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The amount you pay for car insurance depends largely on the coverage you choose and your driving profile; however, the company you buy from matters too. In Santa Clara, the cheapest auto insurance provider is Esurance, for full coverage and for drivers with a speeding ticket. Progressive offers the cheapest state minimum coverage in the city, while USAA is an affordable option for military families. The best overall insurance company in Santa Clara is the Auto Club of Southern California Insurance Group (AAA) because of its balance of excellent customer service and affordable prices.

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2023

The Cheapest and Best Car Insurance in Santa Clara

The Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in Santa Clara

The cheapest car insurance companies in Santa Clara for full coverage and widely available policies on average are:

  • Esurance: $940 per year
  • Progressive: $970 per year

USAA is another affordable car insurance option, although it is exclusive to members of the military and their families.

The Esurance quote is nearly 75% ($701) less than Allied, the most expensive in the city. The annual premiums are for full coverage insurance, which typically includes comprehensive and collision. Your premium may be different based on the liability limits you choose and your driving record.

Cheapest Car Insurance in Santa Clara
Full Coverage 100/300/100
  • Company
    100/300/100per year
  • 1.
    Esurance
    $940
  • 2.
    Progressive
    $970
  • 3.
    CSAA
    $1,046
  • 4.
    USAA
    $1,061
  • 5.
    MetLife
    $1,065
  • 6.
    GEICO
    $1,071
  • 7.
    Allstate
    $1,166
  • 8.
    State Farm
    $1,239
  • 9.
    Mercury
    $1,335
  • 10.
    Farmers
    $1,445
  • 11.
    Hartford
    $1,465
  • 12.
    Travelers
    $1,549
  • 13.
    Allied
    $1,641

MoneyGeek's research is based on rates for a 40-year-old male driver in Santa Clara with full coverage insurance, as outlined in our methodology.

When you include comprehensive and collision coverage in your auto insurance plan, it’s more costly than policies with limited coverage. That’s because full coverage gives you added protection in the event your car is damaged, as follows:

  • Collision Insurance: Covers the cost of repairs to your car in the event of an accident.
  • Comprehensive Insurance: Covers the cost of repairs to your car due to damage caused by something other than an accident, such as vandalism, theft or an adverse weather event.

The premiums for comprehensive insurance for older cars may exceed the vehicle's replacement value. In that case, you may wish to consider liability-only or state minimum insurance.

Compare Car Insurance Rates in Santa Clara

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 Santa Clara for Minimum Coverage

State minimum insurance is always cheaper than full coverage. The cheapest car insurance in Santa Clara for minimum coverage is:

  • Progressive: $424 per year
  • CSAA: $428 per year

The average quote from Progressive for state minimum coverage is $333 less than Allied's, which is the most expensive in the city.

While you do save on premiums with minimum insurance, you risk being underinsured without the higher liability limits and collision and comprehensive insurance found in full coverage policies.

See the table below to see how premiums vary when liability limits increase.

Cheapest Minimum Liability Car Insurance in Santa Clara
State Minimum

Drivers in California are required by law to have a minimum of 15/30/5 liability coverage. While it is the cheapest insurance you can buy, it also provides the least coverage. In the case of an accident, you may find yourself facing an unexpected and very large bill.

For example, if you cause an accident and the other driver incurs $25,000 in medical expenses, your personal share of the payment will be $10,000. That’s because a state minimum policy only covers up to $15,000 per person.

California Minimum Liability Requirements

  • Item
    Description
  • Bodily Injury and Property Damage
    $15,000 per person, $30,000 per accident and $5,000 for property damage. A more protective level is 100/300/100.

Cheapest Car Insurance in Santa Clara if You Have Driving Violations

Your driving record directly influences how much you pay in car insurance. Your premiums can increase if you get a speeding ticket, DUI or cause an accident.

The cheapest car insurance in Santa Clara for drivers with violations is:

  • Cheapest after a ticket: Esurance, $1,187 per year
  • Cheapest after an at-fault accident: CSAA, $1,318 per year
  • Cheapest after a DUI: Mercury, $2,186 per year

If you are a service member in the military, USAA has the best rates for drivers with a speeding ticket at an average premium of $1,159 per year.

Drivers can lower their insurance costs over time by improving their driving history. Once your premiums go up after a ticket or accident, shop around to get the best cheap insurance for drivers with bad records in Santa Clara.

Cheapest Car Insurance in Santa Clara With a Violation
Speeding Ticket

Average Cost of Car Insurance in Santa Clara

Santa Clara$1,244
California$1,429
U.S.$1,424

Santa Clara's average car insurance rate is lower than the state and national averages. The annual average car insurance rate in Santa Clara is $1,244. This is 12.9% lower than the state average of $1,429 per year for a comparable policy in California and 12.6% lower than the national annual average of $1,424.

Personalized Quotes to Get You the Cheapest Car Insurance in Santa Clara

The annual auto insurance cost in Santa Clara is influenced by a variety of factors, such as age, gender, location/ZIP code, driving record, driving history, coverage level, car make and model as well as miles driven per year. You should always obtain a personalized car insurance quote from the insurance companies that you're comparing.

For example, Esurance will quote you an average rate of $940 per year if you are a 40-year-old male driver in Santa Clara. The insurance quote can rise or fall in response to a change in any of the factors we’ve listed above.

From time to time, insurance companies offer discounts or rebates on their insurance policies. If you regularly compare car insurance quotes, you can obtain the best and the cheapest car insurance rates in Santa Clara. Besides, you will also get to know whether you qualify for any discounts that the companies offer.

Compare Car Insurance Rates in Santa Clara

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

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The Best Car Insurance Companies in Santa Clara

MoneyGeek selected the best auto insurance companies in Santa Clara based on their average policy costs, claims history and customer satisfaction ratings. The city's top-rated car insurance companies are:

  • AAA: 95 out of 100
  • Esurance: 86 out of 100

​​Despite receiving a MoneyGeek score of 85 — making it the second-best auto insurance company in Santa Clara — MoneyGeek eliminated USAA from this ranking since it only serves military personnel, veterans and their dependents.


1
AAA
Score:95

4.9/5

Affordability

5/5

Claims

4.5/5

User Satisfaction

4/5

Financial Stability

Geek Quick Take
Geek Quick Take

AAA boasts a spotless claims rating and offers a 40-year-old Santa Clara driver a full coverage policy for $1,046 per year. AAA also provides members with identity theft monitoring and roadside assistance coverage at no extra cost.

More About AAA

AAA offers rental car and/or trip reimbursement as an add-on to your coverage. If your auto is not drivable or in the shop for repairs, rental car and/or trip reimbursement pays for car rental or public transportation costs up to your policy’s limit.

Read MoneyGeek's AAA auto Insurance Review
2
Esurance
Score:86

4.4/5

Affordability

3.7/5

Claims

4.2/5

User Satisfaction

4.5/5

Financial Stability

Geek Quick Take
Geek Quick Take

Esurance received fair claims and customer satisfaction scores but scored high for financial stability. An annual full coverage policy for a 40-year-old driver in Santa Clara costs $940. The company provides custom parts coverage as an optional add-on.

More About Esurance

Esurance offers five types of add-on coverage, three of which are standard among Santa Clara insurers: roadside assistance, rental car and/or trip reimbursement and gap insurance. Esurance's unique custom parts coverage protects your car’s aftermarket modification, such as custom wheels and sound systems.

For drivers who work for companies like Uber or Lyft, Esurance offers rideshare insurance in three states, including California. It bridges coverage gaps between your personal and rideshare insurance plans and ensures you pay the lowest possible comprehensive and collision deductible.

Read MoneyGeek's Esurance auto Insurance Review
3
GEICO
Score:82

3.9/5

Affordability

4/5

Claims

4.5/5

User Satisfaction

5/5

Financial Stability

4
Progressive
Score:78

3.8/5

Affordability

3.5/5

Claims

4/5

User Satisfaction

4.5/5

Financial Stability

5
MetLife
Score:76

3.7/5

Affordability

4.1/5

Claims

3.5/5

User Satisfaction

4.5/5

Financial Stability

6
State Farm
Score:71

3.1/5

Affordability

4/5

Claims

4.5/5

User Satisfaction

5/5

Financial Stability

7
Allstate
Score:62

2.6/5

Affordability

4/5

Claims

4/5

User Satisfaction

4.5/5

Financial Stability

8
Mercury
Score:59

2.5/5

Affordability

3.5/5

Claims

4/5

User Satisfaction

4/5

Financial Stability

9
Travelers
Score:50

1.7/5

Affordability

4.2/5

Claims

3.6/5

User Satisfaction

5/5

Financial Stability

10
Farmers
Score:45

1.5/5

Affordability

4/5

Claims

4/5

User Satisfaction

4/5

Financial Stability

11
Hartford
Score:29

0.2/5

Affordability

4.5/5

Claims

4/5

User Satisfaction

4.5/5

Financial Stability

12
Allied
Score:14

1/5

Affordability

NaN/5

Claims

NaN/5

User Satisfaction

NaN/5

Financial Stability

Average Cost of Car Insurance by Postal Code

Your ZIP code or the neighborhood in which you live can affect your car insurance cost too. Factors such as car thefts, accidents and claims history vary by neighborhood and companies consider the statistics of these risk factors before providing you with an insurance quote. If you live in one of the high-risk ZIP codes, insurers may charge you more for auto insurance. Similarly, if you live in a low-risk ZIP code, you may be eligible for lower auto insurance rates.

The average auto insurance rates in Santa Clara differ by ZIP code, as well. MoneyGeek compared two ZIP codes from Santa Clara and found that residents of ZIP code 95051 will pay an average of $1,232 for auto insurance per year, which is $24 more than residents of ZIP code 95050 pay on average. Although the difference of $24 is negligible, the scenario can change based on the updated crime and accident statistics.

  • Zip Code
    State Minimumper year
  • 95051
    $1,232
  • 95050
    $1,256

Factors That Impact Insurance Costs in Santa Clara

In addition to individual driver needs and history, location-specific factors like the percentage of uninsured motorists and the rate of car thefts also contribute to car insurance rates in Santa Clara. How Santa Clara 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 Fatalities137th/300
handcuffs2 icon
Most Car Thefts113th/300
uninsured icon
Most Uninsured Motorists by State12th/50
insurance2 icon
Personal Injury Protection RequiredNo
rain icon
Most Annual Rainfall194th/300
umbrella icon
Most Rainy Days211th/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.


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