bestauto insuranceWinston-SalemCompare the Cheapest Car Insurance Quotes in Winston-Salem, NC
The average cost of car insurance in Winston-Salem is $718 per year, which is about 14.7% less than the North Carolina state average. The cheapest insurer for the average driver is State Farm, but MoneyGeek also looked into the most affordable options across different coverage levels and driver profiles. For customers looking for a balance between affordability and quality service, MoneyGeek ranked the best companies in the city.
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Advertising & Editorial DisclosureLast Updated: 1/10/2023
Edited By |
Ashley Jacobs
Written By |
Mark Fitzpatrick
According to MoneyGeek's research, State Farm is the cheapest insurance provider in Winston-Salem for full coverage plans and ticketed drivers, while Nationwide is the cheapest for state minimum liability-only insurance. The city's best overall car insurance company is Erie because of its balance of affordability with a high level of customer service.
bestauto insuranceWinston-SalemThe Cheapest and Best Car Insurance in Winston-Salem
Cheapest Overall - State Farm
Cheapest State Minimum - State Farm
Cheapest With a Driving Violation - State Farm
Best Overall - Erie
Methodology
MoneyGeek utilized claims, financial stability, affordability and customer satisfaction scores from various industry leaders to determine the best auto insurance in Winston-Salem, including J.D. Power, AM Best and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
The Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in Winston-Salem
In Winston-Salem, the two insurance companies that offer the cheapest full coverage car insurance plans on average are:
- State Farm: $499 per year
- Nationwide: $530 per year
State Farm is approximately 84% less expensive for full coverage insurance than MetLife, the city's most costly insurer. A full coverage insurance policy covers a range of coverages, such as comprehensive and collision. The cost of your policy is determined in large part by the quantity of coverage you choose.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Winston-Salem
Full Coverage 100/300/100
- Company100/300/100per year
- 1.$499
- 2.$530
- 3.$608
- 4.North Carolina Farm Bureau$634
- 5.$742
For this analysis, MoneyGeek’s methodology used average insurance premiums for a 40-year-old male driver in winston-Salem with a full coverage insurance policy.
In addition to liability insurance, full coverage policies have two additional coverages, which makes them expensive. These are:
- Collision Coverage: Pays for losses incurred as a result of a collision with another vehicle.
- Comprehensive Coverage: Pays for damages that are not due to an accident. These may be weather-related events, falling objects, theft or fire.
Liability-only or state minimum insurance may be ideal if you’re a driver with an older car in Winston-Salem, especially if a full coverage car insurance policy is more expensive than your car's replacement value.
Compare Car Insurance Rates in Winston-Salem
Ensure you're getting the best rate for your car insurance. Compare quotes from the top insurance companies.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Winston-Salem for Minimum Coverage
The cheapest insurance policy will usually only offer the basic coverage required by law. In Winston-Salem, the insurers that offer the cheapest minimum liability insurance on average are:
- Nationwide: $254 per year
- State Farm: $260 per year
Nationwide's average quote is $204 less than MetLife's most expensive average quote of $458 for a comparable policy.
Minimum insurance policies are less expensive due to their lower coverage levels. Without comprehensive and collision coverage, however, you risk being underinsured in the event of an accident. Consider the table below to evaluate the effect on insurance premiums by increasing liability limits.
Cheapest Minimum Liability Car Insurance in Winston-Salem
State Minimum
- CompanyState Minimumper year
- 1.$254
- 2.$260
- 3.$316
- 4.North Carolina Farm Bureau$325
- 5.$379
Drivers in North Carolina are required to carry a minimum of 30/60/25 liability insurance. While this is the cheapest insurance option in Winston-Salem, it also provides the least amount of protection. If you are found to be at fault in an accident, your financial burden can be exorbitant.
For instance, if the other driver incurs $40,000 in medical bills in an accident where you’re deemed at fault, your liability-only insurance policy will pay $30,000, leaving you responsible for the remainder.
North Carolina Minimum Liability Requirements
- ItemDescription
- Bodily Injury and Property Damage$30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage. A more protective level is 100/300/100.
- Uninsured Motorist$30,000 per person, $60,000 per incident and $25,000 for property damage. The minimum coverage may not be enough if you're in a serious accident.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Winston-Salem if You Have Driving Violations
Your annual car insurance premiums may rise if you get a traffic ticket in Winston-Salem, whether for speeding, DUI or an at-fault accident. The following are the cheapest average costs in the city for the most common traffic violations:
- Cheapest after a ticket: State Farm, $734 per year
- Cheapest after an at-fault accident: State Farm, $734 per year
- Cheapest after a DUI: State Farm, $1,911 per year
By improving your driving history over time, you can negate your bad driving record and lower your insurance rates regardless of the traffic offense. While you’re doing that, it’s probably smart to compare rates from multiple insurers to see who offers the best rates for drivers with bad records.
Cheapest Car Insurance in Winston-Salem With a Violation
Speeding Ticket
- CompanySpeeding Ticketper year
- 1.$734
- 2.$764
- 3.North Carolina Farm Bureau$909
- 4.$918
- 5.$921
Average Cost of Car Insurance in Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem$718
NC$841
U.S.$1,424
On average, car insurance in Winston-Salem costs $718 per year, which is lower than the average annual cost of car insurance in both North Carolina and the United States. Policyholders in Winston-Salem pay about 14.7% less than the state average car insurance rates and 49.6% less than the national average.
Personalized Quotes to Get You the Cheapest Car Insurance in Winston-Salem
Getting a personalized car insurance quote in Winston-Salem is highly recommended, as different factors are associated with varying levels of risk. Some of these factors include your age, driving record, coverage level, credit score and make and model of your vehicle, in addition to your location. For instance, a car insurance policy from Erie costs an average of $1,286 for an 18-year-old male driver living in Winston-Salem — this is more than twice as costly as similar coverage from the same company for a 40-year-old male driver in the city.
To check if you qualify for company-specific promotions or discounts, you need to regularly compare quotes from at least three car insurance companies in Winston-Salem.
Compare Car Insurance Rates in Winston-Salem
Ensure you're getting the best rate for your car insurance. Compare quotes from the top insurance companies.
The Best Car Insurance Companies in Winston-Salem
MoneyGeek rated the best car insurance companies in Winston-Salem across various factors. These include average costs, user satisfaction scores and claims ratings.
Based on our analysis, the top auto insurance companies in the city include:
- State Farm: MoneyGeek score of 95 out of 100
- Nationwide: MoneyGeek score of 87 out of 100
Insurers in Winston-Salem with the lowest overall MoneyGeek score included Allstate and Metlife. Allstate had a score of 28 out of 100, while Metlife earned 39 points.
1
State Farm
Score:95
State Farm scored the highest MoneyGeek score in Winston-Salem and the highest affordability rating. The insurer also tied first on satisfaction and offers rideshare insurance to customers. Policies cost around $499 per year.
More About State Farm
State Farm offers three additional coverage options to its customers in Winston-Salem. These include rideshare insurance, rental car and/or travel reimbursement coverage and roadside assistance.
Rideshare insurance ensures your personal policy covers medical expenses, emergency roadside assistance and rental car costs if you work for a ridesharing company. There is also a separate roadside assistance coverage that caters to some of the costs associated with repairing or towing your car after damage.
State Farm’s rental car and/or travel reimbursement coverage protects you from costs associated with car rentals and transportation up to a certain limit if you are in an at-fault accident.
Read MoneyGeek's State Farm auto Insurance Review2
Nationwide
Score:87
Nationwide policies cost an average of $530 per year, making it the second-best car insurance company in Winston-Salem. Nationwide scored well in satisfaction, claims and affordability, and it offers identity theft coverage to policyholders.
More About Nationwide
Nationwide’s identity theft coverage pays the cost of identity theft or fraud up to $25,000 for you and members of your household in Winston-Salem. The company also offers gap insurance which covers the cost difference between the actual value of your car and your loan or lease amount.
Policyholders can also receive a deductible modification coverage that reduces your comprehensive and collision deductible for each year that you remain accident-free to a maximum of $500.
If your car is totally damaged after an accident, a total loss deductible waiver from the insurer will cover the deductible for your full coverage car insurance.
Read MoneyGeek's Nationwide auto Insurance Review3
Erie
Score:83
4
North Carolina Farm Bureau
Score:81
5
GEICO
Score:69
6
Travelers
Score:59
7
Progressive
Score:51
8
MetLife
Score:39
9
Allstate
Score:25
Average Cost of Car Insurance by Postal Code
The number of car-related incidents varies depending on where you live, so your ZIP code can often make a major impact on your premium cost. However, that’s not really the case in Winston-Salem. Compared to policyholders living in ZIP code 27105, policyholders living in ZIP code 27107 pay an average of $41 more for auto coverage.
- Zip CodeState Minimumper year
- 27105$703
- 27106$707
- 27107$744
Factors That Impact Insurance Costs in Winston-Salem
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 Winston-Salem. How Winston-Salem ranks compared to the 300 most populous cities in the United States can have a significant impact on premium costs.
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