Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in Charleston, SC (2024 Rates)


Enter your ZIP code to get started

Shield

Free. Simple. Secure.

Several factors can affect your rates, making the cheapest company different for everyone. American National is the cheapest option for full coverage policies, drivers with violations on their records, military drivers, young adults, seniors and those with poor credit. Auto-Owners Insurance is the most affordable option for teens, while American Family is the cheapest for drivers with sports cars.

MoneyGeek also found the best car insurance in Charleston for drivers looking for quality service.

MoneyGeek Logo IconCheapestCar InsuranceCharleston
2024

Cheapest Car Insurance in Charleston, SC

Why Trust MoneyGeek? We analyzed car insurance rates in Charleston based on data and information gathered from the South Carolina Department of Insurance and Quadrant Information Services. Learn More.

30,900Quotes Analyzed
 
14Companies Compared

Cheapest Minimum Coverage Car Insurance in Charleston

The cheapest car insurance companies for a minimum coverage policy in Charleston are:

  • American National: $294 per year
  • American Family: $429 per year

The most expensive company for a minimum coverage policy is Dairyland, with an average premium of $3,051 per year. American National also offers the cheapest car insurance in South Carolina, with an average rate of $280 per year — only slightly more affordable than its rate in Charleston.

Compare Auto Insurance Rates

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

Data filtered by:Results filtered by:
Age Group:
Age Group:30-59
Coverage:
Coverage:Minimum Coverage
American National P&C$294$25
American Family$429$36
Auto-Owners Insurance Co$472$39
State Farm$629$52
South Carolina Farm Bureau$665$55
GEICO$684$57
Allstate$706$59
Progressive$870$73
Travelers$899$75
Bristol West$1,756$146
Dairyland$3,051$254

Minimum coverage policies in South Carolina include the following liability and uninsured motorist coverage limits in adherence with state law:

  • $25,000 bodily injury liability per person
  • $50,000 bodily injury liability per accident
  • $25,000 property damage liability per accident
  • $25,000 uninsured motorist coverage per person
  • $50,000 uninsured motorist coverage per accident
  • $25,000 uninsured motorist property damage coverage

Liability insurance only covers expenses related to the other driver, passengers and vehicle in an at-fault accident. If you cause an accident and have a minimum coverage policy, your insurance will pay up to $25,000 in medical expenses per victim, for a maximum of $50,000 per accident. If there are two victims who each incur $30,000 in medical costs, you would be responsible for covering the remaining $10,000.

Cheapest Full Coverage Car Insurance in Charleston

The cheapest car insurance companies for a full coverage policy in Charleston are:

  • American National: $523 per year
  • American Family: $877 per year

The most expensive company for a full coverage policy is Dairyland, with an average premium of $5,328 per year. American National also offers the cheapest full coverage car insurance in South Carolina. Its average premium is $501 per year, which, once again, is only slightly lower than its average rate in Charleston rates.

Data filtered by:Results filtered by:
Age Group:
Age Group:30-59
Coverage:
Coverage:Full Coverage
American National P&C$523$44
American Family$877$73
Auto-Owners Insurance Co$928$77
State Farm$1,187$99
South Carolina Farm Bureau$1,195$100
GEICO$1,273$106
Allstate$1,305$109
Travelers$1,504$125
Progressive$1,678$140
Bristol West$3,067$256
Dairyland$5,328$444

Comprehensive and collision insurance are included in addition to liability insurance in a full coverage policy.

  • Collision insurance: Protects you and your vehicle if you cause a collision with another car or object.
  • Comprehensive insurance: Protects against damage that is unrelated to collisions, like theft or vandalism.

Although full coverage policies offer more protection, they cost hundreds of dollars more per year, so they might not make sense for older, low-value vehicles.

Cheapest Car Insurance in Charleston After a Driving Offense

The cheapest car insurance companies after driving violations in Charleston are:

  • Speeding ticket: American National ($662 per year)
  • At-fault accident: American National ($662 per year)
  • DUI: American National ($741 per year)

Dairyland is the most expensive option for drivers with a speeding ticket ($8,154 per year), an at-fault accident ($8,921 per year) and a DUI ($7,179 per year). A driving violation can significantly impact your car insurance premiums — even if you purchase a policy from the cheapest company, it will generally still be much more expensive than coverage for safe driving records.

Data filtered by:Results filtered by:
Age Group:
Age Group:30-59
Coverage:
Coverage:Full Coverage
Incident:
Incident:Speeding
American National P&C$662$55
Auto-Owners Insurance Co$1,024$85
American Family$1,178$98
GEICO$1,273$106
State Farm$1,309$109
South Carolina Farm Bureau$1,322$110
Allstate$1,733$144
Travelers$1,953$163
Progressive$2,207$184
Bristol West$4,083$340
Dairyland$8,154$679

The cost of car insurance tends to increase in relation to the severity of the violation. For instance, car insurance costs an average of $574 more after a DUI in Charleston but only $417 more after a speeding ticket. This isn't always the case, though, so consider comparing rates to find the cheapest car insurance for drivers with bad driving records.

Cheapest Car Insurance in Charleston for Teens and Their Families

The cheapest car insurance companies for teens on a family policy in Charleston are:

  • Auto-Owners Insurance: $2,418 per year for female teens; $2,922 per year for male teens
  • State Farm: $2,935 per year for female teens; $3,690 per year for male teens

The most expensive company for teens is Bristol West, which costs $7,558 per year for female teens and $7,356 per year for male teens. Rates for male teens tend to be more expensive because they’re seen as riskier to insure. For example, Auto-Owners Insurance charges $504 more for male teens than female teens. However, this price differential drops off in early adulthood.

Data filtered by:Results filtered by:
Age:
Age:16
Gender:
Gender:Female
Auto-Owners Insurance Co$2,418$7,996
State Farm$2,935$5,913
Travelers$2,941$8,856
Allstate$3,236$6,430
Progressive$4,040$17,870
GEICO$4,105$9,218
Bristol West$7,558$17,145

Car insurance is more expensive for teens if they purchase an individual policy. In Charleston, an individual policy costs an average of $6,026 annually, but adding a teen to a family policy only costs $3,487 — a difference of $2,539 per year. You can find the best rates by shopping around for the cheapest car insurance for teenagers.

Cheapest Car Insurance in Charleston for Military Drivers

The cheapest car insurance companies for active or veteran military families in Charleston are:

  • American National: $523 per year
  • American Family: $877 per year

USAA is also a great option for drivers with a military background because of its military-focused services. The average cost of car insurance from USAA is $986 per year. If you’re looking for a minimum coverage policy, American National and American Family also offer the cheapest car insurance for military drivers in Charleston at $294 per year and $429 per year, respectively.

Data filtered by:Results filtered by:
Age Group:
Age Group:30-59
Coverage:
Coverage:Full Coverage
American National P&C$523$44
American Family$877$73
Auto-Owners Insurance Co$928$77
USAA$986$82
State Farm$1,187$99
South Carolina Farm Bureau$1,195$100
GEICO$1,273$106
Allstate$1,305$109
Travelers$1,504$125
Progressive$1,678$140
Bristol West$3,067$256
Dairyland$5,328$444

How to Compare Cheap Charleston Car Insurance Quotes Online

In Charleston, South Carolina, getting a car insurance quote online can take at least 15 minutes. You'll also have to input a lot of personal information.

MoneyGeek's car insurance calculator provides a faster way to get a rough estimate of your costs. You’ll only need to provide your age, vehicle type, amount of coverage and driving history.

Car Insurance Calculator

MoneyGeek's car insurance calculator will give you a customized estimate of your auto insurance cost. It's free to use, requires no personal information and we won't send you any spam.

High
Average
Low

Rates updated:

Dec 05, 2024

Shield Insurance
Why You Can Trust MoneyGeek

Although MoneyGeek partners with some of the companies we recommend, our content is written and reviewed by an independent team of writers, editors and licensed agents. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.

Cheapest Car Insurance in Charleston for Young Adults

The cheapest car insurance companies for young adults with a full coverage policy in Charleston are:

  • American National: $624 per year
  • Auto-Owners Insurance Co: $1,205 per year

Dairyland is the most expensive company at $6,175 per year. Young adults typically pay higher rates than older drivers since they have less experience on the road. In Charleston, 25-year-old drivers pay an average of $1,922 per year, while 40-year-old drivers only pay around $1,552 per year.

Data filtered by:Results filtered by:
Age Group:
Age Group:22-29
Coverage:
Coverage:Full Coverage
American National P&C$624$52
Auto-Owners Insurance Co$1,205$100
American Family$1,273$106
State Farm$1,419$118
Allstate$1,463$122
South Carolina Farm Bureau$1,524$127
GEICO$1,673$139
Travelers$1,682$140
Progressive$2,038$170
Bristol West$4,067$339
Dairyland$6,175$515

Cheapest Car Insurance in Charleston for Seniors

The cheapest car insurance companies for seniors with a full coverage policy in Charleston are:

  • American National: $549 per year
  • Auto-Owners Insurance Co: $934 per year

The most expensive company for seniors is Dairyland, which costs $4,750 per year for a full coverage policy. Car insurance tends to be more expensive after a driver turns 65 since driving becomes riskier as you age. However, this isn't the case in Charleston, where car insurance for seniors costs an average of $1,460 per year, while the rate for middle-aged drivers is $1,552 per year.

Data filtered by:Results filtered by:
Age Group:
Age Group:60 +
Coverage:
Coverage:Full Coverage
American National P&C$549$46
Auto-Owners Insurance Co$934$78
American Family$1,056$88
South Carolina Farm Bureau$1,067$89
State Farm$1,108$92
GEICO$1,223$102
Allstate$1,400$117
Travelers$1,506$126
Progressive$1,515$126
Bristol West$2,925$244
Dairyland$4,750$396

Cheapest Car Insurance in Charleston for Poor Credit

The cheapest car insurance companies for drivers with poor credit and a full coverage policy in Charleston are:

  • American National: $1,764 per year
  • South Carolina Farm Bureau: $2,188 per year

Dairyland is the most expensive company if you have poor credit — it costs $7,053 per year for a full coverage policy. Car insurance in Charleston is $1,165 more expensive for drivers with bad credit than for those with good credit, representing an increase in cost of 75%.

Data filtered by:Results filtered by:
Age Group:
Age Group:30-59
Coverage:
Coverage:Full Coverage
American National P&C$1,764$147
South Carolina Farm Bureau$2,188$182
Allstate$2,197$183
State Farm$2,284$190
American Family$2,462$205
Travelers$2,487$207
Auto-Owners Insurance Co$2,649$221
Progressive$2,795$233
GEICO$2,801$233
Bristol West$3,863$322
Dairyland$7,053$588

Car insurance companies believe that drivers with poor credit are more likely to submit claims, so they charge them higher rates. If you have bad credit, you can work to improve your credit score over time to obtain lower rates. In the meantime, you can also save money by looking for common discounts like policy bundling and comparing insurance quotes to find the lowest rates.

Cheapest Car Insurance in Charleston for Sports Cars

The cheapest car insurance companies for drivers with sports cars and a full coverage policy in Charleston are:

  • American Family: $910 per year
  • Auto-Owners Insurance Co: $932 per year

Dairyland is the most expensive company, with an average premium of $5,085 per year. On average, the rate for a sports car in Charleston is $390 more expensive than the rate for a standard car. You can find the cheapest car insurance for sports cars by comparing rates from various insurers.

Data filtered by:Results filtered by:
Age Group:
Age Group:30-59
Coverage:
Coverage:Full Coverage
American Family$910$76
Auto-Owners Insurance Co$932$78
Travelers$1,334$111
GEICO$1,343$112
State Farm$1,365$114
Allstate$1,497$125
Progressive$1,851$154
Bristol West$3,171$264
Dairyland$5,085$424

MoneyGeek's data on sports cars was based on rates for a Ford Mustang, but rates will vary depending on the make and model of your vehicle. In general, luxury, electric and sports cars are the most expensive cars to insure.

Average Cost of Car Insurance in Charleston

Car insurance in Charleston costs $1,314 per year on average. This rate is based on a full coverage policy with $100,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $300,000 in bodily injury liability per accident and $100,000 in property damage liability per accident.

Location is one of several variables that can impact the cost of auto insurance. The average rate in Charleston is $69 more expensive than the cost of car insurance in South Carolina, but it’s slightly cheaper than the average cost of car insurance in the U.S. As of October 2022, rates in Charleston are comparable to those in nearby cities, including North Charleston ($1,382) and Columbia ($1,236).

Columbia$1,465$801
Charleston$1,552$861
North Charleston$1,658$894

About Mark Fitzpatrick


Mark Fitzpatrick headshot

Mark Fitzpatrick is a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer and MoneyGeek's Head of Insurance. He has analyzed the insurance market for over five years, conducting original research and creating personalized content for every kind of buyer. He has been quoted in several insurance-related publications, including CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.

Fitzpatrick 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 knowledge of economics and insurance to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.