Find affordable car insurance with bad credit by comparing rates.
Find affordable car insurance with bad credit by comparing rates.
Jermaine J.
It can be tough to find affordable auto insurance if you have bad credit. Auto insurance companies use credit score as a major rating factor, setting policy prices based partially on clients' credit scores. Because auto insurance companies rely on data showing clients with poor credit are more likely to file car insurance claims, the companies compensate for that added risk by charging more expensive rates.
Car insurance rates with bad credit depends on which company you choose, where you live, and a few other rating factors. See below average insurance prices for drivers with bad credit in primary Maryland cities, alongside rates from popular auto insurance companies, plus a few tips on how to save on auto insurance with bad credit in Maryland.
Maryland drivers pay an average penalty of $1,262 each year for having a "worst"-tier credit score. A driver in the "poor" or "below fair to poor" credit tiers will also face a penalty.
| Credit Tier | Average Annual Rate in Maryland |
| Worst | $2,502 |
| Poor | $2,338 |
| Below Fair to Poor | $2,195 |
| Average — All Credit Tiers | $1,240 |
Your car insurance costs also depend on the precise area in which you live. Car insurance companies use your ZIP code to estimate how likely you are to file a claim: the denser and claim-prone your immediate area is, the more you'll pay for insurance.
Listed below are major Maryland cities and their average car insurance rates for drivers with bad credit.
| City | Average Annual Rate — Worst Credit | Average Annual Rate — Poor Credit | Average Annual Rate — Below Fair to Poor Credit |
| Baltimore | $3,672 | $3,427 | $3,221 |
| Columbia | $2,537 | $2,373 | $2,229 |
| Germantown | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Silver Spring | $2,761 | $2,579 | $2,420 |
| Waldorf | $2,773 | $2,593 | $2,437 |
Another factor contributing to how much you pay for auto insurance is the company you choose. Every auto insurance company prices its policies in a different manner, giving rating factors varying weights in their pricing calculations. Credit can be a major differentiator in price from one insurance company to the next. In Maryland, the cheapest insurance company with bad credit is GEICO, which offers a premium cut of $217 yearly in comparison to the second-cheapest company, Erie.
See below rates from leading car insurance companies in Maryland for drivers with bad credit.
| Company | Average Annual Rate — Worst Credit |
| GEICO | $1,709 |
| Erie | $1,926 |
| USAA | $2,679 |
| Nationwide | $2,743 |
| Progressive | $2,906 |
If you're dealing with the difficulty of buying auto insurance with bad credit, consider these tips:
