The typical auto insurance policy costs $126 per month in Santa Maria. Are you paying too much?
Auto insurance costs an average of $1,515 per year in Santa Maria. That's cheaper than the statewide average in California ($1,868) and cheaper than the national average of $1,548. Our guide to Santa Maria car insurance includes average rates based on age, credit score, driving history, and marital status.
| Santa Maria Average (annual) | California Average | National Average |
| $1,515 | $1,868 | $1,548 |
One of the most important determinants of your car insurance rates is the insurance company you work with. For a typical driver, GEICO offers Santa Maria's most affordable premiums. See below the best options for affordable auto insurance in Santa Maria. Don't forget to get car insurance quotes based on your driving profile.
Read our guide to find the best cheap auto insurance.
Santa Maria drivers in their 60s pay relatively affordable car insurance rates just $1,350 each year, on average. Those in their 50s don't pay significantly more ($1,360).
Teenage drivers pay Santa Maria's most expensive auto insurance rates. One of the most effective ways to get cheaper car insurance rates as a driver in Santa Maria is to celebrate your 20th birthday. The gap in cost between the car insurance premiums paid by teenage drivers and drivers in their 20s in Santa Maria is $3,176. That's the biggest gap in premiums between any pair of age brackets.
| Age tier | Average Yearly Rate |
| Teenagers | $5,376 |
| 20s | $2,200 |
| 30s | $1,476 |
| 40s | $1,424 |
| 50s | $1,360 |
| 60s | $1,350 |
| 70s | $1,553 |
Learn more about the impact of age on auto insurance rates.
Marital status and gender can be contributors to car insurance rates, in some cases. In most places, single drivers pay more than married drivers based on data that says they're more likely to file claims. Married drivers in Santa Maria pay $63 less than single drivers for auto insurance.
Gender is another factor that can affect car insurance rates. In Santa Maria, female drivers pay more for auto insurance than do male drivers: $1 per year, to be precise.
| Marital Status/Gender | Average Annual Rate |
| Female | $1,516 |
| Male | $1,515 |
| Single | $1,453 |
| Married | $1,453 |
| Divorced | $1,515 |
| Widowed | $1,472 |
Learn more about the effect gender and marital status have on insurance rates.
No matter where you live, steering clear of accidents and citations is the best way to keep your auto insurance rates low. At-fault accidents, DUIs, reckless driving citations, and speeding tickets all contribute to expensive auto insurance rates, as insurance companies reward low-risk drivers with the gift of affordable rates.
Two of the most expensive driving violations from an insurance perspective are reckless driving and DUI. In Santa Maria, a reckless driving citation results in an average insurance rate increase of $2,660 per year, compared to the citywide average. For comparison's sake, a DUI offense results in a $2,600 increase and a speeding ticket triggers a $606 rate hike.
| Incident | Average Annual Rate |
| DUI/DWI | $4,114 |
| Reckless Driving | $4,174 |
| At-fault Accident (damages less than $1,000) | $1,520 |
| At-fault Accident (damages greater than $2,000) | $2,605 |
| Speeding Ticket (16-20 mph over speed limit) | $2,121 |
Learn more about the impact of driving violations on car insurance rates.
