Cheap Car Insurance in North Charleston, SC

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Melanie Musson

Published Insurance Expert

Melanie Musson is the fourth generation in her family to work in the insurance industry. She grew up with insurance talk as part of her everyday conversation and has studied to gain an in-depth knowledge of state-specific car insurance laws and dynamics as well as a broad understanding of how insurance fits into every person’s life, from budgets to coverage levels. She also specializes in sustai...

Published Insurance Expert

Ty Stewart

Licensed Insurance Agent

Ty Stewart is the founder and CEO of SimpleLifeInsure.com. He started researching and studying about insurance when he got his first policy for his own family. He has been featured as an insurance expert speaker at agent conventions and in top publications.  As an independent licensed insurance agent, he has helped clients nationwide to secure affordable coverage while making the process simpl...

Licensed Insurance Agent

UPDATED: Nov 15, 2023

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Are you in need of cheap auto insurance in North Charleston, SC? With AutoInsuranceEZ.com, anyone may get the cheapest cost insurance premiums near them. To find free car insurance quotes available from the top providers now, enter your zip code into the quote box in this posting.

During the city’s early days back in the late 1600’s, the fertile land fostered a thriving agricultural industry. In the early 20th century this began shifting towards lumber, and has recently seen development in the industrial and retail sectors as well. The largest employer by far, however, remains the Charleston Naval Base.

  • Fun fact: an apple a day…North Charleston is #18 on the list of “Top 101 counties with the best general health status score of residents”! Read up on North Charleston by visiting here.

Auto Insurance Coverage Requirements in South Carolina

Driving legally in North Charleston requires:

Coverage Requirements Most Common
Bodily Injury Liability 25,000/50,000 100,000/300,000
Property Damage Liability 25,000 50,000
Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury 25,000/50,000 25,000/50,000
Medical Payments Not required 2,000
Collision Not required 250 deductible
Comprehensive Not required 250 deductible

South Carolina does not require that its motorists purchase additional coverage, such as Collision or Comprehensive. While this means that insurance will likely be cheaper, it also means that you will be burdened with a larger financial liability if something happens to your vehicle and you don’t have sufficient coverage.

The typical South Carolina driver pays about $110 per month for their automobile insurance. However, based on our analysis, North Charleston drivers can get insured for as little as $40/mo*, if you know how to shop. Keep reading, and we’ll tell you all about the biggest discounts you can get on your policy.

 

 

Average Monthly Auto Insurance Premiums

 

 

Legend:

North Charleston

 

Nationwide

Sothern Farm Bureau

Allstate

State Farm

State Auto

 

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

 

 

 

$39

 

$42

 

$39

 

$39

 

$40

 

 

 

Nationwide, Allstate, and State Farm are in a 3-way tie for the cheapest premiums in North Charleston. But are low rates the only metric to base your decision on? What about their customer service reviews? Or their claims filing process? Just remember that there are many factors to consider before you make a final decision.

Organizations which underwrite auto insurance plans consider various elements when establishing quotes, like gender, accident claims, your credit score, the number of years you have been driving, and current insurance coverage and limits. Also bear in mind that premiums will alter from business to business. To make sure you are still being charged the most affordable fee, examine cheap North Charleston auto insurance prices via the internet.

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Major Car Insurance Factors in North Charleston

There are literally hundreds of different ways your car insurance provider may calculate your rates. Some of the aspects which go into this calculation are difficult to alter, but others are definitely within the realm of your control. For example:

Your Zip Code

In many cases, the least expensive auto insurance is normally found in towns having a lower population density. Since there are less automobiles on the highway, there are a lot fewer chances to get into a serious auto accident with another individual. The population of North Charleston is 104,054 and also the usual household earnings are $40,667.

 

 

Auto Insurance by Zip Code

 

 

Legend:

Charleston

Columbia

Mount Pleasant

North Charleston

Rock Hill

 

Nationwide

Sothern Farm Bureau

Allstate

State Farm

State Auto

 

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$29

$31

$32

$39

$29

 

 

 

 

 

$31

$37

$35

$42

$31

 

 

 

 

 

$31

$37

$39

$39

$31

 

 

 

 

 

$32

$37

$40

$39

$32

 

 

 

 

 

$34

$33

$44

$40

$34

 

 

Automotive Accidents

The population of North Charleston is on the rise – and, unfortunately, so are serious accidents. Take a look at the chart above. There were 17 fatalities associated with accidents in North Charleston for the year 2013. High rates of accidents in your zip code might mean that you will have to pay more each month for your automotive insurance.

 

 

Fatal Accidents in North Charleston, SC

 

 

Legend:

North Charleston

 

Fatal accident count

Vehicles involved in fatal crashes

Fatal crashes involving drunk persons

Fatalities

Persons involved in fatal crashes

Pedestrians involved in fatal accidents

 

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

 

 

 

17

 

33

 

6

 

17

 

44

 

6

 

 

 

Auto Thefts in North Charleston

Most insurance agencies are concerned regarding auto theft; this runs specifically true for motorists who reside in large areas. The larger the number of people, the higher the probability you will have to file an automobile theft claim. 2013 statistics show that there were 503 stolen cars in North Charleston. Thefts are going down, but they are still unfortunately high. And the best way to protect against theft is to add Comprehensive coverage to your policy.

 

 

Basic vs. Comprehensive Auto Policy

 

 

Legend:

Basic Coverage

Comprehensive Coverage

 

Nationwide

Sothern Farm Bureau

Allstate

State Farm

State Auto

 

15

30

45

60

75

90

105

120

 

 

 

 

$39

$79

 

 

$42

$95

 

 

$39

$102

 

 

$39

$90

 

 

$40

$130

 

 

 

Your Credit Score

For most insurance companies, especially the large national ones, having a low credit score means you can expect to pay 50-70% higher premiums each month. However, some local providers may offer coverage for an affordable price, regardless of credit score.

 

 

Auto Insurance by Credit Score

 

 

Legend:

Excellent Credit

Poor Credit

 

Nationwide

Sothern Farm Bureau

Allstate

State Farm

State Auto

 

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

 

 

 

 

$36

$57

 

 

$39

$67

 

 

$36

$67

 

 

$34

$79

 

 

$34

Do Not Sell

 

 

 

Your Age

Statistics show that the younger you are, the more dangerous you are behind the wheel. To offset the risk of a possible accident, most teenage drivers are expected to pay much higher rates than their older adult counterparts. However, young motorists can save money with Good Student or Drivers Ed discounts.

 

 

Auto Policy Age Comparison

 

 

Legend:

34 Year Old

17 Year Old

 

Nationwide

Sothern Farm Bureau

Allstate

State Farm

State Auto

 

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

 

 

 

 

$39

$172

 

 

$42

$144

 

 

$39

$118

 

 

$39

$195

 

 

$40

$179

 

 

 

Your Driving Record

A clean driving record will get you the lowest rate, while accidents and tickets will raise your monthly cost. Too many citations, or serious violations such as a DUI, might result in a loss of coverage all together. Be sure to talk to your insurer about Accident Forgiveness discounts in order to save some money.

 

 

Driving violations

 

 

Legend:

Perfect Record

Minor Speeding Ticket

DUI/Reckless Driving

Major At-Fault Accident

 

Nationwide

Sothern Farm Bureau

Allstate

State Farm

State Auto

 

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

70

75

 

 

 

 

 

 

$39

$46

$75

$56

 

 

 

 

$42

$51

$42

$53

 

 

 

 

$39

$49

$59

$71

 

 

 

 

$39

$46

$46

$50

 

 

 

 

$40

$51

$77

$60

 

 

 

Your Vehicle

Expensive luxury vehicles aren’t just more expensive to insure because they cost more to replace. Odds are that you’re going to want to protect an expensive car with additional insurance coverage. And the more coverage you buy, the more you will have to pay in premiums.

 

 

Car Insurance by Make/Model

 

 

Legend:

2015 Honda Accord

2012 Porsche Boxster Spyder

 

Nationwide

Sothern Farm Bureau

Allstate

State Farm

State Auto

 

15

30

45

60

75

90

105

120

135

 

 

 

 

$39

$133

 

 

$42

$105

 

 

$39

$133

 

 

$39

$111

 

 

$40

$138

 

 

 

Minor Car Insurance Factors in North Charleston

Factors such as your education, marital status, and more will also influence your monthly premiums:

Your Marital Status

Whether you are single or married, as an individual, your marital status will not influence your monthly rate by more than a few percentage points, if at all. However, married couples can get access to lower rates by bundling their policies together with the same company. You can get further discounts by bundling homeowner’s insurance, or renter’s insurance to your auto policies.

Your Gender

Many automobile insurance providers are naturally gravitating away from charging wildly different rates for male and female drivers. Many providers don’t charge different rates at all based on gender alone. Those who do charge no more than a 1-2% difference – and whether that difference punishes males or females depends wholly on the insurance provider.

Your Driving Distance to Work

While your typical North Charleston commute only lasts between 18 and 25 minutes, slightly longer commute times of up to 32 minutes aren’t uncommon. Nearly 68% of those commuting in an automobile will do so alone, while 17% of motorists will end up carpooling.

Feel free to drive as many miles as you want per year, and for whatever reason – driving more miles, or only commuting for pleasure won’t make a huge dent in your monthly premium. However, business vehicles generally have about 10% higher insurance rates, so be wary of that fact.

Your Coverage and Deductibles

If you add additional coverage options to your policy, you can lower your monthly payments by raising your deductible. Keep in mind, though, that if you ever have to file a claim, you should have the cash on hand to be able to pay that deductible.

Education in North Charleston, SC

The number of residents with a high school diploma and the number of those without is separated by a small fraction, 28% to 27%, respectively. An additional 16% of locals have at least a year of college experience. But if you’ve been thinking about taking your education to the next level, here’s an extra incentive: having a higher education will get you a lower rate on your next auto insurance policy.

North Charleston is home to a number of prestigious universities and satellite campuses of nearby schools. The main campus of both the Trident Technical College and Charleston Southern University are located within the North Charleston city limits. Additionally, students can attend the Lowcountry Graduate Center for access to the satellite facilities of the University of South Carolina and its medical school, Clemson, the College of Charleston, and many more.

You should not make it possible for a bad auto insurance agency to persuade you into investing in an auto insurance policy that isn’t ideal for you. Sure, the actual quantity of related information needed in order to approximate your personal risk profile may be overpowering, however comparison web pages like this may help make your search quicker. Simply enter a few specifics below, and just let us take it from there.

How We Conducted Our Car Insurance Analysis

*We calculated our average rate based on the following metrics: a married, 34 year old male with good credit, a 12-month history of maintaining auto insurance, a clean driving record, who owns his own home. Miles driven annually were based on the national average. The average rate was also calculated based on a financed 2015 Honda Accord with a pre-installed anti-theft device.

Sources:

South Carolina Department of Insurance

South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions

Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles

City-Data.com

Census.gov

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Free Auto Insurance Comparison

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