Where the Ohio Auto Market Stands
Ohio auto insurance rates climbed steadily from 2020 through 2024, driven by repair cost inflation, supply chain disruptions that pushed up parts prices, and rising medical costs on bodily injury claims. The market is now splitting — independent carriers with better loss ratios are cutting, while some captive carriers are still absorbing prior-year losses.
The carrier moves below reflect direct bulletins and territory-manager communications from our agency, plus publicly available filing data. Use them for context, not as a quote — your driving record, vehicle, and ZIP code still drive your individual rate.
| Carrier | Direction | Magnitude | Effective (NB / Ren) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Branch | Cut: Cut | -10% avg | NB: Oct 30, 2025 Ren: Dec 9, 2025 | Carrier bulletin |
| Nationwide | Cut: Cut | -10% (open company) | NB: Dec 20, 2025 | Territory manager |
| Liberty Mutual | Cut: Cut | -7% total (two decreases) | NB: Oct 1, 2025 | Territory manager |
| State Farm | Cut: Cut | ~-10% avg | — | Carrier press release |
| Allstate | Raise: Raise | +1.98% | — | Industry filings |
| Progressive | Raise: Raise | ~+2–5% | — | Industry filings |
- BranchDirectionCut: CutMagnitude -10% avgEffectiveNB: Oct 30, 2025Ren: Dec 9, 2025Source Carrier bulletin
- NationwideDirectionCut: CutMagnitude -10% (open company)EffectiveNB: Dec 20, 2025Source Territory manager
- Liberty MutualDirectionCut: CutMagnitude -7% total (two decreases)EffectiveNB: Oct 1, 2025Source Territory manager
- State FarmDirectionCut: CutMagnitude ~-10% avgEffective—Source Carrier press release
- AllstateDirectionRaise: RaiseMagnitude +1.98%Effective—Source Industry filings
- ProgressiveDirectionRaise: RaiseMagnitude ~+2–5%Effective—Source Industry filings
Why Rates Are Moving
Auto insurance follows a similar cycle to homeowners — carriers raise rates to recover losses, then compete for market share once profitability returns. Ohio auto premiums rose more than 30% cumulatively from 2020 through 2024 according to industry data, driven by three converging pressures: used vehicle values spiking after the supply chain crunch, repair labor and parts costs climbing well above general inflation, and medical cost increases flowing through bodily injury claims.
Branch was among the first carriers to move aggressively in Ohio, filing a -10% average auto rate decrease effective October 30, 2025 for new business and December 9, 2025 for renewals. Alongside the rate cut, Branch introduced a new advanced quote discount — 10% for policies quoted 3–7 days ahead of the effective date, and 16% for policies quoted 8–60 days ahead. That means Ohio drivers who plan ahead can stack the rate decrease with the discount for meaningful combined savings.
Nationwide's open company (NICOA) followed with a -10% Ohio auto rate decrease effective December 20, 2025 for new business. The filing also increased the Paid in Full discount from 10% to 13%, bumped the Advance Quote Discount for 15+ days from 13% to 15%, and removed the prior carrier requirement. A new 5% Non-Nationwide Homeowner discount was added for insureds who own a home with another carrier. Nationwide's closed companies — NPCC, NGI, and NMIC — saw no changes.
State Farm announced roughly $4.6 billion in auto rate reductions nationally, with an average decrease around 10%. Ohio-specific filing data was not separately disclosed, but Ohio is among the states seeing cuts.
What the Captive Carriers Are Doing
Not every carrier is cutting. Allstate filed a modest rate increase of approximately 1.98% for 2026. Progressive, while still among the cheapest auto carriers in Ohio, is carrying small increases in the low single digits. Both are working through residual loss cost pressures that their loss ratios haven't fully absorbed yet.
The contrast matters most for drivers who have been with the same carrier for three or more years. If your renewal is coming up and you're with a carrier still raising rates, the independent market has meaningful pricing available right now. Rate filings for all carriers are public record and searchable through SERFF Filing Access.
