Low-cost car insurance in South Carolina

Why you can trust Insure.com

Quality Verified

At Insure.com, we are committed to providing the timely, accurate and expert information consumers need to make smart insurance decisions. All our content is written and reviewed by industry professionals and insurance experts. Our team carefully vets our rate data to ensure we only provide reliable and up-to-date insurance pricing. We follow the highest editorial standards. Our content is based solely on objective research and data gathering. We maintain strict editorial independence to ensure unbiased coverage of the insurance industry.

In South Carolina, Auto-Owners offers the cheapest average premium at $1,715 per year. For comparison, the statewide average monthly cost is $197, though individual rates vary depending on your driving profile, location, and vehicle.

Every state sets its own car insurance rules. In South Carolina, the minimum liability requirement is $25,000 for bodily injury per person, $50,000 for bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 for property damage per accident.

For drivers who want greater protection, full coverage can be a smart investment. It combines liability with both collision and comprehensive coverage, ensuring that your own car is also covered in the event of an accident, theft, weather damage, or other unexpected events.

Below, we highlight which insurers provide the most affordable rates across different driver categories.

Key Takeaways

Auto-Owners offers the lowest car insurance rates in South Carolina, at $1,715 per year, which is about $652 the state average.
Auto-Owners has the lowest car insurance rates for drivers with a history of at-fault accidents, with an average annual cost of $2,295.
The ZIP code 29631 has the low-cost car insurance rates in South Carolina, at an average annual rate of $1,944.

Low-cost car insurance companies in South Carolina

Among all insurers in South Carolina, Auto-Owners comes in lowest at $1,715 per year – $652 less than the statewide average. Keep in mind that your actual premium depends on factors like age, driving history, ZIP code, and the type of car you drive.

Comparing quotes from multiple companies is the best way to make sure you’re getting a competitive rate.

Below are the annual premiums from the cheapest car 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

You might find interesting

Explore related topics

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

See rates in your city

Charleston

Columbia

Greenville

Our agents make it hassle-free to get the right quote.

Call (844) 814-8854

Ethan Available Now

Jack Available Now

Robbie Available Now

Ellie Available Now

Low-cost car insurance in South Carolina by age

Teen drivers in South Carolina pay higher insurance rates than adult drivers because they are more likely to get into accidents and file claims. For example, our data shows that a 16-year-old driver pays $7,176 more than a 40-year-old driver in South Carolina.

The table below shows low-cost car insurance rates for drivers of different ages.

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

A single speeding ticket in South Carolina can push your rates up by 30%, or about $711. Along with the fine, that makes speeding a costly mistake. Here are a few insurers that still provide lower-priced coverage after a ticket.

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

Auto-Owners offers the lowest car insurance rates to drivers after an at-fault accident at $2,295 a year.

If you’re in an accident and are at fault, you will see your car insurance premiums increase. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t shop around to find better rates.

Below, you’ll see which companies offer low-cost car insurance for drivers with one 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 insurance costs more than minimum liability insurance, but the extra cost is worth it for most drivers. That’s because minimum liability only pays for injuries or damage you cause to others, leaving you to cover repairs or replacement of your own car out of pocket. Full coverage, on the other hand, includes collision and comprehensive insurance, so your vehicle is protected in situations like accidents, theft, storms, or vandalism.

The average cost of full coverage car insurance in South Carolina is $146 less than the national average car insurance rates in the U.S.

We recommend that you carry at least coverage limits of 100/300/100 – that’s $100,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $300,000 per accident, and $100,000 in property damage coverage. These limits provide a better safety net if you’re involved in a serious accident where costs could quickly exceed minimum requirements.

What is full coverage car insurance?

Full coverage includes liability, collision, and comprehensive coverage. Collision covers your car if it’s damaged in an accident, while comprehensive applies to damage from non-collision events such as theft, fire, or hail.

If you finance or lease your vehicle in South Carolina, your lender may require both collision and comprehensive coverage in addition to state-mandated liability insurance.

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 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.