Cheapest Car Insurance Companies in Charleston, SC (2023 Rates)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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%.

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.

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.

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.

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).