Average Pet Insurance Cost in Illinois (2026 Report)

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Updated: April 28, 2026

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How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost in Illinois?

On average, Illinois pet insurance costs $53 per month ($640 annually), which is 13% above the national average and ranks 44th among states for affordability. MoneyGeek's analysis draws from 67,000+ Illinois pet profiles, with the benchmark built on a 6-year-old Labrador Retriever and a 7-year-old Ragdoll with a $5,000 annual limit, $500 deductible and 80% reimbursement rate.

Split by pet type, the state benchmarks are:

  • Dogs: $69 per month ($830 annually), 13% above the national dog average
  • Cats: $36 per month ($435 annually), 13% above the national cat average

The state averages are a reference point, not a predicted rate. Breed, age, coverage selection and ZIP code each affect where a specific pet's premium lands relative to these benchmarks.

We studied pet insurance pricing to establish Illinois cost benchmarks and show how premiums vary based on different factors. Our cost analysis uses standardized policy parameters for consistent comparisons across pet profiles.  

How We Calculated Average Pet Insurance Costs

Our published averages represent modeled premiums for standardized pet insurance drawn from over 67,000 pet profiles across 18 major pet insurance providers in Illinois. The baseline profiles used throughout our analysis are 6-year-old Labrador Retriever and 7-year-old Ragdoll with a $5,000 annual limit, $500 deductible and 80% reimbursement rate.

Averages were calculated in two ways:  

  • Illinois state benchmark average: The monthly state average reflects the modeled premium for a 6-year-old Labrador Retriever and 7-year-old Ragdoll in our dataset using the baseline policy parameters.
  • Segment averages: To demonstrate cost variation, we calculated average modeled premiums for our baseline profile while isolating individual variables, including:  
    • Breeds
    • Ages

Segment averages aggregate modeled pricing patterns across the full dataset so readers can compare how premiums change based on breed and age in Illinois.

Use MoneyGeek's Illinois pet insurance cost calculator below to find out the average pet insurance cost for your pet's specific profile.

Illinois Pet Insurance Cost Estimate Calculator

Use our calculator to estimate how much you'll pay monthly for pet insurance in Illinois based on breed and age for a standard $5,000 annual limit, $500 deductible and 80% reimbursement policy. If your pet's breed is mixed, select Mixed Breed for dogs or Domestic Shorthair for cats to get the most accurate result.

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Average monthly rate—

What Factors Affect Pet Insurance Costs in Illinois?

The cost of pet insurance in Illinois reflects how insurers assess four factors: breed, age, location within the state and how the policy is structured. Each one shifts the insurer's view of expected claim frequency and severity for that specific animal. A Labrador Retriever in Chicago and a mixed breed in Springfield can carry identical coverage terms and still receive quotes that differ by a wide margin.

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    Coverage selection

    Coverage selection influences Illinois pet insurance premiums more directly than any other factor because it defines the financial terms of every claim before one is filed. The three components below each shift the balance of cost between the policyholder and the insurer.

    • Annual limit: This is the ceiling on what the insurer will pay across all covered claims in a policy year. A higher ceiling raises the insurer's maximum exposure, and premiums rise to account for that risk. Lower limits narrow the insurer's obligation, which typically produces a lower monthly rate.
    • Deductible: The deductible is the fixed amount a policyholder covers before the insurer pays anything on a claim. It applies once per policy year and resets at renewal, not after each vet visit. Policies with low deductibles give the insurer less buffer before it begins paying, which increases the monthly premium. Higher deductibles absorb more of the early claim cost on the policyholder's side, reducing the monthly rate in exchange.
    • Reimbursement rate: Once the deductible is met, the reimbursement rate determines what percentage of covered costs the insurer pays. A 100% rate means the insurer covers everything beyond the deductible, and premiums reflect that full exposure. At 70% or 80%, the policyholder shares in each claim's cost, and the insurer prices that shared burden as a lower monthly premium.
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    Breed

    Insurers price breed-specific risk into Illinois pet insurance premiums based on each breed's documented claim frequency and hereditary condition profile. The dog distribution runs from the Chihuahua at the low end to the Olde English Bulldogge at the high end, a 248% difference that captures how much breed alone can move a premium within identical policy terms. Cat breeds cluster more tightly: the Domestic Shorthair and Australian Mist represent the low and high ends of that range, separated by a 59% gap.

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    Location within the state

    Veterinary costs across Illinois aren't uniform. What clinics charge in the Chicago metro tends to differ from rates in smaller downstate markets, and pet insurers generally account for those regional differences when calculating premiums. This means two pets with the same breed, age and policy structure may receive different quotes based solely on their ZIP code.

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    Age

    Age is a consistent pricing driver in Illinois because insurers adjust premiums to reflect the rising claim probability that comes with each additional year of a pet's life. From age one to age 15, the peak pricing point in the dataset, premiums climb 386% under identical policy terms.

Average Pet Insurance Cost in Illinois by Breed

Each breed carries its own pricing in Illinois because insurers assess claim risk differently across animals, and that assessment shows up directly in the monthly rate. For dogs, premiums average between $37 to $130 per month. For cats, the range runs from $34 to $54 per month on average.

Average Pet Insurance Cost in Illinois by Dog Breed

Across 157 dog breeds in Illinois, monthly premiums range from $37 for a Chihuahua at the low end to $130 for an Olde English Bulldogge at the high end. The tiers below show where each breed sits relative to the Illinois dog average of $69 per month.

Most breeds in the Illinois dataset price below the state average. 103 of 157 fall into the two lowest tiers, while the mid-cost tier holds only 16 breeds. The distribution is bottom-heavy in count, but that doesn't mean most Illinois dog owners will price at the low end. 

Labrador Retrievers and French Bulldogs, two of the most widely owned breeds in the U.S. per the American Kennel Club, both price above the lower tiers. Labrador Retrievers sit in the mid-cost tier at virtually the state average, while French Bulldogs land in the highest-cost tier at 46% above it, which is a meaningful gap from where the majority of breeds cluster numerically.

Jump To: Average Pet Insurance Cost in Illinois by Cat Breed

Data filtered by:
Select
Affenpinscher$59$710
Afghan Hound$69$826
Airedale Terrier$72$861
Akita$68$821
Alaskan Husky$61$729
Alaskan Malamute$70$840
American Bulldog$93$1,114
American Bully$86$1,031
American Eskimo$48$581
American Foxhound$55$656
American Hairless Terrier$50$604
American Staffordshire Terrier$73$880
Australian Cattle Dog$54$646
Australian Kelpie$57$689
Australian Shepherd$46$558
Australian Silky Terrier$42$503
Australian Terrier$51$616
Basenji$47$568
Basset Fauve de Bretagne$69$824
Basset Hound$76$916
Beagle$58$699
Bearded Collie$53$641
Belgian Shepherd Malinois$61$734
Bernese Mountain Dog$122$1,461
Bichon Frise$53$638
Bloodhound$91$1,095
Border Collie$49$591
Border Terrier$52$622
Borzoi$77$926
Boston Terrier$56$677
Boxer$90$1,085
Bracco Italiano$66$787
Briard$65$783
Brussels Griffon$53$640
Bull Mastiff$124$1,482
Bull Terrier$76$909
Cairn Terrier$56$676
Cane Corso$103$1,234
Caucasian Shepherd Dog$75$895
Cavachon$48$579
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel$60$723
Cavapoo$43$517
Central Asian Shepherd Dog$80$956
Chihuahua$37$447
Chow Chow$66$788
Clumber Spaniel$70$843
Cockapoo$44$533
Cocker spaniel$65$775
Collie$58$694
Corgi$66$791
Coton De Tulear$48$575
Dachshund$48$573
Dalmatian$76$917
Dingo$48$581
Doberman Pinscher$112$1,340
Dogue de Bordeaux$123$1,480
English Bulldog$113$1,356
English Foxhound$53$639
English Mastiff$107$1,286
English Pointer$66$787
English Setter$63$758
English Springer Spaniel$60$722
English Toy Terrier$48$575
Estrela Mountain Dog$75$904
Field Spaniel$60$718
Finnish Lapphund$55$666
Fox Terrier$50$599
Foxhound$56$672
French Bulldog$101$1,208
German Pinscher$53$633
German Shepherd$65$785
German Shorthaired Pointer$61$733
German Spitz$51$606
Golden Retriever$69$827
Goldendoodle$52$622
Gordon Setter$79$946
Great Dane$111$1,336
Great Pyrenees$76$908
Greyhound$74$887
Groodle$49$591
Harrier$61$736
Havanese$44$532
Hungarian Vizsla$71$857
Husky$46$556
Icelandic Sheepdog$57$680
Irish Setter$70$843
Irish Terrier$57$680
Italian Greyhound$56$669
Italian Spinone$64$773
Jack Russell Terrier$43$511
Japanese Chin$48$572
Japanese Spitz$49$584
Kangal Shepherd Dog$83$997
Keeshond$57$688
Komondor$77$923
Labradoodle$53$632
Labrador Retriever$70$836
Lhasa Apso$47$568
Lurcher$77$922
Maltese$46$556
Maltipoo$41$491
Miniature Bull Terrier$77$927
Miniature Dachshund$51$611
Miniature Fox Terrier$52$621
Miniature Pinscher$51$607
Miniature Poodle$45$537
Miniature Schnauzer$53$637
Morkie$41$494
Newfoundland$102$1,222
Norfolk Terrier$55$661
Norwegian Elkhound$56$670
Norwich Terrier$53$637
Old English Sheepdog$70$842
Olde English Bulldogge$130$1,556
Papillon$45$544
Pekingese$50$600
Pembroke Welsh Corgi$59$713
Peruvian Hairless Dog$47$564
Petit Basset Griffon Vendeen$59$714
Pitbull$68$821
Pointer$58$694
Pomeranian$48$582
Portuguese Water Dog$67$808
Pug$62$743
Puggle$47$561
Puli$66$795
Rhodesian Ridgeback$75$897
Rottweiler$105$1,262
Rough Collie$74$887
Saint Bernard$116$1,393
Saluki$64$768
Samoyed$61$735
Schnoodle$47$565
Scottish Deerhound$97$1,160
Scottish Terrier$64$765
Shar Pei$100$1,195
Shetland Sheepdog$50$599
Shiba Inu$45$536
Shih Tzu$42$498
Siberian Husky$55$660
Smooth Collie$65$780
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier$63$756
Staffordshire Bull Terrier$66$796
Standard Poodle$65$780
Standard Schnauzer$59$705
Tibetan Mastiff$102$1,223
Tibetan Terrier$64$770
Toy Poodle$47$567
Vizsla$62$748
Weimaraner$78$933
Welsh Corgi Cardigan$57$686
Welsh Springer Spaniel$51$611
Welsh Terrier$60$719
West Highland White Terrier$52$628
Whippet$57$678
Wire Fox Terrier$59$712
Yorkshire terrier$46$549

Average Pet Insurance Cost in Illinois by Cat Breed

Our Illinois cat insurance dataset covers 29 breeds, with the monthly range running from $34 for a Domestic Shorthair at the low end to $54 for an Australian Mist at the high end. Each tier below reflects distance from the Illinois cat average of $36 per month.

  • Low-cost breeds (5%+ below Illinois cat average): Domestic Shorthair, Bombay
  • Mid-cost breeds (within ±5% of Illinois cat average): Siamese, British Longhair, Russian Blue, Norwegian Forest Cat, Tonkinese
  • High-cost breeds (5%+ above Illinois cat average): Chinchilla, Ragdoll, Devon Rex, Birman, Munchkin, Burmese, Snowshoe, Himalayan, Bengal, Scottish Fold, Cornish Rex, Serengeti, Persian, British Shorthair, Siberian, Balinese, Savannah, Maine Coon, Sphynx, Abyssinian, Exotic Shorthair, Australian Mist

22 of 29 cat breeds fall into the high-cost tier, and only the Domestic Shorthair and Bombay price below the benchmark. That distinction matters for most Illinois cat owners: the Domestic Shorthair is the most widely owned cat in the U.S., and it prices 7% below the state average. 

Owners of popular pedigree breeds will generally price above it. Ragdolls, Maine Coons, Persians and British Shorthairs all sit in the high-cost tier, with Maine Coon pricing 23% above the state average. The Australian Mist is the clearest outlier, landing 48% above the benchmark, though it accounts for a small share of owned cats.

Jump To: Average Pet Insurance Cost in Illinois by Dog Breed

Data filtered by:
Select
Abyssinian$47$564
Australian Mist$54$642
Balinese$44$525
Bengal$41$486
Birman$38$462
Bombay$34$404
British Longhair$35$424
British Shorthair$43$515
Burmese$40$477
Chinchilla$38$459
Cornish Rex$42$500
Devon Rex$38$461
Domestic Shorthair$34$403
Exotic Shorthair$48$574
Himalayan$40$482
Maine Coon$45$535
Munchkin$39$469
Norwegian Forest cat$37$446
Persian$43$513
Ragdoll$38$459
Russian Blue$36$429
Savannah$44$528
Scottish Fold$41$492
Serengeti$42$508
Siamese$35$420
Siberian$43$516
Snowshoe$40$478
Sphynx$46$556
Tonkinese$37$449

Average Cost of Pet Insurance in Illinois by Age

The pricing distance between a young pet and a senior one is substantial in Illinois. Monthly premiums start at $35 at age one and reach $171 at age 15, a 386% increase under the same coverage terms. 

Through ages 1 to 3, that growth is nearly invisible, with rates moving just $2 across those years. Age 4 marks the inflection point: from there through age 9, premiums climb 84% from $40 to $74 per month, reflecting the rising claim probability that builds through a pet's middle years. 

The acceleration continues into the senior window, where ages 10 through 14 account for a 62% jump from $92 to $149 per month. That reflects how chronic conditions concentrate claim frequency and severity in older animals. Age 15 is the peak at $171, but it's not the end of the curve. From age 16 through age 20, the monthly rate settles at $168, a flat ceiling that suggests insurers treat the oldest age bracket as a single risk tier rather than continuing to price year-over-year increases.

Data filtered by:
Select
Under 1$36$432
1$35$422
2$35$425
3$37$439
4$40$483
5$45$540
6$51$617
7$58$697
8$67$803
9$74$889
10$92$1,100
11$107$1,279
12$123$1,475
13$134$1,607
14$149$1,788
15$171$2,050
16$168$2,022
17$168$2,022
18$168$2,022
19$168$2,022
20$168$2,022

Use our resources below to learn more about the average pet insurance cost in Illinois based on different age groups.

How to Lower Pet Insurance Costs in Illinois Without Sacrificing Coverage

How a policy is structured and where you shop can both move the number meaningfully, and those levers apply whether you're insuring a dog in Chicago or a cat in a smaller downstate market.

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    Shop across multiple providers before committing

    Illinois pet insurance premiums aren't uniform across providers. Insurers weight breed risk, regional veterinary costs and claims data differently, which means the same pet on the same policy terms can receive different quotes depending on who's doing the underwriting. Comparing at least three insurers before deciding gives you a more complete picture of where your pet's rate lands in the market.

    giveMoney icon
    Raise your deductible

    The deductible is one of the most direct ways to reduce a monthly premium without changing what the policy covers. Because it resets annually rather than per visit, raising it shifts a defined amount of early claim cost to you each year while reducing the insurer's exposure, and monthly rates reflect that shift.

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    Match your annual limit to realistic vet costs

    Maximum annual limits are priced to cover scenarios at the far end of the claims distribution, which are often multiple major events in a single policy year. For most dogs and cats in Illinois, a mid-range limit of $5,000 to $15,000 covers the realistic cost of the illness or injury claims most likely to be filed, including unexpected veterinary events in higher-cost markets like Chicago. Selecting a limit aligned with plausible rather than theoretical worst-case costs brings the premium down without creating a gap that would matter in practice.

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    Stay at 70% or 80% reimbursement

    The reimbursement rate determines what share of covered costs the insurer pays after the deductible is met. At 100%, there's no cost-sharing on eligible claims, and the premium is priced accordingly. Dropping to 80% introduces a modest policyholder share on each claim but reduces the monthly cost in return. At 70%, the insurer still covers the majority of every covered claim, and the premium falls further.

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    Weigh wellness add-ons against out-of-pocket costs

    Wellness plans are optional add-ons that cover predictable expenses: annual exams, core vaccinations, parasite prevention. These are costs most Illinois pet owners already plan for, and bundling them into a monthly premium adds to the policy's total cost. Before adding a wellness plan, compare what those routine annual expenses run out of pocket against what the add-on costs over 12 months. Where the figures are similar, the add-on provides convenience but not savings; where the add-on costs more, keeping routine expenses separate keeps the monthly premium lower.

Average Cost of Pet Insurance in Illinois: Bottom Line

Illinois pet insurance premiums reflect how insurers weigh breed, age, location within the state and policy structure against each other to arrive at a pet-specific rate. The $53 monthly state average is a useful starting point, but two pets in the same Illinois city can price far apart depending on how those factors combine.

Three questions put that benchmark to work when evaluating a specific quote:

  1. Where does your pet's breed and age fall within the Illinois dataset?
  2. Which of the four pricing factors is driving the most movement in your quote?
  3. Which policy variables are still adjustable from where you're starting?

Use these questions to assess quotes against your pet's actual risk profile in the Illinois market, not just whether the number lands above or below the state benchmark.

Pet Insurance Cost in Illinois: Next Steps

The resource below covers Illinois-specific providers to help narrow your options by pet profile and budget:

Before requesting quotes, use the cost benchmarks in this report to frame what a reasonable rate looks like for your pet's profile. Across every provider you're considering, hold the deductible, annual limit and reimbursement rate constant. Only then does the comparison reflect actual pricing differences rather than coverage structure differences.

About Connor Bolton

Connor Bolton headshot

Connor Bolton is Senior SEO and Content Manager at MoneyGeek, where he leads the business and pet insurance editorial teams. As editorial lead for both verticals, Connor sets the research framework, data standards, and content structure that his writers execute, directly authoring in-depth guides himself and reviewing all team content for accuracy and practical value before it goes live. With over four years evaluating insurance products across personal, commercial, and specialty lines, he brings cross-vertical knowledge to every guide the team produces.

Connor architected MoneyGeek's insurance research infrastructure across all major verticals including auto, home, renters, life, health, business, and pet, building systems for pricing analysis, provider-level research, customer experience evaluation, and coverage analysis with AI support. The infrastructure includes over 6 million data points for business insurance across 408 industry areas, all 50 states, and 16 vehicle types, and over 5 million pet insurance profiles across 18 major providers and hundreds of breed and age combinations. Connor's insurance cost research and his team's work has been cited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, CBS News, Forbes and LegalZoom.

Beyond the data, Connor stays connected to how the market actually operates, drawing on direct conversations with underwriters and carrier liaisons at Ethos, The Hartford, NEXT Insurance, Nationwide, and State Farm, and monitoring business and pet owner communities including Reddit, to inform how he interprets findings and frames guidance for real buyers.

He is the direct editorial contact for methodology questions at connor@moneygeek.com and can be found on LinkedIn.

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