How Much Does Car Insurance Cost for Inexperienced Drivers in South Carolina?

How Much Does Car Insurance Cost for Inexperienced Drivers in South Carolina?

Determining which company offers the cheapest insurance rates for inexperienced drivers will involve a bit more work in order to find a policy that fits your budget.

Each insurer has a unique approach for determining rates in each state, so we’ll go over the insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in South Carolina. It’s a good idea to be aware that South Carolina insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can significantly increase or decrease the price you have to pay. Simply getting older, having a claim, or getting a speeding ticket may cause policy rate changes that can make some companies cheaper in comparison to the competition.

Best Cheap Insurance Rates for Newbies

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South Carolina auto insurance company rankings
Rank Company Cost Per Year
1 The Hartford $768
2 USAA $1,015
3 State Auto $1,094
4 Auto-Owners $1,153
5 Southern Farm Bureau $1,248
6 SC Farm Bureau Mutual $1,260
7 National Grange Mutual $1,335
8 Travelers $1,384
9 State Farm $1,422
10 Allstate $1,589
11 Progressive $1,611
12 Encompass $1,691
13 Nationwide $1,832
14 Safe Auto $1,927
15 GEICO $2,061
16 Bristol West $2,420
17 Liberty Mutual $2,439
18 Safeco $2,771
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The Hartford has some of the best car insurance rates in South Carolina at around $768 annually. USAA, State Auto, Auto-Owners, and Southern Farm Bureau also make the cut as some of the best South Carolina car insurance companies.

As shown above, if you are a customer of Auto-Owners and switched to The Hartford, you might realize a yearly price reduction of in the vicinity of $385. Insureds with Southern Farm Bureau might save as much as $480 a year, and SC Farm Bureau Mutual policyholders might lower prices by $492 a year.

To see if you’re overpaying, click here or click through to the companies below.

Bear in mind that those policy rates are averages for all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and and are not calculated with a price decrease for inexperienced drivers. So the car insurance company that is best for you may not even be featured in the chart above. That illustrates why you need to compare rates from multiple companies using your own specific driver information and vehicle.

When shopping for the cheapest auto insurance for new drivers, one of the many factors that play a part in determining the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you keep your car. Areas that are more densely populated like Summerville, Goose Creek, and Charleston tend to pay higher rates, whereas areas with lower vehicle theft rates and fewer weather claims have the benefit of cheaper auto insurance prices.

The following table lists the highest-priced places in South Carolina for inexperienced drivers in which to buy car insurance.

South Carolina cities ranked by car insurance cost
Rank City Annual Premium
1 Summerville $1,278
2 Florence $1,259
3 Goose Creek $1,258
4 North Charleston $1,250
5 Charleston $1,247
6 Sumter $1,239
7 Myrtle Beach $1,222
8 Mount Pleasant $1,213
9 Socastee $1,199
10 Columbia $1,177
11 Saint Andrews $1,149
12 Greenville $1,144
13 Hilton Head Island $1,139
14 Rock Hill $1,135
15 Greenwood $1,132
16 Aiken $1,119
17 North Augusta $1,106
18 Anderson $1,094
19 Greer $1,087
20 Taylors $1,085
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Rate quotes are estimated as the specific garaging location can affect premium rates noticeably.

The vehicle on the policy is probably the biggest factor when quoting cheap auto insurance for inexperienced drivers in South Carolina. Vehicles with lots of horsepower, poor safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost more to insure than more economical and safe models. The tables below showcases auto insurance premiums for some of the most cost-effective vehicles to buy coverage for.

Auto Insurance Rates for Popular Cars in South Carolina
Make, Model, and Trim Level Annual Cost Semi-Annual Cost Monthly Cost
Chevrolet Malibu LT $956 $478 $80
Honda Civic DX 2-Dr Coupe $1,098 $549 $92
Hyundai Elantra GLS 4-Dr Sedan $986 $493 $82
Hyundai Sonata SE 4-Dr Sedan $1,054 $527 $88
Kia Optima EX $1,072 $536 $89
Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan $938 $469 $78
Toyota Corolla XRS $1,004 $502 $84
Volkswagen Jetta SE 4-Dr Sedan $1,004 $502 $84
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Table data assumes single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and South Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, homeowner, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Information does not factor in specific zip code location which can lower or raise price quotes considerably.

Car Insurance Rates for Popular SUVs and Crossovers in South Carolina
Make, Model, and Trim Level Annual Cost Semi-Annual Cost Monthly Cost
Acura MDX Advance 4WD $1,022 $511 $85
Acura RDX Technology Package AWD $926 $463 $77
BMW X5 M AWD $1,224 $612 $102
Chevrolet Traverse LS AWD $830 $415 $69
Ford Escape XLS 4WD $794 $397 $66
Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer AWD $956 $478 $80
GMC Acadia SLT AWD $956 $478 $80
Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD $812 $406 $68
Honda Pilot EX-L 4WD $956 $478 $80
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 2WD $1,004 $502 $84
Jeep Patriot Sport 4WD $872 $436 $73
Kia Sportage LX $938 $469 $78
Toyota Highlander Sport 4WD $956 $478 $80
Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD $938 $469 $78
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Cost estimates assume single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and South Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, claim-free, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and homeowner. Price information does not factor in your specific South Carolina location which can alter price quotes considerably.

Insurance Rates for Popular Pickup Trucks in South Carolina
Make, Model, and Trim Level Annual Cost Semi-Annual Cost Monthly Cost
Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LT Crew Cab Diesel 4WD $1,072 $536 $89
Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD LTZ Crew Cab 2WD $1,040 $520 $87
Chevrolet Silverado LTZ Extended Cab 4WD $1,004 $502 $84
Dodge Ram Crew Cab TRX 2WD $1,024 $512 $85
Ford F-150 XLT Crew Cab 4WD $956 $478 $80
Ford F-350 XLT Crew Cab King Ranch Turbo Diesel 2WD $1,090 $545 $91
GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Extended Cab 4WD $1,004 $502 $84
GMC Sierra SLT Extended Cab 4WD $1,004 $502 $84
Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD $938 $469 $78
Toyota Tundra Double Cab 4WD $1,024 $512 $85
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Table data represents single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and South Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, claim-free, homeowner, and safe-driver. Prices do not factor in specific location information which can lower or raise coverage rates substantially.

Discount South Carolina car insurance

Discounts on insurance for inexperienced driversCar insurance companies that offer cheap auto insurance for inexperienced drivers in South Carolina may also provide policy discounts that can reduce rates by as much as 35% or more if you are eligible to receive them. Popular insurance companies and a selection of discounts are detailed below.

  • American Family policyholders can earn discounts including defensive driver, multi-vehicle, bundled insurance, mySafetyValet, good student, and air bags.
  • Nationwide offers premium reductions for easy pay, multi-policy, family plan, accident-free, and Farm Bureau membership.
  • MetLife may include discounts for claim-free, defensive driver, accident-free, multi-policy, good student, good driver
  • 21st Century may have discounts that include 55 and older, early bird, homeowners, automatic seat belts, and defensive driver.
  • Farmers Insurance offers discounts including business and professional, youthful driver, pay in full, teen driver, homeowner, and early shopping.
  • Allstate includes discounts for good payer, farm vehicle, anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, EZ pay plan discount, and economy car.

The diagram below illustrates the comparison of car insurance costs with and without discounts being applied to the rates. The price estimates are based on a male driver, a clean driving record, no claims, South Carolina state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $1,000 deductibles.

The first bar for each age group shows the average annual price with no discounts. The second shows the rates with anti-theft, vehicle safety, defensive driving course, multiple vehicle, multiple policy, and claim-free discounts applied. When these discounts are applied to the policy premium, the the average amount saved on insurance for inexperienced drivers is 28% or $535.

google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawDiscqcibChart);function drawDiscqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘Male Driver No Discounts’, ‘Male Driver with Discounts’],[‘Age 20’, 3267,2341],[‘Age 30’, 1697,1229],[‘Age 40’, 1659,1197],[‘Age 50’, 1519,1097],[‘Age 60’, 1477,1065],[‘Age 70’, 1845,1325]]);var options = {title: ‘Comparison of Insurance Rates for Inexperienced Drivers’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 500,’chartArea’:{left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’, ‘height’: ‘70%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’},colors: [‘#6791b9’, ‘#98bee2’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle in South Carolina’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},vAxis: {title: ‘Age of Insured’}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);var chart = new google.visualization.BarChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibdisc’));chart.draw(data, options);}

The example below shows how choosing a deductible can impact yearly insurance costs when quoting cheap insurance for inexperienced drivers. The data assumes a married male driver, full coverage, and no discounts are applied.

google.charts.setOnLoadCallback(drawDfdqcibChart);function drawDfdqcibChart() {var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([[‘Age of Insured’, ‘$100 Deductible’,’$250 Deductible’,’$500 Deductible’,’$1,000 Deductible’],[‘Age 20’, 3893,3547,3171,2813],[‘Age 30’, 2021,1841,1635,1439],[‘Age 40’, 1939,1773,1583,1403],[‘Age 50’, 1775,1625,1457,1293],[‘Age 60’, 1747,1597,1431,1271],[‘Age 70’, 2017,1853,1673,1503]]);var options = {title: ‘Impact of Deductibles on Insurance Premiums in South Carolina’,titleTextStyle: {color: ‘#333’,fontSize: 17,bold: true},width: ‘100%’,height: 700,’chartArea’: {left:100,top:50,’width’: ‘100%’,’height’: ‘80%’},legend: {position: ‘bottom’,textStyle: {fontSize: 12}},bar: {groupWidth: ‘80%’},colors: [‘#6791b9′,’#75a8d8′,’#98bee2′,’#bad4ec’],hAxis: {title: ‘Annual Auto Insurance Cost for Average Vehicle’,minValue: 0,format: ‘$###,###’},vAxis: {title: ‘Age of Insured’}};var formatter = new google.visualization.NumberFormat({fractionDigits: 0,prefix: ‘$’});formatter.format(data,1);formatter.format(data,2);formatter.format(data,3);formatter.format(data,4);var chart = new google.visualization.BarChart(document.getElementById(‘qcibdfd’));chart.draw(data, options);}

The data above shows that a 30-year-old driver could lower rates by $356 a year by switching from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $536 by using a $1,000 deductible. Younger drivers, such as the 20-year-old example, could reduce their rates $1,080 annually just by choosing higher deductibles when buying full coverage.

If you do make the decision to raise your deductibles, it is necessary to have plenty of savings on hand to be able to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense. That is the one drawback of using higher deductibles.

How to find budget-friendly insurance for inexperienced drivers

The list below shows many thrifty ideas that can help South Carolina drivers locate cheap coverage.

  • Safer vehicles generally have cheaper insurance rates
  • Do not pay for full coverage if not needed
  • Staying accident-free helps keep rates low
  • Avoid speeding and other traffic citations and pay less
  • Good credit can mean cheaper rates
  • Raise your physical damage coverage deductibles
  • Shop around for cheaper prices often

The final tip is especially valuable, as we pointed out in this article. Rates vary considerably, so drivers shouldn’t be reluctant to switch to a new company if a more affordable rate is found.

Many drivers prefer to stick with one company, but is isn’t recommended if that loyalty results in overpaying hundreds of dollars year after year. In just a few minutes you could compare prices to find cheaper auto insurance for inexperienced drivers.

Who has the cheapest insurance quotes for new drivers?

You have many ways to comparison shop for insurance in South Carolina, but the most popular methods are from an independent agent, an exclusive agency like Allstate or Auto-Owners, or direct online or over the phone from a company like Geico or Progressive.

They all follow the same basic process, but they are slightly different in how they provide price quotes.

Independent agents can place your business with multiple companies and can provide price quotes from all of them. They can sell policies from many different companies and can give you more rates, which can give you the best chance of finding a lower price. If cheaper coverage is found, your agent can just switch to a different company which makes it simple for you.

Exclusive agents are usually just provide rates from a single insurance company, two examples are an Allstate or Liberty Mutual agent. These agents normally cannot provide multiple price quotes, so you will not be able to compare other companys’ rates.

If you want to buy insurance direct, you bypass local agents and instead shop direct online or over the phone from a company like Esurance or Geico. Shopping direct may be good for consumers who do not have a lot of assets and have knowledge of what coverages they need.

What is the best method to find cheap auto insurance for inexperienced drivers in South Carolina? It would be simple to say buying from a direct car insurance company yields the cheapest rates since that prevents the need to pay agent commissions, but unfortunately, it’s not that cut and dried. An argument could also be made that buying from an independent agent can save the most money because they can shop around, but again, it’s not a sure thing. In a lot of cases, exclusive agents may have very competitive prices that are the cheapest in South Carolina.

Due to the large number of rating factors, the best way to buy the cheapest coverage is to do a thorough rate comparison. Money-saving experts recommend you get rate quotes from all three to have the best selection of rates to choose from. We compiled a list of companies with some of the cheapest online rates that you can click here to view.