Learn more about how to find affordable insurance in South Bend.
Auto insurance costs an average of $1,124 per year in South Bend. That's cheaper than the average in Indiana ($1,165) and less expensive than the national average of $1,548. Our guide to South Bend car insurance includes average rates based on age, credit score, driving history, and marital status. Keep reading to learn more!
| South Bend Average (annual) | Indiana Average | U.S. Average |
| $1,124 | $1,165 | $1,548 |
One of the best ways to save on auto insurance is to compare rates from multiple companies and to choose the insurer that best fits your coverage needs. In South Bend, Erie offers the cheapest rates for the average insurance customer. We've gathered the best cheap car insurance companies in South Bend below. You should only use this list as a starting point: it's important to compare quotes specific to your unique driving profile.
| Insurance Company | Average Annual Rate |
| Erie | $722 |
| State Farm | $935 |
| AAA | $991 |
| Indiana Farm Bureau | $1,112 |
| Progressive | $1,132 |
Consult our expert guide to finding the best cheap car insurance.
South Bend drivers in their 50s pay relatively affordable car insurance rates just $967 each year, on average. Drivers in their 60s pay marginally higher rates — $1,005 per year.
The South Bend drivers who face the priciest insurance rates are teenagers. When drivers hit their 20s in South Bend and move out of the teenage age bracket, they reduce their premiums substantially. The gap in cost between the car insurance premiums paid by teenage drivers and drivers in their 20s in South Bend is $2,356. That's the biggest gap in premiums between any pair of age brackets.
| Age bracket | Average Yearly Rate |
| Teens | $3,931 |
| 20s | $1,574 |
| 30s | $1,098 |
| 40s | $1,032 |
| 50s | $967 |
| 60s | $1,005 |
| 70s | $1,243 |
Learn more about the impact of age on car insurance premiums.
Marital status and gender are contributing factors to car insurance rates in many cases. Married drivers usually pay less for car insurance than their single counterparts. In South Bend, married motorists pay $54 less than single drivers for auto insurance. Rates for those who are widowed are also much cheaper than rates for those who are single. Interestingly enough, in South Bend, widowed drivers pay less than those who are single.
Gender is another factor that can affect auto insurance rates. In South Bend, the gap in car insurance costs between genders is $27 per year, with male drivers paying more than female drivers.
| Gender/Marital Status | Average Annual Rate |
| Female | $1,097 |
| Male | $1,124 |
| Single | $1,070 |
| Married | $1,070 |
| Divorced | $1,124 |
| Widowed | $1,123 |
Learn more about how gender and marital status have on insurance rates.
If you want to keep your car insurance costs reasonable, keep your driving record clean. Speeding tickets, reckless driving citations, DUIs and DWIs, and at-fault accidents all can trigger insurance rate hikes.
South Bend drivers found guilty of reckless driving pay the price when it comes to auto insurance, facing a rate increase of $534 per year versus the city average. A ticket for speeding results in a $313 rate hike, on average, while a DUI violation costs $474 per year in insurance premiums.
| Incident | Average Annual Rate |
| DUI/DWI | $1,598 |
| Reckless Driving | $1,658 |
| At-fault Accident (damages less than $1,000) | $1,501 |
| At-fault Accident (damages greater than $2,000) | $1,608 |
| Speeding Ticket (16-20 mph over speed limit) | $1,437 |
Learn more about the impact of driving violations on car insurance rates.
An important insurance rating factor is credit. Drivers with checkered credit histories typically face higher car insurance rates than do drivers with good credit. In fact, South Bend drivers who improve their credit score from the "Very Poor" tier (300-579) to the "Exceptional" tier (800-850) earn, on average, a 60% decrease in their auto insurance costs. Moving from "Very Poor" to "Fair" credit is a meaningful step toward saving money on auto insurance. In South Bend, improving your credit to "Fair" could help you earn a $929 decrease in yearly insurance premiums.
| Credit Level | Average Rate (annual) |
| Very Poor | $2,305 |
| Fair | $1,375 |
| Good | $1,124 |
| Very Good | $1,021 |
| Exceptional | $927 |
Get additional information on how credit impacts car insurance costs.
