The best, cheapest car insurance in South Carolina for 2025

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Best car insurance company in South Carolina

Drivers in South Carolina pay an average of $2,009 a year, or $167 per month, which is the 16^th highest in the country, according to our research.

Actual car insurance rates vary by company, and State Farm, Auto-Owners, and others continue to offer some of the most competitive premiums in South Carolina.

When it comes to the best cheap car insurance in South Carolina, State Farm is our No. 1 choice followed by Auto-Owners and Travelers.

State Farm scores well with third-party rating organizations and it has an average premium in South Carolina of $2,106 a year, or $176 a month, which is roughly $97 more than the South Carolina average.

The best car insurance companies in South Carolina

Company Group	NAIC	J.D. Power	AM Best Rating	Score (out of 5)
State Farm	0.79	673	A++	4.48
Auto-Owners	0.54	650	A+	4.46
Travelers	0.52	642	A++	4.19
GEICO	0.69	651	A++	4.17
Progressive	0.71	637	A+	3.91
Allstate	1.1	634	A+	3.28
USAA*	1.18	759	A++	4.50

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

How we picked the top auto insurance companies

When choosing the top car insurance companies in the state, we not only looked at the average cost of coverage but also J.D. Power customer satisfaction scores, AM Best financial strength ratings and National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint rankings. National averages were used where state and regional data was not available.

For each of the four metrics, we gave companies in each state from 1 to 5 (5 being the best) based on how they performed in each category. Those components were then given the following weights, to arrive at an overall star rating.

Premiums: 25%
JD Power: 30%
AM Best: 25%
NAIC: 20%

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Cheapest car insurance in South Carolina

Auto-Owners has the lowest average rate in South Carolina at $1,475 a year or $123 a month.

Progressive is the next most affordable at $1,816 annually and Travelers at $1,949. While these insurers had the cheapest average premiums, there are plenty of other options for coverage in the state.

Insurers consider a wide variety of factors when setting a rate and use proprietary algorithms which can result in dramatic differences in premium quotes. Where you live also affects rates.

“States that have a higher rate of severe weather that damages cars or helps cause accidents will typically have higher rates,” says Chong Gao, director of product management R&D at Mercury Insurance. “South Carolina, for example, is prone to extreme weather like hurricanes and its car insurance costs are consequently much higher.”

The data shows how shopping around for coverage can result in savings. While Auto-Owners had the lowest average rate at $1,475, Allstate was the most expensive at $2,336.

Below are the cheapest car insurance rates by state. To calculate these rates, we used data for a 40-year-old driver of a 2023 Honda Accord LX – one of the most commonly insured vehicles – to provide a consistent and realistic comparison across states.

Cheapest full-coverage insurance in South Carolina

Company	Average annual premium	Average monthly premium
Auto-Owners	$1,475	$123
Progressive	$1,816	$151
Travelers	$1,949	$162
GEICO	$2,054	$171
State Farm	$2,106	$176
Allstate	$2,336	$195

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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Charleston

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Full coverage car insurance in South Carolina

As noted, the rates above are for full coverage car insurance. Full coverage car insurance simply means you are carrying liability and any other state requirements as well as collision and comprehensive.

Full coverage insurance includes collision and comprehensive, which protects your own vehicle. Collision insurance will pay to repair your vehicle when it is damaged after colliding with another vehicle or object. Comprehensive covers damage that is done by perils such as fire, theft, flooding, vandalism, and more.

Shopping for car insurance in South Carolina

Shopping around for coverage is a great way to make sure you are getting the best rates on your auto insurance. Experts often tell consumers to shop for insurance yearly. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you should be looking to switch.

“I recommend that people stay with the same insurance company, as they tend to get a better rate when they have been with the same carrier for more than 12 months. The more tenure you have with a carrier, the more potential there is to earn benefits,” says Tim Bottini, a Country Financial insurance agent based in St. Louis. “The carrier can also review your claims history and provide information about applicable discounts.”

But make sure you are comparing like coverage levels and deductibles.

“It is extremely important to make sure you start off with an apples-to-apples comparison,” Bottini says. However, if a person has low limits, say 25/50/25 – limit per person/per occurrence/limit for property damage – he will recommend higher coverage.

“Depending on their age/income and profession,” he says, “I would quote higher limits to protect their net worth and earnings potential.”

Bottini also says people can save money on their car insurance by keeping their credit score up, following the speed limit and placing both home and auto insurance with the same carrier.

Cheapest car insurance in South Carolina by age

Statistics show that young drivers, because they are inexperienced and tend to take more risks, have more accidents and claims, all of which lead to higher premiums for younger drivers.

“Data indicates that teenagers and seniors are riskier drivers, so they often pay more for auto insurance than other policyholders in different age groups,” says Chong Gao, director of product management R&D at Mercury Insurance. “For teenagers, the lack of driving experience is a significant factor that impacts their rates; younger drivers with little experience behind the wheel tend to pay higher insurance premiums.”

Auto-Owners is the cheapest insurer in South Carolina for teens.

Age factors into a premium as the data clearly shows. Teens pay the highest rates by far with the lowest premium coming in at $3,967 which is 157% more expensive than the most affordable coverage for seniors at $1,545 and 63% more than young drivers’ best rate of $2,439.

Rates start to drop, assuming their driving record stays clean as teens move into their young adult years and tend to stay stable until a driver gets into their 70s when rates will go up a bit.

Cheapest car insurance for senior drivers in South Carolina

Seniors in the state pay more for coverage than all other driver groups, except for teens. Auto-Owners is the most affordable option for seniors with a yearly premium of $1,545 or $129 a month. Progressive was the second cheapest at $1,787 and Travelers rounded out the top three at $1,983.

Seniors tend to pay more for coverage due to age. Many seniors suffer from vision and hearing issues as well as slowing reflexes. In addition, medications they may take can impact their driving. All of these factors combined lead to more accidents and claims which will result in a higher premium.

The chart below shows the average premium for senior drivers.

Average rates for seniors in South Carolina

Company	Average annual premium	Average monthly premium
Auto-Owners	$1,545	$129
Progressive	$1,787	$149
Travelers	$1,983	$165
State Farm	$2,023	$169
GEICO	$2,272	$189
Allstate	$2,527	$211

Car insurance for young drivers in South Carolina

While young adults pay less than teen drivers, they still pay more than older more experienced drivers. The best choice for young adults (early 20s) in South Carolina is Auto-Owners with an annual rate of $2,439 or $203 a month.

Travelers had the second cheapest premium at $2,813 a year followed by Progressive was third at $2,989.

If young drivers keep their driving record clean, their rates will drop down as they move out of their 20s.

The table below shows the best insurers for young drivers in South Carolina:

Average rates for young drivers in South Carolina

Company	Average annual premium	Average monthly premium
Auto-Owners	$2,439	$203
Travelers	$2,813	$234
Progressive	$2,989	$249
GEICO	$3,291	$274
State Farm	$3,351	$279
Allstate	$3,562	$297

Car insurance for teen drivers in South Carolina

Insuring a teen is always expensive; statistics show that inexperienced teen drivers get into more accidents and file more claims than more experienced drivers. In South Carolina, the best insurer for teen drivers is Auto-Owners with an annual premium of $3,967 or $331 a month. GEICO was second most affordable at $5,351 a year or $446 monthly while Travelers was number three at $5,577.

While teens are expensive to insure, there are a few ways to save some money. Most insurers offer a good student discount so if your teen is carrying a B average or above you should ask for a discount. Putting them in an older vehicle will also lower your insurance costs.

The chart below shows average premiums for teens.

Average rates for teens in South Carolina

Company	Average annual premium	Average monthly premium
Auto-Owners	$3,967	$331
GEICO	$5,351	$446
Travelers	$5,577	$465
State Farm	$5,674	$473
Allstate	$6,010	$501
Progressive	$8,846	$737

Average cost of car insurance in South Carolina

South Carolina is the 16^th most expensive state (Louisiana is number one) when it comes to car insurance with an average premium of $2,009.

The table below shows the average rate in each state for a 40-year-old driver of a 2023 Honda Accord LX.

Average rates for a 40-year-old in South Carolina

Average annual premium	Average monthly premium
$2,009	$167

Which South Carolina ZIP codes are the most expensive for car insurance?

Insurers consider the ZIP code where your car is parked when setting a premium. High crime rates or frequent severe weather will result in a higher premium.

According to our analysis, the following ZIP codes are the most expensive in South Carolina for car insurance. Miley tops the charts at $2,389 a year.

Here are the most expensive ZIP codes in South Carolina for car insurance:

Most expensive ZIP codes in South Carolina

City	Average annual Premium
Miley	$2,389
Crocketville	$2,388
Estill	$2,345
Allendale	$2,342
Furman	$2,334
Fairfax	$2,324
Brunson	$2,318
Canadys	$2,318
Pineland	$2,313
Hampton	$2,312

Which South Carolina ZIP codes are the cheapest for car insurance?

When it comes to cheap car insurance in South Carolina, these ZIP codes have the most affordable coverage. The area around Salem has the lowest premiums in South Carolina with an average premium of $1,708.

Least expensive ZIP codes in South Carolina

City	Average annual Premium
Salem	$1,708
Newry	$1,721
Walhalla	$1,728
Westminster	$1,739
West Union	$1,743
Seneca	$1,744
Tamassee	$1,746
Sunset	$1,753
Mount Carmel	$1,755
Long Creek	$1,758

Cheapest car insurance for high-risk drivers in South Carolina

Drivers with a speeding ticket, DUI or at-fault accident on their record are often considered high-risk drivers and end up paying more for coverage. The increase can range from reasonable for a speeding ticket to a big leap in costs for a DUI.

The data showed that a speeding ticket will result in a 31% increase, pushing the average rate to $2,372. Speeding tickets will typically impact your premium for at least three years.

An at-fault accident will raise your rates by 54% to an average of $2,785. A DUI will result in the biggest increase, sending your premium up 78% to an average of $3,216.

The table below shows the average increase for drivers with an incident on their record:

How much rates increase in South Carolina after a traffic incident

Profile Groups	Average annual premium	Rates after Incident	Rates increase after incident ($)	Rates increase after incident (%)
At-Fault Accident	$1,811	$2,785	$974	54%
Bad Credit	$1,811	$3,427	$1,615	89%
DUI	$1,811	$3,216	$1,404	78%
Speeding	$1,811	$2,372	$561	31%

Minimum car insurance requirements in South Carolina

Most states require all drivers to carry a minimum amount of liability coverage to drive legally. South Carolina requires drivers to carry 25/50/25 in liability coverage, which translates into:

$25k for bodily injury and $50,000 for death for a person involved in an accident
$50k for bodily injury and $100,000 for death for two or more people in an accident
$25k for property damage for a single accident

These required minimums are fairly average when compared to other states. However, these minimums are rarely enough coverage if you are involved in a serious accident. Once your coverage levels are exceeded, you will be on the hook for any remaining damage.

Experts typically recommend carrying 100/300/50 as a minimum liability coverage level.

What our expert says

Q: How does a state’s population affect car insurance rates?

Chong GaoDirector of product management R&D at Mercury Insurance.

“States with a higher population density have more cars on the road and thus more accidents and claims, increasing insurance rates. A more rural state like Iowa will have significantly lower average yearly car insurance costs compared to a highly metropolitan state like South Carolina.”

Mark Vallet

Contributing Researcher

Mark Vallet is a Denver-based insurance expert and journalist with 18 years of experience covering the car insurance industry. He specializes in breaking down complex insurance topics into clear, expert-backed insights that help drivers make smarter insurance coverage decisions.