Low-cost car insurance in South Carolina

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Auto-Owners provides the lowest car insurance rates in South Carolina at $1,715 a year. The average premium is $197 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 $1,715 per year. That’s $652 the state average.
For drivers with an at-fault accident on record, Auto-Owners offers the most affordable coverage at around $2,295 annually.
The 29631 ZIP code stands out as the cheapest area for auto insurance in South Carolina, with an average yearly cost of $1,944.

Low-cost car insurance businesses in South Carolina

When comparing insurers in South Carolina, Auto-Owners leads the pack with an annual average of $1,715. That’s $652 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.

Company	Average annual rates
Auto-Owners	$1,715
Nationwide	$2,130
Southern Farm Bureau	$2,310
Travelers	$2,342
GEICO	$2,417
Progressive	$2,666
Allstate	$2,806
State Farm	$3,133
USAA*	$1,772

*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.

How we choose low-cost car insurance companies in South Carolina

170+

Carriers reviewed

78M+

Quotes analysed

34K+

ZIP codes examined

ZIP codes with the cheapest car insurance in South Carolina

In South Carolina, drivers living in the 29631 ZIP code enjoy the lowest average annual premium at $1,944. Check the table below to see which other ZIP codes in the state have more affordable rates.

ZIP code	City	Average annual rates
29631	Clemson	$1,944
29691	Walhalla	$1,945
29665	Newry	$1,946
29672	Seneca	$1,947
29678	Seneca	$1,949
29676	Salem	$1,956
29693	Westminster	$1,958
29630	Central	$1,959
29696	West Union	$1,962
29643	Fair Play	$1,973

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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 $7,176 more on average than a 40-year-old.

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

Age group	Full coverage annual premiums
Teens (16-19)	$7,503
Young Adults (20-24)	$3,809
Adults (25-60)	$2,377
Seniors (65-75)	$2,324

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% – $711 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.

Company	Average annual premium	New rate after accident	% Increase	$ Increase
Auto-Owners	$1,715	$2,400	40%	$685
Travelers	$2,342	$3,309	41%	$968
Nationwide	$2,130	$3,359	58%	$1,229
State Farm	$3,133	$3,371	8%	$237
Progressive	$2,666	$3,585	34%	$919
Allstate	$2,806	$3,641	30%	$834
USAA*	$1,772	$2,184	23%	$412

*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.

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 $2,295 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.

Company	Average annual premium	New rate after accident	% Increase	$ Increase
Auto-Owners	$1,715	$2,295	34%	$580
Travelers	$2,342	$3,194	36%	$852
Nationwide	$2,130	$3,500	64%	$1,370
GEICO	$2,417	$3,509	45%	$1,091
State Farm	$3,133	$3,726	19%	$593
Progressive	$2,666	$4,572	71%	$1,906
Allstate	$2,806	$4,598	64%	$1,792
USAA*	$1,772	$2,657	50%	$885

*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.

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.

Company	Average annual premium	New rate after accident	$ Increase	% Increase
Progressive	$2,666	$3,300	$634	24%
State Farm	$3,133	$3,371	$237	8%
Auto-Owners	$1,715	$3,394	$1,678	98%
Travelers	$2,342	$3,455	$1,113	48%
Allstate	$2,806	$3,838	$1,031	37%
Nationwide	$2,130	$4,339	$2,209	104%
GEICO	$2,417	$5,817	$3,400	141%
USAA*	$1,772	$3,287	$1,515	86%

*USAA is only available to military community members and their families.

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 $146 less 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 78,451,280 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 At-fault property damage accident over $2K
1 At-fault property damage accident under $2K
At-fault bodily injury accident
Poor credit
DUI/DWI first offense
Speeding 30+ over limit
Speeding ticket 1-10 MPH over limit
Speeding ticket 11-29 MPH over the limit

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

Shivani Gite

Contributing Writer

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.