Your driver profile and needs will determine the most affordable insurer for you. Nationwide has the cheapest full and minimum coverage auto insurance and offers the most affordable premiums for drivers with a military background and those with speeding tickets. National General is the cheapest for drivers with DUIs. Teens and drivers with an at-fault accident will find the best value from State Farm. For the best customer service, Erie is the best option.
Cheapest and Best Car Insurance in Cary








Cheapest Minimum Liability Car Insurance in Cary
The cheapest car insurance companies for a minimum coverage policy in Cary are:
- Nationwide: approximately $236 per year
- Erie: approximately $302 per year
Allstate charges the most expensive premiums for minimum coverage, with policies costing an average of $813 per year. Nationwide is the cheapest car insurance in North Carolina as a whole, at an average annual rate of $242, demonstrating how location can impact car insurance premiums.
State law determines liability limits for minimum coverage. Minimum liability in North Carolina includes:
- $30,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $60,000 bodily injury liability per accident
- $25,000 property damage liability per accident
- $30,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person
- $60,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident
- $25,000 uninsured motorist property damage coverage per accident
Your liability insurance will cover expenses related to other people’s injuries and damages to property. With a $25,000 property damage liability coverage per accident, your insurer will pay only up to $25,000 in total property damage. This includes repairs to vehicles that were damaged in the accident. You’ll have to pay out of pocket for expenses that go beyond these liability limits.
Cheapest Full Coverage Car Insurance in Cary
The cheapest car insurance companies for a full coverage policy in Cary are:
- Nationwide: approximately $596 per year
- Erie: approximately $601 per year
Allstate is the most expensive provider for full coverage, with an average cost of $1,370 per year. At an average annual rate of $630, Erie is the cheapest car insurance company for full coverage in North Carolina. This shows how location may impact rates.
A full coverage policy boosts your protection by adding comprehensive and collision insurance to your policy and raising your liability limits.
- Collision Insurance: Helps cover the repair or replacement of your vehicle if it sustains damage in an at-fault accident.
- Comprehensive Insurance: Helps cover the repair or replacement of your vehicle if it sustains damage in a non-accident incident.
We recommend getting full coverage if you have a newer car, but it might not be worth the added cost if you have an older vehicle.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Cary After a Driving Offense
The cheapest car insurance companies for a full coverage policy after driving violations in Cary are:
- Speeding ticket: Nationwide (approximately $849 per year)
- At-fault accident: State Farm (approximately $847 per year)
- DUI: National General (approximately $1,807 per year)
Expect to see the highest annual premiums from Allstate, where average rates are $2,015, $1,726 and $5,728 following a speeding ticket, accident and DUI, respectively. Insurers typically raise premiums for drivers with offenses compared to those with clean records. Even the cheapest insurers might charge hundreds of dollars more for the same coverage.
A record of severe violations may cause an increase in insurance premiums. Our study indicated that compared to drivers in Cary with a clean record, those with a ticket or a DUI pay around $405 or $2,333 more per year, respectively, for full coverage. We’ve also listed the cheapest car insurance for drivers with poor driving records. Fortunately, there are still options for affordable car insurance for drivers with bad driving records.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Cary for Teens and Their Families
The cheapest car insurance companies for teens on a family policy in Cary are:
- State Farm: approximately $1,102 per year for female and male teens
- Nationwide: approximately $1,328 per year for female and male teens
GEICO has the most expensive full coverage for teens at roughly $3,983 per year for a family policy. Male teens’ increased tendency towards thrill-seeking and risk-taking behavior makes them prone to road accidents, and they are typically charged higher insurance rates as a consequence, but this is not the case in Cary.
Adding a teen to a family policy is a cheaper alternative to buying individual policies. The average 16-year-old male driver in Cary who purchases an individual policy pays at least $2000 more than they would pay if they were on a family policy. Comparison shopping is another great strategy that’ll help you find the cheapest auto insurance for teens.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Cary for Military Drivers
The cheapest car insurance companies for active military or veteran families in Cary are:
- Nationwide: approximately $596 per year
- Erie: approximately $601 per year
The rates shown above are for full coverage insurance. USAA is another great insurer for drivers with a military background. If you’re looking for a more affordable alternative to full coverage, consider purchasing a minimum coverage policy. Nationwide and Erie remain the cheapest options at around $236 and $302 per year, respectively.
How to Compare Cheap Cary Car Insurance Quotes Online
Comparison shopping for rates can help you find the cheapest options. This process could take up to 15 minutes per company, and you'll have to repeat it multiple times. You’ll also need to provide a lot of personal information, which can pose security risks.
MoneyGeek’s car insurance calculator gives a quick ballpark figure of your premium by just entering your age, vehicle type, preferred coverage level and driving record.
Auto Insurance Calculator
See how the Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates vary with the options chosen.
Average Annual Auto Insurance Rates
Click the section of the wheel in your price range to see options.
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Click an insurer below to visit their review page or continue to your personalized quote.
Best Car Insurance in Cary: Summary
The best car insurance for you will depend on your preferences. The best car insurance in Cary, North Carolina, in different categories, include
- Best overall: Erie (MoneyGeek score 83 out of 100)
- Best for service: Erie (MoneyGeek score 70 out of 100)
- Best cheap: Erie (MoneyGeek score 79 out of 100)
Individual company scores can vary based on category weightings. Erie is also the overall best car insurance in North Carolina. Military drivers may discover that USAA is a great option.
Best Overall Car Insurance in Cary
These are the best companies for car insurance in Cary that provide the ideal combination of affordability and service quality:
- Erie: MoneyGeek score 83 out of 100 (approximately $601 per year)
- North Carolina Farm Bureau: MoneyGeek score 78 out of 100 (approximately $669 per year)
Erie topped our list by delivering outstanding customer service and affordability, essential balances to be the best overall insurer.
How was this MoneyGeek score calculated?

pros
Excellent affordability score
High customer satisfaction score
Offers rare coverages like better car replacement, personal property insurance and glass repair
cons
Limited coverage options
Lacks roadside assistance and rental car and/or travel reimbursement coverages
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Erie secured the highest spot in our rankings by offering a good selection of rare but useful coverages. Its better car replacement coverage, called Auto Security, is a must-have if you have a new car. With this add-on, your policy will pay for the cost of replacing your current car with the newest model following a covered accident that totally damages your vehicle.
You won’t have to worry about losing valuable items that you leave inside your car if you have Erie’s personal property insurance since it will reimburse you up to $350 for your lost belongings. Erie’s comprehensive insurance already includes glass repair at no extra cost, but its full window glass coverage is worth purchasing. This add-on waives the deductible, and wiper blades are already included in the windshield replacement, letting you save hundreds of dollars in exchange for a small additional cost added to your policy.
Best Car Insurance in Cary for Customer Service
Excluding cost in our analysis, we found that these are the best car insurance companies in Cary for customer service:
- Erie: MoneyGeek score 70 out of 100 (approximately $601 per year)
- North Carolina Farm Bureau: MoneyGeek score 68 out of 100 (approximately $669 per year)
Most policyholders are impressed with Erie’s customer service and processing of claims. Even with these benefits, Erie’s policies remain highly affordable, allowing you to get excellent service at a great rate.
How was this MoneyGeek score calculated?

pros
High customer satisfaction score
Good claims management score
Offers locked vehicle, pet and rideshare coverage
cons
Lower coverage score
Doesn’t offer roadside assistance and rental car and/or travel reimbursement coverages
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Scoring well in satisfaction and claims management, Erie offers the best insurance for customer service in Cary. It even does this at affordable rates, so you don’t have to pay extra for great service.
Erie offers policyholders locked vehicle coverage. This will pay up to $75 for a locksmith to help you get back into your car if you lock your keys in your vehicle. It also offers pet coverage. In the event your pet gets injured in an accident, Erie will pay for vet costs up to $500 per pet, up to a total of $1,000.
Rideshare insurance from Erie is an optional coverage that you can purchase as an add-on. It gives you secondary coverage when you drive your car for a rideshare company, providing you with added protection.
Best Cheap Car Insurance Companies in Cary
Analyzing rates and service quality for policies that only meet North Carolina’s minimum coverage requirements, we found that the best auto insurance companies in Cary are:
- Erie: MoneyGeek score 79 out of 100 (approximately $302 per year)
- Nationwide: MoneyGeek score 77 out of 100 (approximately $236 per year)
A minimum coverage policy is typically the cheapest option. The tradeoff is you’ll receive the least amount of protection against liability costs, and it won’t cover damages to your car after an accident.
How was this MoneyGeek score calculated?

pros
An affordable minimum coverage policy costs around $302 per year
High customer satisfaction and affordability scores
Discounts for bundling, insuring multiple cars and for having factory-installed daytime running lamps
cons
Limited coverage options
No discount for going paperless
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Erie is the best cheap insurer in Cary due to its affordable rates and remarkable customer service. This insurer has the second-cheapest premiums out of nine companies in Cary, but you could reduce your rates even more by taking advantage of its impressive line-up of discounts.
You could qualify for sizable discounts by insuring multiple cars, being accident-free or bundling your Erie auto policy with a home or life insurance policy. Erie rewards drivers who have safety features in their vehicles, such as factory-installed airbags, anti-theft devices and anti-lock brakes, with discounts on their premiums. Erie is one of the few companies that provide discounts to drivers with factory-installed daytime running lamps, senior drivers and young safe drivers under 21. If you don’t qualify for any of these discounts, setting up an automatic payment plan will let you save.
Average Cost of Car Insurance in Cary
The average cost of car insurance in Cary is $765 per year. This is $95 cheaper than the average cost of car insurance in North Carolina ($860) and $500 less than the national average ($1,265) as of October 2022. These rates are for a full coverage policy that has $100,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $300,000 in bodily injury liability per accident and $100,000 in property damage liability per accident.
Location is one of many factors that can impact car insurance premiums.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
