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A.M. Steinbach is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, and content marketing strategist who has been writing for Compare.com since 2023. He's an expert in breaking down a diverse range of insurance topics into crisp, readable content.
A.M. has worked with major brands in insurance, tech, finance, and healthcare. He also contributes to The Average Joe, a personal finance newsletter that reaches more than 250,000 daily readers, and other notable publications.
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Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.
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The average Buffalo driver pays a little less than New York’s statewide average of $390 per month, according to Compare.com data. But although the citywide average rate is $224 per month, CSAA and Safeco are a couple of insurers in Buffalo with even cheaper rates.
In this guide, we’ll explain how to save on car insurance in Buffalo, how rates vary by driver profile, and some of the best insurance companies in the city.
CSAA offers the cheapest car insurance in Buffalo, with an average rate of $75 per month.
New York requires drivers to have 25/50/10 car insurance minimums.
Buffalo drivers can save on car insurance by driving safely, asking about discounts, and comparing quotes side by side.
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Your unique driver profile plays a major role in your car insurance rates. Alongside your age and driving record, ZIP code is a major rating factor in insurance rates. The table below shows the average rates for different policy types in Buffalo, in New York, and nationally, according to Compare.com data.
Location ▲▼ | Average Monthly Premium: Liability Insurance ▲▼ | Average Monthly Premium: Full Coverage ▲▼ | Average Monthly Premium: All Policies ▲▼ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | $190 | $258 | $224 |
| New York | $339 | $441 | $390 |
| National average | $107 | $197 | $152 |
We found that drivers in Buffalo pay an average of $190 per month for liability-only insurance and $258 for full coverage. But keep in mind that these are just average rates — your cost could differ depending on your unique driving profile.
Compare personalized quotes from Buffalo’s top insurers.
While Buffalo’s city average is $224 per month, you can still find companies offering lower rates. The chart below highlights the five cheapest car insurance companies in Buffalo, along with their average monthly premium, according to Compare.com data.
Company | Average Monthly Premium |
|---|
CSAA offers the lowest average rate in Buffalo, at just $75 per month.
In the next section, we’ll explore the three best Buffalo insurers based on a few common insurance rating factors and driver profiles.
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Shopping around and comparing quotes on car insurance is vital. After all, there’s no single “best” insurance company for everyone. Your age, driving record, ZIP code, vehicle choice, and other unique factors will determine which insurer works best for you.
We chose the following companies based on a combination of average rates, available discounts, coverage selection, and other factors. Each serves as a good starting point for different types of drivers in Buffalo.
Average premium: $121 per month
Compare.com Rating: Not rated
Low rates
Above-average claims satisfaction
Many discounts available
Must purchase AAA membership
Negative credit rating from AM Best
Some mixed customer reviews
With insurance costs on the rise, Buffalo drivers looking for a budget-friendly option might want to give CSAA a look. Rates start low, and you can save even more when you take advantage of CSAA’s wide selection of discounts. The insurer offers a multi-policy discount, multi-car discount, good student discount, and more.
Average premium: $146 per month
Compare.com Rating: 4.62 out of 5
Multiple student-friendly discounts
Above-average claims satisfaction score
Highly rated mobile app
Below-average J.D. Power score
Mixed customer reviews
Slightly higher rates
Younger drivers tend to pay higher car insurance rates. Luckily, Liberty Mutual offers a range of discounts that can benefit students. For instance, Liberty Mutual’s good student discount offers savings to students who manage a GPA of B or better. If you’re a college student who left your car at home, Liberty Mutual’s student-away-at-school discount can come in handy.
Average premium: $85 per month
Compare.com Rating: 4.90 out of 5
Above-average J.D. Power score
Highly rated mobile app
Multiple local agents
AM Best financial strength downgraded
May lack boutique feel of smaller insurers
Some mixed customer reviews
Drivers looking for great customer service might want to consider State Farm, which earned one of the highest J.D. Power customer satisfaction ratings in the New York region, according to the rater’s most recent study. As the largest auto insurer in the country by market share, State Farm has a major national footprint, including a handful of registered agents in the Buffalo area.
Compare personalized quotes from Buffalo’s cheapest companies.
The coverage levels you choose will directly influence your rates. Purchasing liability coverage at the state-minimum limits is the cheapest policy available. If you get in an accident, this covers the other driver’s vehicle repairs, but not your own.
In the chart below, we list the cheapest liability policies in Buffalo, according to Compare.com data.
Most experts advise purchasing more than the state-minimum limits, and if you have a car loan or lease your vehicle, your bank or lender will require you to have full coverage.
In the next section, we’ll outline the average cost of different full-coverage car insurance policies in Buffalo.
Full-coverage auto insurance typically includes liability insurance, as well as collision and comprehensive coverages. Adding these additional coverages will raise your rates, but the added protection is typically worth it for most drivers.
Collision insurance covers damage to your own vehicle after an at-fault accident, while comprehensive insurance covers damage from non-collision events, like severe weather, theft, or vandalism.
The following chart shows the cheapest full-coverage auto insurance policies in Buffalo, according to Compare.com data.
The companies above are a great starting point, but plenty of factors besides coverage can affect rates. Let’s see how factors like your age and driving record play a role in what you’ll pay.
Your age is one of the most important rating factors for car insurance. Generally, rates start high when you’re a young driver and then go down as you age.
The table below includes the average rates in Buffalo for different age groups, according to Compare.com data. It also includes the cheapest insurer for each, along with its average monthly premium.
Age Group ▲▼ | Citywide Average Monthly Premium ▲▼ | Cheapest Insurer ▲▼ | Cheapest Insurer’s Average Monthly Premium ▲▼ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teens | $403 | CSAA | $124 |
| 40s | $232 | CSAA | $75 |
| Seniors | $229 | CSAA | $64 |
Teen drivers are usually the most expensive age group to insure. They have a higher rate of fatal crashes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and car insurance companies charge teens higher rates to manage these risks.
We found that Buffalo teens pay an average rate of $403 per month, but CSAA offers teens the lowest rate, at $124 per month.
Average rates go down as you age, which means senior drivers pay some of the lowest rates of any group. Senior drivers have plenty of experience behind the wheel and tend to drive less often after retirement. This combination of lower mileage and more experience makes them less risky to insure.
Buffalo seniors pay an average rate of $229 per month for car insurance, according to our analysis. Drivers in their 60s can find a lower rate with CSAA for just $64 per month.
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Your driving record also has a significant effect on your car insurance rates. Avoiding at-fault accidents and traffic violations will lead to lower rates on average.
In the following table, we’ve broken down the average rates in Buffalo by driving record, according to Compare.com data, as well as the cheapest insurer for each group.
Driving Record ▲▼ | Citywide Average Monthly Premium ▲▼ | Cheapest Insurer ▲▼ | Cheapest Insurer’s Average Monthly Premium ▲▼ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clean record | $224 | CSAA | $75 |
| Speeding ticket | $249 | CSAA | $89 |
| At-fault accident | $267 | CSAA | $96 |
| DUI | $284 | CSAA | $97 |
Speeding is a factor in a large share of traffic accidents, according to the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee. Receiving a speeding ticket makes you riskier in the eyes of car insurance companies, which leads to higher rates for the next three to five years.
Buffalo drivers with a ticket on their record pay an average rate of $249 per month for car insurance, according to Compare.com data. CSAA offers the lowest average rate to drivers in Buffalo with a recent speeding ticket, with a monthly average rate of $89.
Getting in an at-fault accident causes your rates to go up even more steeply than a speeding ticket. Insurers see drivers with a recent collision on their record as more likely to get in a future accident, so they offer these riskier drivers higher rates.
The citywide average for Buffalo drivers with a recent crash is $267 per month, according to Compare.com data. But CSAA offers the lowest rates for this group, with drivers paying an average of $96.
Getting a DUI is the most severe infraction when it comes to car insurance rates. Buffalo drivers with a DUI pay an average monthly rate of $284 for car insurance, according to Compare.com data — the sharpest increase of any infraction. But these drivers can find cheaper rates with CSAA. The insurer charges an average rate of $97 per month.
Drivers in New York must have car insurance that meets certain minimum coverage limits. All drivers must purchase at least the following to drive legally:
$25,000 in bodily injury liability insurance (and $50,000 for death) per person
$50,000 in bodily injury liability insurance (and $100,000 for death) per accident
$10,000 in property damage liability insurance per accident
Medical expenses and repair costs after a car accident can run high. That’s why most insurance experts recommend purchasing coverage well above the minimum limits.
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Buffalo drivers can use the following strategies to get the best deal on car insurance:
Drive safely: Maintaining a clean driving record can lead to discounts and lower rates.
Choose a safe car: Purchasing a vehicle with a strong safety record and advanced safety features is a good idea if you’re looking for the cheapest rates.
Raise your deductible: A higher deductible generally comes with lower monthly premiums — though you’ll have to pay more out of pocket if you get in an accident.
Look for discounts: Most insurance companies offer plenty of discounts for bundling home and auto insurance, insuring multiple cars, and paying your premiums online.
Compare quotes: Receiving quotes from multiple car insurance companies and comparing them side by side is the best way to find the most affordable coverage.
Compare personalized quotes from the cheapest insurers in Buffalo.
You might have some more questions about car insurance policies in Buffalo. If so, read on to learn the answers to some commonly asked questions about Buffalo auto insurance.
CSAA has the lowest rates in Buffalo, with an average rate of $75, according to Compare.com data.
We found that Buffalo drivers pay an average car insurance rate of $224 per month. That breaks down to $190 per month for liability-only insurance and $258 for full coverage.
Car insurance in Buffalo is $224, compared to a statewide average of $390 per month for New York drivers, according to Compare.com data.
New York law requires drivers to purchase $25,000 in bodily injury liability insurance per person, $50,000 in bodily injury liability insurance per accident, and $10,000 in property damage liability insurance per accident. You must also double those bodily injury limits for deaths resulting from an accident ($50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident).
If you get in a crash and don’t have auto insurance coverage, the New York DMV will revoke your license and registration for at least one year. You’ll also receive a traffic court fine of $1,500 and a reinstatement fee of $750 if you drive without insurance.
Sources:
J.D. Power, “2024 U.S. Auto Insurance Study,” accessed November 11, 2024.
Insurance Information Institute, “What determines the price of an auto policy?,” accessed November 11, 2024.
National Association of Insurance Commissioners, “2023 Property and Casualty Market Share Report,” accessed January 1, 2024.
Data scientists at Compare.com analyzed more than 50 million real-time auto insurance quotes from more than 75 partner insurers in order to compile the rates and statistics seen in this article. Compare.com’s auto insurance data includes coverage analysis and details on drivers’ vehicles, driving records, insurance histories, and demographic information.
All the rates listed in this article have been collected from a combination of real Compare.com quotes and external insurance rate data gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. Compare.com uses these observations to provide readers with insights into how auto insurance companies determine their premiums.
Compare.com's #1 goal is to save you money. We publish resources that are based on hard-hitting data and years of industry experience to help you make more informed decisions with your wallet.
Learn more about us, our team, and what makes us tick.
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A.M. Steinbach is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, and content marketing strategist who has been writing for Compare.com since 2023. He's an expert in breaking down a diverse range of insurance topics into crisp, readable content.
A.M. has worked with major brands in insurance, tech, finance, and healthcare. He also contributes to The Average Joe, a personal finance newsletter that reaches more than 250,000 daily readers, and other notable publications.
Lequita Westbrooks is an insurance editor at Compare.com. Her writing and editing experiences span several industries, including insurance, personal finance, higher education, and more. She excels at explaining complex topics like auto insurance in simple, easy-to-understand language and is passionate about helping readers save money. Lequita graduated from the University of South Florida, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in English.
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