For drivers in San Diego, one of the more important factors that aid in calculating the cost of insurance is where your car is garaged. Cities with larger populations are more likely to have higher rates, whereas more rural areas can boast about having cheaper rates.
The next table rates the most expensive places in California to purchase a policy in. San Diego is ranked #24 with a yearly premium of $1,327 on average, which is about $111 monthly.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,104 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,079 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,738 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,652 |
| 6 | Fontana | $1,581 |
| 7 | San Bernardino | $1,580 |
| 8 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
| 9 | Garden Grove | $1,570 |
| 10 | Long Beach | $1,562 |
| 11 | Modesto | $1,547 |
| 12 | Stockton | $1,541 |
| 13 | Fresno | $1,517 |
| 14 | Riverside | $1,497 |
| 15 | Moreno Valley | $1,491 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,453 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,444 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,423 |
| 19 | Huntington Beach | $1,402 |
| 20 | Bakersfield | $1,381 |
| 21 | Irvine | $1,371 |
| 22 | Fremont | $1,361 |
| 23 | Chula Vista | $1,337 |
| 24 | San Diego | $1,327 |
| 25 | Oxnard | $1,318 |
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Prices are approximated as the specific area where the vehicle is garaged can increase or decrease rates substantially.
Now that we know where San Diego ranks for car insurance prices, finding dependable, reasonably-priced car insurance is not most people’s favorite thing to do, and deciding which companies quote the best car insurance rates in San Diego takes even more work. Every insurance provider has a proprietary formula for setting prices, so let’s begin by examining the most affordable car insurance companies in California.
Find Cheaper Car Insurance in San Diego
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,109 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,157 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,190 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $1,213 |
| 5 | CSAA | $1,234 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | Progressive | $1,542 |
| 9 | Allstate | $1,543 |
| 10 | Mercury | $1,548 |
| 11 | Allied | $1,556 |
| 12 | GEICO | $1,559 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,591 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,606 |
| 15 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,733 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,777 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,026 |
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USAA offers some of the best car insurance rates in San Diego at around $1,109 a year. This is $542 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, Nationwide, and CSAA would also make the list of some of the cheapest San Diego, CA car insurance companies.
As the example above demonstrates, if you are insured with Nationwide and switched to USAA, you might achieve yearly savings of around $104. Drivers with CSAA may save as much as $125 a year, and 21st Century customers might lower prices by $216 a year.
To see if you’re overpaying, click here to start your free quote or visit any of the companies below.
These policy prices are averages for all types of insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in a specific vehicle garaging location in San Diego. So the car insurance company that fits your situation best may not even be in the list above. That points out the importance of why you need to get rate quotes using your own specific driver information and vehicle.
The type of vehicle you are seeking coverage for is one of the main factors when consumers are trying to find low-cost auto insurance in San Diego. Vehicles with high performance features, poor crash test ratings, or high incidents of liability claims will cost substantially more to insure than safer models.
The information below features coverage premiums for the cheaper automobiles to buy insurance for.
| Insured Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $837 |
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $957 |
| Toyota RAV4 4WD | $990 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $998 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $1,009 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $1,016 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,042 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Regular Cab 4WD | $1,061 |
| Honda Odyssey Touring | $1,068 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LT Crew Cab 4WD | $1,061 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,071 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD LT Crew Cab 2WD | $1,082 |
| GMC Sierra 3500HD SLE Extended Cab 2WD | $1,090 |
| Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $1,113 |
| Honda Civic DX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,120 |
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Data assumes single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-vehicle, claim-free, multi-policy, and safe-driver. Prices do not factor in vehicle location which can impact premium rates considerably.
Based upon these rates, vehicles like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Chevrolet Equinox, and Ford Explorer are most likely going to be the cheaper vehicles to insure for drivers in San Diego.
The example below shows how choosing a deductible can raise or lower insurance costs when quoting cheap insurance in San Diego. The premium estimates are based on a single female driver, full coverage, and no discounts are applied.
A 40-year-old driver could reduce rates by $420 a year by switching from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $632 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Young drivers, such as the Age 20 example, could roll back prices $1,068 each year by choosing a larger deductible amount.
When raising deductibles, it will be necessary to have emergency funds available to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which deters some people from using high deductibles.
Rate comparison of full coverage and liability-only
Lowering the price of auto insurance should be important to most drivers, and one common way to save on the cost of insurance in San Diego is to buy only liability coverage. The illustration below compares annual premium costs with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The rate quotes are based on no claims or driving citations, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
If the expense is averaged for all age categories, comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy costs $1,849 per year over and above liability coverage. That is a big expense that brings up the question if you should buy full coverage at all. There is no set rule of when to phase out comprehensive and collision coverage on your policy, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of coverage is about 10% or more of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then you might consider buying liability only.
A good deal can quickly turn bad
California auto insurance rates are impacted by many things that control the price of your policy. Simply improving your credit, having a claim, or having an at-fault accident can trigger changes in premium that can now make some companies cheaper in comparison to the competition.
In addition, insurance companies file new California car insurance rates at least once a year as an adjustment for underwriting gains or losses. A period of increased losses can result in additional price hikes, while profitable underwriting can result in more affordable San Diego car insurance rates.
As an example, the graph below shows the company with the cheapest car insurance in San Diego, CA for a 35-year-old female driver with no prior accidents, a clean driving record, and excellent credit. Based on her personal profile, USAA may offer the most affordable car insurance rates in San Diego at $1,198 each year. This is $453 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide are also included in the cheapest San Diego, CA auto insurance companies.
Let’s now give the driver in the first example an at-fault accident, a lower credit rating, and an imperfect driving record. Because every insurance company has a unique formula to determine rates, comparing quotes may now result in a slightly different list of affordable San Diego car insurance companies as shown below.
Grange now has the best price in San Diego, CA with Mercury, Progressive, Allstate, and GEICO also being competitive. This illustrates why California drivers need to perform a complete rate comparison to get the most economical auto insurance quotes in San Diego. Auto insurance prices are determined by many risk factors and change frequently, so the best price the last time you shopped your coverage around may now be one of the higher cost companies.
The insurance agents in San Diego listed below can probably answer your questions and help you decide which policy fits your needs best, as some drivers aren’t sure which coverage they need and prefer to get some professional advice when trying to find the best insurance rates for drivers in San Diego. It can be difficult to find the cheapest car insurance policy, and using a licensed agent can give you peace of mind knowing you have adequate asset protection. To locate a San Diego car insurance agency close to where you live, click the button following the list.
San Diego Insurance
4411 Mercury St #105b – San Diego, CA 92111 – (858) 565-6695
Kevin Kane – State Farm Insurance Agent
3914 Murphy Canyon Rd a252 – San Diego, CA 92123 – (858) 514-0385
Mike Moore – State Farm Insurance Agent
12880 Rancho Penasquitos Blvd d – San Diego, CA 92129 – (858) 484-1297
Mike Davis – State Farm Insurance Agent
2254 Moore St #103 – San Diego, CA 92110 – (619) 295-8412
More insurance agents in San Diego, CA
How to find more affordable auto insurance in San Diego
Below you’ll find some of the recommended money-saving solutions that can help California drivers buy more affordable coverage.
- Buy vehicles with good safety ratings
- Drive safely
- Good credit scores may lower your rates
- Raise your physical damage coverage deductibles
- Do not insure for full coverage
- Accident-free drivers may qualify for discounts
- Compare prices as often as possible
That last tip is highly critical, as we stressed in the prior information. Prices charged by auto insurers in San Diego can change considerably in a year, so drivers shouldn’t be resistant to buy from a new company if a lower price can be found. Many drivers tend to have loyalty to a certain company, but we do not recommend it if that stubbornness costs you a fortune every year. It only takes a couple minutes to compare prices to find cheaper insurance in San Diego.