For a 40-year-old driver with a clean record, Iowa City car insurance averages about $158 a month ($1,898 a year) for full coverage, based on the rates insurers had filed with state regulators as of Aug. 31, 2026. That’s 19% below the Iowa average of $196 a month. Full-coverage averages in Iowa City run from about $97 to $199 a month across the four major insurers we compared (Farm Bureau Financial Services, Grinnell Mutual, IMT Insurance and Progressive).
Iowa City is the least expensive of the 13 Iowa cities we publish guides for, and Johnson County is the least expensive of the 70 Iowa counties we price. Our benchmark driver pays about $38 a month less here than the state average.
Our data covers three ZIP codes with an Iowa City mailing address, from about $155 a month in 52245 to $163 in 52240.
Cost data comes from the auto rates insurers file with state regulators, priced across all three Iowa City ZIP codes in our data, compiled by Quadrant Information Services and updated as new rates are filed.
Rates as of Aug. 31, 2026. Page reviewed Oct. 7, 2026.
How Much Is Car Insurance in Iowa City, IA?
Full coverage in Iowa City averages $1,898 a year, or about $158 a month, for our benchmark driver. Liability-only coverage at Iowa’s 20/40/15 minimum averages $425 a year ($35 a month), and 50/100/50 liability with comprehensive and collision averages $1,994 ($166 a month).
- Full coverage (100/300/100, $500 deductibles): $1,898 a year ($158 a month)
- 50/100/50 with $500 deductibles: $1,994 a year ($166 a month)
- Liability only (20/40/15): $425 a year ($35 a month)
- Johnson County: $2,023 a year ($169 a month) for full coverage
- Iowa average: $2,348 a year ($196 a month) for full coverage
- ZIP code range: $155 (52245) to $163 (52240) a month for full coverage
Cheap Car Insurance in Iowa City: Companies Compared
- Full-coverage range: about $97 to $199 a month across the four insurers in our rate data, for the same driver and car.
- Liability only (20/40/15): about $17 to $68 a month across the four insurers.
- State Farm (Nov. 2025 rates)*: about $132 a month for full coverage, from its November 2025 rates.
- Also on our list: Travelers at about $102 a month, USAA at $103, West Bend at $117, Auto-Owners at $122 and GEICO at $139 (USAA sells only to military families).
- Most expensive in our data: Farm Bureau Financial Services, at about $199 a month.
Progressive’s Iowa City average, about $97 a month, is 33% below IMT Insurance’s ($145), a lead wide enough that we show the range instead of naming a single cheapest insurer. The recent published statewide Iowa rate studies we reviewed most often rank Travelers cheapest for full coverage: five of the six we checked put it first and one ranks Progressive, apart from USAA, which sells only to military families. For liability-only coverage at 20/40/15 limits, averages run from about $17 to $68 a month; the lowest is far enough below the rest that we don’t name a cheapest insurer for that coverage level.
Full-coverage averages by insurer in Iowa City
Monthly, for the same driver and car. Insurers marked with an asterisk in the table below aren’t in the chart.
Rates insurers filed with state regulators, compiled by Quadrant Information Services, as of Aug. 31, 2026. Benchmark 40-year-old driver, 100/300/100 with $500 deductibles.
| Insurance Company: | Minimum Liability 20/40/15 (Yearly): | Minimum Liability 20/40/15 (Monthly): | Full Coverage (Yearly): | Full Coverage (Monthly): |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive | $206 | $17 | $1,162 | $97 |
| IMT Insurance | $317 | $26 | $1,743 | $145 |
| Grinnell Mutual | $820 | $68 | $2,299 | $192 |
| Farm Bureau Financial Services | $356 | $30 | $2,388 | $199 |
| State Farm (Nov. 2025 rates)* | $337 | $28 | $1,589 | $132 |
| Travelers* | $522 | $44 | $1,221 | $102 |
| USAA (military families)* | $366 | $31 | $1,237 | $103 |
| West Bend* | $328 | $27 | $1,402 | $117 |
| Auto-Owners* | $352 | $29 | $1,458 | $122 |
| GEICO* | $357 | $30 | $1,665 | $139 |
| Iowa City average | $425 | $35 | $1,898 | $158 |
This table uses Iowa City ZIP codes only. See how we calculated these rates. Your own price depends on your car, driving record and coverage, so compare car insurance quotes before you buy.
Iowa City Car Insurance Rates by ZIP Code
Across the three Iowa City ZIP codes we price, full coverage for our driver ranges from about $155 a month in 52245 to $163 in 52240, a gap of $93 a year. 52245 and 52246 are priced about the same, and 52240, which includes downtown, costs a little more.
Lowest-priced Iowa City ZIP code
Highest-priced Iowa City ZIP code
Search the table for your ZIP code. The last column shows how far each ZIP code is above or below Iowa City’s average.
| ZIP Code: | Minimum Liability 20/40/15 (Yearly): | Minimum Liability 20/40/15 (Monthly): | Full Coverage (Yearly): | Full Coverage (Monthly): | Full Coverage vs. City Average: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52240 | $429 | $36 | $1,955 | $163 | +3% |
| 52245 | $415 | $35 | $1,862 | $155 | -2% |
| 52246 | $430 | $36 | $1,877 | $156 | -1% |
Your ZIP code matters
Does Better Coverage Cost More in Iowa City?
Full coverage at 100/300/100 limits costs less on average than 50/100/50 in our Iowa City data: $1,898 a year compared with $1,994, with the same $500 deductibles. The full-coverage package doubles the per-person injury limit, triples the per-crash limit and doubles the property damage limit, and it raises uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage to 100/300. Grinnell Mutual and IMT Insurance charge less for 100/300/100 than for 50/100/50 for our benchmark driver.
Is Car Insurance Going Up in Iowa City?
Yes, for our benchmark driver. Comparing the same insurers in the same Iowa City ZIP codes, full coverage averaged $1,830 a year nine months earlier and $1,898 in rates as of Aug. 31, 2026, a 3.7% increase. Progressive raised its average 30.6%, while Farm Bureau Financial Services’, Grinnell Mutual’s and IMT Insurance’s averages were unchanged. State Farm’s latest rates are from November 2025, so it’s left out of this comparison. Liability-only coverage at 20/40/15 limits rose 3.4%, led by Progressive, which raised its liability-only average 35.5%.
What Shapes Car Insurance Costs in Iowa City
Johnson County averages about $169 a month for full coverage, the lowest of any Iowa county in our data.
Coralville, next door, averages about $156 a month, about the same as the city, while North Liberty averages $173. Iowa insurers price by location as well as by driver and car, so your ZIP code can move your price.
How Iowa City Car Insurance Compares With Other Iowa Cities
More Iowa cities and towns are in the Iowa rates by city table, and you can compare states on our car insurance rates by state page.
Cedar Rapids, about 25 miles north, averages $195 a month, and Davenport, about 50 miles east, $196.
What Car Insurance Is Required in Iowa City?
Drivers in Iowa City follow Iowa’s rules. Every policy must include at least:
- Bodily injury liability of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per crash
- Property damage liability of $15,000 per crash
- Uninsured, hit-and-run and underinsured motorist coverage, unless you reject it in writing
Our Iowa requirements guide covers the details and the penalties for driving uninsured.
How to Lower Your Car Insurance Rate in Iowa City
- Compare Progressive and IMT Insurance first. They have the two lowest full-coverage averages among the four major insurers we compared in Iowa City, about $97 and $145 a month.
- Quote several insurers. In our Iowa City data, the lowest and highest insurer averages are about $102 a month apart for the same driver and car.
- Know how credit is used. Iowa insurers can use credit information, but under Iowa Code 515.103 they can’t deny, cancel or refuse to renew a policy based solely on credit information.
- Compare at every renewal. Over the past nine months, Progressive has raised its average 30.6%, so the order in our table can shift.
- Ask about discounts and check your deductible. Many insurers lower rates for a clean driving record, paying in full or insuring more than one car, so ask which discounts you qualify for. Our full-coverage prices use $500 deductibles. A higher deductible lowers your premium but means you pay more yourself after a claim; see how car insurance deductibles work.
- Bundle your car and home insurance. Many insurers discount both policies when you buy them together. Check Iowa home insurance rates, and compare homeowners insurance quotes before you shop. Renters can often bundle a renters insurance policy too.
Ready to compare
How We Calculated Iowa City Car Insurance Rates
Insurers must file their rates and rating rules with each state’s insurance regulator. Quadrant Information Services uses those filings to calculate what each insurer would charge a specific driver, and InsuranceQuotes analyzes those prices. This page uses rates in effect on Aug. 31, 2026.
- Sample: 12 full-coverage premiums from four insurers across three Iowa City ZIP codes, plus the same number of liability-only and 50/100/50 premiums.
- Insurer count: our Iowa averages come from four insurers, fewer than in most states, so they can move more when one insurer changes its prices. We publish them as calculated, without adjustment.
- Driver: a single 40-year-old driver, licensed 24 years, with good credit and no accidents or violations, driving a 2024 Toyota Camry LE they own, for personal use.
- Coverage: full coverage is 100/300/100 liability with $500 comprehensive and collision deductibles and 100/300 uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. We also price 50/100/50 with the same deductibles, and liability-only coverage at Iowa’s 20/40/15 minimum, with 20/40 uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage and no comprehensive or collision.
- Calculation: for each insurer we take its lowest eligible price in each ZIP code and average those prices across the ZIP codes. The overall average is the mean of every insurer-and-ZIP price. Monthly figures are annual premiums divided by 12 and rounded.
- Rankings: we name a cheapest insurer only where it’s priced in at least half the ZIP codes and its lead over the next insurer isn’t so wide that it looks like an outlier. Annual prices within 3% of each other are called effectively tied.
- Rate changes: we compare the same insurer in the same ZIP codes, for the same driver and coverage, in rates as of Nov. 30, 2025, and Aug. 31, 2026. State Farm isn’t in the August 2026 rates, so it’s left out of rate-change comparisons; the other four insurers are in both sets of rates. Rate-change percentages are calculated from the annual premiums shown; other percentages use the rounded monthly figures.
- Insurers marked *: priced from recent published Iowa rate studies, scaled to our benchmark driver. They aren’t included in our averages or rankings. The State Farm row shows its November 2025 rates, so it isn’t included in our averages or rankings.
- What this isn’t: a quote. These are modeled prices for one driver profile, calculated from insurers’ rate filings. Your price depends on your ZIP code, vehicle, driving record, coverage choices and discounts.
Coverage requirements come from Iowa law and the Iowa Insurance Division. We refresh these figures when new rate data is released.
More Iowa City Car Insurance Breakdowns
This age table is from an additional InsuranceQuotes rate analysis. It uses its own driver profile, which is why its dollar amounts don’t match the Iowa City figures on this page.
How Does Age Affect Car Insurance Costs in Iowa?
Teen drivers pay the most in this analysis: about 2.4 times the full-coverage price for a 39-year-old. The lowest prices are for drivers in their 60s.
| Age: | State Minimum: | Monthly: | Full Coverage: | Monthly: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | $1,510 | $126 | $5,825 | $485 |
| 18 | $1,325 | $110 | $5,289 | $441 |
| 20 | $1,054 | $88 | $4,537 | $378 |
| 22 | $839 | $70 | $3,729 | $311 |
| 24 | $729 | $61 | $3,352 | $279 |
| 29 | $547 | $46 | $2,654 | $221 |
| 34 | $518 | $43 | $2,494 | $208 |
| 39 | $510 | $43 | $2,434 | $203 |
| 44 | $496 | $41 | $2,340 | $195 |
| 49 | $495 | $41 | $2,285 | $190 |
| 54 | $446 | $37 | $2,087 | $174 |
| 64 | $438 | $37 | $1,993 | $166 |
| 74 | $545 | $45 | $2,210 | $184 |
| 76 | $614 | $51 | $2,377 | $198 |
Iowa City Car Insurance FAQ
For our benchmark driver, full coverage in Iowa City averages about $158 a month ($1,898 a year) and liability-only coverage about $35 a month, based on the rates insurers had filed with state regulators as of Aug. 31, 2026. Full coverage is 19% below the Iowa average of $196 a month.
It depends on the coverage. For full coverage, averages in Iowa City run from about $97 to $199 a month across the four major insurers we compared, and the gap between the two lowest is too wide for us to call one insurer the cheapest. For liability-only coverage, averages run from about $17 to $68 a month. Five of the six recent published statewide Iowa rate studies we reviewed rank Travelers cheapest for full coverage, apart from USAA. Rates vary by driver, so compare quotes for your own car and ZIP code.
Compared with the rest of Iowa, yes. For our benchmark driver, Iowa City full coverage averages about $158 a month, 19% below the Iowa average, and Johnson County is the least expensive county in our data.
In our data, 52245 has the lowest full-coverage average in Iowa City, at about $155 a month, and 52240 the highest, at about $163. The ZIP code table on this page lists all three.
In our Iowa City data, full coverage (100/300/100 with $500 deductibles) averages about $158 a month and liability-only coverage at 20/40/15 limits about $35, a difference of about $123 a month ($1,473 a year). Liability-only coverage won’t pay to repair or replace your own car after a crash, a theft or a storm. Iowa law doesn’t require full coverage, but a lender or leasing company may.
Yes, for our benchmark driver. Comparing the same insurers and ZIP codes, Iowa City full coverage rose 3.7% over the past nine months, from about $1,830 to $1,898 a year. Progressive raised its average 30.6%. Liability-only coverage at 20/40/15 limits rose 3.4%.
For our benchmark driver, full coverage in Iowa City averages about $158 a month. Nearby, Cedar Rapids averages about $195, Marion about $193 and Davenport about $196. Iowa City is the least expensive of these; prices depend mostly on ZIP code, so compare quotes for your own address.
- About the Author
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Michael Giusti is a senior insurance analyst, business journalist, and university professor with over 20 years of experience. He serves as department chair at Loyola University New Orleans and contributes to Insurance Thought Leadership, U.S. News, and other leading financial outlets.
