Find affordable car insurance with bad credit by comparing rates.
It can be hard to find cheap auto insurance if you have bad credit. Auto insurance companies use credit tier as a primary rating factor, setting prices based in part on drivers’ credit scores. Because car insurance companies use historical data showing drivers with bad credit have a greater likelihood of filing auto insurance claims, they account for for the extra risk by charging more expensive rates.
How much you pay for car insurance with bad credit depends on which company you choose, where you live, and many other rating factors. See below average car insurance prices for drivers with bad credit in primary Rhode Island cities, along with rates from top insurance companies, plus a few tips on saving on auto insurance if you have bad credit in Rhode Island.
Drivers in Rhode Island pay an average penalty of $1,801 per year for having a credit score at the low end of the scale. A driver in the "poor" or "below fair to poor" credit tiers will also pay higher-than-average rates.
| Credit Tier | Average Annual Rate in Rhode Island |
| Worst | $3,805 |
| Poor | $3,482 |
| Below Fair to Poor | $3,152 |
| Average — All Credit Tiers | $2,004 |
Auto insurance rates will also vary depending on the precise area in which you live. Insurance companies rely on your address to better understand your likelihood of filing a claim: the denser your area,, the more you'll pay for insurance.
See below major Rhode Island cities and their mean car insurance rates for drivers with poor credit ratings.
| City | Average Annual Rate — Worst Credit | Average Annual Rate — Poor Credit | Average Annual Rate — Below Fair to Poor Credit |
| Providence | $5,137 | $4,700 | $4,263 |
| Warwick | $3,923 | $3,590 | $3,251 |
| Cranston | $4,698 | $4,301 | $3,901 |
| Pawtucket | $4,451 | $4,075 | $3,696 |
| East Providence | $4,205 | $3,843 | $3,486 |
Another factor that contributes to how much you pay for car insurance is the company you buy from. Each car insurance company prices policies differently, giving rating factors varying weights in their pricing calculations. Credit history can be a primary differentiator in price between otherwise-similar insurance companies. In Rhode Island, the cheapest insurance company for a driver with bad credit is Nationwide, which offers a price break of $93 yearly compared to the second-most affordable company, USAA.
See prices from major auto insurance companies in Rhode Island for drivers with bad credit.
| Company | Average Annual Rate — Worst Credit |
| Nationwide | $2,966 |
| USAA | $3,058 |
| Amica | $3,182 |
| GEICO | $3,247 |
| Progressive | $4,401 |
If you're dealing with the difficulty of buying auto insurance with a bad credit history, consider these tips: