4.8
Plymouth Rock	4.6
Safeco	4.5
Progressive	4.4
Allstate	4.3
Nationwide	4.2
State Farm	4.0
GEICO	3.8

Travelers emerged as the overall top pick in our survey of policyholders, scoring 4.7 or higher in every category (the only company to do so). With offices across the state for auto, homeowners, business, and renters insurance, Travelers offers consistently low rates with a high standard for customer service and superior financial strength.

"Travelers has been great. Our rate has not increased over the past year and they’ve been very quick to get a hold of if I have had any questions. We purchased a new car and Travelers made the process seamless compared to what I used to deal with when we were with Geico."

Travis P.

| Verified Jerry Customer

Cheapest car insurance company in New York: Kemper

The cost of car insurance in New York depends in part on your driver profile, including your

New York driving record

, your age, and your credit score. But across all driver profiles, certain companies offer cheaper rates to drivers in New York.

To determine the cheapest car insurance providers in New York, we analyzed real insurance quotes from dozens of the state’s top providers and identified nine companies that come in under the statewide average. The table below shows average monthly insurance rates for New York’s cheapest auto insurers.

Insurance company	Full coverage	Minimum coverage
Kemper	$118	$78
GEICO	$143	$66
Travelers	$144	$85
Nationwide	$154	$93
Safeco	$154	$87
State Farm	$166	$95
Plymouth Rock	$188	$92
Progressive	$204	$102
Allstate	$228	$119
State average	$211	$122

Kemper emerged as the cheapest provider in our study, with full coverage rates 44% lower than the state average and minimum coverage rates 36% lower. Kemper also scored well in the areas of customer service and claims handling, making them a strong pick for drivers in New York.

"Great company, their support is very responsive and their rates are very nice!"

Ahmed L.

| Verified Jerry Customer

Best car insurance company in New York for customer service: Progressive

To measure customer satisfaction in New York insurance companies, we looked at two metrics:

Real customer ratings gathered from a survey of over 300 drivers in New York State. Scores ranged from 1 (very poor service) to 5 (excellent service).

NAIC complaint indexes, which measure the number of official complaints the National Association of Insurance Commissioners received about a particular company (1 is the industry average; a lower number is better. The most recent data is from 2022, and we narrowed it down by only looking at complaints related to private passenger auto insurance.

Insurance company	Customer service rating	NAIC index
Progressive	4.5	0.98
Nationwide	4.2	0.78
Travelers	4.9	1.50
State Farm	4.1	0.75
Allstate	4.3	1.02
GEICO	3.9	0.75
Safeco	4.0	1.24
Plymouth Rock	4.3	1.64
Kemper	4.8	2.16

Progressive came out on top in the area of customer service, with a high rating from real customers and a below-average NAIC complaint index. In other words, Progressive not only logs fewer official complaints from customers, but actual policyholders report that customer service is helpful, easy to access, and efficient.

"Amazing service! Friendly service! 24 hour availability and always polite I recommended progressive "

Gabriel B.

| Verified Jerry Customer

Best car insurance company in New York for claims handling: Travelers

To find the car insurance companies best equipped to deal with claims, we looked at two factors:

Real customer ratings from our statewide survey, which reflect real drivers’ experiences filing claims with each company.

AM Best financial strength ratings, which measure a company’s ability to reliably pay out on claims.

Carrier	Claims handling score	AM Best Rating
Travelers	5.0	A++ (Superior)
Plymouth Rock	5.0	A- (Excellent)
Kemper	5.0	A- (Excellent)
Safeco	4.5	A (Excellent)
State Farm	4.4	A++ (Superior)
Progressive	4.2	A+ (Superior)
GEICO	4.0	A++ (Superior)
Allstate	4.0	A+ (Superior)
Nationwide	3.7	A (Excellent)

None of our top-rated companies dropped below an “Excellent” AM Best grade—but claims handling is about more than financial strength. The ease of filing a claim, clear communication throughout the claims process, and a tendency to accept rather than reject claims all make for a stronger claims rating.

Three carriers received perfect 5-star ratings from actual policyholders for claims handling: Travelers, Plymouth Rock, and Kemper. We gave Travelers the win based on its superior financial strength rating, but all three providers offer reliable claims services.

"I’ve never had any problems for the past 3 years. Always easy to make and handle claims and they make sure to give me best service and care. Most affordable policy I’ve had."

Sylmarie G.

| Verified Jerry Customer

How to save on your New York auto insurance

Although we’ve covered the top insurance providers in New York, everyone finds the best car insurance rates from a different company.

The insurance industry is tightly regulated, but every company uses different metrics to set insurance premiums—meaning that your perfect rate could be with a company not on our shortlist. It’s a good idea to compare offers from three to five companies at least twice a year.

That doesn't mean you should spend hours on the phone or on the internet—instead, use a

trustworthy insurance comparison app

like Jerry. Sign up in a minute and you'll receive the best offers from our network of more than 55 insurers, including the top providers in NY.

Cutting corners on your New York car insurance can leave you vulnerable

You might also be tempted to drop your coverage limits in order to cut New York car insurance costs, but it’s financially risky.

Because it’s a no-fault state,

New York’s minimum car insurance requirements

seem fairly generous. They include liability coverage, PIP, and uninsured motorist coverage.

However, they don’t cover damages resulting from collisions or crime. Theft coverage is pretty important for New York state car owners, who suffer the ninth-highest rate of motor vehicle theft in the country—let alone New York city drivers!

Consider adding these coverage options to round out your financial protection:

Collision coverage

Comprehensive coverage

Roadside assistance

New car replacement coverage

Gap insurance

Another alternative? Consider increasing your coverage limits if you can afford it. If you're involved in a serious car accident, they could save you from having to pay out of pocket for repairs and medical bills.

FAQs

What is the best insurance to have in NY?

Travelers is one of the best auto insurance companies in New York, based on real customer ratings from over 300 drivers and average cost data drawn from thousands of car insurance quotes.

What are the big 3 insurance companies?

The three biggest car insurance companies by market share are State Farm, GEICO, and Progressive.

Which insurance company is usually the cheapest?

Kemper offers the cheapest car insurance rates in New York, on average. GEICO follows close behind with cheap car insurance for most drivers in New York, while USAA offers the lowest average rates for military members.

How much is car insurance in New York?

The average cost of a full coverage car insurance policy in New York State is $2,433 per year, or $211 per month. Minimum coverage costs $1,459 per year on average.

What is the minimum auto insurance coverage in New York?

The minimum car insurance required by law in New York includes liability insurance, uninsured motorist coverage, and personal injury protection. If you have an auto loan or lease, your lender will also require full coverage.

Methodology

All premium data in this article comes from real car insurance quotes obtained through the Jerry app and analyzed by our editorial team. Jerry’s data scientists analyzed over 25 million real quotes issued to users in Jerry’s proprietary database. Jerry is partnered with 55+ insurance companies in 48 states.

Unless otherwise stated, all data represents the average of the lowest quoted price at time of writing for a currently insured single driver between the ages of 35 and 65 with a clean driving record and a single vehicle.

Minimum coverage refers to policies with the following coverage limits:

$25,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per person

$50,000 of bodily injury liability coverage per accident

$10,000 of property damage liability coverage

$50,000/$100,000 of wrongful death liability coverage (per person/per accident)

$25,000/$50,000 of uninsured motorist coverage (per person/per accident)

$50,000 of personal injury protection (PIP) coverage

Full coverage refers to policies that contain at least the minimum liability, uninsured motorist coverage, and personal injury protection required by law in New York along with comprehensive and collision insurance with deductibles of either $500 or $1,000.

Meet our experts

R.E. Fulton

Licensed Insurance Agent —Senior Content Writer

R.E. Fulton is an expert insurance writer specializing in car ownership topics from car shopping and loan advice to insurance and repair guides. R.E.’s mission is to create unique and accessible content that helps readers to become more successful and independent car owners. R.E. has written and edited over 900 high-performing articles for Jerry, with an average of 1 million+ views.

As a senior writer on Jerry’s editorial team, R.E. draws on over 10 years of experience as a professional writer and digital publishing specialist. Prior to joining Jerry’s editorial team in 2021, R.E. worked as a writing coach at Columbia University, the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), and the University of Rochester. They serve as a managing editor for peer-reviewed history publication Nursing Clio, where their work has appeared regularly since 2015.

Sarah Gray

Licensed Insurance Agent — Expert Insurance Writer and Editor

Sarah Gray is an insurance writer with nearly a decade of experience in publishing and writing. Sarah specializes in writing articles that educate car owners and buyers on the full scope of car ownership—from shopping for and buying a new car to scrapping one that’s breathed its last and everything in between. Sarah has authored over 1,500 articles for Jerry on topics ranging from first-time buyer programs to how to get a salvage title for a totaled car.

Prior to joining Jerry, Sarah was a full-time professor of English literature and composition with multiple academic writing publications.