- Low customer satisfaction per J.D. Power
- Lower-than-average digital satisfaction score in the service category, per J.D. Power
Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed. Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.
Best homeowners insurance companies in Illinois for 2024
Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed. Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.
Compare the best homeowners insurance companies in Illinois
The average cost of homeowners insurance in Illinois is $1,896 per year for $250,000 in dwelling coverage, or roughly $158 a month. This is in line with the national average of $1,759 per year. Bankrate’s analysis found that USAA, Allstate, State Farm, American Family and Farmers offer some of the best homeowners insurance in Illinois, according to premium data from Quadrant Information Services and third-party scoring, such as the 2024 J.D. Power U.S. Home Insurance Study.
Whether you want the lowest insurance premiums, the most coverage or the best discounts, the following companies might be a good place to start if you want the best Illinois homeowners insurance:
Insurance company |
Bankrate Score
|
Average monthly premium | Average annual premium* | |
---|---|---|---|---|
4.7
|
$80
|
$961
|
||
4.2
|
$101
|
$1,215
|
||
4.2
|
$111
|
$1,332
|
||
4.2
|
$120
|
$1,438
|
||
3.6
|
$170
|
$2,044
|
Bankrate's trusted insurance industry expertise
Read our full methodologyThe home insurance market can be complicated, but Bankrate's insurance editorial team used our unique perspective to bring readers information they need to make educated decisions when shopping for home insurance.
46
years of industry expertise
122
carriers reviewed
20.7K
ZIP codes examined
1.2M
quotes analyzed
The top 5 home insurance companies in Illinois
Best for military-focused coverage
4.7
4.7
Avg. premium for $250K dwelling
$80/mo
Avg. premium for $250K dwelling
$961/yr
Customer satisfaction
881/1,000
-
Why USAA made our list: Of the Illinois homeowners insurance companies on our list, USAA offers the cheapest coverage on average, but the company only sells policies to active military members, veterans and their qualifying family members. Because of this, USAA is not eligible for official ranking with J.D. Power, but the company consistently receives some of the highest scores. However, there are not as many ways to personalize a USAA homeowners policy, and most add-on options are specific to military life. But if you home share a room or the entire house, you may be able to include home-sharing coverage on your USAA home insurance.
Who USAA may be good for: If you are stationed at Scott AFB or any of Illinois’s other military bases, you may want to consider USAA for its low average rates and superior customer service. Its coverage options feature military-focused benefits, such as coverage for your uniforms.
Best for unique coverage options
4.2
4.2
Avg. premium for $250K dwelling
$101/mo
Avg. premium for $250K dwelling
$1,215/yr
Customer satisfaction
809/1,000
-
Why Allstate made our list: For more specialized homeowners insurance, Illinois property owners should consider Allstate. Allstate may be a good choice if you’re looking for more unique insurance options, like electronic data recovery or coverage for your yard and garden, musical instruments, or sports equipment. And although the average premium is already lower than the state’s average, there are numerous discounts that may help you save even more. However, customers who value strong digital service may want to consider other providers, as J.D. Power ranked Allstate below average for its digital experience. It also scored just below the segment average in the 2023 J.D. Power U.S. Home Insurance Study.
Who Allstate may be good for: If you're looking for something a little more robust than your standard cookie-cutter policy, you may want to consider Allstate. The company’s healthy handful of optional coverages could enable you to build a policy that better suits your needs.
Best for bundling policies
4.2
4.2
Avg. premium for $250K dwelling
$111/mo
Avg. premium for $250K dwelling
$1,332/yr
Customer satisfaction
829/1,000
-
Why State Farm made our list: State Farm might be a good choice if you like to consolidate your policies with one company. In addition to homeowners insurance, the provider offers many other insurance products, such as auto insurance, life insurance, disability insurance, small business insurance, farm and ranch insurance, umbrella insurance policies and pet and boat insurance, creating ample opportunity to bundle and save. However, State Farm does not offer as many discount opportunities as some competitors. Although the company’s average premium is below the Illinois average, if you’re looking for extensive discounts, State Farm may not be the best choice. State Farm also does not partner with the NFIP. State Farm customers who want flood insurance will need to purchase a policy directly through the NFIP or through a different private insurer.
Who State Farm may be good for: If you have more than one insurance policy — such as home and auto or home and life — it could be worth getting a quote from State Farm.
Best for endorsements
4.2
4.2
Avg. premium for $250K dwelling
$120/mo
Avg. premium for $250K dwelling
$1,438/yr
Customer satisfaction
813/1,000
-
Why American Family made our list: American Family offers the ability to add several endorsements to your policy. Options include equipment breakdown, sump pump and water backup coverage, service line coverage, matching siding protection and credit theft protection and monitoring. If you would like help with determining exactly what you need, American Family has a personalized coverage assistant tool on its website that can help advise on standard and optional coverage for your Illinois home insurance policy. However, American Family’s digital tools are rated below average in the service category of the 2023 J.D. Power U.S. Insurance Digital Experience Study, so it might not be the best option for homeowners looking for online or mobile tools.
Who American Family may be good for: AmFam has several opportunities for homeowners to customize their policies. For example, it offers a diminishing deductible option, which could lower the amount you’d pay before coverage kicks in by $100 every year you're claim-free. That endorsement alone may make it worth consideration by homeowners on a tight budget.
Best for a simplified shopping experience
3.6
3.6
Avg. premium for $250K dwelling
$170/mo
Avg. premium for $250K dwelling
$2,044/yr
Customer satisfaction
800/1,000
-
Why Farmers made our list: Farmers makes shopping for home insurance easy by offering Illinois homeowners insurance in three packages: Standard, Enhanced and Premier. While these packages serve as starting points, each can be personalized with optional coverage types, like scheduled personal property, earthquake, water backup coverage and cosmetic damage coverage. Farmers also offers claim forgiveness, a claims-free discount (if you qualify) and declining deductibles at no extra cost. However, Farmers scored well below average in the 2023 J.D. Power U.S. Home Insurance Study for overall customer satisfaction, and the company’s financial strength is one of the lowest on our list of carriers, too.
Who Farmers may be good for: If you're making your first-ever Illinois homeowners insurance purchase, or if you're not entirely sure what you want from your policy, Farmers' package options can help you zero in on the right coverage for your needs.
Additional Illinois home insurance companies to consider
Chubb
With an average rate of $2,240 per year for $250,000 worth of dwelling coverage, Chubb’s policies may not work for frugal homeowners. Chubb’s policies are primarily tailored toward high-value homes and offer robust coverage. For instance, Chubb’s Masterpiece-tier plan includes extended replacement coverage, electronic data recovery, lock replacement and post-storm tree removal. In 2023, Chubb had the honor of winning the Bankrate Award for best home insurer for high-value homes.
Country Financial
Country Financial only writes home insurance policies in 19 states, Illinois being one of them. The insurer primarily services homes in the midwest and it has a strong network of agents spread out throughout the state, with 52 agents in Chicago alone. Coverage is available in two tiers, standard and premier, and working with a Country Financial agent can help you modify your policy to fit your home’s insurance needs. However, its rates are well above the average Illinois home insurance cost at $3,161 per year.
How Bankrate chose the best home insurance companies in Illinois
Bankrate’s insurance editorial team chose the best homeowners insurance companies in Illinois by starting with a comparison of premium data obtained from Quadrant Information Services. We evaluated factors including policy features, available coverage, discounts, financial strength ratings from AM Best and Standard & Poor’s (S&P), complaint records from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and customer satisfaction scores from J.D. Power. We combined these metrics into a Bankrate Score between 0.0 to 5.0. The higher the score, the more likely it is that the company excels in all areas of comparison.
Cheapest home insurance companies in Illinois
Below, we’ve rounded up the cheapest home insurance companies in Illinois and compared savings against the state average. Don’t be surprised if the names on this list look familiar: many of our picks for the best home insurance companies in Illinois were also some of the cheapest.
Carrier | Monthly premium for $250k coverage | Annual premium for $250k coverage | Savings vs state avg. for $250k coverage |
---|---|---|---|
$80
|
$961
|
- $935 |
|
$101
|
$1,215
|
- $681 |
|
Hastings Mutual
|
$110
|
$1,319
|
- $577 |
$111
|
$1,332
|
- $564 |
|
$120
|
$1,438
|
- $458 |
How Bankrate chose the cheapest home insurance companies in Illinois
To find the best cheap home insurance in Illinois, Bankrate looked at the most up-to-date rate information available from Quadrant Information Services. We looked at the largest insurers in Illinois by market share, then narrowed down our list to only include companies with the most competitive rates.
How to get cheap Illinois home insurance
No one wants to pay more for their homeowners insurance than they need, but that doesn't mean you don't want robust, comprehensive coverage. Fortunately, there are strategies you can use to save money on your Illinois homeowners insurance without sacrificing coverage.
Consider the following tactics:
- Bundle your policies: You may be able to instantly earn a lower rate if you purchase more than one policy from a single insurer. The most common bundles are home and auto, but you may earn a discount if you bundle your home with some other type of insurance, too.
- Maintain your roof: When you ask for a quote, your potential insurer is likely to ask about the age of your roof. That's because an older or poorly maintained roof is more likely to result in costly claims, especially considering Illinois's weather patterns. A newer roof — and one made of storm-resistant materials — may earn you a more favorable rate.
- Increase your deductible: Your deductible is the amount you pay before your insurance kicks in after a claim. Raising it from $500 to $1,000 is likely to save you money on your premium. Be sure, however, that you don't raise it so high that you'd have difficulty paying it after a claim.
- Shop around: It's a good idea to compare rates from multiple insurers when you are shopping for insurance. Each company uses its own proprietary method for determining premiums, so the exact same coverage levels will be priced differently from insurer to insurer. Once you've gathered three or four quotes, you can make a decision based on which one offers you the lowest rate.
Best home insurance discounts in Illinois
Discounts can help lower homeowners insurance rates in Illinois. As mentioned, bundling policies is one way to earn a discount.
Here are some other discounts that are commonly offered by Illinois insurance companies:
How to save on home insurance policy renewals in Illinois
Home insurance policy terms are typically one year long. In that time, you can take a few steps that can help lower your home insurance rate when your policy comes up for renewal. Consider the following strategies:
- Improve your credit: Boosting your credit score is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time to raise your credit score even a few points, but doing so is worthwhile when it comes to saving on insurance. Insurers generally give better rates to customers with better credit histories, so taking the steps in the short term to improve your score can help you save in the long run.
- Fortify your roof: Illinois is no stranger to tornadoes, and your roof can take the brunt of the damage when a storm blows into town. Installing hurricane clips on your roof can help it better weather the storm, and may earn you a discount from your insurer.
- Be deliberate with your claims: Some occasions absolutely necessitate filing an insurance claim, but in some cases, it may be cheaper to pay out of pocket. Filing a home insurance claim usually increases the cost of your policy, so to avoid this surcharge, it may be best to get an estimate of the damage before filing a claim. If the repair costs are close to your deductible — what you’re responsible for paying if you filed a claim — you might avoid a rate raise by paying for repairs out of pocket.
How much is home insurance in Illinois?
The average cost of homeowners insurance in Illinois is $1,896 per year for $250,000 in dwelling coverage. This is just slightly above the national average of $1,759 per year. Illinois experiences a wide range of extreme weather, from intense summer storms to gale-force winds to golf ball-sized hail. Additionally, homeowners insurance premiums in Chicago are much higher than in the rest of the state, which could be a driving force behind Illinois’ overall homeowners insurance average.
Illinois homeowners insurance rates by city
Illinois may face unique insurance challenges, but like all other states, home insurance rates change on a city by city basis. The interactive map below shows home insurance premiums for different ZIP codes across the state.
- East Moline: $1,692 per year — 11 percent below state average
- Hampton: $1,695 per year — 11 percent below state average
- Bloomington: $1,703 per year — 10 percent below state average
- Cordova: $1,706 per year — 10 percent below state average
- Coal Valley: $1,707 per year — 10 percent below state average
- West Liberty: $2,307 per year — 22 percent above state average
- Sainte Marie: $2,305 per year — 22 percent above state average
- Lerna: $2,296 per year — 21 percent above state average
- Parkersburg: $2,290 per year — 21 percent above state average
- Newton: $2,268 per year — 20 percent above state average
*Rates are for $250,000 in dwelling coverage.
What does home insurance cover in Illinois?
Before you commit to a home insurance policy, you need to make sure you understand exactly which disasters you’re covered for. Most Illinois insurance policies will include some amount of coverage for the following disasters, but it can be helpful to go over your policy with a licensed agent to make sure you’ve got your bases covered:
- Tornadoes: A typical Illinois home insurance policy will include some amount of coverage for wind damage. However, depending on where you live, you may need to pay a separate wind deductible for your courage to kick in. Typically, the deductible is between 1 and 5 percent of your dwelling coverage limit.
- Fires: Only intentionally set fires and, in some states, wildfires, are not covered or face lower coverage limits. In Illinois, if your home catches fire, your insurance should cover the damage up to your policy limits.
- Lightning: Lightning strikes can fry your home’s power system or spark a fire.
- Extreme cold: This is especially helpful for those brutally cold Illinois winters. If a pipe bursts in your home, the resulting damage is usually covered by your insurance policy.
Additional home insurance coverage types in Illinois
Outside of standard home insurance coverage types like dwelling, liability and personal property, there are some additional protections that Illinois homeowners may want to consider:
- Flood insurance: Many Illinois counties have a higher-than-average number of flooding events. Damage caused by floods is not covered by a standard home insurance policy. Typically, you will need to purchase a separate flood insurance policy from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a private insurer, although a few companies do offer flood insurance as an endorsement.
- Water backup coverage: It is relatively common in this area of the country for water to back up into sewer and drain lines during heavy rains. This can be of particular concern if your home has a basement or crawl space. Many companies offer a water backup endorsement to provide coverage for this type of damage, since it may not be covered in a basic policy.
- Earthquake insurance: The southern part of Illinois is near the New Madrid fault, putting it at a higher risk for earthquakes. Earthquake damage is not usually covered by your home insurance automatically, but you may be able to add an endorsement. If you are in a particularly high-risk area, you may need an earthquake insurance policy.
- Identity theft coverage: As the world becomes increasingly reliant on digital technology, identity theft is becoming more common. This common endorsement helps cover costs associated with restoring your stolen identity.
- Mine subsidence coverage: Per Illinois law, mine subsidence insurance must be offered by all home insurers in certain “mandatory counties,” but coverage can be declined in writing. Mine subsidence refers to the collapsing of underground mine shafts that causes the home above the surface to collapse.
Working with a licensed agent when choosing coverage options can be helpful. Agents can guide you through the insurance process and help you select coverage that is appropriate for your situation.
Related content:
Common Illinois home insurance problems
Shopping for home insurance in Illinois is not without its pain points. Although average home insurance rates sit close to the national benchmark, that does not mean that finding the right policy is always a breeze. Here are some unique considerations Illinois homeowners should keep in mind:
- Mines: The Illinois Mine Subsidence Insurance Funds estimates that nearly 330,000 homes are exposed to mine subsidence across the state. Mine subsidence damage is different from flood or fire damage, where the damage can occur in a matter of hours (or even minutes). Rather, mine subsidence damage can be slow-growing and hard to spot. While it may feel like an invisible threat, mine subsidence can render your home a total loss.
- Floods: The National Severe Storms Laboratory reports that floods are the most “common and widespread of all the weather-related disasters.” In fact, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources states that floods account for more than 90 percent of the state’s declared disasters. However, floods are almost never included in a standard HO-3 or HO-5 home insurance policy. Floods are among the most damaging disasters, so it’s extra important to ensure that you are fully protected.
- Tornadoes: In 2021, nearly 40 percent of all home insurance claims pertained to wind and hail damage, with claims averaging around $12,900. The western border of Illinois brushes up against what’s historically been known as Tornado Alley, so it’s vital that Illinois homeowners read their policies carefully and understand what they’re covered for. Depending on your policy, you may have a separate wind deductible.
New
Great news for dog lovers: beginning January 2024, Illinois home and renters insurance companies will no longer be able to raise rates or cancel policies for owners of specific dog breeds, such as wolf hybrids, pit bulls and rottweilers. Although it certainly benefits dog parents across the state, the law was originally designed to help lower the number of dogs that wind up in shelters.