Most and least expensive Ontario cities to buy car insurance revealed
Ontario has some of the highest car insurance rates in the country, but for the first time in a long time premiums are actually coming down.
"It's definitely good news," Tanisha Kishan, insurance expert with RatesDotCa, told CTV News Toronto.
With so many people still working from home during the second year of the pandemic and traffic remaining light on many highways, car insurance premiums in Ontario have dropped an average of 3.8 per cent.
"A lot less vehicles on the road equals a lot less claims, which translates into premium decreases for consumers," Kishan said.
According to RatesDotCa, the average Ontario auto insurance premium in 2020 was $1,616. Last year it dropped to $1,555, a 3.8 per cent decrease.
The City of Brampton, which has long held the title as the most expensive city in Ontario to insure a car, saw the largest decline in premiums of 27 per cent.
"I think that Brampton premiums were high for so long they just had the most room to fall," Kishan said.
The city with the most expensive auto insurance in the province is now Vaughan, with an estimated annual premium of $2,179.
It's followed by Ajax, Richmond Hill, Brampton and Mississauga.
Despite being the most expensive, all five cities still saw a reduction in rates.
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) has approved more than 100 rate reductions and 42 various rebates during the pandemic.
"We would definitely agree that rates have stabilized and in many cases are quite a bit lower," said Tim Bzowey, Executive Vice President of Auto Insurance Products at FSRA.
While not every driver will see a reduction in rates, it may be advisable to shop around to find a better deal.
"Rates vary a lot from insurer to insurer, so please shop around to make sure you are getting the best rate available to you at the time," said Bzowey.
Not every city saw decreases and one of the largest hikes in the province took place in Oshawa, where insurance premiums jumped 12 per cent.
Among the most inexpensive places to insure a car were in Cobourg, Port Hope, Picton and Kingston where each had an average annual premium of about $1,100.
FSRA said the lower rates won't last forever as it's expected when the pandemic ends and driving habits return to normal premiums will start to creep back up.
Top ten most expensive cities in Ontario for car insurance
- Vaughan $2,179
- Ajax $2,104
- Richmond Hill $2,025
- Brampton $1,976
- Mississauga $1,971
- Pickering $1,959
- Toronto $1,953
- Oshawa $1,833
- Whitby $1,792
- Nobleton, Schomberg, Orangeville, King City $1,766
Cheapest cities in Ontario for car insurance
- Kendal $1,271
- Port Hope $1,175
- Amherstview $1,132
- Brockville $1,132
- Iroquois $1,132
- Martintown $1,132
- Elizabethtown $1,132
- Cornwall $1,132
- Kingston $1,132
- Gananoque $1,132
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

BREAKING U.S. House expels New York Rep. George Santos. It's just the sixth expulsion in the chamber's history
The U.S. House voted Friday to expel GOP Rep. George Santos, a historic vote that will make the New York congressman the sixth lawmaker ever to be expelled from the chamber.
Suspect charged with 4 counts of second-degree murder in Winnipeg mass shooting
A suspect has been charged with four counts of second-degree murder in connection with the Langside homicide.
Alleged Montreal-area 'Chinese police stations' threaten to sue RCMP for $2.5 million
Two Chinese community centres in the Montreal area are threatening to launch a $2.5 million lawsuit against the RCMP after being accused by the police force of hosting 'alleged Chinese police stations.'
Lawsuits against Trump over Jan. 6 riot can move forward, appeals court says
Lawsuits against Donald Trump brought by Capitol Police officers and Democratic lawmakers over the U.S. Capitol riot, can move forward, a federal appeals court ruled on Friday.
BREAKING Appeal rejected in case of man who had duffel bag with 100 lbs. of cannabis on him
In a ruling on Friday, the Supreme Court of Canada dismissed the appeal of a man who was found with 100 lbs. of cannabis near Banff in 2017.
'Dramatic' increases in younger Canadians' deaths contributed to our reduced life expectancy
Amid a declining life expectancy across the country, new national data released this week show that years on from the beginning of the pandemic, COVID-19 and the opioid crisis have had lasting impacts on life and death in Canada.
Unemployment rate rises to 5.8% in November as job market continues to cave
Canada's unemployment rate ticked up to 5.8 per cent last month, as high interest rates weigh on job creation at a time when the country's population is growing rapidly.
'Last-minute' amendment to Quebec health bill would allow agency to revoke right to English service
A new amendment to Quebec's mammoth health-care bill would allow the new Sante Quebec agency to revoke a hospital's ability to offer services in English, which is raising concerns from anglophones.
Jaw-dropping video shows collapse at Coquitlam, B.C., construction site
Emergency work is underway after a collapse at a Coquitlam, B.C., construction site that was caught on camera this week.