When talking about car insurance, the words “cheap” or “affordable” should never be used anywhere to describe car insurance prices. Please forgive the oxymoron, but cheap auto insurance for low income drivers is just plain contradictory. Don’t let that bother you, though, because we are going to show you how you can get car insurance that is cheaper than what you have now.
One of the key components that insurance companies use to determine car insurance rates is the neighborhood you call home in South Carolina. Urban areas that are densely populated like Summerville, Florence, and Charleston will most likely have higher rates, whereas more rural areas generally pay less for insurance.
The information below lists the priciest cities in South Carolina for low income drivers in which to purchase auto insurance.
Rank | City | Average Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Summerville | $1,278 |
2 | North Charleston | $1,262 |
3 | Florence | $1,259 |
4 | Goose Creek | $1,258 |
5 | Charleston | $1,247 |
6 | Sumter | $1,239 |
7 | Columbia | $1,213 |
8 | Socastee | $1,199 |
9 | Mount Pleasant | $1,189 |
10 | Myrtle Beach | $1,186 |
11 | Saint Andrews | $1,184 |
12 | Hilton Head Island | $1,162 |
13 | Greenville | $1,144 |
14 | North Augusta | $1,128 |
15 | Anderson | $1,127 |
16 | Spartanburg | $1,116 |
17 | Greenwood | $1,110 |
18 | Rock Hill | $1,102 |
19 | Aiken | $1,097 |
20 | Taylors | $1,095 |
21 | Easley | $1,066 |
22 | Mauldin | $1,061 |
23 | Wade Hampton | $1,048 |
24 | Greer | $1,045 |
25 | Simpsonville | $1,008 |
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Annual rates are estimated as the garaging address in South Carolina can decrease or increase price quotes significantly.
The type of vehicle requiring coverage is probably the largest consideration when quoting the lowest-priced auto insurance for low income drivers. Vehicles with limited top-end speed, advanced safety features, or a positive history of liability claims will cost quite a bit less to insure than higher performance models. The data below showcases coverage premiums for some of the cheapest vehicles to insure.
Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $743 |
Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $778 |
Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $785 |
Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan | $782 |
Toyota RAV4 Limited 2WD | $809 |
Chevrolet Impala LT | $814 |
Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $809 |
Kia Forte SX 4-Dr Sedan | $825 |
Ford Explorer Limited AWD | $835 |
Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $845 |
Honda Odyssey EX-L | $852 |
Subaru Forester X Premium AWP AWD | $864 |
Toyota Sienna Limited | $868 |
Chevrolet Traverse LT AWD | $872 |
Toyota Prius | $881 |
Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $874 |
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4WD 2-Dr | $884 |
Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $903 |
Ford Edge SE AWD | $913 |
GMC Sierra SLE Regular Cab 2WD | $921 |
Hyundai Tucson Limited 2WD | $927 |
Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $923 |
Ford Fusion SEL AWD 4-Dr Sedan | $925 |
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Table data assumes married female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and South Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Premium costs do not factor in zip code location which can affect prices substantially.
Looking at the data, we can expect makes and models like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Hyundai Elantra should be a few of the less-costly vehicles to insure for poor drivers.
If you are shopping around for auto insurance for poor drivers, four of the best places to start are Allstate, State Farm, Progressive, and Geico. All four can cover your vehicle for liability and physical damage, but each one has unique options and discounts that may influence which company you choose. The table below breaks down some of the different options .
Allstate | State Farm | Progressive | Geico | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Claims Service | 1st | 2nd | 4th | 3rd |
Policy Cost | 4th | 2nd | 3rd | 1st |
Client Satisfaction | 2nd | 4th | 3rd | 1st |
Policy Discounts | 1st | 3rd | 4th | 2nd |
Customers who recommend | 86% | 88% | 88% | 87% |
A.M. Best rating | A+ | A++ | A+ | A++ |
S&P financial rating | AA- | AA | AA | AA+ |
Mechnical breakdown | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Roadside service | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Accident forgiveness coverage | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Rideshare insurance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
New car replacement | Yes | No | No | No |
Usage-based rating | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
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Thanks to the internet, there are a lot of ways to find lower-cost insurance in South Carolina, but the most preferred ways are through an independent agent, an exclusive insurance agent such as Allstate or Liberty Mutual, or direct online or over the phone from a company like Progressive or Geico. All three ways are similar, but buyers should know the differences in how they function.
Independent agencies work with multiple companies and can do rate comparisons with all of them. Independent agents possess the freedom to provide multiple price quotes, which can give you the best chance of saving money. If premiums increase, they simply move your policy to a different company and you don’t have to do anything.
An exclusive agent is ‘exlusive’ to one company, two examples are a Liberty Mutual or State Farm agent. These guys and gals cannot provide rates from more than one company, so it’s a good idea to get additional quotes.
Buying direct means you forego a local agent and buy direct from companies such as Progressive or Geico. This option may be a decent choice people who have lower risk management needs and know more than average about how insurance works.
Which way works best to find the best cheap auto insurance for low income drivers in South Carolina? We’d like to say buying from a direct company results in the best prices because there isn’t an agent involved, but in reality, that is not the case. It would also be easy to say going through an independent agent saves the most money because you have more choices, but that idea is not necessarily true either. In a lot of cases, exclusive agents may have prices that are the cheapest.
Due to the large number of rating factors, the guaranteed way to ensure you are not overpaying for insurance is to get quotes and compare the rates. The best approach is to get price quotes all three ways to give yourself the best selection. For a list of companies with cheap rates in South Carolina, click here to view.