Which Ontario cities see the highest auto coverage hikes?
Auto insurance premiums are still rising in most Ontario cities, despite efforts to keep a lid on rate hikes, notes a recent analysis by MyChoice.
Auto theft in the province, rising repair costs, insurance fraud – including staged collisions – and rising claim payouts are all factors behind premium gains, says the insurance comparison site’s report.
Interestingly, the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario recently issued a rule requiring insurers to make ongoing, detailed reports on auto insurance fraud. “This initiative aims to enable regulators to track trends, identify high-risk regions, and more effectively address fraudulent claims,” it adds. “Over time, better data and stricter oversight could help stabilize system costs and gradually lead to more affordable premiums.”
The Canadian insurtech analyzed its own quote data from January to June of 2024 and for the same six-month period in 2025 to determine year-over-year increase rates for Ontario auto premiums.
“For consistency, we focused on quotes reflecting the most common driver profile: a 35-year-old married individual (male or female) who is currently insured and maintains a clean driving record,” notes MyChoice in its market overview. “The costs were analyzed based on the most popular vehicles in Ontario, including Honda Civic, Mazda CX-5, Ford Escape, Toyota Corolla, Honda Accord and Chevrolet Equinox.
“This standardized approach enabled us to track premium movements across regions in a reliable and comparable way, while still drawing from real, location-specific pricing data provided by insurers.”
The overview finds an average car insurance premium increase of 4.10% across the province in the first half of 2025, MyChoice notes is in keeping with a rising rate trend over the past few years.
Who feels the pinch?
In terms of where rates are rising within Ontario, Kingston sees the sharpest hike with average premiums climbing 14.73% year over year.
Sharp gains are also recorded in Barrie (up 13.78%), Windsor (up 12.69%), Innisfil (up 12.15%) and Belleville (up 11.92%).
MyChoice’s review of the data finds Brampton is Ontario’s most expensive city for drivers, with an average annual premium of $3,341. That’s an 11% increase in coverage costs year over year from 2024.
Premium hikes are more modest in areas like Scarborough (up 0.52%), Ottawa (up 1.04%), Guelph (up 1.53%) and Huntsville (up 1.63%).
Meanwhile, sizeable declines are seen in premiums for drivers in Markham (down 7.05%), Mississauga (down 2.17%) and Richmond Hill (down 2.12%). Toronto experienced a 1.06% decline.
“Even within the same province, insurers calibrate their rates based on very localized risk data – everything from collision frequency to vehicle theft patterns – which is why drivers sometimes see sharp differences in premiums between neighbouring communities,” says MyChoice CEO, Aren Mirzaian.
Meanwhile, a companion survey from the insurtech finds Kingston, Brantford, Burlington and Brampton as the most dangerous cities for drivers in Ontario. Toronto and its environs rank as the safest.
