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 cheap auto insurance if you have bad credit. Auto insurance companies use credit tier as a major rating factor, setting policy prices based partially on clients' credit scores. Since auto insurance companies rely on data that show drivers with bad credit are more likely to file auto insurance claims, the companies account for for that extra risk by charging more expensive rates.
Your car insurance costs with bad credit depends on where you live, which insurance company you use, and a variety of other factors. See on this page typical insurance prices for drivers with bad credit in major West Virginia cities and rates from large car insurance companies, followed by tips on how to save on car insurance if you have bad credit in West Virginia.
Drivers in West Virginia pay an average penalty of $1,193 per year for having a credit score at the low end of the scale. Drivers in the "poor" or "below fair to poor" credit tiers will also face higher-than-average rates.
| Credit Tier | Average Annual Rate in West Virginia |
| Worst | $2,571 |
| Poor | $2,331 |
| Below Fair to Poor | $2,125 |
| Average — All Credit Tiers | $1,378 |
Car insurance rates will also vary depending on the specific area where you park your car. Insurers look at your address to better understand your likelihood of filing a claim: the more claim-prone your area,, the more you'll pay.
Listed below are major West Virginia 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 |
| Charleston | $2,463 | $2,234 | $2,039 |
| Huntington | $2,495 | $2,261 | $2,061 |
| Parkersburg | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Morgantown | $2,283 | $2,071 | $1,891 |
| Wheeling | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Another factor that contributes to car insurance rates is the company you buy from. Every auto insurance company prices its policies in a different manner, giving rating factors varying weights in their calculations. Credit is often a significant pricing differentiator between otherwise-similar insurance companies. In West Virginia, the cheapest insurance company for drivers with bad credit is Nationwide, which offers a premium cut of $10 per year in comparison to the second-cheapest company, Westfield.
See rates from leading auto insurance companies in West Virginia for drivers with bad credit.
| Company | Average Annual Rate — Worst Credit Tier |
| Nationwide | $1,756 |
| Westfield | $1,765 |
| State Farm | $2,538 |
| GEICO | $2,711 |
| Erie | $3,019 |
If you’re facing the prospect of buying auto insurance with bad credit, keep these tips in mind:
