Based on MoneyGeek’s analysis, Erie is the best insurer overall in Cleveland, Ohio. Since your age and background will determine the best insurer for you, MoneyGeek handpicked the best options for young and senior drivers, drivers with violations and those with a military background.
MoneyGeek has also identified the cheapest car insurance in Cleveland to help you maximize your budget.
The Best Car Insurance in Cleveland






Best Car Insurance Companies in Cleveland: Overall
In its analysis of the best car insurance companies in Cleveland, MoneyGeek based its ratings on average premiums, claims ratings and user satisfaction scores.
According to this ranking system, the best car insurance companies in Cleveland are:
- Erie: 89 out of 100
- State Farm: 88 out of 100
USAA was excluded from our rankings because its policies are exclusively available to military personnel and their families. It received a MoneyGeek score of 98 out of 100, making it the best car insurance provider for active duty military and veterans in Ohio.
The Top Car Insurance Companies in Cleveland

Erie is our top pick for its affordability, customer satisfaction and claims ratings. It has a unique but widely applicable coverage which is better car replacement. A full coverage policy from Erie costs around $659 per year.
Erie stands out among its competitors by virtue of its unique coverages. Its accident forgiveness coverage ensures that you won’t have to pay a surcharge the first time you’re found at fault for an accident. Its auto security coverage provides maximum protection such that if your car gets totaled, Erie will replace it with the newest model year if you’ve had your car for less than two years.
Read MoneyGeek's Erie auto Insurance Review
State Farm is the second-best car insurer in Cleveland based on scores of 4 out of 5 for stability and claims, as well as a score of 4.5 for customer satisfaction. A full coverage policy from this insurer costs $643 annually. Policies offer one unique coverage — rideshare insurance.
State Farm’s unique rideshare coverage extends the protection of your personal auto policy if you work for a ridesharing company like Uber or Lyft. With this add-on coverage, you can get medical, emergency roadside assistance and rental car reimbursement.
Read MoneyGeek's State Farm auto Insurance ReviewIf cost is your top consideration in picking an insurer, MoneyGeek has identified the cheapest car insurance companies in Cleveland.
Here are MoneyGeek’s resources if you’re looking for more information on car insurance in Ohio:
Best Cheap Car Insurance for Minimum Coverage in Cleveland
Your cheapest option for car insurance in Cleveland is to get a policy that only includes the minimum coverage requirements in Ohio, which are set by the state’s car insurance laws.
According to MoneyGeek’s extensive research, the best car insurance companies in Cleveland for minimum coverage are:
- Erie: 94 out of 100
- State Farm: 88 out of 100
These rankings are based on a variety of driver backgrounds, including drivers of different ages and those with and without violations.
MoneyGeek’s Pick: Erie

pros
A minimum coverage policy costs $283 per year
MoneyGeek claims rating of 4.5 out of 5
MoneyGeek user satisfaction rating of 5 out of 5
Provides discounts for bundling, being a young safe driver and having an anti-theft system
cons
Doesn’t offer common discounts, like those for safe driving or being a good student
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Erie has a bundling discount which is commonly offered by most insurance companies. You can get substantial savings by either insuring multiple cars or by purchasing multiple policies under Erie, such as your life insurance or home insurance together with your auto insurance.
Erie has attractive and unique discounts that are especially geared towards young drivers. Its legacy discount applies if you are an unmarried young driver seeking Erie car insurance and have previously been insured under your parent or guardian’s Erie auto policy. Unmarried drivers under 21 who still live with their parents can also take advantage of Erie’s young safe driver discount.
Best Car Insurance for Young Drivers in Cleveland
MoneyGeek rated car insurance companies based only on profiles of young drivers in Cleveland. Based on our ranking, the following two companies offer the best car insurance companies for young drivers in Cleveland:
- Erie: 92 out of 100
- American Family: 91 out of 100
We based our rating on a combination of different policy coverages and driving histories for 18-year-old drivers. You’ll notice that car insurance for young drivers and car insurance for students are generally more expensive. Insurers tend to view young drivers as being riskier to insure due to their inexperience on the road.
MoneyGeek’s Pick: Erie

pros
An affordable full coverage policy costs $1,806 per year
MoneyGeek claims rating of 4.5 out of 5
MoneyGeek user satisfaction rating of 5 out of 5
Provides discounts for bundling, young safe drivers and having an anti-theft system
cons
Doesn’t offer common discounts, like those for driving safely and being a good student
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
It is generally expensive to add young drivers to an auto insurance policy. That said, young drivers could expect to find affordable policies and excellent customer service from Erie.
Erie has unique discounts and coverages that serve to attract young drivers. Young, unmarried drivers who have been insured under their parent or guardian’s Erie auto policy for consecutive years can save on car insurance through Erie’s legacy discount. There are also optional coverages for new car replacement that cover the cost of replacing your car with the newest model year if your car is totaled.
Best Car Insurance for Senior Drivers in Cleveland
To help senior drivers determine the best car insurance companies in Cleveland, MoneyGeek scored insurers using different policy coverages and driving histories for 70-year-old drivers in Ohio.
Overall, the best car insurers for senior drivers in Cleveland are:
- Erie: 92 out of 100
- State Farm: 91 out of 100
You’ll notice that car insurance premiums for seniors are slightly more expensive compared to middle-aged drivers, as insurance companies consider senior drivers riskier to insure than their younger counterparts.
MoneyGeek’s Pick: Erie

pros
An affordable full coverage policy for a senior safe driver costs $683 per year
MoneyGeek claims rating of 4.5 out of 5
MoneyGeek user satisfaction rating of 5 out of 5
Offers discounts for legacy and for safety features like anti-lock brakes, anti-theft systems and airbags
cons
Doesn’t offer discounts for senior drivers and defensive driving
Doesn’t provide commonly offered coverages like roadside assistance, gap insurance and deductible modification
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Senior drivers will often find that their car insurance rates are more expensive compared to the average driver for a similar coverage policy. Fortunately, Erie provides affordable policies to senior drivers alongside other perks. But, if you’re looking to save through discounts for senior drivers and defensive driving, you will need to look for another insurance carrier.
Although Erie only provides four out of the seven most commonly offered optional coverages, one of these is better car replacement coverage. With this coverage, if your new car is less than two years old and gets totaled, Erie will replace it with the newest model year.
Best Car Insurance With a Driving Violation in Cleveland
Finding affordable car insurance can be tough after getting a driving violation. MoneyGeek rated the top car insurance companies in Cleveland to find affordable and suitable options for drivers with a poor driving history.
Using a combination of different policy coverages and ages, we found that the best insurance providers for drivers with violations in Cleveland are:
- Erie: 93 out of 100
- American Family: 92 out of 100
Being charged with a driving violation like a DUI or a ticket automatically raises your car insurance premiums. You’ll therefore benefit from seeking out companies that offer affordable car insurance despite having a bad driving record.
MoneyGeek’s Pick: Erie

pros
An affordable full coverage policy for a 40-year-old driver with an accident on their record costs $838 per year
MoneyGeek claims rating of 4.5 out of 5
MoneyGeek user satisfaction rating of 5 out of 5
Offers many common discounts
Offers accident forgiveness, new car replacement and better car replacement coverages
cons
Doesn’t offer discounts for defensive driving
Doesn’t provide commonly offered coverages like roadside assistance, gap insurance and deductible modification
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Drivers who have an accident or violation on their record would benefit from looking for insurers that offer affordable policies while also providing excellent customer service and appropriate coverages. Based on our analysis, Erie checks all these boxes.
One of the advantages of getting insured through Erie is that it provides additional coverages for new car replacement and better car replacement which covers the cost of replacing your vehicle if it is totaled.
Another upside is that Erie offers four of the nine most common discounts — namely, discounts for bundling insurance policies, having an anti-theft system, having an airbag and by paying premiums in full.
Best Car Insurance With a Military Background in Cleveland
Military members who are looking for the best car insurance company in Cleveland will find that USAA offers the best combination of affordability and customer satisfaction. However, its policies are restricted to current military personnel and veterans.
USAA earned a near-perfect MoneyGeek score of 98 out of 100 based on overall ratings for the company’s financial stability, affordability and customer service. We calculated this score using an array of different driver backgrounds and coverage levels, including young drivers, senior drivers and drivers with violations.
MoneyGeek’s Pick: USAA

pros
An affordable full coverage policy for a 40-year-old driver costs $489 per year
MoneyGeek claims rating of 5 out of 5
MoneyGeek user satisfaction rating of 5 out of 5
Offers four of the most common discounts
Offers accident forgiveness coverage
cons
Only offers three of the seven often-featured coverages, missing better car replacement, for instance
Policies are limited to military members and their families
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
USAA is consistently rated as one of the best insurers, with impressive scores for affordability and customer service. A few of its standard coverage offerings are roadside assistance, rental car and/or travel reimbursement and accident forgiveness. Aside from these, USAA doesn’t offer other optional coverages.
USAA’s policyholders can take advantage of five out of the nine most commonly featured discounts, including bundling, multiple car, good student, new vehicle and defensive driving. You can save through USAA’s safe driving discount, which applies if you maintain a good driving record for five years.
Methodology
MoneyGeek rated car insurance companies based on evaluations made by industry leaders, including J.D. Power, AM Best and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Quotes were also collected from various insurers in Cleveland, Ohio.
To find the best car insurance companies in Cleveland, Ohio, for different driver profiles, MoneyGeek evaluated insurance providers for the following weighted categories:
- Affordability (70%): MoneyGeek collected average premiums from multiple insurers in Cleveland, Ohio, and ranked them based on the cost of their policies. The insurer which offers the cheapest rate in Cleveland, Ohio, received a perfect score of five.
- Customer and claims satisfaction (10% each for a total of 20%): MoneyGeek used the survey results from J.D. Power to measure customer satisfaction based on service quality and claims. Each sub-category was weighted equally at 10%.
- Financial stability (10%): MoneyGeek used AM Best ratings to evaluate an insurance company’s ability to fulfill financial obligations under various economic conditions, including during times of adversity.
MoneyGeek scaled each category to five points and the overall score to 100 points. We calculated the overall affordability score using a combination of several factors, including age, driving record and coverage levels. These combinations were changed as necessary to reflect each category of driver profiles.
Except for the best cheap minimum coverage category, all rates are based on the average premiums for a full coverage policy in Ohio with the following limits:
- $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $100,000 property damage liability
- Comprehensive and collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible
For more information about our collection, comparison and scoring process, visit MoneyGeek’s car insurance methodology.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
