Cheapest and Best Car Insurance Companies in Des Moines, IA

State Farm is the cheapest for full coverage policies. It also suits military drivers and those with different traffic violations (speeding tickets, at-fault accidents, DUIs). Allstate tends to do right by teens and their families. For those concerned with customer service, Grinnell Mutual may be the top choice.

The following insurers offer the cheapest minimum coverage policies in Des Moines:

• West Bend Mutual: $203 per year
• Westfield: $225 per year

In comparison, Allstate offers the most expensive minimum car insurance policy at $478 per year. State Farm has the cheapest car insurance in Iowa, at around $139 per year as of October 2022. This shows how location impacts the cost of car insurance.

In Iowa, a minimum car insurance policy covers both injury liability and damage liability:

• $20,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $40,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $15,000 property damage liability per accident

For example, if you’re found at fault in an accident, injuring another driver, a minimum coverage policy with these limits will cover $20,000 in medical expenses per person, up to $40,000 per accident. You’ll be responsible for any additional costs.

The following insurers offer the cheapest full coverage policies in Des Moines:

• State Farm: $560 per year
• West Bend Mutual: $560 per year

Grinnell Mutual's full coverage policy is the most expensive at $1,145 per year. The cheapest full coverage car insurance in Iowa is also offered by State Farm at around $525 per year as of October 2022.

A full coverage car insurance policy includes comprehensive and collision insurance.

• Collision Insurance: This insurance covers repairs for your car after a collision with another vehicle or object (telephone pole, stop sign, etc.)
• Comprehensive Insurance: This insurance covers damages from natural disasters, vandalism and theft.

Full coverage policies are best for owners of new vehicles. Owners of older vehicles may find the added coverage isn’t worth the additional cost.

Drivers with the following offenses will get the cheapest rates from these companies:

• Speeding ticket: State Farm ($612 per year)
• At-fault accident: State Farm ($665 per year)
• DUI: State Farm ($612 per year)

Auto-Owners Insurance Co. has the most expensive rates for drivers with speeding tickets at $1,433, while Progressive costs the most for drivers with at-fault accidents, charging $1,370 per year. Meanwhile, those with DUI offenses will pay the most with Grinnell Mutual — its policies cost an average of $2,642 per year.

While the costs for drivers with poor track records might vary substantially from one insurance provider to the next, good drivers rarely pay as much as high-risk drivers, even with the most inexpensive provider.

The cost of insurance tends to increase in proportion to the severity of the driving offense. For instance, drivers in Des Moines with speeding tickets pay an average of $373 less per year for car insurance than drivers with DUI offenses. While car insurance may cost more for high-risk drivers, they can still save by researching the cheapest car insurance for drivers with bad records.

The following insurers offer the cheapest rates for a 16-year-old teen driver added to a family policy:

• State Farm: $1,605 per year for female teens
• GEICO: $1,712 per year for female teens and $1,831 per year for male teens
• Allstate: $1,834 per year for male teens

Auto-Owners Insurance Co. has the most expensive rates for female and male teens, charging $2,281 and $2,419 per year, respectively.

Car insurance tends to cost more for male teens than female teens because insurers consider the former riskier to insure. For instance, the cheapest company for male teens is $226 more expensive than the cheapest insurer for female teens. This cost discrepancy tends to decrease as drivers approach early adulthood.

It costs significantly more for a teen driver to purchase an individual policy compared to joining a parent’s policy. In Des Moines, the average 16-year-old teen male could save $2,282 per year by joining a family policy rather than purchasing a separate policy. Families can save money by researching the cheapest car insurance for teen drivers.

The following insurers offer the cheapest full coverage car insurance for military personnel and their families in Des Moines:

• State Farm: $560 per year
• West Bend Mutual: $560 per year

USAA, an insurer that caters exclusively to military drivers, is another great option. Drivers can get the cheapest minimum coverage from this insurer for $196 per year. West Bend Mutual offers the second-cheapest minimum coverage for $203 per year. By researching the cheapest car insurance policies for military drivers and their families, military-affiliated personnel can save money.

It can take up to 15 minutes to receive a single car insurance quote. That time adds up when you’re comparing rates for multiple insurers. Fortunately, MoneyGeek’s car insurance calculator makes it easy for you to calculate and compare rates. Simply input your age, vehicle, policy limits and driving history to receive an estimate.

The best car insurer for you will vary based on your needs and preferences. The following insurers are our top picks for each category:

• Best overall: West Bend Mutual (MoneyGeek score of 83 out of 100)
• Best for service: Grinnell Mutual (MoneyGeek score of 70 out of 100)
• Best cheap: West Bend Mutual (MoneyGeek score of 83 out of 100)

A company’s MoneyGeek score may vary across different categories (best overall, best for service, etc.) based on the weighted factors.

In addition to being the best overall insurer in Des Moines, West Bend Mutual is also the best car insurance provider in Iowa. USAA is another good option for military members and their families — the insurer earned a MoneyGeek score of 82 out of 100.

The following insurers offer the best full coverage policies in Des Moines:

• West Bend Mutual: MoneyGeek score 83 out of 100 ($560 per year)
• Westfield: MoneyGeek score 77 out of 100 ($683 per year)

West Bend Mutual offers the cheapest rates and has one of the highest customer service ratings. USAA, earning a MoneyGeek score of 82 out of 100, is also an excellent option for military-affiliated drivers.

The best car insurance providers for customer service, irrespective of cost, are:

• Grinnell Mutual: MoneyGeek score of 70 out of 100 ($1,145 per year)
• West Bend Mutual: MoneyGeek score of 70 out of 100 ($560 per year)

Grinnell Mutual has one of the highest ratings for customer satisfaction and claims management. However, it is the most expensive provider of the insurers that we evaluated.

In Des Moines, the following insurers offer the best minimum coverage policies that comply with the state-mandated liability limits in Iowa:

• West Bend Mutual: MoneyGeek score of 83 out of 100 ($203 per year)
• Westfield: MoneyGeek score of 80 out of 100 ($225 per year)

Minimum coverage policies may be the cheapest, but they offer the least amount of protection. These have the lowest liability limits and won’t cover damages to your vehicle.

A full coverage car insurance policy in Des Moines costs approximately $792 per year, which is the same as the average cost of car insurance in Iowa as of October 2022. Car insurance rates in the state are $474 less expensive than the national average cost of car insurance. This shows the impact that location can have on the cost of car insurance.

The rates above are for a full coverage policy including $300,000 in physical injury coverage, $100,000 in property damage coverage and $100,000 in medical payments coverage per injured person.