Car insurance North York, ON
Part of a series on car insurance rates in Ontario.
Fast facts about auto insurance in North York
Average annual car insurance rate
Regular drivers in the city (approximately)
Collisions per year (approximately)
%
Collision rate for the city (approximately)
Average age (approximately)
Average household income (approximately)
%
Unemployment rate (approximately)
Population
Understanding car insurance in North York, Ontario
North York is a quintessential commuting hub, which means that its residents spend a lot of time on the road every weekday. The city is framed by the 400 highway on its western edge, the 404 (Don Valley Parkway) on its eastern edge, and the 401 along most of its southern edge. The 407 runs almost parallel to its northern edge, though further north around Concord and Thornhill.
That makes highway driving a big part of everyday life in North York, even more than Mississauga or Brampton. Time spent on the road matters, especially when you consider that the part of the 401 passing through Toronto is the busiest highway in North America.
Commuting in and out of this city means you’re likely to spend 1-2 hours driving per day—and that’s a lot of road exposure factoring into your car insurance policy.
Even though most of North York’s data is just rolled into Toronto’s profile as a whole, its inherent proximity to highways means that it probably has a higher collision rate than Toronto’s core. While Toronto’s subway line does run from Finch Avenue West south all the way down to Union Station, that’s only one direction (and doesn’t help everyone in the northern or eastern parts of the city who would have to drive to the Finch station anyway.
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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 North York
Myth: North York is dangerous for driving.
This one isn’t inherently true, but the city does have a few notorious intersections—Jane and Finch in particular. You can also expect to find a higher amount of collisions at intersections connected to on and off ramps around highways simply due to the sheer volume of traffic that passes through the 401, 400, and 404 every day.
Myth: North York is isolated from Toronto without a car.
Also not true. North York has a subway station at Finch that runs all the way south to Union Station (on the yellow line). From the Sheppard-Yonge stop, you can ride east to the Don Mills Stop. From the Bloor-Yonge and Spadina stops, you can ride west to Kipling Station or east to Kennedy Station. It can take a while to transfer between cars, but it’s doable.
Myth: North York isn’t for young adults in their 20s or 30s.
North York is actually home to the respected York University, giving the region a healthy dose of young adults. It’s great to grow your circle of friends, start a career, or even start a family. You have options to climb the ladder in just about every direction, including Downtown Toronto or any of the many regions surrounding it north of the 401.
Myth: The 401 is the most dangerous highway in the country.
False. It’s definitely the busiest highway in North America, but the 401 is actually one of the safest highways on the continent as well. We just tend to see a higher number of collisions along the highway due to the sheer number of cars traveling along the highway day in and day out. This could raise the perceived risk of a collision for insurance companies’ actuarial calculations.
How North York’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 car insurance and driving in North York
Weigh the cost of parking fees against lower rates.
Parking for an entire day costs $5 at Finch Station (from 5:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.). That’s $25 per work week, and $1,250 over the course of a full year (assuming you get 2 weeks of vacation). If you’re on the fence about taking the subway downtown, then talk to your car insurance broker about how much money you’d save by driving to Finch instead. The lower road exposure could end up saving you enough money to make it worth the trade-off for parking and subway passes.
Avoid North York’s worst intersections whenever possible.
Jane and Finch is probably one of the most notorious intersections in the entire GTA, with slowdowns there occurring multiple times per week. It’s also wise to avoid Bathurst and Finch Avenue West, which used to be considered one of the most dangerous intersections in the whole Toronto area. You might need to rely on them if you’re new to the city, but try to learn which back roads you can take to get around them.
Commuters should consider dash cams.
Driving on and around as many highways as the ones that surround North York mean that you’re going to encounter bad drivers, stressed drivers, and distracted drivers on a daily basis.
You can still get into a collision no matter how well you drive, so consider getting a dash cam to keep a record of traffic if or when you ever need it for an insurance claim.
Consider relocating out of the student neighbourhoods.
It’s no secret that younger drivers pay more for insurance, but you may not have known that accidents can raise rates for everybody living in that area. It only takes a handful of collisions to have an effect on the actuarial science that underpins all insurance policies. Ask your broker what your rates would look like if you moved to another neighbourhood.
North York Insurance FAQs
What documents will I need to get a car insurance quote in North York?
To get car insurance quotes in North York, insurers need to know about your vehicle, driving record, and insurance history.
The most important “document” you need to get a car insurance quote in North York and across North America is your driver’s licence, which will tell insurers about the vehicle/s registered in your name. Your license number will also allow insurance companies to access your Ontario driver’s abstract, essential for calculating your premium.
Learn more about how insurance companies check driving records.
In addition, Canadian insurers can use a database called Autoplus to find out about your previous insurance history. Gaps in coverage or having a policy cancelled due to nonpayment will make car insurance more expensive.
When you get an online quote with aha insurance, our technology checks your driver’s license with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation database to find the best policy option among our partners. We’ll also ask for your address and about secondary drivers to include them in your policy. The whole process only takes a few minutes.
What factors affect the cost of car insurance in North York?
In 2021, Toronto residents paid the 7th highest insurance rates on average in Ontario. The other Ontario cities with the highest car insurance rates are also located in the GTA. Unfortunately, North York residents tend to have the highest insurance premiums within the Greater Toronto Area. This isn’t because North York residents are bad drivers; rather, exposure to long commutes and busy roads increases insurance rates.
North York residents drive on and around North America’s busiest stretch of highway on the 401. In addition, the average resident may commute downtown daily on Highway 400 or the Don Valley Parkway, passing through intersections known for relatively high collision frequency.
Therefore the amount you drive around North York and the rest of Toronto will affect what you pay for insurance in addition to other factors like what you drive, your driving record and the records of other drivers on your policy.
Talk to your insurer about savings if you can park your vehicle in a private driveway or garage and take public transportation like the Yonge–University line or carpool more often.
Living in North York doesn’t mean you can’t do more to lower what you pay for auto insurance. Learn more about other strategies and discounts you can use to reduce your car insurance premium in Ontario.
How will adding a new G1/G2 driver to my insurance affect my rate?
It’s very important to tell your insurance provider when someone in your household receives a G1 or G2 license, so they are protected under your insurance policy.
Adding a G1 driver to your insurance policy probably won’t increase your insurance rate. A G1 is Ontario’s version of a learner’s permit, which means an experienced driver needs to be on the road with them, hopefully teaching the new driver good habits and reducing the likelihood of a collision.
Of course, if a G1 driver has an at-fault accident or driving conviction, your insurance premiums will increase.
Learn more about driving restrictions and insurance costs for G1 drivers.
Having a driver with a G2 license on your policy will increase your auto insurance rate. This is because G2 drivers can drive independently with fewer restrictions, which means insurance companies view them as higher risks.
However, having a G2 driver added to your policy is cheaper than a new driver purchasing their own car and finding a company that will insure them as the vehicle’s principal driver. Hence, most parents opt to add their children to their policy as secondary drivers.
To help their customers save money on insuring a G2 driver, many insurance companies offer discounts for new drivers who complete Ontario government-approved driver training programs. Be sure to let your insurance company know when your G2 driver passes their G driving test so you can receive additional savings.
The more years of safe driving experience a young driver has, the less likely they will be involved in an at-fault accident, meaning they can save on insurance. Drivers with safe records over 25 tend to pay less for insurance than their younger counterparts.
Learn more about how you can save on car insurance in North York with a G2 driver on your policy here and get an online quote in minutes to find out if we can help you save on the protection your family needs.
Sources for fast facts about North York:
- Toronto.ca
- Statistics Canada, 2016 Census Profile, Toronto
- Ministry of Transportation Road Safety Report, 2016
- Statistics Canada, 2001 Community Census Profile, North York
Source for average insurance rates by city:
- Survey of 2,800 auto insurance policy holders in Ontario
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