Deciding which companies quote the lowest-priced car insurance rates for state employees will take a little more effort in order to find the lowest price quote. Every car insurance company has their own unique process to set premium rates, so let’s take a look at the car insurance companies with the most affordable rates in San Diego.
We do need to point out that San Diego, CA car insurance rates are based on many factors that will increase or decrease the policy price. Getting older, filing a claim, or getting a ticket for careless driving can trigger changes in premium that can now make some companies cheaper than competitors.
Best Car Insurance Prices in California
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,121 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,157 |
| 3 | Nationwide | $1,213 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,222 |
| 5 | Century National | $1,226 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,379 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,433 |
| 8 | Progressive | $1,496 |
| 9 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 10 | Mercury | $1,533 |
| 11 | Allstate | $1,543 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,590 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,639 |
| 15 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,733 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,750 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,806 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,849 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,966 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | ||
USAA generally has some of the lowest car insurance rates in San Diego at around $1,121 each year. Wawanesa, Nationwide, CSAA, and Century National would also be considered some of the lowest-priced San Diego, CA car insurance companies.
As the rates illustrate above, if you are insured with Century National and switched to Wawanesa, you could see yearly savings of roughly $69. Insureds with 21st Century could save as much as $222 a year, and Grange policyholders might realize rate reductions of up to $276 a year.
Be aware that those policy prices are averaged for all drivers and vehicles and and are not figured with an exact zip code location for state employees. So the auto insurance company that has the cheapest price for you may not even be in the list above. That affirms the importance of why you need to quote rates from many companies using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
For state workers, one of the big components that determine insurance cost is the neighborhood you call home in San Diego. Areas with increased crime or more people will most likely have higher rates, whereas areas with lower vehicle theft rates and fewer weather claims benefit from having to pay less for coverage.
The table below ranks the most expensive cities in California for state employees to buy auto insurance in. San Diego comes in at #21 costing $1,381 for coverage, which is about $115 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glendale | $2,142 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
| 3 | Sacramento | $1,720 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,711 |
| 5 | Oakland | $1,687 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,644 |
| 7 | Long Beach | $1,626 |
| 8 | Santa Clarita | $1,595 |
| 9 | Fontana | $1,581 |
| 10 | Stockton | $1,556 |
| 11 | Garden Grove | $1,554 |
| 12 | Modesto | $1,547 |
| 13 | Riverside | $1,542 |
| 14 | Moreno Valley | $1,536 |
| 15 | Fresno | $1,517 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,483 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,474 |
| 18 | Fremont | $1,403 |
| 19 | Huntington Beach | $1,402 |
| 20 | Irvine | $1,384 |
| 21 | San Diego | $1,381 |
| 22 | San Jose | $1,381 |
| 23 | Bakersfield | $1,353 |
| 24 | Chula Vista | $1,311 |
| 25 | Oxnard | $1,304 |
| Find Cheaper Insurance Go | ||
Premium costs are approximated as specific location information can decrease or increase price quotes significantly.
Full coverage versus liability only rates
Finding cheaper car insurance is important to most drivers, and an easy way to lower the cost of insurance for state employees is to only buy liability coverage. The illustration below illustrates the comparison of auto insurance rates with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The premiums assume no claims or violations, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
Averaged for all ages 20 through 70, full coverage on your policy costs an extra $2,314 per year more than carrying just liability coverage. That is a large expense and it proposes the question if buying full coverage is a waste of money. There is no definitive formula of when to eliminate physical damage coverage, but there is a broad guideline. If the annual cost of coverage is more than around 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.
There are some situations where buying only liability insurance is not in your best interest. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you are required to maintain full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your finances do not allow you to purchase a different vehicle in the even your car is totaled, you should keep full coverage in place.
Poor driving habits will raise your car insurance rates
The easiest way to maintain the best car insurance premiums in California for state workers is to drive cautiously and avoid accidents and violations. The chart below illustrates how traffic citations and accidents can raise insurance premiums for different age categories. The rates are based on a single male driver, full coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
In the chart above, the average cost of auto insurance in San Diego per year with no accidents and a clean driving record is $2,075. Factor in two speeding tickets and the average cost jumps to $2,743, an increase of $668 each year. Now get two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of car insurance for state employees jumps again to an average of $5,349. That’s an increase of $3,273, or $273 per month, just for not keeping your driving record clean!
Comparing rates can save you money
San Diego, CA car insurance rates are based on many factors which can substantially change the cost of your policy. Improving your credit rating, buying another vehicle, or getting a reckless driving citation can produce rate changes resulting in some rates now being cheaper in comparison to the competition. Not only may your situation change, but auto insurance companies change their prices every year or even multiple times each year in order to protect their financial rating. Higher than normal claims can cause higher rates, while profitable underwriting may result in cheaper San Diego car insurance rates.
For example, the graph below shows which company has the cheapest car insurance in San Diego, CA for a 35-year-old female driver with no violations or accidents, and a good credit rating. If we estimate rates based on her current risk factors, USAA offers the best car insurance rates in San Diego at $1,193 annually. This is $458 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide are the remainder of the best San Diego, CA auto insurance companies.
Now we will give the driver in the first example a chargeable claim, a lower credit score, and a few traffic violations. Because every insurance company has their own unique process for setting rates, comparing rates may now present a slightly different list of affordable companies as shown below.
Mercury now has the best price on car insurance in San Diego with Grange, Progressive, GEICO, and Allied also being competitive. This example proves why San Diego drivers need to shop around when trying to get the cheapest insurance rates for state employees. Auto insurance prices are calculated by many different factors and change frequently, so the best company when you bought your policy may now be wasting a lot of money.
How to find cheaper car insurance for state employees
Here are some of the recommended thrifty solutions that can help California drivers get low-cost coverage.
- Bundle car and home insurance and save money
- Avoid filing excessive claims
- Serious violations like DUI or careless driving can make car insurance unaffordable
- Increase your credit rating
- Increase the comprehensive and collision deductibles on your policy
- Having at-fault accidents will increase rates
- Compare price quotes at least once a year
The last tip is particularly vital, as we emphasized in the prior information. Prices charged by auto insurers in San Diego can be changed at any time, so don’t be afraid to buy a policy from a new company if you find a better deal.
Brand loyalty is not necessarily bad, but it’s not recommended if your bullheadedness ends up costing you money that could be going to better use. Spend a few minutes and compare rates and find cheaper car insurance for state employees.
If you aren’t clear which coverage you need and would like to have a little guidance when shopping around for cheaper insurance for state employees, the insurance agencies listed below can answer your questions and help you decide which car insurance company is the best fit.
To locate a San Diego insurance agent using an interactive map, click the button following the list or click here to get price quotes now.
- State Farm: Tom Latsko
8680 Navajo Rd #214 – San Diego, CA 92119 – (619) 462-5701 - Matt Kalla – State Farm Insurance Agent
4148 Voltaire St – San Diego, CA 92107 – (619) 223-1629 - Val Myers – State Farm Insurance Agent
12925 El Camino Real, Ste J26 – San Diego, CA 92130 – (858) 481-0401 - Theresa Nguyen-Muth – State Farm Insurance Agent
6650 Flanders Dr F – San Diego, CA 92121 – (858) 450-6000