The words “low-cost” and “insurance” probably shouldn’t be used together, especially when looking for the best insurance rates for government employees. Because of the high cost, let’s get started by showing you some situations that influence auto insurance premiums, and find a few ways to shave a little off your next policy.
One of the more important factors that aid in calculating auto insurance rates is where you choose to live in Sacramento. Cities with larger populations tend to have more expensive car insurance rates, whereas areas with lower crime rates and fewer weather claims can boast about having cheaper rates.
The illustration below sorts the most expensive cities in California for government employees to purchase car insurance in. Sacramento comes in at #5 with an annual premium of $1,703 for the average insurance policy, which is around $142 each month.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,104 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,079 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,763 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,738 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,703 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,644 |
| 7 | Long Beach | $1,610 |
| 8 | Stockton | $1,588 |
| 9 | Garden Grove | $1,554 |
| 10 | Santa Clarita | $1,548 |
| 11 | Modesto | $1,532 |
| 12 | Riverside | $1,527 |
| 13 | Fontana | $1,519 |
| 14 | Moreno Valley | $1,506 |
| 15 | Anaheim | $1,488 |
| 16 | Fresno | $1,472 |
| 17 | Santa Ana | $1,453 |
| 18 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 19 | Fremont | $1,403 |
| 20 | San Jose | $1,395 |
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Annual rates are estimated as the specific Sacramento residence address can decrease or increase rates noticeably.
The type of vehicle you are trying to insure is probably the biggest factor when comparing low-cost auto insurance for government employees. Vehicles with high performance, a lack of modern safety features, or a high likelihood of having liability claims will cost quite a bit more to insure than more modest models.
The next table ranks car insurance prices for some of the cheapest vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $1,401 |
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $1,488 |
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $1,535 |
| Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4WD 2-Dr | $1,544 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,622 |
| Toyota RAV4 4WD | $1,631 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $1,654 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $1,673 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $1,680 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $1,687 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,712 |
| Nissan Rogue SL 2WD | $1,736 |
| GMC Sierra SLT Crew Cab 2WD | $1,741 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LTZ | $1,748 |
| Ford Edge SE AWD | $1,744 |
| Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,750 |
| Honda Civic DX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,744 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS AWD | $1,778 |
| Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $1,789 |
| Hyundai Sonata SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,823 |
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Data rating is based on single male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, claim-free, multi-vehicle, and multi-policy. Rate information does not factor in specific location information which can alter insurance rates significantly.
By looking at the data, we can presume that models like the Honda CR-V, Honda Accord, Ford Escape, Jeep Wrangler, and Volkswagen Jetta will be some of the less-costly vehicles to insure for state and federal workers.
Deciphering which companies quote the cheapest auto insurance rates for government employees calls for a little more sweat in order to find the best price. Each auto insurer uses their own calculation to set premium rates, so let’s take a look at the overall cheapest auto insurance companies in Sacramento.
It’s a good idea to be aware that Sacramento, CA auto insurance rates are calculated based on many things which can substantially decrease or increase the cost of a policy. Simply getting older, buying a home, or getting a couple of tickets may generate price changes resulting in some rates now being more affordable than the competition.
Find the Cheapest Car Insurance in California
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,155 |
| 2 | Century National | $1,190 |
| 3 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,234 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,250 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,379 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,433 |
| 8 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 9 | Allstate | $1,497 |
| 10 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 11 | Mercury | $1,533 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,556 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,606 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,623 |
| 15 | Unitrin | $1,682 |
| 16 | State Farm | $1,733 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,739 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,831 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,842 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
| Get a Custom Quote Go | ||
USAA normally has some of the best car insurance rates in Sacramento at around $1,155 annually. Century National, Wawanesa, CSAA, and Nationwide also rank well as some of the lowest-priced Sacramento, CA car insurance companies.
As the rates illustrate above, if you are currently insured with Century National and switched to USAA, you could earn a yearly savings of approximately $35. Policyholders with Wawanesa could save as much as $37 a year, and CSAA policyholders might realize rate reductions of up to $79 a year.
To find out how your current rates compare, click here to start a quote or click through to the companies below.
Understand that those estimates are averages for all insureds and vehicles and and are not calculated with a specific vehicle garaging location for government employees. So the insurer that can offer you the best price may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That affirms the importance of why you need to compare prices as often as possible using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
Liability-only versus full coverage
Buying cheaper auto insurance should be important to the majority of vehicle owners, and one of the best ways to find cheaper insurance for government employees is to only buy liability coverage. The illustration below illustrates the comparison of car insurance costs with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The premium estimates are based on no accidents or driving violations, $500 deductibles, drivers are single, and no other discounts are factored in.
As an average for all age groups, comp and collision coverage costs $2,772 per year more than buying just liability insurance. That touches on the question if it’s a good idea to buy full coverage. There isn’t a steadfast formula of when to stop paying for comp and collision coverage, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of coverage is about 10% or more of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
For example, let’s assume your vehicle’s claim settlement value is $8,500 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is severely damaged, the most your company would pay you is $7,500 after the policy deductible has been paid. If it’s costing in excess of $750 annually for physical damage coverage, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
There are some situations where dropping full coverage is not in your best interest. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you are required to maintain full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should not remove full coverage.
The example below demonstrates how deductibles can increase or decrease yearly insurance costs when trying to find cheap insurance for government employees. The rates are based on a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
The chart above illustrates that a 30-year-old driver could pocket $342 a year by switching from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $516 by selecting a $1,000 deductible. Young drivers, like the 20-year-old, could lower their rates up to $1,026 each year just by choosing larger deductibles.
When insureds make the decision to increase the deductibles on their policy, it’s a good idea to have enough funds in savings to be able to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense. This is the primary disadvantage of choosing high deductibles.
How violations and accidents impact rates
In a perfect world, the ideal way to get affordable auto insurance premiums for state and federal workers is to be an attentive driver and avoid tickets and accidents. The illustration below illustrates how violations and fender-benders raise car insurance rates for different insured age categories. The data is based on a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
The data above shows the average cost of car insurance per year with no accidents or violations is $2,935. Factor in one speeding ticket and the average cost jumps to $3,330, an increase of $394 each year. Now get one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the annual cost of auto insurance for government employees jumps again to an average of $4,446. That’s an increase of $1,511, or $126 per month, just for being a careless driver!