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In Salem, MetLife has the cheapest full coverage insurance, while GEICO premiums for state minimum liability-only coverage are the cheapest. State Farm offers the lowest insurance premium for drivers with a speeding ticket, but if you're in the military, USAA is the most affordable option for full coverage, state minimum and drivers with a speeding ticket. Regardless, MoneyGeek shows The Hartford as the best auto insurance provider in the city overall for customer service and affordability.

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2023

The Cheapest and Best Car Insurance in Salem

The Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in Salem

The following carriers offer the cheapest full coverage car insurance policies in Salem:

  • MetLife: $876 per year
  • GEICO: $883 per year

At $667 per year, USAA offers the city's lowest full coverage policy; however, coverage is limited to military personnel and their families.

Full coverage insurance from Allstate is the most expensive in Salem. The same coverage from MetLife costs about 60% less. A full coverage insurance policy combines comprehensive and collision coverages. In determining their rates, insurers look at the plan's liability coverage limits.

Cheapest Car Insurance in Salem
Full Coverage 100/300/100
  • Company
    100/300/100per year
  • 1.
    USAA
    $667
  • 2.
    MetLife
    $876
  • 3.
    GEICO
    $883
  • 4.
    Progressive
    $902
  • 5.
    Country Financial
    $942
  • 6.
    State Farm
    $966
  • 7.
    Nationwide
    $988
  • 8.
    Travelers
    $1,013
  • 9.
    American Family
    $1,217
  • 10.
    Farmers
    $1,230
  • 11.
    Allstate
    $1,399

For this MoneyGeek analysis, average insurance rates for a 40-year-old male driver with full coverage insurance were used.

Full-coverage car insurance policies are more expensive than liability insurance because they include the following two coverages:

  • Collision Coverage: Reimburses you for your losses if your car collides with another vehicle or property.
  • Comprehensive Coverage: Damages caused by non-crash incidents like theft, fire, storm and vandalism are all covered under a comprehensive policy.

State minimum or liability-only insurance is usually the best fit for an older car since premiums for full coverage can quickly add up to more than the replacement value of your vehicle.

Compare Car Insurance Rates in Salem

Ensure you're getting the best rate for your car insurance. Compare quotes from the top insurance companies.

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Insurance Rates

Cheapest Car Insurance in Salem for Minimum Coverage

In Salem, the cheapest insurance provides the bare minimum of coverage. The following insurers offer the most affordable minimum liability insurance in the city:

  • GEICO: $507 per year
  • Progressive: $572 per year

The most expensive insurer in Salem for state minimum liability is Allstate, at $929 per annum. GEICO's average premium is $422 cheaper than Allstate. USAA's policy, which costs $397, is the cheapest in Salem, but it’s only available to military families.

Cheapest Minimum Liability Car Insurance in Salem
State Minimum

Oregon's drivers must by law maintain a minimum of 25/50/20 liability insurance. While the minimum insurance can be Salem's most affordable, it also gives you the lowest level of protection. You risk facing substantial additional costs if you’re in an accident without sufficient coverage.

For example, if you cause $30,000 in property damage to another driver in an accident where you’re at fault, your insurance will cover just $20,000, and you'll be responsible for the remaining $10,000.

Oregon Minimum Liability Requirements

  • Item
    Description
  • Bodily Injury and Property Damage
    $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident and $20,000 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.
  • Personal Injury Protection
    $15,000 per person.

Cheapest Car Insurance in Salem if You Have Driving Violations

In Salem, moving offenses like speeding or DUIs can raise your car insurance premiums quite drastically in some cases. Based on the most prevalent traffic offenses, the city's cheapest insurance premiums are as follows:

  • Cheapest after a ticket: State Farm, $1,063 per year
  • Cheapest after an at-fault accident: State Farm, $1,257 per year
  • Cheapest after a DUI: State Farm, $1,063 per year

While USAA's policies are the cheapest for drivers with speeding tickets and at-fault accidents, they are only available to military personnel and their families.

Maintaining a clean driving record may lower your insurance premiums in the future, regardless of the traffic violations you've accrued. While you’re improving your driving history, it can’t hurt to compare insurance quotes from several providers to find the cheapest insurance policy for bad drivers.

Cheapest Car Insurance in Salem With a Violation
Speeding Ticket

Average Cost of Car Insurance in Salem

Salem$1,041
Oregon$1,181
U.S.$1,424

The average car insurance rate in Salem is $1,041 per year. This is 11.9% cheaper than the state average and 26.9% less than the national average.

Personalized Quotes to Get You the Cheapest Car Insurance in Salem

Car insurance companies consider factors like age, gender, credit score and more when determining premiums.

For example, a MetLife policy for a 40-year-old male driver in Salem costs an average of $876 per year. This rate may change as the driver ages.

Regularly comparing auto insurance quotes can help you make sure you have the most affordable coverage for your needs depending on your life circumstances.

Compare Car Insurance Rates in Salem

Ensure you're getting the best rate for your car insurance. Compare quotes from the top insurance companies.

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Insurance Rates

The Best Car Insurance Companies in Salem

MoneyGeek evaluated the best car insurance companies in Salem based on their average pricing, claims ratings and user satisfaction ratings. With relatively average scores compared to other insurers in other cities, the top car insurance companies in Salem are:

  • State Farm: 74 out of 100
  • GEICO: 70 out of 100

USAA received a perfect MoneyGeek score of 100, making it the best car insurance provider in Salem for eligible military personnel. We excluded USAA from the analysis because it exclusively covers military members, veterans and their families.


1
State Farm
Score:74

3.6/5

Affordability

4/5

Claims

4/5

User Satisfaction

4/5

Financial Stability

Geek Quick Take
Geek Quick Take

State Farm is our top pick in Salem, ranking high for stability, claims and user satisfaction scores. It ranks below four out of five for affordability, with a full coverage policy costing about $966 annually. State Farm policyholders in Salem can include rideshare insurance as a unique add-on to their coverage. A full coverage policy costs about $966 annually.

More About State Farm

State Farm does exceptionally well in our categories. A base policy might include roadside assistance, rental car reimbursement and ridesharing insurance, as add-ons.

Other insurance companies in Salem rarely provide rideshare insurance coverage. Even if you're driving for a transportation network company (TNC), State Farm's rideshare insurance applies your personal policy deductible. When the app is turned on and you're available for hire, the insurance extends all of your car policy's coverages. Except for liability insurance, all coverages remain after matching with or carrying a rider.

Read MoneyGeek's State Farm auto Insurance Review
2
GEICO
Score:70

3.2/5

Affordability

3.5/5

Claims

4/5

User Satisfaction

5/5

Financial Stability

Geek Quick Take
Geek Quick Take

According to our rankings in Salem, GEICO has excellent financial stability ratings and average customer satisfaction scores. For a 40-year-old driver in Salem, a full coverage GEICO policy costs $883 per year on average. Mechanical breakdown insurance is a unique add-on coverage offered by GEICO.

More About GEICO

GEICO offers coverages such as roadside assistance, rental car and/or travel reimbursement, accident forgiveness and mechanical breakdown insurance to its policyholders in Salem.

The first three coverages are common among other insurers in the city. GEICO's policy covers flat tires, towing, jump starts, lockout services and even up to a certain amount for a rental vehicle if your car isn't drivable for more than 24 hours due to a covered accident. Mechanical breakdown insurance is a rare benefit that can help cover the cost of components and systems at a lower cost than a dealer's extended warranty.

Read MoneyGeek's GEICO auto Insurance Review
3
Country Financial
Score:69

3.1/5

Affordability

4.2/5

Claims

4.5/5

User Satisfaction

4.5/5

Financial Stability

4
Travelers
Score:67

2.9/5

Affordability

4.2/5

Claims

3.6/5

User Satisfaction

5/5

Financial Stability

5
American Family
Score:61

2.6/5

Affordability

3.5/5

Claims

4.5/5

User Satisfaction

4/5

Financial Stability

6
Progressive
Score:59

2.5/5

Affordability

4/5

Claims

3.5/5

User Satisfaction

4.5/5

Financial Stability

7
Nationwide
Score:56

2.4/5

Affordability

3.5/5

Claims

3.5/5

User Satisfaction

4.5/5

Financial Stability

8
MetLife
Score:45

1.5/5

Affordability

4.1/5

Claims

3.5/5

User Satisfaction

4.5/5

Financial Stability

9
Farmers
Score:41

1.2/5

Affordability

4/5

Claims

4/5

User Satisfaction

4/5

Financial Stability

10
Allstate
Score:26

0.1/5

Affordability

4/5

Claims

4/5

User Satisfaction

4.5/5

Financial Stability

Average Cost of Car Insurance by Postal Code

Your auto insurance rates can be impacted by your ZIP code. This is because factors like the number of car thefts, accidents and uninsured motorists may differ between communities.

In Salem, Oregon, residents of the 97305 neighborhood could pay $39 less in annual vehicle insurance premiums compared to drivers living in the 97301 community.

  • Zip Code
    State Minimumper year
  • 97305
    $1,022
  • 97301
    $1,061

Factors That Impact Insurance Costs in Salem

In addition to individual driver needs and history, location-specific factors like personal injury protection coverage requirements and the percentage of uninsured motorists also contribute to car insurance rates in Salem. How Salem ranks compared to the 300 most populous cities in the United States can have a significant impact on premium costs.

accident2 icon
Most Accidents With Fatalities198th/300
handcuffs2 icon
Most Car Thefts195th/300
uninsured icon
Most Uninsured Motorists by State21st/50
insurance2 icon
Personal Injury Protection RequiredYes
rain icon
Most Annual Rainfall112th/300
umbrella icon
Most Rainy Days19th/300

About Mark Fitzpatrick


Mark Fitzpatrick headshot

Mark Fitzpatrick is a senior content director at MoneyGeek with over five years of experience analyzing the insurance market, conducting original research and creating content that can be personalized for every buyer. He has been quoted on insurance topics in several publications, including CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.

Mark earned a master’s degree in Economics and International Relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his economics and insurance knowledge to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.