You have most likely watched the ads from auto insurance companies like Progressive, GEICO, and Liberty Mutual that say if you switch you’ll get big savings. So drivers should just pick the one with the best commercial, right?
That is not the case, however, as there are many unknown aspects like the miles you drive each year, if you own or rent your home, and your financial responsibility, that all have an effect on the price. This article delves into the best ways to compare rates and should give you a good start in finding the cheapest insurance in Sacramento.
For foreigners, one of the more important things that help determine auto insurance rates is where you live in Sacramento. Cities with more crime and/or more people will most likely pay more, whereas areas with lower vehicle theft rates and fewer weather claims have the luxury of lower rates.
The next table sorts the most costly cities in California for immigrants to buy an auto insurance policy in. Sacramento makes the list at #5 having an annual price of $1,669 for the average insured, which is about $139 monthly.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,104 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,079 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,763 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,738 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,644 |
| 7 | Fontana | $1,581 |
| 8 | Long Beach | $1,562 |
| 9 | Stockton | $1,556 |
| 10 | Santa Clarita | $1,548 |
| 11 | Garden Grove | $1,508 |
| 12 | Fresno | $1,502 |
| 13 | Riverside | $1,497 |
| 14 | Moreno Valley | $1,491 |
| 15 | Modesto | $1,487 |
| 16 | Anaheim | $1,474 |
| 17 | Santa Ana | $1,439 |
| 18 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 19 | Fremont | $1,403 |
| 20 | Bakersfield | $1,381 |
| 21 | San Jose | $1,381 |
| 22 | Oxnard | $1,344 |
| 23 | Chula Vista | $1,337 |
| 24 | Irvine | $1,330 |
| 25 | San Diego | $1,327 |
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Prices are approximated as the specific garaging location can alter rates greatly.
The car, truck, or SUV driven is a large factor when looking for the best auto insurance for immigrants. Vehicles with high performance, poor crash test ratings, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than more economical and safe models.
The information below estimates auto insurance costs for some of the most economical automobiles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $1,522 |
| Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $1,532 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4WD | $1,606 |
| Ford Edge SE 2WD | $1,624 |
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $1,653 |
| Honda Civic VP 4-Dr Sedan | $1,661 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $1,670 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,693 |
| Toyota Camry SE | $1,702 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,695 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,721 |
| Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $1,731 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 2WD | $1,724 |
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Table data assumes single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Price information does not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can raise or lower premiums greatly.
Looking at the data, cars like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Ford Edge are a few of the less-costly vehicles to insure for foreigners.
The information below shows how different deductible levels can affect insurance prices when searching for cheap insurance for immigrants. The premiums assume a married female driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are factored in.
The chart above illustrates that a 40-year-old driver could reduce rates by $300 a year by increasing from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $456 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, like the Age 20 chart data, have the ability to save up to $750 every year by choosing a larger deductible amount. When using a larger deductible, it will now be necessary to have enough savings set aside to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense. That is the one drawback of using higher deductibles.
Auto insurance rates are higher with tickets and accidents
The recommended way to get good auto insurance rates in Sacramento for foreigners is to be a safe driver and maintain a clean driving record. The illustration below highlights how traffic violations and at-fault collisions increase insurance premiums for different age categories. The rates are based on a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
In the chart above, the average cost of auto insurance in California per year with no violations or accidents is $2,355. Add in one speeding ticket and the average cost rises to $2,711, an increase of $356 each year. Then include two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the yearly cost of auto insurance for immigrants goes up to an average of $5,923. That’s an increase of $3,569, or $297 per month, just for not driving attentively!
Discount Sacramento insurance
Insurers that provide coverage for immigrants could also offer price discounts that can reduce rates by as much as 35% if you can meet the requirements. Companies and the discounts they provide are outlined below.
- GEICO offers discounts including federal employee, driver training, membership and employees, seat belt use, and anti-lock brakes.
- SAFECO has savings for drive less, teen safety rewards, homeowner, anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, and safe driver.
- State Farm has discounts for Steer Clear safe driver discount, accident-free, anti-theft, driver’s education, good driver, and passive restraint.
- MetLife offers discounts for defensive driver, good student, claim-free, good driver, and multi-policy.
- 21st Century offers premium reductions for good student, automatic seat belts, driver training, teen driver, and early bird.
- Progressive may have discounts that include good student, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, online signing, and continuous coverage.
The illustration below compares yearly insurance costs with and without discounts. The prices are based on a female driver, a clean driving record, no claims, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $250 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average annual price with no discounts. The second shows the rates with homeowner, defensive driving course, safe-driver, passive restraint, multiple policy, and anti-theft discounts applied. In this example, the average savings per year on auto insurance for immigrants is 28% or $819.
Shop around and save
California auto insurance rates are impacted by many factors that control the cost of coverage. Getting older, buying a home, or having an accident can produce rate changes resulting in some companies being more affordable than the competition.
Not only that, but insurance companies file new California car insurance rates every year or even multiple times each year in order to be able to pay unexpected claims. A period of higher than normal claims can cause additional premium costs, while long-term profits may result in cheaper Sacramento car insurance rates.
To illustrate this example, the bar chart below shows the companies that have the cheapest car insurance in Sacramento, CA for a 40-year-old male driver with no prior claims, no tickets, and a good credit history. Based on his current risk profile, USAA might quote the most affordable car insurance rates in Sacramento at $1,456 annually. This is $195 less than the average price paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide round out the rest of the most affordable Sacramento, CA auto insurance companies.
Now we will pretend the driver from the first set of rates an at-fault accident, slightly worse credit, and a few blemishes on his driving record. Since each auto insurer uses a different method for determining rates in each state, getting updated rate quotes will most likely result in a completely different list of the cheapest companies as shown below.
Grange now has the best price on car insurance in Sacramento with Mercury, Progressive, Allstate, and GEICO also having competitive pricing. This example proves why consumers need to take the time to compare as many rates as possible to get the most affordable insurance quotes for immigrants. Insurance rates are made up of many different factors and change frequently, so the most economical company a year ago may now be wasting a lot of money.