bestauto insuranceSanta ClaraCompare the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes in Santa Clara, CA
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Ensure you're getting the best rate. Review quotes from a top insurance company.
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.
bestauto insuranceSanta ClaraThe Cheapest and Best Car Insurance in Santa Clara
Cheapest Overall - Esurance
Cheapest State Minimum - Progressive
Cheapest With a Driving Violation - Esurance
Best Overall - Auto Club of Southern California Insurance Group
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
- Company100/300/100per year
- 1.$940
- 2.$970
- 3.CSAA$1,046
- 4.$1,061
- 5.$1,065
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.
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
- CompanyState Minimumper year
- 1.$424
- 2.CSAA$428
- 3.$440
- 4.$452
- 5.$521
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
- ItemDescription
- 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.
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
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 Review2
Esurance
Score:86
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 Review3
GEICO
Score:82
4
Progressive
Score:78
5
MetLife
Score:76
6
State Farm
Score:71
7
Allstate
Score:62
8
Mercury
Score:59
9
Travelers
Score:50
10
Farmers
Score:45
11
Hartford
Score:29
12
Allied
Score:14
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 CodeState 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.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
sources
- Kaiser Family Foundation. "2019 Employer Health Benefits Survey." Accessed January 16, 2020.