Insulin receptor (Insr) protein can be found at higher levels in pancreatic β-cells than in most other cell types, but the consequences of β-cell insulin resistance remain enigmatic. Ins1^cre allele was used to delete Insr specifically in β-cells of both female and male mice which were compared to Ins1^cre-containing littermate controls at multiple ages and on multiple diets. RNA-seq of recombined β-cells revealed significant differences in multiple pathways previously implicated in insulin secretion and cellular fate, including rewired Ras and NFκB signaling. Male, but not female, βInsr^KO mice had reduced oxygen consumption rate, while action potential and calcium oscillation frequencies were increased in Insr knockout β-cells from female, but not male mice. Female βInsr^KO and βInsr^HET mice exhibited elevated insulin release in perifusion experiments, during hyperglycemic clamps, and following i.p. glucose challenge. Deletion of Insr did not reduce β-cell mass up to 9 months of age, nor did it impair hyperglycemia-induced proliferation. Based on our data, we adapted a mathematical model to include β-cell insulin resistance, which predicted that β-cell Insr knockout would improve glucose tolerance depending on the degree of whole-body insulin resistance. Indeed, glucose tolerance was significantly improved in female βInsr^KO and βInsr^HET mice when compared to controls at 9, 21 and 39 weeks. We did not observe improved glucose tolerance in adult male mice or in high fat diet-fed mice, corroborating the prediction that global insulin resistance obscures the effects of β-cell specific insulin resistance. We further validated our in vivo findings using the Ins1-CreERT transgenic line and found improved glucose tolerance 4 weeks after tamoxifen-mediated Insr deletion. Collectively, our data show that loss of β-cell Insr alone is sufficient to drive glucose-induced hyperinsulinemia, thereby improving glucose homeostasis in otherwise insulin sensitive dietary and age contexts.