On average, car insurance in Columbia costs $1,144 per year, 0.4% more than the state average. GEICO is the cheapest widely available car insurance carrier, at roughly $856 per month. MoneyGeek analyzed car insurance costs by driving history and coverage amount. We also evaluated insurers that balance quality and affordable coverage that suits your profile in Columbia.
bestauto insuranceColumbia2021The Cheapest and Best Car Insurance in Columbia
Cheapest Overall - GEICO
Best Overall - Auto-Owners Insurance Co
Cheapest State Minimum - USAA
Cheapest With a Driving Violation - State Farm
The Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in Columbia
According to MoneyGeek, the best car insurance providers in Columbia for an affordable full coverage policy are:
- USAA: $852 per year (only available to former and current military members and their families
- GEICO: $856 per year
Drivers who are in the military can save about 74.3% per year by purchasing their coverage from USAA, which is the cheapest provider, versus Progressive, the most expensive provider. Progressive costs an average of $1,485 annually. They save roughly 73.5% if they get insurance from GEICO, which is the cheapest widely available insurer in the city.
The average costs indicated above are for a full coverage car insurance policy with comprehensive and collision coverage that protects your own vehicle from damage, apart from the standard liability coverage. The policy belongs to a 40-year-old sample driver.
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- CompanyAmountper year
- 1.$852
- 2.$856
- 3.$1,038
- 4.$1,065
- 5.$1,134
Average Cost of Car Insurance in Columbia
Columbia$1,144
SC$1,139
U.S.$1,424
The average cost of car insurance in Columbia is $1,144 per year. That’s 0.4% higher than the state average of $1,139 per year and 19.7% less than the national annual average of $1,424.
The Best Car Insurance Companies in Columbia
For Columbia drivers seeking quality and affordable car insurance, MoneyGeek found that the best insurers in the city are:
- Auto-Owners Insurance Co: MoneyGeek score of 90 out of 100
- GEICO: MoneyGeek score of 85 out of 100
USAA has the highest score at 95 out of 100. However, it may not be an ideal option for most drivers since its policies are exclusive to current and former military members and their families.
To obtain these scores, MoneyGeek analyzed various factors, including affordability, customer satisfaction and financial stability.
1
USAA
Score:95
2
Auto-Owners Insurance Co
Score:90
3
GEICO
Score:85
4
State Farm
Score:83
5
Nationwide
Score:80
6
Travelers
Score:80
7
MetLife
Score:80
8
Safeco
Score:78
9
Progressive
Score:78
10
Allstate
Score:75
11
Liberty Mutual
Score:75
12
National General
Score:73
Personalized Quotes to Get You the Cheapest Car Insurance in Columbia
In Columbia, you may need to compare car insurance quotes from multiple insurers frequently if you want to get the cheapest coverage, discounts and other special offers. Car insurance rates in Columbia vary depending on the driver’s age, marital status, driving experience, ZIP Code and credit score, among other factors. Depending on how you rank across these factors, you may pay more or less for your car insurance coverage.
Shopping around for car insurance in Columbia could save you $288, which is enough to buy:
96Cups of Coffee
22Months of Your Favorite Streaming Service
Cheapest Car Insurance in Columbia by Coverage Amount
The amount of coverage you purchase in Columbia and other cities in South Carolina impacts how much you pay for your car insurance premium. The average cost for a liability-only car insurance policy is $645 per year. Meanwhile, the cost of a full coverage policy with higher limits is $1,144 per year, a difference of $499 annually.
South Carolina Minimum Liability Requirements
- ItemDescription
- Bodily Injury and Property Damage$25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage. A more protective level is 100/300/100.
- Uninsured Motorist$25,000 per person and $50,000 per incident. The minimum coverage may not be enough if you're in a serious accident.
As you look for the cheapest car insurance in Columbia, you also need to ensure that you purchase the right coverage amount for your driving profile. Different coverage levels attract different rates.
For instance, a state minimum liability-only policy from GEICO costs $462 on average, while a 50/100/50 liability-only policy costs $535 per year. While the liability-only policy is cheaper than full coverage options, it does not cover personal damage.
A 50/100/50 full coverage policy offers more limits than the state minimum and covers the costs of damage in case of an at-fault accident. A GEICO policy with these limits costs $750 per year. If you need higher limits, you may consider getting a 100/300/100 policy at an additional $106 only.
Average Car Insurance Premiums: Liability-Only vs. Full Coverage
Liability Only
- CompanyState Minimumper year50 / 100 / 50per year
- 1.$438$501
- 2.$462$535
- 3.$551$657
- 4.$568$647
- 5.$690$769
Full Coverage
- Company50 / 100 / 50per year100 / 300 / 100per year
- 1.$774$852
- 2.$750$856
- 3.$928$1,038
- 4.$963$1,065
- 5.$1,049$1,134
Cheapest Car Insurance in Columbia if You Have Driving Violations
Drivers who have a history of violations like driving under the influence or speeding tickets tend to pay more for car insurance in Columbia. At State Farm, for example, a driver with no violations pays an average of $1,038 per year. If the driver has a speeding ticket or DUI, they will pay about $80 more. Drivers with an at-fault accident on their record pay $199 more on average.
- CompanySpeeding Ticketper yearAt-Fault Accidentper yearDUIper year
- 1.$1,118$1,237$1,118
- 2.$1,044$1,255$1,491
- 3.$856$1,253$2,093
- 4.$1,430$1,820$1,522
- 5.$1,486$1,546$1,705
Average Cost of Car Insurance by Postal Code
Car insurance rates in Columbia vary across different ZIP codes. Neighborhoods, where accidents, theft and similar incidents are common, may have higher rates than others.
MoneyGeek analyzed average rates between three ZIP codes and found that 29223 has an average cost of $1,133 per year, while 29229 and 20210 have $1,134 and $1,164, respectively. That is a difference of $31 between the cheapest and most expensive neighborhoods.
- Zip CodeState Minimumper year
- 29223$1,133
- 29229$1,134
- 29210$1,164
Insurance Providers That Serve Columbia
Factors That Impact Insurance Costs in Columbia
In addition to individual driver needs and history, location-specific factors like the percentage of uninsured motorists and the rate of fatal accidents also contribute to car insurance rates in Columbia. How Columbia ranks compared to the 300 most populous cities in the United States can have a significant impact on premium costs.
Methodology and Assumptions
MoneyGeek’s average premium rates for Columbia are based on 100/300/100 comprehensive collision coverage with a $1,000 deductible for a 40-year-old male driver. The average driver profiled drives a 2010 Toyota Camry LE and has no tickets or accidents on their record. Additional premiums are added based on coverage type, location and driving record. Learn more about MoneyGeek’s data and methodology here.
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