These days, your finances probably feel a little less secure once that auto-insurance payment is withdrawn. 

According to Toronto-based insurance comparison website MyChoice.ca, residents in several local communities saw vehicle premium increases over the first six months of 2025.

The company says it analyzed more than 60,000 quotes — including several hundred locally — from multiple insurers across Ontario between January and June, and ran that against data from the same period in 2024. 

It determined Barrie and Innisfil saw some of the biggest spikes in the province, at 13.8 and 12.2 per cent, respectively. 

MyChoice says it focused on quotes reflecting the most common driver profile: A 35-year-old married individual (man or woman) who is currently insured and maintains a clean driving record. 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.

So that means a Barrie resident within that profile likely paid $1,915 for automobile insurance; the number was $2,216 in Innisfil. 

“We only looked at the best rate that is shown to the user, independent of which insurer would service it,” product growth vice-president Vitalii Starov said. “Our goal is to provide as much transparency to the customers as possible.”

Kingston saw the province’s sharpest increase at 14.7 per cent, though a driver under the aforementioned profile would only pay $1,581 annually there.

Meanwhile, Brampton was the most expensive municipality, with drivers paying $3,341 per year.

MyChoice says Brampton, Brantford, Burlington and Kingston were among the most dangerous Ontario municipalities in which to drive last year, based on accident and infraction data.

Across Ontario, premiums increased by 4.1 per cent on average in 2025, continuing a multi-year trend, according to the company.

Meanwhile, other local communities saw more modest increases, including Newmarket (up 3.7 per cent to $2,066), Bradford (up 2.6 per cent to $1,871), Orillia (up 2.6 per cent to $1,672) and Aurora (up 2.5 per cent to $2,023).

“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,” MyChoice chief executive officer Aren Mirzaian said in a media release.

So what can drivers do to save a few bucks?

“Installing anti-theft devices, getting winter tires, and bundling your home and auto insurance can lead to meaningful savings,” Starov said. “Also, shopping around and comparing quotes with websites like MyChoice can help too, especially since prices can vary for the same coverage.

“These steps won’t reverse market-wide trends, but they can help individual drivers keep more money in their pockets.”

The full report can be found at mychoice.ca.