The vehicle model requiring insurance is one of the main factors when trying to find the best cheap car insurance for low income drivers. Vehicles with high performance, a lack of safety features, or a high likelihood of having liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than more economical and safe models. The data below features coverage costs for a handful of the cheaper automobiles to insure.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $1,383 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $1,416 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $1,470 |
| Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,475 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $1,497 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,538 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Crew Cab 2WD | $1,548 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 2WD | $1,556 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $1,606 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $1,637 |
| GMC Sierra SL Extended Cab 2WD | $1,643 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $1,637 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Off-Road Package 4WD | $1,670 |
| Volkswagen Jetta LE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,682 |
| Honda Accord EX 2-Dr Coupe | $1,689 |
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Data variables include 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 quotes do not factor in specific Sacramento, CA garaging location which can influence price quotes considerably.
Looking at the numbers, we can infer that models like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Honda Odyssey, Ford Focus, and Chevrolet Malibu are likely to be the most affordable vehicles to insure for poor drivers.
Figuring out which company quotes the best car insurance rates for low income drivers will take a little more sweat in order to find the best price. Every insurance company uses their own method for determining rates, so to begin we’ll rank the most competitive car insurance companies in California.
Find Cheaper Auto Insurance in California
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,143 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,181 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,190 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,198 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,263 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,338 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,488 |
| 9 | Progressive | $1,512 |
| 10 | Allstate | $1,559 |
| 11 | GEICO | $1,575 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,590 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,639 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,682 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,777 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,860 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,026 |
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USAA normally has some of the lowest car insurance rates in Sacramento at around $1,143 each year. This is $508 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide would also be considered some of the lowest-priced Sacramento, CA car insurance companies.
In the above rates, if you are a customer of CSAA and switched to Wawanesa, you may see annual savings of about $17. California drivers with Nationwide may save as much as $82 a year, and 21st Century customers might realize rate reductions of up to $157 a year.
To find cheaper insurance rates for your vehicle, click here or click several companies below for low rates.
Understand that those policy prices are averaged across all insureds and vehicles and do not take into consideration an exact vehicle garaging location for low income drivers. So the auto insurance company that has the cheapest rates for you may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That is why you need to quote rates from many companies using your own specific driver information and vehicle.
For poor drivers, one of the more important factors that aid in calculating insurance cost is where you normally keep your vehicle in Sacramento. Regions with larger populations or more claims tend to have more expensive car insurance rates, whereas less populated areas profit from lower rates.
The next table shows the most expensive cities in California for low income drivers in which to buy car insurance. Sacramento shows up at #3 with the yearly price of $1,703 for the average insured, which is about $142 each month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glendale | $2,142 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
| 3 | Sacramento | $1,703 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,693 |
| 5 | Oakland | $1,687 |
| 6 | Santa Clarita | $1,595 |
| 7 | San Bernardino | $1,580 |
| 8 | Long Beach | $1,578 |
| 9 | Garden Grove | $1,570 |
| 10 | Fontana | $1,566 |
| 11 | Stockton | $1,541 |
| 12 | Riverside | $1,527 |
| 13 | Moreno Valley | $1,506 |
| 14 | Modesto | $1,502 |
| 15 | Fresno | $1,502 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,453 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,444 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,437 |
| 19 | Fremont | $1,403 |
| 20 | Bakersfield | $1,381 |
| 21 | San Diego | $1,381 |
| 22 | Huntington Beach | $1,374 |
| 23 | Chula Vista | $1,350 |
| 24 | Irvine | $1,330 |
| 25 | Oxnard | $1,318 |
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Rate information is approximated as the specific geographic location can influence insurance rates substantially.
Types of discounts on Sacramento auto insurance rates
Auto insurance companies that offer cheap quotes for low income drivers may also provide premium discounts that can lower rates by 40% or more if you are eligible. A list of car insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are included below.
- Mercury Insurance may offer discounts for multi-car, good driver, low natural disaster claims, age of vehicle, and location of vehicle.
- Farmers Insurance has discounts for business and professional, distant student, youthful driver, multi-car, teen driver, and alternative fuel.
- Farm Bureau policyholders can earn discounts including multi-vehicle, 55 and retired, good student, safe driver, and youthful driver.
- State Farm offers discounts for passive restraint, driver’s education, accident-free, Drive Safe & Save, good student, good driver, and safe vehicle.
- Allstate has savings for utility vehicle, EZ pay plan discount, early signing, defensive driver, farm vehicle, and resident student.
- GEICO may include discounts for membership and employees, five-year accident-free, anti-theft, air bags, defensive driver, military active duty, and emergency military deployment.
The illustration below shows the difference between insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The costs are based on a female driver, no accidents or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the price with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with anti-theft, vehicle safety, defensive driving course, claim-free, homeowner, and safe-driver discounts applied. When drivers qualify for the discounts, the average amount saved each year on car insurance for low income drivers is 28% or $661.
Selecting a highly-rated company can be rather challenging considering how many companies provide coverage in Sacramento. The company ratings in the lists below can help you analyze which auto insurers you want to consider when shopping insurance around for low income drivers. These ratings are only comprised of companies that insure vehicles nationwide, so companies that may only write in California are not included in these rankings.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 98 | 100 | 100 | 94% | A++ | 98.6 |
| American Family | 98 | 89 | 100 | 86% | A | 95.4 |
| AAA of Southern California | 91 | 94 | 97 | 92% | A+ | 94.1 |
| State Farm | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90% | A++ | 92.4 |
| The Hartford | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89% | A+ | 91.7 |
| AAA Insurance | 88 | 89 | 95 | 91% | A | 91.2 |
| GEICO | 84 | 93 | 93 | 89% | A++ | 90.3 |
| The General | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88% | A- | 90 |
| Titan Insurance | 90 | 87 | 91 | 95% | A+ | 89.6 |
| Progressive | 84 | 91 | 93 | 87% | A+ | 89.5 |
| Mercury Insurance | 88 | 91 | 90 | 85% | A+ | 89.4 |
| Allstate | 85 | 90 | 92 | 88% | A+ | 89.3 |
| Nationwide | 87 | 88 | 84 | 90% | A+ | 88.7 |
| Liberty Mutual | 84 | 87 | 93 | 88% | A | 88.5 |
| 21st Century | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88% | A | 86.7 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Who has the cheapest Sacramento car insurance?
Sacramento car insurance rates are influenced by many factors which can significantly increase or decrease the policy premium. Improving your credit rating, getting married, or getting a DUI can trigger changes in premium that can now make some companies more affordable than competitors. Not only may your situation change, but insurance companies modify rates as often as every three months as an adjustment for underwriting gains or losses. A period of higher than normal claims may result in increased policy costs, while profitable underwriting can result in more affordable Sacramento car insurance rates.
To illustrate this point, the bar chart below shows which companies have the cheapest car insurance in Sacramento, CA for a 35-year-old male driver with no accidents, a clean driving record, and excellent credit. If we look at prices based on his current situation, USAA offers the lowest car insurance rates in Sacramento at $1,448 per year. This is $203 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. CSAA, Century National, Wawanesa, and Nationwide are the remaining cheapest Sacramento, CA auto insurance companies.
The example below compares rates after we give the driver from the above example a claim surcharge, less-than-perfect credit, and a speeding ticket. Due to the fact that every insurance company uses their own formula for filing rates in each state, comparing quotes will most likely result in a new list of the cheapest Sacramento car insurance companies as shown below.
Mercury now has the lowest price in Sacramento, CA with Grange, GEICO, Allied, and Progressive now rounding out the top five. This example illustrates why California drivers need to perform an extensive rate comparison to get the most affordable auto insurance quotes for low income drivers. Insurance prices are impacted by many things and can decrease or increase without notice, so the lowest-price company three years ago may now be one of the higher cost companies.