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Auto-Owners provides the lowest car insurance rates in South Carolina at $1,475 a year. The average premium is $167 per month in South Carolina, though your actual rate may vary.

Car insurance requirements differ by state. In South Carolina, drivers are required to carry at least the minimum liability coverage: $25,000 for bodily injury per person, $50,000 for bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 for property damage per accident.

Full coverage car insurance can be a smart choice for drivers who want more than the bare minimum. It combines liability with collision and comprehensive coverage, protecting not only other drivers and their property but also your own vehicle in cases of accidents, theft, or weather damage.

Below, you’ll find which insurance companies are the most affordable for different categories.

Key Takeaways

  • Auto-Owners has the lowest average car insurance premium in South Carolina, costing $1,475 per year. That’s 27% the state average.
  • For drivers with an at-fault accident on record, Auto-Owners offers the most affordable coverage at around $1,974 annually.
  • The 29676 ZIP code stands out as the cheapest area for auto insurance in South Carolina, with an average yearly cost of $1,708.

Low-cost car insurance businesses in South Carolina

When comparing insurers in South Carolina, Auto-Owners leads the pack with an annual average of $1,475. That’s 27% less than the statewide average. Individual premiums vary depending on your driving record, vehicle type, age, and ZIP code.

To make sure you’re getting the best price, it’s always smart to check quotes from multiple carriers.

Here are the annual averages from the most affordable insurance companies in South Carolina.

CompanyAverage annual rates
Auto-Owners$1,475
Progressive$1,816
Travelers$1,949
GEICO$2,054
State Farm$2,106
Southern Farm Bureau$2,202
Allstate$2,336
Sentry Insurance$3,681
USAA*$1,451
*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.
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How we choose low-cost car insurance companies in South Carolina

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170+

Carriers reviewed
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53M+

Quotes analysed
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34K+

ZIP codes examined

ZIP codes with the cheapest car insurance in South Carolina

In South Carolina, drivers living in the 29676 ZIP code enjoy the lowest average annual premium at $1,708. Check the table below to see which other ZIP codes in the state have more affordable rates.

ZIP codeCityAverage annual rates
29676Salem$1,708
29665Newry$1,721
29672Seneca$1,722
29691Walhalla$1,728
29693Westminster$1,739
29696West Union$1,743
29686Tamassee$1,746
29685Sunset$1,753
29840Mount Carmel$1,755
29658Long Creek$1,758
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Auto insurance premiums vary significantly from city to city, so drivers need to be sure they’re getting the best deal. Insure.com has done the research for you. Get more information on auto insurance rates by city below.

Car insurance rates in South Carolina by city

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Low-cost car insurance in South Carolina by age

Teenagers pay significantly more for car insurance than adults in South Carolina. For instance, a 16-year-old driver pays $5,196 more on average than a 40-year-old.

The following table shows car insurance rates by age group in South Carolina.

Age groupFull coverage annual premiums
Teens (16-19)$6,021
Young Adults (20-24)$3,175
Adults (25-60)$2,013
Seniors (65-75)$2,027
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Low-cost car insurance in South Carolina by driver history

Your driving history is one of the main factors insurers look at when determining how much you pay for coverage.Your auto insurance premiums will increase if you’re responsible for an accident or pulled over for a violation. However, if you have a clean driving record, insurance companies see you as a low-risk driver, and you will likely get coverage for a lower price.

Low-cost car insurance after a speeding ticket in South Carolina

Just one speeding ticket in South Carolina can raise your rates by 30% – $603 more per year. Along with the ticket fine, that makes speeding an expensive mistake. The table below shows insurers offering lower-cost options even with a violation.

CompanyAverage annual premiumNew rate after accident% Increase$ Increase
Auto-Owners$1,475$2,06440%$589
State Farm$2,106$2,2658%$159
Progressive$1,816$2,44134%$625
Travelers$1,949$2,75441%$805
Allstate$2,336$3,03130%$695
USAA*$1,451$1,78823%$337
*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.
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Low-cost car insurance after an accident in South Carolina

After an at-fault accident, premiums increase significantly, but some insurers still offer cheaper options. Auto-Owners has the lowest average rate at $1,974 per year.

If you’ve been in an accident, shopping around can help reduce costs. The table below highlights companies in South Carolina with the most affordable rates for drivers with an accident on their record.

CompanyAverage annual premiumNew rate after accident% Increase$ Increase
Auto-Owners$1,475$1,97434%$499
State Farm$2,106$2,50419%$398
Travelers$1,949$2,65836%$709
GEICO$2,054$2,98145%$927
Progressive$1,816$3,11471%$1,298
Allstate$2,336$3,82864%$1,492
USAA*$1,451$2,17650%$725
*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.
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Low-cost car insurance after a DUI in South Carolina

A DUI places you in the high-risk driver category, which usually leads to much higher premiums. Still, some insurers in South Carolina are more affordable than others. The table below shows which companies offer the lowest average rates after a DUI conviction.

CompanyAverage annual premiumNew rate after accident$ Increase% Increase
Progressive$1,816$2,247$43124%
State Farm$2,106$2,265$1598%
Travelers$1,949$2,875$92647%
Auto-Owners$1,475$2,918$1,44398%
Allstate$2,336$3,195$85937%
GEICO$2,054$4,943$2,889141%
USAA*$1,451$2,692$1,24185%
*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.
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Average cost of car insurance South Carolina

Full coverage costs more than liability-only, but for most drivers, the additional protection is worth it. Liability-only policies cover injuries and damage you cause to others, but don’t pay for your own vehicle. Full coverage adds collision and comprehensive, protecting you against accidents, theft, weather damage, and more.

In South Carolina, the average cost of full coverage is $114 more compared to the national average

We recommend carrying coverage limits of 100/300/100 – $100,000 in bodily injury per person, $300,000 per accident, and $100,000 in property damage liability. These higher limits help protect you financially in severe accidents.

What is full coverage car insurance?

Full coverage car insurance includes bodily injury liability and property damage liability coverage, as well as comprehensive and collision coverage. Collision insurance covers your vehicle if it’s damaged or destroyed in an accident, while comprehensive insurance provides protection against damage that is caused by something other than collisions, such as hail or theft.

If you lease or finance your car in South Carolina, your lender may ask you to purchase collision and comprehensive insurance beyond the state-mandated liability coverage.

The bottom line on saving and staying protected

It’s natural to look for ways to lower your insurance costs, but cutting corners on coverage can leave you financially vulnerable after an accident.

Make sure you choose a policy that balances affordability with protection. Always compare quotes from at least three companies to find low-cost car insurance in South Carolina.

Methodology

Insure.com gathered data from Quadrant Information Services to get car insurance rates in South Carolina. The rates are based on a sample profile of a 40-year-old male and female driving a Honda Accord LX with a good insurance score and no violations on record for a full coverage insurance policy with limits 100/300/100 and $500 comprehensive and collision deductibles.

We analyzed 53,409,632 insurance quotes from 170 insurance companies across 34,588 ZIP codes nationwide.

To determine car insurance rates for high-risk drivers with a history of traffic violations, we used a sample profile of a 40-year-old male and female driver who own a Honda Accord LX.

We also used sample profiles of drivers from different age groups: Teen drivers (Age 16-19), young drivers (Age 20-24), adult drivers (Age 25-60) and senior drivers (Age 65-75)

We determined the premiums for a high-risk driver with the following incidents applied

  1. 1 At-fault property damage accident over $2K
  2. 1 At-fault property damage accident under $2K
  3. At-fault bodily injury accident
  4. Poor credit
  5. DUI/DWI first offense
  6. Speeding 30+ over limit
  7. Speeding ticket 1-10 MPH over limit
  8. Speeding ticket 11-29 MPH over the limit

These are sample rates, and your exact rates may vary.

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Shivani Gite
Contributing Writer

 
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Shivani Gite is a personal finance and insurance writer with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She is passionate about making insurance topics easy to understand for people and helping them make better financial decisions.

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