This would be a quick read if we could simply give you the name of the one best company that has the most affordable coverage in California. It’s not quite that easy, unfortunately, as there are a whole bunch of unknown aspects such as if you have ever let your policy lapse, your choice of physical damage deductibles, and when you were born, that all impact the cost of coverage. We will try to teach you about the best ways to avoid paying too much and should give you a solid foundation to find cheaper car insurance in California.
Determining which company has the cheapest car insurance rates in California may require a bit more work than just comparing a company or two.
Each auto insurance company has their own formula for setting rates, so to begin we’ll rank the most competitive car insurance companies in California. It’s important that you understand California car insurance rates are impacted by many things that may substantially change the cost of having a policy. Improving your credit score, moving to a different location, or getting a speeding ticket can cause premium changes resulting in some rates now being cheaper than competitors.
Best Cheap Insurance Rates in California
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USAA normally has some of the best car insurance rates in California at around $1,109 per year. Wawanesa, CSAA, Nationwide, and Century National also are some of the more affordable California auto insurance companies.
In the above example, if you are a customer of Wawanesa and switched to USAA, you might see a yearly price reduction of roughly $72. Insureds with CSAA may save as much as $77 a year, and Nationwide customers might realize rate reductions of up to $117 a year.
These premiums are averages across all drivers and vehicles and and are not figured with a price discount in California. So the company that can offer you the best price may not even be in the above rate chart. That underscores the importance of why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own specific driver information and vehicle.
The vehicle you are buying coverage for is a significant factor when comparing quotes for cheap California auto insurance quotes. Vehicles with more horsepower, poor safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost substantially more to insure than safer, lower-performance models.
The lists below presents car insurance rates for a handful of the most cost-effective automobiles to insure.
Make, Model, and Trim Level | Annual Cost | Semi-Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Malibu LT | $1,194 | $597 | $100 |
Ford Focus SES 4-Dr Sedan | $1,206 | $603 | $101 |
Honda Accord LX-S 2-Dr Coupe | $1,314 | $657 | $110 |
Honda Civic EX 2-Dr Coupe | $1,452 | $726 | $121 |
Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,232 | $616 | $103 |
Hyundai Sonata SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,314 | $657 | $110 |
Kia Optima EX | $1,340 | $670 | $112 |
Nissan Altima Hybrid 4-Dr Sedan | $1,258 | $629 | $105 |
Toyota Camry Hybrid | $1,340 | $670 | $112 |
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Above prices assume married female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, safe-driver, claim-free, multi-policy, and homeowner. Premium amounts do not factor in vehicle location which can decrease or increase coverage prices considerably.
Make, Model, and Trim Level | Annual Cost | Semi-Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Buick Enclave XL AWD | $1,286 | $643 | $107 |
Chevrolet Traverse LTZ AWD | $1,104 | $552 | $92 |
Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $1,078 | $539 | $90 |
Ford Explorer Limited 2WD | $1,194 | $597 | $100 |
GMC Acadia SL AWD | $1,106 | $553 | $92 |
Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $1,016 | $508 | $85 |
Honda Pilot EX 4WD | $1,132 | $566 | $94 |
Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 2WD | $1,258 | $629 | $105 |
Jeep Patriot Limited 2WD | $1,168 | $584 | $97 |
Kia Sportage EX 2WD 4-Dr | $1,168 | $584 | $97 |
Nissan Pathfinder S 4WD | $1,106 | $553 | $92 |
Toyota 4Runner SR/5 2WD | $1,104 | $552 | $92 |
Toyota Highlander Limited 4WD | $1,286 | $643 | $107 |
Toyota RAV4 2WD | $1,168 | $584 | $97 |
Volvo XC90 V8 AWD | $1,350 | $675 | $113 |
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Prices based on married female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, claim-free, multi-policy, and multi-vehicle. Information does not factor in zip code location which can raise or lower prices greatly.
Make, Model, and Trim Level | Annual Cost | Semi-Annual Cost | Monthly Cost |
---|---|---|---|
Chevrolet Colorado LT Crew Cab 4WD | $1,078 | $539 | $90 |
Chevrolet Silverado LS Extended Cab 2WD | $1,250 | $625 | $104 |
Dodge Ram 2500 Mega Cab Laramie 4WD | $1,458 | $729 | $122 |
Dodge Ram 3500 Mega Cab SLT 4WD | $1,746 | $873 | $146 |
Dodge Ram Crew Cab Sport 4WD | $1,368 | $684 | $114 |
Ford F-150 STX Regular Cab 2WD | $1,080 | $540 | $90 |
Ford F-350 Super Cab Lariat 2WD | $1,312 | $656 | $109 |
GMC Canyon SLE Ext Cab Z71 2WD | $1,142 | $571 | $95 |
GMC Sierra SLT Crew Cab 4WD | $1,350 | $675 | $113 |
Toyota Tundra Limited Crew MAX 2WD | $1,340 | $670 | $112 |
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Data based on married female driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, homeowner, claim-free, and multi-policy. Rates do not factor in vehicle garaging location which can increase or decrease coverage rates considerably.
For drivers in California, one of the largest criteria that control insurance cost is the neighborhood you call home in California. Cities with larger populations or higher claim trends like Glendale, San Francisco, and Sacramento tend to pay slightly more, whereas areas with less people or fewer weather incidents have the benefit of cheap California auto insurance quotes.
The following table rates the more expensive cities in California to purchase a policy in.
Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Glendale | $2,121 |
2 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
3 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
4 | Oakland | $1,738 |
5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
6 | Long Beach | $1,610 |
7 | Stockton | $1,603 |
8 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
9 | Santa Clarita | $1,595 |
10 | Garden Grove | $1,554 |
11 | Moreno Valley | $1,551 |
12 | Fontana | $1,535 |
13 | Riverside | $1,527 |
14 | Fresno | $1,517 |
15 | Modesto | $1,502 |
16 | Anaheim | $1,488 |
17 | Santa Ana | $1,483 |
18 | San Jose | $1,423 |
19 | San Diego | $1,381 |
20 | Bakersfield | $1,381 |
21 | Fremont | $1,361 |
22 | Huntington Beach | $1,360 |
23 | Irvine | $1,343 |
24 | Oxnard | $1,318 |
25 | Chula Vista | $1,311 |
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Premium costs are estimated as zip code location can modify premium rates greatly.
The ideal way to obtain the most affordable car insurance prices for drivers in California is to be an attentive driver and avoid traffic citations and accidents. The chart below illustrates how traffic citations and at-fault claims can impact annual premium costs for different age groups of insureds. The rates are based on a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.
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The chart shows that the average cost of a car insurance policy in California per year with no accidents and a clean driving record is $2,355. Receive two speeding tickets and the average cost surges to $3,250, an increase of $895 each year. Then add in two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of car insurance in California jumps again to an average of $6,769. That’s an increase of $4,414, or $368 per month, just for being a little careless behind the wheel!
If you’re looking for the cheapest auto insurance, four companies to consider are State Farm, Allstate, Geico, and Progressive. Between them, they insure over 48% of the entire U.S. car insurance market. The table below breaks down some of the different options and features shoppers can find with each company.
State Farm | Allstate | Geico | Progressive | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall Cost | 2nd | 4th | 1st | 3rd |
Number of Discounts | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 4th |
Handling of Claims | 2nd | 1st | 3rd | 4th |
Overall Satisfaction | 4th | 2nd | 1st | 3rd |
Customer recommendation | 88% | 86% | 87% | 88% |
Rating from A.M. Best | A++ | A+ | A++ | A+ |
Standard & Poor’s financial rating | AA | AA- | AA+ | AA |
New car replacement coverage | No | Yes | No | No |
Usage-based rating | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Accident forgiveness | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Mechanical breakdown insurance | No | No | Yes | Yes |
Rideshare insurance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Emergency roadside assistance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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