Canadian Underwriter
News

Top 10 Ontario cities with the highest car insurance rates


February 17, 2015   by Canadian Underwriter


Print this page Share

New research from KANETIX.ca shows the majority of Ontario cities with the most expensive car insurance premiums are in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), with Brampton topping the list.

Kanetix.ca released a list of average auto insurance premiums for different communities in Ontario

Ontario has the highest auto insurance rates in the country, notes a statement Tuesday from KANETIX.ca, Canada’s first online insurance marketplace that currently provides a million-plus quotes annually to consumers looking for insurance and comparisons for mortgage rates and credit cards.

The research demonstrates, however, that not only do premiums vary significantly across Ontario, the Top 10 are often considerably higher than the provincial average, which is $1,538.

Those Top 10 cities, their premiums and the difference with the provincial average are as follows:

• Brampton – $2,393, +44%;

• Woodbridge – $2,342, +41%

• Vaughan – $2,342, + 41%

• Toronto – $2,017, +27%

• Mississauga – $1,998, +26%

• Hamilton – $1,987, +26%

• Thornhill – $1,884, +20%

• Markham – $1,829, +17%

• Richmond Hill – $1,755, +13%

• Ajax – $1,718, +11%

KANETIX.ca reports the data was aggregated using the company’s free online tool – available across Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island – that, in this case, allowed Ontario users to compare auto insurance rates across the province by postal code. All averages are based on a 35-year-old driver with a clean driving record.

Compare that to Ontario’s cheapest cities for car insurance. These were Belleville, Kingston and the towns of Cobourg and Napanee, the latter two averaging premiums of $1,014 annually.

Where a driver lives is one of a number of factors that go into determining that person’s auto insurance premium, KANETIX.ca reports. Others include congestion, vehicle type, likelihood of theft, and personal driving record.

“Urban areas tend to have higher insurance rates because there are more cars on the road, higher frequency of accidents and greater severity,” explains Janine White, vice president of marketplaces for KANETIX.ca.

“Insurers set their premiums based on claims and actuarial data from a given region. These areas had the highest incidence of claims so this is reflected in the premiums,” White continues.

KANETIX.ca offers the following tips to help lower insurance premiums, regardless of the city in which a driver resides:

• maintain a clean driving record;

• combine auto and home insurance policies to see savings of 5% to 15%;

• install winter tires and save as much as 5%;

• increase the deductible (ensure this amount can be covered should a claim occur) and save up to 10%; and

• consider a usage-based insurance program, which can save 5% up front and as much as 25% overall.


Print this page Share

5 Comments » for Top 10 Ontario cities with the highest car insurance rates
  1. alfred paiva says:

    I have a clean driving record & the government has been telling us insurance rates are dropping, but I don’t see it dropping on my renewal premiums. If you ask the insurer , they will tell you that there is too much fraudulent claims in your area. Fraudulent claims is the insurer’s problem. ie they are unable to stop fraud- which means they are not capable of detecting fraud, which means they are not doing their job properly & the insurance lobby is very powerful in the corridors of power.Hence the government is not interested in bringing the rates down & the lame excuse offered by the minister is you have to shop around.

    • Ram bhai says:

      Only way is to write to your MPP and complain. Ontario govt is in bed with Insurance companies. Quebec provincial government manage the auto insurance companies better than ontario. In quebec, you get insurance for 30$/month (this is not a typo, 30 $ month or about 360/year), because provincial govt has better control in place to stop abuse by insurance companies.

  2. Mohammad says:

    I am living in richmondhill and i want to move to newmarket is this city high risk place or not

    • Nick says:

      Newmarket is also a small city, so it might bit only a bit cheaper than Richmond Hill. I would suggest the towns of Aurora, Stouffville or King (all in York Region) as they are less populated and offer cheaper insurance than the big 4 cities of YR. Other northern towns with decent insurance are Keswick, Sutton, Pefferlaw, and anywhere in Georgina area.

  3. John says:

    How does the insurance gets affected in case of an accident especially when a person is being held at fault? I live in North York.
    Any suggestions on how to reduce the premium will be appreciated.

Have your say:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*