Best Life Insurance Companies in Illinois (2025)

Overall, State Farm offers the best life insurance in the Prairie State and across the country, earning a MoneyGeek score of 99 out of 100 for customer service, affordability, and coverage options. We also recommend GEICO, Nationwide, Haven, and Mutual of Omaha as some of the best affordable alternatives.

*Rates presented are for coverage levels between $250-$500K for a 20 year term life insurance plan for a 40-year-old man in good health who does not smoke.

While the top life insurance provider is a great choice for many in the Prairie State, your best option might vary based on your needs. Below, we detail the leading providers for different profiles.

To help you find the right life insurance plan, we've included a filterable table below that matches recommendations to your unique profile seamlessly.

Rates in this table differ from the main comparison due to the broader age range (41 to 50 vs. 40) and flexible term selection rather than a fixed 20-year term.

We found the top three life insurance companies in Illinois are State Farm, GEICO, and Nationwide. While these are our recommendations, we urge you to do your own research, decide on a coverage level, and compare quotes to get the best deal possible.

We scored insurers based on what matters most when your loved ones depend on a death benefit arriving quickly and without complications.

Affordability drives 60% of our rankings because life insurance exists to provide financial protection your family can actually maintain for decades, not just an impressive death benefit you can't afford past year three. We analyzed cost data from online quotes to identify which insurers price competitively across different coverage amounts and term lengths rather than just advertising low introductory rates that spike at renewal.

Customer satisfaction accounts for 20%, reflecting how insurers communicate policy details, process applications without excessive delays and pay death benefits when your beneficiaries need funds most. We examined NAIC complaint index data from 2020 to 2022 (the most recent available) to flag companies with poor claims handling or communication issues that frustrate policyholders.

Product diversity represents 10% because Illinois residents need flexible options—from 10-year terms covering short-term debts to 30-year policies protecting young families, plus conversion features letting you switch to permanent coverage without new medical exams as your financial situation evolves.

Financial stability and buying process each make up 5%; insurers need AM Best ratings confirming they'll exist to pay claims 20+ years from now, plus online tools and payment flexibility that simplify purchasing. However, these matter less than affordable premiums and responsive service when your family files a claim.

Our baseline used a 40-year-old non-smoker at average height and healthy weight with an excellent health rating—a profile that captures standard pricing without complications triggering higher premiums. We then modified age, gender, height, weight, tobacco use, health status and location to understand rate variations across customer profiles. We collected quotes for multiple term lengths and coverage amounts, identifying pricing patterns that reveal which companies maintain competitive rates across different policy structures. Where necessary, we projected trends beyond our initial data to provide comprehensive comparisons for Illinois residents evaluating coverage options.