Car insurance Ajax, ON
Part of a series on car insurance rates in Ontario.

Fast facts about auto insurance in Ajax
Average annual car insurance rate
Regular drivers in the city
Collisions per year (approximately)
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Collision rate for the city
Average age
Average household income
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Unemployment rate
Population
Understanding car insurance in Ajax, Ontario
Ajax is a quintessential suburban township. It sits in between Pickering, Whitby, and Lake Ontario. It’s also defined by highway access, framed squarely by the 401 running east-west and the 412 running north-south parallel to the eastern edge of the city. It’s a town that operates on personal vehicles instead of public transportation, for the most part. Scores of people take the 401 to and from Toronto to get to work every day, creating quite a bit of congestion and increasing the odds of a collision.
Saving money while living in Ajax can be a challenge because you need a car to get around town. You’ll probably need a vehicle just to get groceries even if you take the train into downtown Toronto for work every day.
While you can’t write off car ownership entirely, you can reduce your rates by living in select areas with low crime rates and access to the GO station.
Get your bundle on & save!
Want even cheaper insurance? Save up to 50% on home and up to 18% on car insurance when you bundle them.

Get your bundle on & save!
Want even cheaper insurance? Save up to 50% on home and up to 18% on car insurance when you bundle them.

Busting myths about driving and insurance in Ajax
Myth: Ajax’s public transit isn’t reliable.
Like other suburban communities bordering Toronto, Ajax relies heavily on cars and the 401 to allow commuters to ride to and from downtown. That means most people travel around town by car, and fewer people pay to support public transit in the borough. In early 2019, however, Mayor Shaun Collier spent two weeks riding the DRT to understand how to better improve it for everyone. Expect changes in the next few years!
Myth: The south end of Ajax is more dangerous than the north end.
False. Some of Ajax’s nicest neighbourhoods are in the south end, especially in proximity to the waterfront. In fact, The Durham Police’s crime map indicates the neighbourhood with the highest number of reported crimes is just north of the 401, around the intersection of Harwood Avenue and Kingston Road. After that, the neighbourhoods just on the southern side of the 401 have the next-highest number of occurrences. You can find safe housing all over the south end of Ajax.
Myth: Ajax is too remote from Toronto.
If you don’t have a car or only take the 401 during rush hour, then you’d be forgiven for thinking that. In fact, Ajax has several other main roads that connect it with the surrounding GTA. Taunton Road and Old Kingston Road serve as the town’s main arteries outside of the 401. There are also discussions about the possibility of creating an airport between Ajax and Pickering, which could connect Ajax to the rest of the world.
Myth: Ajax is just a small town, but the jobs are all in Toronto.
Not for long! Ajax is one of the fastest-growing communities in Ontario. In fact, it grew by more than a full third between 2005 and 2015, and it’s set to reach a population of 140,000 by 2031. Ajax is a mid-sized city right now, but it’s booming in business and in growth. The young families moving here now are forming a thriving economy that’s going to last for years to come, building its own commercial ecosystem outside of downtown Toronto.
How Ajax’s rates compare to other cities in Ontario
- North York: $4,261
- Etobicoke: $4,199
- Brampton: $4,071
- Scarborough: $3,825
- East York: $3,605
- Woodbridge: $3,603
- Richmond Hill: $3,579
- Mississauga: $3,473
- Markham: $3,389
- Niagara Falls: $3,321
- Bowmanville: $3,308
- Peterborough: $3,259
- Pickering: $ 3,245
- Newmarket: $ 3,216
- Hamilton: $3,201
- Brantford: $ 3,158
- Maple: $3,150
- Whitby: $3,087
- Ajax: $3,053
- York: $2,999
- Toronto: $2,983
- Barrie: $2,924
- Thornhill: $2,871
- Waterloo: $2,867
- Caledon: $2,780
- London: $2,765
- Fort Erie: $2,720
- Oakville: $2,720
- Sault Ste Marie: $ 2,713
- Kitchener: $2,705
- Milton: $2,680
- St Catharines: $ 2,550
- Windsor: $2,536
- Woodstock: $2,513
- Innisfil: $2,505
- Burlington: $2,476
- Kingston: $ 2,360
- Cambridge: $2,297
- Oshawa: $2,295
- Guelph: $2,268
- Gloucester: $2,256
- Stoney Creek: $2,222
- Nepean: $2,196
- Ottawa: $2,195
- Sudbury: $2,005
- Kanata: $2,002
- Thunder Bay: $1,973
- Wasaga Beach: $1,958
Quick tips on insurance and driving in Ajax
Live near GO Train stations if you’re working in downtown Toronto.
The route from Ajax to downtown Toronto is about 50 minutes, so if you can get to the GO station within 15 minutes then you’ll have a very reasonable commute to work. Riding the GO train does cost money, but it could also seriously reduce your car insurance rates. Your premiums are tied to your road exposure (how far you drive every day or week), so taking that down to a few errands every 7 days does wonders for your wallet!
Avoid Ajax’s worst intersection at Kingston and Salem.
The intersection at Salem Road South and Kingston Road East is one of the most dangerous intersections in Ajax and the entire Durham Region, with up to 87 collisions in 2011. Kingston Road in particular contributes to a large number of collisions throughout the Durham region, so drive extra carefully while using it to avoid collisions or fender benders—they’ll raise your rates if you’re not careful!
Homes in the north end have low crime rates, but the GO station is in the south end.
Test out various addresses before committing to a new home in Ajax, especially if you’re commuting into downtown Toronto. The lower crime rates in the north end’s newer developments will likely have a positive impact on your car insurance rates. However the savings on fuel and lower road exposure from taking the GO train might outweigh that if you need to live close to the highway.
If you’re working locally, then try for a home in the north end or the waterfront.
A lot of people work in Toronto, so access to the GO Station is critical for them. The Durham Region Police Force’s crime mapping tool indicates that crime is also highest around the 401 (where the station is), and that doesn’t help our insurance rates. If you work locally then take advantage of homes northward, toward Taunton Road. Communities right on the waterfront also have fewer incidents.
Ajax Insurance FAQs
What determines your auto insurance premium?
Your city and postal code are just one piece of the larger picture of information that insurers use to determine your auto insurance premium. Learn more about how where you live affects your insurance rates here.
That said, many other factors also influence how much you pay for insurance:
- What you drive: for example, the model and age of a vehicle are used by insurers to determine the cost of repairing or replacing your car. Insurance providers can also use collision statistics associated with your vehicle model to determine your premium.
- Your age, gender, and experience behind the wheel: drivers over 25 with a G license and a safe driving history typically pay the most affordable premiums.
- Your driving record: You’ll always pay less for insurance if you have no at-fault accidents or driving violations such as speeding or distracted driving convictions.
- Any secondary and occasional drivers on your policy also affect how much you pay for your coverage.
- Driving habits, including your daily commute and how many kilometres you drive annually, also help determine your premium.
- How much coverage you choose: Additional policy endorsements like comprehensive coverage will provide your vehicle with more protection but increase the price of your policy. It’s best to speak with a broker to determine the best balance between insurance protection and policy price for your family.
- Lower deductibles will also cost you more money upfront but will be worth it if you can’t afford to pay a high deductible if you need to make a claim. Learn more about the impact of deductibles on your rates.
In addition, different companies will charge you different amounts for the same coverage. So, we recommend getting quotes from insurance brokerages like aha to find out if you can save more on the coverage you need.
How much does Ajax auto insurance cost?
While Ajax residents did see a modest reduction in their auto insurance rates of 1.7% from 2020, Ajax had the second-highest average Ontario insurance rate in 2021. Vaughn had the highest average premiums at $2,179, with Ajax paying a slightly lower annual rate of $2,104.
These averages a quite a bit higher than the overall 2021 Ontario average of $1,555, but they don’t necessarily reflect what an individual Ajax resident will pay. The best way to find out how much auto insurance will cost you is to get a free online quote from an insurance brokerage like aha.
How to get cheap auto insurance rates in Ajax?
With high average insurance rates in Ajax, it’s wise to be on the lookout for ways you can make your auto insurance premium more affordable.
If you work in Toronto, consider avoiding long commutes on the 401 and taking advantage of the Ajax GO station.
In addition to your neighbourhood and how often and far you commute, there are many other ways to lower your car insurance rates. Here are a few highlights:
- Drive safe and consider adding accident forgiveness to your policy to protect your rates after an at-fault accident.
- Look for vehicles with top safety ratings that aren’t common targets for theft in Canada.
- Avoid customizing your vehicle with expensive features and parts that don’t provide the advantage of increased safety, like a more powerful engine.
- Don’t forget to take advantage of winter tire discounts!
- Learn how state-of-the-art safety features can help you save on insurance.
- If you have new drivers on your policy, an accredited driver’s ed course can make insuring them more affordable.
- Take advantage of discounts when you bundle multiple vehicles or purchase home insurance with the same company.
- Consider increasing the limit of your liability insurance coverage. This advice sounds counterintuitive, but paying a little more for coverage upfront will help you save if you had to pay compensation for an injured third party after an at-fault accident.
The best way to ensure you’re saving on quality insurance is to speak with a broker to help you find the discounts you deserve and the best rates from a licensed insurance company.
Sources for facts about Ajax:
- Statistics Canada, 2016 Profile, Ajax
- Ministry of Transportation, 2016 Road Safety Report
- Global News, “Ajax mayor rides bus for Durham Region Transit project”
- DurhamRegion.com, “Durham’s worst intersections”
- DurhamRegion.com, “Ajax supports a Pickering airport, provided the facts support one”
- Federation of Canadian Municipalities, “Case study: Population boom doesn’t stop Ajax from reducing GHGs”
Source for average insurance rates by city:
- Survey of 2,800 auto insurance policy holders in Ontario

Google Rating: 4.8
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