Best car insurance companies in South Carolina: Auto-Owners

Auto-Owners is the best car insurance company in South Carolina, based on an analysis by Insurance.com, with an overall rating of 3.99. Travelers, State Farm, Progressive, and Geico are among the top car insurance companies in South Carolina.

Below is a full list of the top South Carolina insurance companies based on price, NAIC complaint ratio, and AM Best financial ratings. The total Insurance.com score is calculated out of five using these factors.

Best car insurance in South Carolina
Company AM BestAvg. Annual PremiumJ.D. PowerNAICInsurance.com score
Auto-OwnersA++$1,4758590.53.99
TravelersA++$1,9498510.493.36
State FarmA++$2,1068070.73.23
ProgressiveA+$1,8168280.653.11
GeicoA++$2,0548470.913.05
AllstateA+$2,3368160.652.92

Cheapest car insurance companies in South Carolina: Auto-Owners

Based on a rate analysis by Insurance.com, Auto-Owners is the cheapest full coverage car insurance company in South Carolina, with average rates of $1,475 annually or $123 a month. USAA offers cheaper rates if you are eligible. Auto-Owners also offers cheaper liability car insurance in South Carolina at $566 per year, on average.

Don't just go with the first insurer you come across. Comparison shopping is the key when it comes to finding the best deal on auto insurance. Get quotes from several different insurers and compare their rates. You may be surprised at how much difference there can be in rates from one company to another.

We have gathered price quotes from all the major insurance providers in South Carolina and put together a list of the cheapest car insurance companies.

Cheapest car insurance in South Carolina
Company State minimum liability50/100/50 liability100/300/100 liability with $500 deductible
USAA*$444$611$1,451
Auto-Owners$415$566$1,475
Progressive$560$748$1,816
Travelers$712$984$1,949
Geico$512$779$2,054
State Farm$621$863$2,106
Southern Farm Bureau$686$915$2,202
Allstate$619$803$2,336
Sentry Insurance$1,999$2,516$3,681

*USAA offers car insurance only to military members, veterans and their families.

Average cost of car insurance in South Carolina

The average cost of car insurance in South Carolina is $2,009 a year for a full coverage policy with a coverage level of 100/300/100 for a driver age 40, according to a rate analysis by Insurance.com. For the state minimum coverage, the average annual cost in South Carolina is $720.

Auto insurance calculator

Average auto insurance rates in South Carolina
30
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Male
Male Female
29810 - Allendale
For a 30-year-old male
$67 State minimum
$212 Full coverage
$85 Liability only
View most and least expensive zip codes

Most & least expensive ZIP codes for auto insurance in South Carolina

Most Expensive

Zip CodeCityHighest Rate
29933Miley$218
29921Furman$215
29433Canadys$214
29913Crocketville$214

Least Expensive

Zip CodeCityLowest Rate
29665Newry$136
29672Seneca$137
29630Central$138
29691Walhalla$138

Cheapest car insurance cost in South Carolina by age

In South Carolina, car insurance rates are higher for teenagers as they are more prone to accidents.

Auto-Owners offers the cheapest car insurance for teen drivers in South Carolina at $3,967 per year for a full coverage policy.  

Car insurance rates will decrease as teens age and keep a good driving record. Car insurance rates for adults 25+ and seniors 60+ are lower than those for teens and young adults. 

In South Carolina, Auto-Owners offers the cheapest full coverage car insurance for adult drivers and senior drivers at $1,501 per year and $1,103 per year, respectively. USAA offers cheaper rates, but is only available to military families.

Cheapest car insurance in South Carolina by age
Age Company Avg annual premium 
Teens (16-19)Auto-Owners$3,967
Teens (16-19)Southern Farm Bureau$4,367
Teens (16-19)Geico$5,351
Teens (16-19)Travelers$5,577
Teens (16-19)State Farm$5,674
Teens (16-19)USAA*$5,903
Teens (16-19)Allstate$6,010
Teens (16-19)Progressive$8,846
Teens (16-19)Sentry Insurance$8,860
Young Adults (20-24)Auto-Owners$2,439
Young Adults (20-24)USAA*$2,553
Young Adults (20-24)Travelers$2,813
Young Adults (20-24)Progressive$2,989
Young Adults (20-24)Southern Farm Bureau$3,171
Young Adults (20-24)Geico$3,291
Young Adults (20-24)State Farm$3,351
Young Adults (20-24)Allstate$3,562
Young Adults (20-24)Sentry Insurance$5,577
Adults (25-60)USAA*$1,465
Adults (25-60)Auto-Owners$1,501
Adults (25-60)Progressive$1,814
Adults (25-60)Travelers$1,978
Adults (25-60)Geico$2,033
Adults (25-60)State Farm$2,113
Adults (25-60)Southern Farm Bureau$2,244
Adults (25-60)Allstate$2,295
Adults (25-60)Sentry Insurance$3,615
Seniors (65-75)USAA*$1,443
Seniors (65-75)Auto-Owners$1,545
Seniors (65-75)Progressive$1,787
Seniors (65-75)Travelers$1,983
Seniors (65-75)Southern Farm Bureau$1,999
Seniors (65-75)State Farm$2,023
Seniors (65-75)Geico$2,272
Seniors (65-75)Allstate$2,527
Seniors (65-75)Sentry Insurance$3,475

USAA offers car insurance only to military members, veterans and their families.

Cheapest car insurance companies in South Carolina by driver profile

Drivers who have accidents or tickets are considered a higher risk and will pay more for car insurance. In South Carolina, Nationwide offers the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers with an accident, at $1,905 per year. However, the severity and frequency of the incidents will also affect insurance rates.

Geico offers the cheapest car insurance in South Carolina for drivers with speeding tickets at an average of $1,432 per year.

Below are the average South Carolina insurance rates by company for drivers with accidents and tickets on their driving record. 

Cheapest auto insurance in South Carolina for drivers with tickets and accidents
CompanyClean recordAccident Speeding Ticket
Nationwide$1,152$1,905$1,675
Geico$1,285$2,017$1,432
USAA*$1,288$2,210$1,660
Auto-Owners$1,293$1,907$1,838
Travelers$1,405$1,969$1,957
State Farm$1,451$1,721$1,559
Progressive$1,651$2,923$2,151
Allstate$1,973$3,466$2,624
American Family$2,344$3,277$3,016
Farmers$4,271$6,454$5,808

*USAA offers car insurance only to military members, veterans and their families.

Compare auto insurance rates by city in South Carolina

Auto insurance rates in your city can differ significantly from the state average due to factors such as population density, increased instances of auto theft or accidents, and a few other factors. It's best to compare quotes from various insurance providers to find the most competitive rates for your specific city in South Carolina.

CityAnnual insurance premium
Anderson
$1,931
Eastover
$2,065

Insurance.com commissioned Quadrant Information Services in 2023 to field rates from major insurers in every state across most ZIP codes. Driver profile: male, age 40, driving a 2023 Honda Accord LX with full coverage of 100/300/100 with comprehensive and collision; $500 deductible.

The car insurance rates for drivers with accidents and tickets are averaged based on rates for the following accidents and tickets: 

Accidents: 

  • 1 at-fault property damage accident over $2k
  • 1 at-fault property damage accident under $2k
  • At-fault bodily injury accident 
  • Single vehicle accident 

Tickets: 

  • Distracted driving ticket
  • Speeding ticket 1- 10 MPH over limit 
  • Speeding ticket 11- 29 MPH over limit 
  • Talking on cellphone ticket 
  • Texting ticket 

Insurance.com analyzed rates from more than 34,000 ZIP codes, 56 million quotes, and 136 companies. Rates sourced from Quadrant Data Services are for comparison purposes only; your rates may differ. 

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