The words “affordable” and “insurance” really shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, in particular when you are trying to find the best car insurance rates for college students. Let’s lead off by showing you some situations that influence auto insurance prices, and come up with some ways to lower the cost of your next policy.
For students in college, one of the big factors that determine the price you pay for insurance is where you live. More densely populated places tend to have more expensive car insurance rates, whereas less populated areas have the benefit of cheaper auto insurance prices.
The information below shows the most expensive cities in California for college students to buy an auto insurance policy in. Sacramento is ranked #5 with an annual cost of $1,669 for the average insured, which is approximately $139 monthly.
Rank | City | Average Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | Glendale | $2,142 |
2 | Los Angeles | $2,104 |
3 | Oakland | $1,704 |
4 | San Francisco | $1,693 |
5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
6 | Long Beach | $1,610 |
7 | Stockton | $1,603 |
8 | San Bernardino | $1,580 |
9 | Fontana | $1,566 |
10 | Moreno Valley | $1,551 |
11 | Santa Clarita | $1,548 |
12 | Modesto | $1,547 |
13 | Riverside | $1,527 |
14 | Garden Grove | $1,508 |
15 | Santa Ana | $1,483 |
16 | Fresno | $1,457 |
17 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
18 | San Jose | $1,423 |
19 | Bakersfield | $1,381 |
20 | Huntington Beach | $1,360 |
Find Cheaper Rates Go |
Rates are estimated as the specific garaging location can lower or raise insurance rates greatly.
Finding reliable, low-priced insurance is challenging, and determining which company quotes the lowest-priced car insurance rates for college students involves more quotes for comparison. Each insurer has a unique approach for determining rates in each state, so let’s take a look at the car insurance companies with the most affordable rates in Sacramento, CA.
It’s a good idea to be aware that Sacramento car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that will increase or decrease the cost of coverage. That is why consumers need to take the time to compare lots of rates to get the lowest insurance rates for college students. Rates are made up of many different factors and can change without notice, so the most economical option the last time you checked may now be priced much higher than other options.
Best Cheap Insurance Rates for College Students
Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
---|---|---|
1 | USAA | $1,109 |
2 | Wawanesa | $1,146 |
3 | CSAA | $1,198 |
4 | Century National | $1,226 |
5 | Nationwide | $1,250 |
6 | 21st Century | $1,338 |
7 | Grange | $1,447 |
8 | Allstate | $1,497 |
9 | Progressive | $1,512 |
10 | Mercury | $1,548 |
11 | Allied | $1,556 |
12 | GEICO | $1,559 |
13 | The Hartford | $1,623 |
14 | MetLife | $1,654 |
15 | Esurance | $1,688 |
16 | Unitrin | $1,733 |
17 | State Farm | $1,750 |
18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
19 | Bristol West | $1,831 |
20 | Farmers | $2,026 |
Get Personalized Rates Go |
USAA has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Sacramento at around $1,109 each year. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide are also some of the most economical Sacramento, CA auto insurance companies.
As the example above demonstrates, if you are insured with Century National and switched to Wawanesa, you might achieve an annual savings of in the neighborhood of $80. Drivers with Nationwide may save as much as $104 a year, and 21st Century policyholders might realize rate reductions of up to $192 a year.
To get a quick, customized rate comparison, click here to begin a quote or visit any of the low-priced companies below.
Understand that those estimates are averaged across all drivers and vehicles in California and do not take into consideration a specific location for college students. So the auto insurance company that is most affordable for your situation may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That illustrates why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own driver data and vehicle information.
The make and model of vehicle on the policy is probably the largest consideration that determines if you can find low-cost insurance for college students. Vehicles with more horsepower, a lack of safety features, or a track record of large liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than safer, lower-performance models. The information below outlines insurance prices for some of the most affordable automobiles to insure.
Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
---|---|
Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $2,758 |
Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $2,764 |
Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $2,801 |
Toyota Prius | $3,020 |
Chevrolet Silverado LS Regular Cab 4WD | $3,053 |
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4WD 2-Dr | $3,096 |
Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $3,104 |
Volkswagen Jetta SE 2.5 Station Wagon | $3,195 |
Ford Edge SEL AWD | $3,231 |
Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $3,274 |
Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $3,284 |
Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer AWD | $3,314 |
Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $3,323 |
Dodge Ram 3500 Crew Cab Laramie 2WD | $3,314 |
Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $3,449 |
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Cost estimates assume single female driver age 20, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Rate quotes do not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can increase or decrease auto insurance rates noticeably.
Based upon the rates shown, we can infer that makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, Ford Escape, Toyota Prius, and Chevrolet Silverado will be some of the more affordable vehicles to insure for students in college. The price for an auto insurance policy will be higher anyway just due to the fact that there is more risk for college students, but overall those makes and models will tend to have the lowest insurance rates that you’ll find.
The information below illustrates how your choice of deductibles can influence yearly insurance costs when getting quotes for cheap insurance for college students. The rate quotes are based on a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no additional discounts are factored in.
The data above shows that a 30-year-old driver could reduce rates by $460 a year by switching their comprehensive and collision coverages from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $692 by using a $1,000 deductible. Youthful drivers, such as the Age 20 example, could lower their rates as much as $1,398 or more by selecting a higher deductible.
When increasing deductibles, it is a good idea to have plenty of money set aside to satisfy the extra out-of-pocket expense that comes with higher deductibles.
Full coverage rates compared to liability only
Paying a lower price for car insurance should be important to the majority of drivers, and one of the quickest ways to pay lower rates for insurance for college students is to not buy full coverage. The chart below visualizes the comparison of insurance rates with and without full coverage. The premiums are based on no accidents, no driving violations, $100 deductibles, drivers are single, and no additional discounts are factored in.
If we average all the age groups together, comp and collision coverage costs an additional $3,385 per year more than just buying liability insurance. That amount may make you wonder if paying for full coverage is a waste of money. There is no definitive rule of when to eliminate physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a broad guideline. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than around 10% of the replacement cost minus the deductible, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
You may be paying too much for car insurance
California car insurance rates are based on many factors which can substantially decrease or increase the cost of having a policy. Simply having another birthday, buying a new vehicle, or getting a ticket for running a stop sign can trigger rate changes resulting in some rates now being cheaper than competitors. In addition, insurers modify rates as needed in order to maintain liquidity for claims. Significantly higher claims can cause rate increases, while less frequent claims can produce cheaper Sacramento car insurance rates.
For instance, the graph below shows the companies that have the cheapest car insurance in Sacramento, CA for a 45-year-old female driver with no accidents, a clean driving record, and good credit. If we estimate prices based on her current situation, USAA might quote the cheapest car insurance rates in Sacramento at $1,424 per year. This is $227 less than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, Nationwide, and CSAA are also included in the top five cheapest Sacramento, CA auto insurance companies.
In this example, we will give the driver in the first chart a couple of claims, a lower credit score, and a speeding citation. Since every car insurance company uses their own calculation to determine rates, comparing quotes will most likely result in a slightly different list of the cheapest car insurance companies in Sacramento as shown below.
Grange now has the lowest car insurance rate in Sacramento with Progressive, Mercury, Allstate, and GEICO also being competitive. This illustrates why drivers need to spend some time comparing rates to find the most economical insurance rates for college students.
Auto insurance prices can be determined by many risk factors and change dramatically, so the most economical option when you last compared rates may now be costing you a lot of money.
How to find economical insurance for college students
Here are a few penny-pinching suggestions that can help Sacramento drivers quote more affordable coverage.
- Good credit can mean cheaper rates
- Remove physical damage coverage on older vehicles
- Claim-free policyholders usually earn a discount
- The safer your car, the less it costs to insure
- Higher deductibles mean lower rates
- Buy your auto and home insurance from the same company and save
- Compare rate quotes frequently
The last suggestion is remarkably important, as we emphasized in the article above. Prices charged by companies can change considerably in a year, so drivers shouldn’t be reluctant to buy a policy from a new company if a lower price can be found. Being loyal to a particular company is commendable, but it’s not recommended if that dedication is costing thousands of dollars over the life of your policy. It only take a few minutes to shop around and find cheaper auto insurance for college students in Sacramento.
The Sacramento, CA, insurance agents below can most likely help you determine which auto insurance policy fits you best, as some people have coverage questions and would like to have some professional guidance when trying to find lower insurance rates for students in college. It’s not always simple to find the cheapest rate yourself, so insurance agents licensed in the state of California can give you peace of mind knowing your policy gives you enough protection. To find a Sacramento insurance agent close to where you live, click the button at the bottom.
Indus Insurance Agency Incorporated
6968 65th St – Sacramento, CA 95823 – (916) 391-3000
Bill Batchelder – State Farm Insurance Agent
8887 Folsom Blvd #3a – Sacramento, CA 95826 – (916) 361-3114
Ice Insurance Agency
813 F St – Sacramento, CA 95814 – (916) 387-6800