Best Car Insurance in Columbia, South Carolina

American National offers some of the cheapest auto insurance in South Carolina, including in Columbia. It beats out the competition on premiums, whether you’re a safe driver or have an at-fault accident.

If you prefer shopping online, take note that American National’s website provides limited information on coverage options and discounts, and you’ll need to get a quote by phone with an agent.

Affordable Premiums

With an average annual rate of $786 for full coverage and $272 for minimum coverage, American National is the cheapest among our analyzed providers in Columbia. Here’s how it stacks up:

Good for Bad Credit

One in 3 South Carolinians has a credit score below 600, and bad credit can affect how much you pay for insurance.² Insurance companies consider drivers with a low credit score to be high risk because statistically they are more likely to file claims, and companies raise premiums as a result. In some cases, having bad credit increases your insurance costs more than a DUI.

With the exception of USAA (which is available only to military members), American National has the lowest rates for drivers with bad credit. Here’s how it compares to other insurers in Columbia:

Triple Bundling Discount and Perks

Most auto insurance companies offer bundling discounts when you purchase an additional insurance policy type from it, such as home or life insurance. American National goes a step further and offers an additional discount when you bundle three lines: auto, home, and life.

Additionally, if you insure your vehicle and home with the company and remain claims-free for three years in a row, American National will return a portion of your premium in cash. Each additional year without a claim, you receive another check.

State Farm is known nationally for its affordable premiums and high-quality customer service, and Columbia is no exception. With A++ rating for financial stability from AM Best,³ it offers a robust set of discounts and boasts above-average customer satisfaction scores in the region. The company has 33 agents in Columbia, making it easy to get a quote.

Top-Notch Customer Satisfaction

Every year, J.D. Power ranks auto insurance companies for customer satisfaction, assessing five factors:

1. Billing process and policy information
2. Claims
3. Customer interaction
4. Policy offerings
5. Price

Among the insurers with above average scores in the Southeast, State Farm is the only provider that is both widely available (i.e., doesn’t require an affiliation like USAA) and operates in South Carolina. Here’s how State Farm compares to the competition:

Competitive Rates for Drivers With an At-Fault Accident

The cost of insurance after an at-fault accident usually increases by around 45 to 50 percent in South Carolina, which is on par with the national average. Along with American National, State Farm has some of the cheapest full-coverage insurance in Columbia after an accident:

Good Bundling Discount

After Allstate, State Farm offers the best bundling discount in South Carolina among our analyzed providers — with an estimated 17 percent off for buying both home (including condo and renters) and auto policies. Additionally, you can save 20 percent if you insure multiple vehicles in the same household on one State Farm policy.

USAA offers financial services, including auto insurance, to military members, veterans, and their families. With a J.D. Power customer satisfaction score of 876 out 1,000, it’s the highest-ranked insurer in the Southeast region and a great choice for drivers in Columbia.

Strong Coverage at Low Prices

USAA offers the following auto insurance coverage options, including some you won’t find everywhere, like rideshare, classic car, and car replacement assistance. Additionally, USAA’s roadside assistance stands out as some of the best in the market.

• Bodily injury and property damage liability
• Medical payments
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist
• Comprehensive and collision
• Roadside assistance
• Rental reimbursement
• Car replacement assistance
• Rideshare
• Classic car
• Umbrella insurance

USAA has some of the cheapest rates in the country and the second-cheapest in Columbia. While you may find lower rates with American National, if you’re eligible for USAA, we recommend considering it for your auto insurance due to its financial strength and strong track record for customer satisfaction.

Low APR for Auto Loans

In addition to auto insurance, USAA offers other financial services, including auto loans.

When financing a car, we recommend shopping around with at least three lenders to find the best interest rate. If you’re a USAA member, it’s a good idea to get a quote from the company, as it tends to offer interest rates below the market average. Additionally, unlike some other lenders, USAA often lets you take your car if you deploy, move, or travel overseas.

Competitive Premiums for Bad Credit

Among our analyzed providers, USAA has the best rates for drivers with bad credit. If your credit is below 600 and you’re eligible for USAA membership, it’s worth getting a quote. Here’s how USAA compares to other insurers in Columbia:

With an annual full coverage rate of $2,491 for adding a teen driver to a family policy, Auto-Owners is the cheapest option for teens and their families in Columbia. It’s the third-cheapest option in Columbia overall, after American National and USAA, and it offers a great set of discounts and coverage options.

Good Rates and Discounts for Teens

Auto-Owners has some of the cheapest rates for teens nationally, including in Columbia. Among our analyzed providers, Auto-Owners has the cheapest rates for teens added to a family policy in Columbia:

Auto-Owners helps families with teens save by offering three discounts specific to student drivers:

• Good student, for student drivers who maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher
• Student away at school, for drivers who attend university full time at least 100 miles away and leave the car at home
• Teen driver monitoring, for families with a permanently installed GPS monitor in the car or teens with an eligible app on their phone

Financial Protection After an Accident

The costs of an at-fault accident can add up fast, from increased premiums to deductibles to repairs. Auto-Owners offers a range of options that can save you money in the event of an accident:

• At-fault accident forgiveness: Prevents your premium from rising after an at-fault accident (to purchase, you must have no at-fault accidents or major violations in the past three years)
• Diminished value coverage: Covers the difference in your vehicle’s value after an accident (good for families who plan to trade-in their vehicle)
• Gap coverage: Pays for the difference between what you owe and the actual value of the car in the event of a total loss
• Additional expense coverage: Pays for a rental car and, if you’re stranded away from home, food, lodging, and incidentals
• Collision Coverage Advantage: Waives your collision deductible if you get into an accident with another Auto-Owners insured vehicle

Plenty of Discounts

Auto-Owners offers a robust set of discounts, which can help you save on premiums:

• Multi-policy, including an additional discount for purchasing life insurance
• Good payer (on-time payments for three years)
• Pay in full
• Paperless billing
• Advance quote
• Multi-car
• Safety features and anti-theft devices
• Claims-free
• Good student
• Student away at school
• Teen GPS monitoring

For people in Columbia who drive only occasionally, Allstate is a great option. It’s one of the few major insurers that offers pay-per-mile insurance, which can save infrequent drivers a lot of money. It also has nice student and bundling discounts.

Pay-Per-Mile Insurance

Allstate offers its pay-per-mile insurance plan, Milewise, in 21 states, including South Carolina. Pay-per-mile insurance is a good option for people who own a car they don’t drive frequently, for example:

• Remote workers
• Retirees
• Stay-at-home parents
• College students on campus
• Households with a secondary car

Pay-per-mile plans charge you a base rate, plus a per-mile rate. For example:

If you insure multiple vehicles with Allstate, you can choose whether to designate each as pay-per-mile or traditional unlimited mileage.

Good Bundling Discount

Among our analyzed providers, Allstate offers the best discount for bundling home and auto policies — up to 25 percent off in South Carolina. You can also earn a 20 percent claims-free discount if you switch to Allstate for homeowners insurance and have no recent claims.

Rideshare Coverage

Personal auto policies (with any provider) won’t cover losses sustained while you’re working for a rideshare service, which is why it’s essential to purchase rideshare coverage.

For rideshare drivers in Columbia — whether you work for Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, or another service — Allstate’s Ride for Hire coverage offers important protection and typically adds only a few dollars to your monthly premium.