American National is the cheapest car insurance in South Carolina for most drivers, at $65 a month for full coverage and $36 for minimum. It's also cheapest after a speeding ticket, an at-fault accident, a DUI or a texting ticket. Farm Bureau is cheapest for teens, starting at $180 a month, and for seniors at $76. Travelers is cheapest if you have bad credit at $199.
Cheapest Car Insurance in South Carolina for 2026
Updated: July 14, 2026
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American National | $36 | 4.29/5 | |
American National | $65 | 4.29/5 | |
Farm Bureau | $205 | 4.34/5 | |
Farm Bureau | $180 | 4.34/5 | |
American National | $78 | 4.29/5 | |
Farm Bureau | $76 | 4.34/5 | |
American National | $82 | 4.29/5 | |
American National | $82 | 4.29/5 | |
American National | $92 | 4.29/5 | |
Travelers | $199 | 4.44/5 |
American National
Best Cheap Car Insurance for Full Coverage in South Carolina
American National is the cheapest full coverage in South Carolina at $65 a month, and nothing else in the state comes close. But the tradeoff is American National ranks last for customer experience, so it fits a driver who wants the lowest rate and is comfortable working through an independent agent instead of an app.
Cheapest Car Insurance by Coverage Type in South Carolina
American National | $36 | $65 | 4.29/5 |
Farm Bureau | $47 | $91 | 4.34/5 |
Auto-Owners | $53 | $95 | 4.65/5 |
GEICO | $54 | $105 | 4.15/5 |
Travelers | $65 | $114 | 4.44/5 |
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Cheapest Minimum Coverage in South Carolina
American National is cheapest for minimum coverage in South Carolina at $36 a month, $11 less than Farm Bureau at $47. With minimum coverage, customer experience matters most, since your own insurer deals with the claim when another driver hits you. American National ranks last in the state for service while Farm Bureau ranks near the top, so choosing Farm Bureau costs about $142 more a year with its $10 membership, and the question is whether the better service is worth it.
Cheapest Full Coverage in South Carolina
American National is the cheapest full coverage in South Carolina at $65 a month, $29 more than its $36 minimum. That difference buys collision and comprehensive, which cover your own car after an at-fault crash, theft, weather or hitting an animal.
Do You Need Minimum Coverage or Full Coverage in South Carolina?
Full coverage costs $29 a month more than minimum in South Carolina, $65 versus $36 at American National. Whether that's worth it depends on your car. Minimum coverage doesn't pay for your own vehicle after a crash you cause, so on an older, low-value car it can make sense to skip it. A financed or leased car requires full coverage. Find your car's current value using the how much car insurance you need guide, then use the South Carolina car insurance calculator to see how coverage level changes your rate.
Cheapest Car Insurance for Teens and Young Adults in South Carolina
Farm Bureau is the cheapest insurer for South Carolina teens, starting at $180 a month at 16, and it stays cheapest through the late teens. Teens file more claims than any age group, so Farm Bureau's stronger customer experience score is advantageous, and its $10 a year membership barely affects the total. American National becomes cheaper at 21 for young men and 25 for young women, so it's worth re-quoting around then, and the how to switch car insurance companies guide covers doing it without a break in coverage.
Farm Bureau | $180 | Farm Bureau | $205 | |
Farm Bureau | $160 | Farm Bureau | $182 | |
Farm Bureau | $145 | Farm Bureau | $165 | |
Farm Bureau | $132 | Farm Bureau | $150 | |
Farm Bureau | $122 | Farm Bureau | $139 | |
Farm Bureau | $113 | American National | $114 | |
Farm Bureau | $106 | American National | $111 | |
Farm Bureau | $100 | American National | $107 | |
Farm Bureau | $95 | American National | $104 | |
American National | $85 | American National | $78 |
Your Next Step:
Get your real quotes from trusted insurance providers.
Cheapest Car Insurance for Seniors in South Carolina
Farm Bureau is cheapest for seniors in South Carolina at $76 a month, edging American National by $2 even after its own $10 membership. With the price that close, service is what will make your decision, and Farm Bureau scores higher there, offering local agents seniors can meet in person rather than filing a claim online. Get a new quote at 65 and at each renewal, since the cheapest senior rate can change year to year.
Farm Bureau | $76 | 3.89/5 |
American National | $78 | 3.38/5 |
Auto-Owners | $106 | 4.58/5 |
GEICO | $115 | 3.65/5 |
Travelers | $121 | 4.28/5 |
Your Next Step:
Get your real quotes from trusted insurance providers.
Cheapest Car Insurance by City in South Carolina
American National is the cheapest insurer in every South Carolina city, including the three biggest, Charleston, Columbia and North Charleston, where minimum coverage costs around $38 a month. The bigger question isn't where you live in South Carolina, it's how much coverage to carry. South Carolina has 200 miles of coastline, and both Charleston and North Charleston fall in that hurricane zone, where only comprehensive coverage pays for flooding, storm surge or wind damage to your car. American National's low rate there makes it easier to add that protection and stay covered through storm season.
Aiken | American National | $31 |
Anderson | American National | $31 |
Mauldin | American National | $32 |
Spartanburg | American National | $32 |
Greenville | American National | $33 |
Greer | American National | $33 |
Hilton Head Island | American National | $33 |
Irmo | American National | $34 |
Rock Hill | American National | $34 |
Beaufort | American National | $35 |
Mount Pleasant | American National | $35 |
Myrtle Beach | American National | $36 |
Conway | American National | $37 |
Sumter | American National | $37 |
American National | $38 | |
Columbia | American National | $38 |
Florence | American National | $39 |
Goose Creek | American National | $39 |
Summerville | American National | $39 |
North Charleston | American National | $40 |
Your Next Step:
Get your real quotes from trusted insurance providers.
Cheapest Car Insurance for High Risk Drivers in South Carolina
After a DUI, American National is still cheapest in South Carolina at $92 a month, and it's also cheapest after a speeding ticket, an at-fault accident or a texting ticket. The tradeoff is its last-place service score, which matters most if you end up filing a claim. South Carolina requires an SR-22 for a DUI, and American National files it directly. Bad credit is the one place Travelers takes over, at $199 a month. Once your credit improves, re-quote American National to get back to its $65 clean-record rate.
Speeding Ticket | American National | $82 | 3.38/5 |
At-Fault Accident | American National | $82 | 3.38/5 |
DUI | American National | $92 | 3.38/5 |
Texting While Driving | American National | $74 | 3.38/5 |
Bad Credit | Travelers | $199 | 4.28/5 |
Your Next Step:
Get your real quotes from trusted insurance providers.
How to Get Cheaper Car Insurance in South Carolina
The two biggest savings in South Carolina come from your credit and your carrier. Poor credit adds about $173 a month to American National's rate, and switching from the priciest full coverage insurer to American National saves $49.
- 1
Compare South Carolina carriers and save up to $49 a month
American National at $65 a month for full coverage is $49 less than Travelers at $114. American National and Farm Bureau are regional insurers most national comparison tools skip, so quote them directly rather than through an aggregator.
- 2
Match your coverage level to your vehicle's value and save $29 per month
Full coverage costs $29 more a month than minimum at American National, $65 versus $36. On an older, low-value car, minimum can make sense, but a financed or leased car requires full coverage, and coastal drivers should keep comprehensive for storm damage.
- 3
Bundle home and auto in South Carolina and save $1,095 a year
State Farm has the South Carolina's cheapest home and auto bundle at $3,493 a year and its biggest discount at 24%. That's a different insurer than the cheapest standalone auto pick, so bundling may mean moving your auto policy too. American National and Farm Bureau sell through independent agents who can compare bundle options for you.
- 4
Re-shop when a violation ages off your record and save $17 per month
A speeding ticket raises American National's rate by $17, from $65 to $82 a month. Re-quote at each renewal and ask whether the increase still applies, since it won't drop off on its own.
- 5
Improve your credit score before renewal and save up to $173 per month
Improving your credit is the single biggest lever in South Carolina, worth about $173 a month at American National. The state allows credit-based pricing, so re-quote about 45 days after your credit improves to capture the lower rate.
- 6
Use carrier discount programs from South Carolina's three cheapest insurers
American National, Farm Bureau and Auto-Owners sell through independent agents and don't publish standard telematics programs. Ask your agent about multi-policy, multi-vehicle and loyalty discounts. GEICO DriveEasy tracks driving through its app and can lower your rate at renewal by 5% to 15%, though poor driving can raise it instead.
MoneyGeek analyzed car insurance rates from Quadrant Information Services, collected from state insurance filing records across all residential ZIP codes in South Carolina. Carriers are required to file rates with the state regulator before charging them. These are filed rates, not estimates or online quote approximations.
Carriers analyzed: Rates were collected from all carriers with sufficient market share in South Carolina, including American National, Farm Bureau, Auto-Owners, GEICO and Travelers, among others.
Baseline driver profile: A 40-year-old male driving a 2012 Toyota Camry LE with a clean driving record, good credit and 12,000 miles annually. No prior claims. Full coverage uses 100/300/100 liability limits with a $1,000 deductible for both collision and comprehensive. Minimum coverage uses South Carolina's state-mandated minimums: 25/50/25 liability ($25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, $25,000 property damage), plus mandatory UM/UIM at matching 25/50/25 limits.
Profile variations used in this analysis:
Young drivers: ages 16 to 25, standalone policy, rated separately by gender. Gender is a permitted rating factor in South Carolina.
Seniors: 70-year-old driver, same vehicle and coverage as the baseline.
Violations: baseline profile with one driving record variable changed at a time; all other variables held constant. Violations analyzed: speeding 11 to 15 MPH over the limit, at-fault accident ($1,000 to $1,999 property damage), DUI (BAC at or above .08) and texting while driving.
Poor credit: baseline profile with credit tier changed to poor. South Carolina permits credit-based insurance scoring, so credit affects rate in this state.
Coverage tier: full coverage (100/300/100 with $1,000 deductible) and South Carolina minimum coverage (25/50/25 with mandatory UM/UIM).
USAA exclusion: USAA is excluded from all provider tables; it is available only to military members, veterans and their immediate families. Eligible drivers should include USAA in any quote comparison.
Scoring: MoneyGeek scores carriers on three factors: Affordability (60% of score), normalized rates across all carriers within each driver profile; lower rate relative to competitors equals a higher affordability score, calculated separately per driver profile. Customer Experience (30% of score), five components: J.D. Power survey results, NAIC complaint index, AM Best financial strength ratings, agent network ratings and Google Business ratings; 2024 to 2025 data weighted twice as heavily as older data. Coverage Options (10% of score), number of add-on coverages available (80%) and included benefits or unique options (20%).
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick, a licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut, is MoneyGeek's resident insurance expert. He has spent nearly a decade analyzing the market, first at LendingTree and now at MoneyGeek, where he produces original research on hundreds of carriers and millions of rates across auto, home, renters, health and life insurance.
He covers economics and insurance at MoneyGeek, and his work has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR, among other outlets.
Like all MoneyGeek analysts, he draws on independent cost and consumer experience data. No insurance company partnership influences his recommendations.
Mark holds a B.A. from Boston College and an M.A. in Economics and International Relations from Johns Hopkins University. He started his career in financial risk management at State Street and is also a five-time “Jeopardy!” champion.