Best and cheapest homeowners insurance companies in South Carolina

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South Carolina homeowners spend an average of $2,974 annually on home insurance, though your personal premium could look very different. Insurers weigh dozens of variables when setting rates, from how old your home is and what it’s made of to how far it sits from a fire station or a flood-prone area. That’s why two homes on the same street can end up with very different insurance bills.

If affordability is your top priority, Progressive offers the lowest average rates in South Carolina. But price is only part of the picture. Financial strength, customer satisfaction, and third-party ratings are all worth weighing before choosing a policy.

How to find the right policy in 3 steps

Estimate your coverage needs. Aim for enough dwelling coverage to fully rebuild your home at today’s construction prices.
Compare at least three quotes using identical coverage limits and deductibles – rates for the same policy can vary by hundreds of dollars.
Look beyond price. Check financial strength ratings (AM Best) and customer satisfaction scores (J.D. Power) before committing to the cheapest option.

Our choice: Compare the best homeowners insurance companies in South Carolina

When purchasing insurance in South Carolina, it’s important to compare providers. The right insurance company for someone else might be the wrong insurer for you.

Here are our picks for the top insurance companies in South Carolina.

Company group	Annual premium	AM Best rating	NAIC rating	Overall rating (out of 5)
Auto-Owners	$4,265	A+	0.39	4.27
State Farm	$2,048	A+	1.15	4.19
South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual	$3,847	B++	0.17	4.13
Allstate	$2,490	A+	1.26	4.08
Progressive	$1,858	A+	1.50	4.05
Farmers	$3,420	A	0.89	4.04
Travelers	$5,433	A++	0.91	3.98
USAA*	$2,374	A++	0.46	4.58

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

What are the cheapest homeowners insurance companies in South Carolina?

Progressive offers the cheapest homeowners insurance in South Carolina, with average rates of $155 per month or $1,858 annually. The cheapest option in your state depends on how insurers weigh local factors like climate risk, claims history and building costs. Getting quotes from a few different insurers is the best way to find the lowest rate based on your profile.

Company group	Annual premium	Monthly premium
Progressive	$1,858	$155
State Farm	$2,048	$171
Allstate	$2,490	$208
Farmers	$3,420	$285
South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual	$3,847	$321
Auto-Owners	$4,265	$355
Travelers	$5,433	$453
USAA*	$2,374	$198

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

Home insurance rates can vary by hundreds – even thousands – between insurers

Even within the same state, premiums can swing by hundreds of dollars based on factors you might not think about, including:

Your exact ZIP code, local claim history, and proximity to the coast, wildfire zones, or areas prone to severe weather
Your home’s age, size, roof type, construction materials, and the overall risk your property carries
Distance to the nearest fire station or fire hydrant
Your credit-based insurance score
Whether you’ve filed claims in the past five to seven years

How much does homeowners insurance cost in South Carolina?

The average homeowners insurance cost in South Carolina is $2,974. That’s $431 higher than the national average of $2,543.

Averages only tell part of the story. What you’ll actually pay depends on details specific to your home and situation, including your ZIP code, home value, roof condition, and coverage choices.

Annual premium	Monthly premium	Difference compared to national avg.
$2,974	$248	$431 more

People also asked: Is homeowners insurance required in South Carolina?

South Carolina doesn’t legally require homeowners insurance, but if you have a mortgage, your lender will almost always require coverage equal to your home’s replacement cost so the property can be fully rebuilt after a total loss. Standard policies include dwelling, liability, and personal property coverage, though limits and add-ons vary by insurer.

Estimate your costs and compare homeowners insurance quotes in South Carolina

Use our homeowners insurance calculator below to estimate how much coverage might cost in your state. Choose your dwelling coverage, liability limits, and deductible to see how each choice affects your average annual rate – along with the lowest and highest rates available in your area.

Keep in mind that your actual quote will depend on additional details specific to your home, including its age, construction type, claim history, and exact location within the state. Use the calculator as a starting point, then compare quotes from at least three insurers to find your true lowest price.

Homeowners insurance rates by state calculator

See how the average annual home insurance rates vary with the options chosen.

State

South Carolina

AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington, D.C.West VirginiaWisconsinWyoming

Dwelling coverage

Liability coverage

Deductible

Standard ($2500)

Standard ($2500)Standard ($1000)$2,500 with 2% Hurricane deductible$1,000 with 2% Hurricane deductible

Average annual home insurance rates in
South Carolina

$2,449 Average rate

Average rate

$2,449/Yr

Lowest rate

$1,040/Yr

Highest rate

$3,378/Yr

Rates by carriers in South Carolina

Company	Average annual rate
Allstate	$1,040
State Farm	$1,905
Progressive	$1,930
USAA	$2,217
Travelers	$2,814
Auto-Owners	$3,116
South Carolina Farm Bureau Mutual	$3,188
Farmers	$3,378

Methodology

Insure.com commissioned Quadrant Information Systems to analyse home insurance rates from major insurers in the U.S. The analysis includes over 37 million quotes from 134 companies across more than 34,000 ZIP codes, using standardized coverage levels to calculate national averages. The homeowner profile is a 35-year-old married applicant with excellent insurance score; new business HO3 policy for house built in 2000 with frame construction and composition roof. Other Structures: 10%. Loss of Use defaulted: 10%. Guest Medical limit: $5,000. Deductible limit: $1,000. Personal property: 50% of dwelling coverage for replacement value

Last calculator data updated on: 2026

Home insurance rates vary from one city to another. But with Insure.com, finding the right home insurance policy is easy. Learn more about homeowners insurance costs for different cities below.

Home insurance rates in South Carolina by city

See rates in your city

How do I choose the right homeowners insurance in South Carolina?

Selecting the right homeowners insurance in South Carolina means focusing on three core factors: enough coverage to rebuild your home from the ground up, a deductible you can realistically afford and an insurer backed by strong financials and dependable service. The ideal policy finds the right balance between cost and protection, because a low monthly rate matters very little if claims take forever to resolve or your coverage limits don’t hold up when it matters.

What to look for in a homeowners insurance policy:

Replacement cost coverage. This is typically required by your mortgage lender and pays to rebuild at current construction prices rather than your home’s depreciated market value. It’s included in most standard policies, but make sure the estimate reflects what labor and materials actually cost in your area today.
A deductible that fits your budget. Opting for a higher deductible brings your premium down but raises your out-of-pocket expense when you file a claim. Set it at an amount you could realistically pay without putting a strain on your finances.
Adequate liability limits. This coverage protects you if a guest is injured at your home or you accidentally cause damage to someone else’s property. Most insurance professionals recommend holding at least $300,000 in liability protection.
Strong claims handling. Look at J.D. Power and AM Best ratings and spend time reading verified customer reviews. An inexpensive policy from an insurer with poor service can end up costing you significantly more when a claim arises.
Quotes from at least three insurers. Because identical coverage can be priced very differently across companies, getting multiple quotes is the only way to be confident you’re paying a fair rate.

The cheapest policy isn’t always the best deal

Going with the lowest premium often means accepting trade-offs somewhere else, such as a higher deductible, narrower coverage limits or exclusions for things like water backup or roof damage. Before committing to the most affordable option, dig into what the policy actually covers and how much you’d be responsible for after a claim. A policy that trims $200 from your annual bill can become an expensive mistake if it leaves meaningful gaps in your protection.

What are the most common natural disasters in South Carolina?

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a U.S. agency that manages disaster response and flood risk, the most common natural disasters in South Carolina are some of Hurricane and Ice storm. These risks can significantly impact homeowners insurance costs and coverage needs, especially in high-risk areas.

Natural disaster risk varies widely from state to state, and so does what your standard policy will actually cover. Most homeowners insurance policies don’t cover floods or earthquakes – those require separates policies, like flood insurance through FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program or earthquake coverage as a stand-alone policy or endorsement. Before disaster strikes, review your policy carefully and add coverage for any major risks specific to South Carolina so you’re not left paying out of pocket after a loss.

The table below shows the expected annual losses from natural disasters in South Carolina:

Natural Hazard(s)	Expected Annual Loss
Hurricane and Ice storm	Relatively High

Standard policies don’t cover every disaster

Homeowners insurance typically excludes floods and earthquakes, which means a major event could leave you paying out of pocket. Depending on your location in South Carolina, you may need a separate flood policy or earthquake endorsement to be fully protected – review your coverage now rather than after a loss.

How we picked the top-rated home insurance companies

We used sample rates from Quadrant Data Services for coverage of $300,000 for both dwelling and liability coverage and a $1,000 deductible. We analyzed more than 37 million quotes from 134 companies.

We also gathered AM Best financial strength ratings for each insurance company, along with each company’s National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint ratio. The NAIC is a regulatory support organization made up of state insurance regulators, and its complaint ratio compares how many complaints an insurer receives to the industry average.

We used these data points to create a score out of five. Only companies for which all three data points are available were included in the comparison.

Frequently asked questions

Does home insurance cover windstorms in South Carolina?

Homeowners insurance typically covers wind damage. However, in some states – particularly those vulnerable to damage from hurricanes – your homeowners policy might have a separate deductible for storms such as hurricanes or tropical storms.

These deductibles are often much higher than the deductible that applies to the rest of your homeowners insurance coverage. South Carolina does allow separate deductibles for hurricanes and windstorms.

In some cases, windstorm coverage has to be purchased separately; make sure to ask when you buy a policy.

Do I need flood insurance in South Carolina?

If you live in a high-risk flood zone in South Carolina, you need to purchase flood insurance. A standard homeowners insurance policy does not cover damage from floods. You can check your flood zone on FEMA’s flood maps.

About 90% of all natural disasters include flooding, according to the federal government’s National Association of Insurance Commissioners, so all homeowners should consider flood insurance.

Do homeowners insurance policies cover building code upgrades?

Homeowners insurance typically does not cover the extra cost of bringing your home up to current building codes after a covered loss. If your home is older, you may be required to rebuild parts of it to meet updated regulations, which can increase repair costs significantly.

According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), a nonprofit that provides insurance data and research, homeowners can add an ordinance or law endorsement to cover the cost of required code upgrades during repairs or rebuilding. Without it, those costs are typically paid out of pocket.

How can I save on homeowners insurance?

The best way to save on homeowners insurance is to shop around and compare quotes from a handful of insurance companies. That way, you can find the coverage you need at the best possible price.

Raising your deductible can also lower your premium costs. However, remember that if you file a claim, you will have to pay your deductible in full before the insurance company will begin to reimburse you for the claim.

Most insurance companies also offer many different types of discounts to eligible policyholders. For example, one way to save is to bundle your policies by purchasing more than one type of insurance with the same insurance company.

Another way to save money is to install smoke detectors and security systems, says Theresa Breunig-Silbernagel, head of strategy and experience at Main Street America Insurance.

“Smart home systems such as motion sensors, video doorbells and water leak sensors will send you an alert on your cell phone so you can handle the issue before it becomes a real problem,” she says. “Often, these installed devices can result in discounts.”

Methodology

Insure.com commissioned home insurance rates from Quadrant Data Services in all 50 states as well as Washington, D.C. with coverage levels of $300,000 for dwelling and liability and with a $1,000 deductible. Average rates were calculated using quotes from 134 insurance companies. To rank insurance companies, we used the average rate in the state along with NAIC complaint ratios and AM Best financial stability ratings.

Natural disaster data was drawn from FEMA’s National Risk Index.

Sources:

FEMA. “Flood Insurance.” Accessed May 2026.

Insurance Information Institute. “How much homeowners insurance do you need?” Accessed May 2026.

National Association of Insurance Commissioners. “Flood Insurance/National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).” Accessed May 2026.

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Alisha Ambre

Alisha Ambre holds a Bachelor of Arts with honours in English Literature and Media Studies. She focuses on crafting clear, engaging content that makes complex information feel practical and approachable for everyday readers. When she’s not writing, she’s likely on the volleyball court or immersed in a good video game.