The price you pay for car insurance depends on your profile and preferred coverage. For most drivers, GEICO has the cheapest, widely available full coverage insurance in Dayton. Erie is the city’s cheapest insurer for state minimum insurance and for drivers who have speeding tickets. Military members and their families can get the cheapest quotes in most instances from USAA. Erie is also regarded as the city's best auto insurance company overall, with its balance of superior customer service and affordable prices.
The Cheapest and Best Car Insurance in Dayton
The Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in Dayton
If you’re looking for the cheapest full coverage insurance policies in Dayton, we’ve found that, on average, these insurers will suit your needs:
- GEICO: $502 per year
- Erie: $577 per year
At $462 per year, USAA’s full coverage insurance quote is the cheapest in the city, but only military personnel and their families are eligible for it.
GEICO’s average premium is 113% less than the city’s most expensive quote from MetLife at $1,072 for a comparable policy. Multiple coverages are added to a full coverage insurance policy, including comprehensive and collision. Premiums for these policies vary depending on the amount of liability coverage selected.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Dayton
- Company100/300/100per year
- 1.$462
- 2.$502
- 3.$577
- 4.$640
- 5.$656
MoneyGeek's study is based on sample insurance quotes for a 40-year-old male motorist covered by a full coverage insurance policy, as fully set out in our methodology.
Full coverage insurance policies cost more than state minimum or liability-only because they include extra coverages as follows:
- Collision coverage: covers your car from damage caused by a collision with another vehicle
- Comprehensive coverage: protects you against non-collision losses, such as car theft, vandalism and fire
Full coverage auto insurance may not make financial sense for an older vehicle, especially if your premiums exceed your car's replacement value. A state minimum or liability-only insurance plan would be a viable solution in this case.
Compare Car Insurance Rates in Dayton
Ensure you're getting the best rate for your car insurance. Compare quotes from the top insurance companies.

Cheapest Car Insurance in Dayton for Minimum Coverage
Generally, state minimum or liability-only insurance is the cheapest available. The cheapest car insurance in Dayton for minimum coverage is offered by:
- Erie: $248 per year
- GEICO: $289 per year
USAA provides even cheaper coverage to military families at $217 per year, the cheapest in the city. Still, Erie's annual insurance premium is $491 less than Esurance’s rate of $739, which is the most expensive in Dayton.
Policies with minimum liability coverage are less expensive because they provide less coverage. In fact, you may be underinsured if your policy doesn’t have comprehensive and collision coverage.
The following table shows how different liability coverage can impact your insurance premiums.
Cheapest Minimum Liability Car Insurance in Dayton
- CompanyState Minimumper year
- 1.$217
- 2.$248
- 3.$289
- 4.$322
- 5.$424
By law, Ohio drivers must carry a minimum of 25/50/25 liability insurance. Although it’s the least expensive car insurance, it provides the least protection. If you're involved in a car accident, this could lead to a significant financial burden.
For example, if the total medical costs in one accident are $75,000, your insurance will only cover up to $50,000 total, with a cap of $25,000 per person. You are personally responsible for paying the rest of the amount.
Ohio Minimum Liability Requirements
- ItemDescription
- Bodily Injury and Property Damage$25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage. A more protective level is 100/300/100.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Dayton if You Have Driving Violations
Your insurance premiums will rise if you get a speeding ticket, DUI or an at-fault accident violation. The cheapest insurance in Dayton for drivers with a bad record is as follows:
- Cheapest after a ticket: Erie, $601 per year
- Cheapest after an at-fault accident: American Family, $669 per year
- Cheapest after a DUI: American Family, $669 per year
USAA in Dayton has the lowest quotes for drivers with a DUI or speeding ticket. Its policies, however, are only available to members of the military and their families.
Regardless of the traffic ticket you received, maintaining a clean driving record will eventually result in a reduction in your future insurance premiums. Meanwhile, it's prudent to compare insurance quotes from multiple companies to find the cheapest auto insurance in Dayton for drivers with poor records.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Dayton With a Violation
- CompanySpeeding Ticketper year
- 1.$571
- 2.$601
- 3.$618
- 4.$669
- 5.$717
Average Cost of Car Insurance in Dayton
The average car insurance rate in Dayton is $773 per year. That means Dayton drivers typically pay less for car insurance compared with the state and national average premiums.
The state average is $803, 3.7% more than Dayton. The city average is also 45.7% cheaper than the national average of $1,424.
Personalized Quotes to Get You the Cheapest Car Insurance in Dayton
Comparing car insurance quotes is the best way to find the policy that most accurately fits your needs. Various factors, such as age, ZIP code, gender, credit history and car make and car model, affect car insurance quotes in Dayton. Get personalized quotes regularly to see if you qualify for discounts or rebates.
Compare Car Insurance Rates in Dayton
Ensure you're getting the best rate for your car insurance. Compare quotes from the top insurance companies.

The Best Car Insurance Companies in Dayton
MoneyGeek determined the best car insurance carriers in Dayton using average premiums, customer satisfaction and claims ratings. Based on these criteria, we found that the top-rated insurance providers in the city are:
- Erie: MoneyGeek score of 93 out of 100
- GEICO: MoneyGeek score of 88 out of 100
USAA received a near-perfect MoneyGeek score of 99 out of 100, making it the best insurer in Dayton, Ohio. However, we excluded it from our analysis because only military members and their families can purchase its policies.

Surpassing other insurers for customer satisfaction, claims resolution and affordability, Erie is MoneyGeek’s top choice for car insurance providers in Dayton. It offers competitively priced policies at an average cost of $577 per year and has several rare coverages like better car replacement.
Erie policyholders have the option to include three rare coverages — all of which are helpful if you have a car accident. Auto security, Erie’s new car replacement and better car replacement coverage, ensures that your car will be replaced with the newest model year provided you’ve had your car for less than two years. If you’ve had your car for more than two years, your totaled car will be replaced with a model that’s two years newer.
Policyholders are also eligible for Erie’s accident forgiveness coverage after being claims-free for three years. This coverage guarantees that you won’t have to pay any surcharge the first time you’re at fault in an accident.
Read MoneyGeek's Erie auto Insurance Review
GEICO is our runner-up selection for the best car insurance provider in Dayton. The insurer earned high marks for affordability and financial stability, with competitively priced full coverage policies at $502 per year. GEICO also offers a rare add-on, which is mechanical breakdown insurance (MBI).
GEICO offers a widely applicable add-on coverage that you’ll rarely find from other insurers — mechanical breakdown insurance. To be eligible for this discount, you’ll need to have a new or leased car less than 15 months old and with less than 15,000 miles. MBI protects you from the cost of damage or loss of parts and systems in your insured car. GEICO’s other unique coverage is accident forgiveness, which you could either purchase or earn. This policy add-on ensures that your premiums won’t increase after your first at-fault accident.
Read MoneyGeek's GEICO auto Insurance Review








Average Cost of Car Insurance by Postal Code
Another important factor when determining auto insurance rates in Ohio is your address. Your ZIP code makes a difference because of crime rates, accident statistics and the number of uninsured drivers. In Dayton, ZIP codes 45424 and 45417 have the same average rate of $733 per year.
- Zip CodeState Minimumper year
- 45424$733
- 45417$NaN
Factors That Impact Insurance Costs in Dayton
In addition to individual driver needs and history, location-specific factors like the percentage of uninsured motorists and the rate of fatal accidents also contribute to car insurance rates in Dayton. How Dayton ranks compared to the 300 most populous cities in the United States can have a significant impact on premium costs.
About Mark Fitzpatrick

sources
- Kaiser Family Foundation. "2019 Employer Health Benefits Survey." Accessed January 16, 2020.