One of the more important things that is looked at to help calculate insurance cost is the neighborhood you call home in South Carolina. Cities with larger populations or higher claims like Florence, Charleston, and Sumter tend to pay more, whereas areas with less people or fewer weather incidents have the benefit of the cheapest car insurance for 19 year olds in South Carolina.
The following table sorts the higher priced cities in South Carolina for 19 year olds to buy car insurance in.
Rank | City | Annual Premium |
---|---|---|
1 | Florence | $1,311 |
2 | North Charleston | $1,288 |
3 | Charleston | $1,285 |
4 | Summerville | $1,278 |
5 | Sumter | $1,252 |
6 | Goose Creek | $1,246 |
7 | Socastee | $1,223 |
8 | Mount Pleasant | $1,189 |
9 | Myrtle Beach | $1,186 |
10 | Columbia | $1,177 |
11 | Saint Andrews | $1,160 |
12 | Greenwood | $1,143 |
13 | Hilton Head Island | $1,139 |
14 | Greenville | $1,133 |
15 | North Augusta | $1,128 |
16 | Anderson | $1,127 |
17 | Aiken | $1,119 |
18 | Rock Hill | $1,102 |
19 | Spartanburg | $1,094 |
20 | Taylors | $1,063 |
21 | Mauldin | $1,061 |
22 | Wade Hampton | $1,058 |
23 | Easley | $1,055 |
24 | Greer | $1,055 |
25 | Simpsonville | $1,050 |
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Premium amounts are estimated as specific South Carolina garaging address can lower or raise auto insurance rates significantly.
The make and model of vehicle needing coverage is one of the largest factors when looking for the cheapest car insurance for 19 year olds in South Carolina. Vehicles with economical engines, excellent safety ratings, or a low likelihood of having liability claims will cost less to insure than high performance models.
The data below estimates coverage costs for the cheapest automobiles to buy coverage for.
Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $2,687 |
Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan | $2,697 |
Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $2,687 |
Jeep Wrangler Sport 4WD 2-Dr | $2,724 |
Chevrolet Traverse LS 2WD | $2,726 |
Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $2,945 |
Ford Explorer XLT AWD | $2,979 |
Toyota Highlander 2WD | $2,985 |
Toyota Prius | $2,983 |
Subaru Forester X AWD | $2,989 |
Subaru Outback 2.5I | $3,018 |
Ford Edge SEL 2WD | $3,159 |
Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $3,164 |
Hyundai Santa Fe SE 2WD | $3,198 |
Chevrolet Impala LT | $3,204 |
Toyota Sienna LE AWD | $3,198 |
Toyota RAV4 4WD | $3,203 |
Hyundai Tucson Limited 4WD | $3,198 |
Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $3,237 |
Honda Odyssey EX-L | $3,414 |
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Table data represents single female driver age 19, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $500 deductibles, and South Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Premium amounts do not factor in zip code location which can affect price quotes significantly.
Based upon the rates shown, cars like the Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, and Ford Escape should be some of the cheaper vehicles to insure for teenage drivers. The price for car insurance will tend to be more expensive anyway because there is more claim exposure for 19 year olds, but in general those specific models will probably have the lowest insurance rates that you’ll find.
Figuring out which companies quote the best auto insurance rates for 19 year olds requires a little more effort than just comparing rates from one or two companies. Each company uses a slightly different approach for setting prices, so let’s examine the auto insurance companies with the overall best prices in South Carolina.
Lowest Insurance Price Quotes for Teens
Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | The Hartford | $745 |
2 | USAA | $995 |
3 | State Auto | $1,105 |
4 | Auto-Owners | $1,119 |
5 | SC Farm Bureau Mutual | $1,248 |
6 | Southern Farm Bureau | $1,286 |
7 | National Grange Mutual | $1,335 |
8 | State Farm | $1,380 |
9 | Travelers | $1,384 |
10 | Allstate | $1,573 |
11 | Progressive | $1,594 |
12 | Encompass | $1,657 |
13 | Nationwide | $1,814 |
14 | Safe Auto | $1,927 |
15 | GEICO | $1,981 |
16 | Liberty Mutual | $2,489 |
17 | Bristol West | $2,493 |
18 | Safeco | $2,744 |
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The Hartford normally has some of the cheapest car insurance rates in South Carolina at around $745 per year. USAA, State Auto, Auto-Owners, and SC Farm Bureau Mutual also qualify as some of the cheapest South Carolina insurance companies.
In the rate table above, if you are currently insured with SC Farm Bureau Mutual and switched to USAA, you could see annual savings of approxmiately $253. Policyholders with Southern Farm Bureau might save as much as $291 a year, and National Grange Mutual insureds might reduce prices by as much as $340 a year.
Be aware that those rates are averages for all types of insureds and vehicles and do not take into consideration a rate surcharge for 19 year olds. So the auto insurance company that can offer you the best price may not even be in the list of companies shown earlier. That affirms the importance of why you need to get rate quotes from many companies using your own driver data and vehicle information.
When comparing auto insurance for teenage drivers, some of the largest companies to start with are Progressive, State Farm, Geico, and Allstate. When combined, they make up almost 50% of all car insurance policies written. Each company has slightly different coverages and options that may affect your buying decision. The table below ranks ratings and policy coverage options that are available from each company.
Progressive | State Farm | Geico | Allstate | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Client Satisfaction | 3rd | 4th | 1st | 2nd |
Claims Service | 4th | 2nd | 3rd | 1st |
Discounts Offered | 4th | 3rd | 2nd | 1st |
Policy Cost | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 4th |
U.S. market share | 8.8% | 18.3% | 11.4% | 10% |
Customers who recommend | 88% | 88% | 87% | 86% |
Rideshare insurance | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Roadside service | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Accident forgiveness | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
Mechnical breakdown | Yes | No | Yes | No |
New car replacement coverage | No | No | No | Yes |
Usage-based rating | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
Insure in South Carolina | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
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There are many different ways to purchase auto insurance in South Carolina, but the most preferred ways are from an exclusive agency such as Auto-Owners or State Farm, a non-exclusive or independent agent, or buying direct from a company like Geico or Progressive. You can use whichever method you prefer, but auto insurance buyers need to understand the differences in how they provide rate quotes.
Independent agents work for many companies and can compare coverage rates with all of them. Agents of this type possess the freedom to provide you with more rates, which can give you a better chance of finding cheaper coverage. If you want to switch companies, they simply switch companies in-house without having to get a different agent.
A captive, or exclusive, agent is only able to write with a single insurance company, examples being an Auto-Owners or State Farm agent. Exclusive agents normally do not have the ability to place coverage with different providers, so keep that in mind.
The final way is buying direct, which means you do not use an independent or exclusive agent and instead shop direct either online or via phone. This auto insurance option can be good for people who do not need high levels of coverage and know what auto insurance covers and what it doesn’t.
So what is the best way for finding the cheapest car insurance for 19 year olds in South Carolina? It would be simple to say shopping direct yields the cheapest rates since that prevents the need to pay agent commissions, but in reality, that is not true. An argument could also be made that buying from an independent agent results in the cheapest rates since they can provide multiple quotes, but that idea is not necessarily true either. In the right set of circumstances, exclusive agencies have coverage prices that other auto insurance companies cannot touch.
Because it’s impossible to say who has the best auto insurance rates, the only real way to get the cheapest rates is to obtain price quotes and compare them. It’s recommended that drivers get price quotes from independent, exclusive, and direct to give yourself enough choices. We compiled a list of companies with some of the cheapest online rates that you can click here to view.