Columbia, SC Car Insurance
Compare Progressive, Allstate, GEICO and Nationwide (+ other top companies) to find the best and cheapest car insurance in Columbia.
How much does car insurance cost in Columbia?
Car insurance costs an average of $719 per six-months in Columbia, South Carolina. That's more expensive than the average in South Carolina ($707) and less expensive tthan the national average of $880. Keep reading to learn more about how much you can expect to pay based on age, credit score, and other factors in Columbia. Read on to learn more!
| Car insurance in Columbia vs. South Carolina | Average 6 Mo. Premium |
|---|---|
| Columbia average | $719 |
| South Carolina average | $707 |
The Zebra's key takeaways about car insurance in Columbia:
- The average cost of a car insurance policy in Columbia is $719 per six-month policy — $119 per month.
- The cheapest company in Columbia is USAA ($551).
- 36% of Zebra customers in Columbia stated they used our product because they were paying too much for car insurance with their current provider.
Are you paying too much for auto insurance?
Columbia car insurance rates by company
The difference in auto insurance rates from company to company can be substantial. For a typical driver, USAA offers Columbia's most affordable premiums. Reference below the top options for affordable insurance in Columbia, South Carolina. Don't forget to get car insurance quotes based on your unique driving profile.
| Company | Avg. 6 Mo. Premium |
|---|---|
| USAA | $551 |
| GEICO | $602 |
| State Farm | $658 |
| Travelers | $689 |
| Allstate | $784 |
Auto insurance data methodology
The auto insurance rates published in this guide are based on the results of The Zebra's State of Insurance car insurance pricing analysis. This analysis of more than 83 million insurance rates spans every U.S. ZIP code, using a sample user profile: a 30-year-old single male driver with a Honda Accord, good credit and full coverage at these levels:
- $50,000 per person/$100,000 per incident for bodily injury liability
- $50,000 per incident for property damage liability
- $500 deductibles for collision and comprehensive coverage
To generate pricing for particular rating factors, we adjusted the driving profile based on common pricing factors used by major car insurance companies. These factors include credit score, coverage level, driving record and others.
In some instances, average rates from Liberty Mutual were derived from internally sourced sales data.
Shop around for the best rates
The only way to know which company is the cheapest coverage for you is to compare. Our comparison will do the leg work for you. Enter your ZIP code to see rates from Progressive, State Farm, GEICO and USAA (+ other top companies) to find the best and cheapest car insurance in Columbia.
Columbia auto insurance rates by age
Our data tells us that drivers between the ages of 20-29 make up 36% of Columbia drivers. The age group that pays the least for car insurance in Columbia are drivers in their 50s ($641 per six-months). Those in their 60s don't pay significantly more ($660).
Teen drivers pay Columbia's most expensive auto insurance rates. One of the most effective ways to lower your car insurance rates as a driver in Columbia is to age out of your teens. The gap in cost between the car insurance premiums paid by teenage drivers and drivers in their 20s in Columbia is $3,041. That's the biggest gap in premiums between any pair of age brackets.
| Age bracket | Avg. 6 Mo. Premium |
|---|---|
| Teenagers | $2,472 |
| 20s | $951 |
| 30s | $705 |
| 40s | $677 |
| 50s | $641 |
| 60s | $660 |
| 70s | $799 |
Columbia car insurance rates by credit score
In many cases, a driver's credit level is closely correlated with their auto insurance rates. Columbia drivers who improve their credit score from "Very Poor" (300-579) to "Exceptional" (800-850) can save as much as 58% on their car insurance premiums. If you move from the "Very Poor" credit tier to the "Fair" credit tier, you could be in line for an auto insurance price adjustment. In Columbia, moving into the "Fair" credit tier corresponds to an average of $597 in savings on insurance each six-months.  Our data tells us 40% of drivers in Columbia have a credit score of average (580-679).Â
| Credit Tier | Avg. 6 Mo. Premium |
|---|---|
| Very Poor | $1,450 |
| Fair | $852 |
| Good | $719 |
| Very Good | $663 |
| Exceptional | $603 |
Columbia car insurance costs by violation
Maintaining a clean driving record is one of the best ways to keep your car insurance costs low. Speeding citations, reckless driving charges, DUIs and DWIs, and at-fault accidents all tend to bring about rate increases.
Columbia drivers found guilty of reckless driving pay the price when it comes to auto insurance, facing a rate increase of $527 per year versus the city average. A ticket for speeding results in a $286 rate hike, on average, while a DUI violation costs $579per year in insurance premiums.
| Incident | Avg. 6 Mo. Premium |
|---|---|
| DWI/DUI | $1,008 |
| Reckless Driving | $982 |
| At-fault Accident (damages less than $1,000) | $979 |
| At-fault Accident (damages > $2,000) | $1,034 |
| Speeding Ticket (16-20 mph over speed limit) | $862 |
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About The Zebra
The Zebra is not an insurance company. We publish data-backed, expert-reviewed resources to help consumers make more informed insurance decisions.
- The Zebra’s insurance content is written and reviewed for accuracy by licensed insurance agents.
- The Zebra’s insurance editorial content is not subject to review or alteration by insurance companies or partners.
- The Zebra’s editorial team operates independently of the company’s partnerships and commercialization interests, publishing unbiased information for consumer benefit.
- The auto insurance rates published on The Zebra’s pages are based on a comprehensive analysis of car insurance pricing data, evaluating more than 83 million insurance rates from across the United States.