Cheapest Auto Insurance in Santa Barbara, California (2025)
USAA offers the cheapest liability insurance rates in Santa Barbara, with quotes starting at $69 per month.
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Average car insurance costs for Santa Barbara drivers are lower than California averages. Full-coverage car insurance in Santa Barbara averages $167 per month, and liability-only policies average $85 monthly. The state averages are $200 and $93, respectively.
Santa Barbara is one of California’s smaller cities by population.[?] It’s also considered a very walkable city. These factors result in fewer drivers on the road, which can lower driving risks and result in reduced auto insurance premiums.
However, while rates remain lower in Santa Barbara, you can still find ways to cut your costs even more. Here’s how.
Quick Facts
USAA, National General, and Sun Coast are the three cheapest insurers for Santa Barbara drivers.
Santa Barbara saw just three fatalities in 2023, and 492 accidents that resulted in injuries, according to the California Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System.
California doesn’t allow insurers to use your credit history during the underwriting process.
3 of the cheapest car insurance companies in Santa Barbara
While auto insurance is generally affordable in Santa Barbara, California car insurance rates vary by insurer as well as by driver profile. Some insurers offer more affordable coverage than others for drivers who have certain driving records, live in certain ZIP codes, or are in certain age groups. That’s why it’s important to compare rates from several insurers to find the best coverage for you.
The table below shows some of the top auto insurers in Santa Barbara, including their statewide rates for full and liability coverage. Include them in your car insurance search.
Insurance Company  | IQ Score The Insurify Quality (IQ) Score uses more than 15 criteria to objectively rate insurance companies on a one-to-ten scale. The Insurify editorial team researches insurer data to determine the final scores. | Full Coverage | Liability Only | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury | 7.5 | $194 | $101 | Students |
| Clearcover | 7.1 | $113 | $54 | Drivers with a DUI |
| USAA | 9.1 | $186 | $81 | Military members |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Our editorial team spent more than 350 hours developing the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score and scoring insurance companies. The IQ Score objectively analyzes and calculates a score for insurers using more than 15 crucial criteria. The team weighted criteria by importance to the consumer — factors such as customer reviews and affordability influence the score more than availability and third-party ratings.
We rate each company on a 1 to 10 scale based on five categories: financial ratings, customer satisfaction, affordability, customer support and transparency, and availability. Insurify updates ratings once a year or as more recent information becomes available.
- Third-party financial ratings: Insurify uses data from AM Best, S&P, Moody’s, and more to compare insurance companies’ credit and ability to pay out future claims.
- Customer satisfaction: To calculate this score, Insurify analyzed more than 55,000 customer reviews across 155 car insurance companies. We also consider third-party ratings from J.D. Power, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and Trustpilot.
- Affordability: Our data scientists analyzed more than 90 million real-time auto insurance rates from our partners across the U.S., as well as available discounts, to calculate an affordability score.
- Customer support and transparency: This measures coverage options, ease of claims filing, and the insurer's transparency surrounding discounts, coverages, and claims process.
- Availability and reach: Insurify scores availability and reach by identifying the number of states in which insurers offer coverage and company size by market share.
Best insurer for students: Mercury Auto Insurance
Best insurer for drivers with a DUI: Clearcover
Best insurer for the military community: USAA
How to get the cheapest car insurance in Santa Barbara
The car insurance rates you get will depend on many things, including your age, driving record, marital status, credit history, and more. While some of these aspects are out of your control, you can do some things to lower your car insurance rates, including:
Get multiple insurance quotes. Many insurers cover drivers in California, and the cheapest company for one driver may not be the cheapest for someone else. Try to get at least three quotes from different insurers to find the best plan for you. Independent insurance agents can help, or you can answer a few simple questions to get online auto insurance quotes.
Take advantage of discounts. Many insurers offer savings for being accident-free, bundling home and auto coverage, earning good grades, or working for a certain business. It’s a good idea to explore available discounts and make sure to ask for all the savings you and your family are eligible for.
Be smart about your vehicle. Cars with anti-theft devices and certain safety features cost less to insure. Compare insurance quotes for different cars before deciding which to buy.
Drive safely. Avoiding accidents and moving violations will help you keep your insurance costs down.
Bundle your insurance policies. Buying your auto and homeowners (or renters) insurance through the same company could make you eligible for a bundling discount of 5% or more.
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Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Santa Barbara
Liability-only insurance provides the state-minimum required liability coverage. California requires every driver to buy liability insurance to protect others. If you’re at fault in a collision, this coverage will pay for the other party’s injuries and property damage. But it won’t pay for damages to your vehicle, so liability-only insurance is usually best for drivers with older, less-expensive vehicles.
The average rate for liability-only insurance in California is $93, and you can see average quotes from area insurers in the table below.
The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Friday, October 31 at 5:00 PM PDT.
Insurance Company | Average Monthly Quote |
|---|---|
| USAA | $69 |
| National General | $77 |
| Sun Coast | $80 |
| Dairyland | $82 |
| Root | $87 |
| Mercury | $89 |
| Allstate | $95 |
| Farmers | $99 |
| Anchor | $100 |
| Direct Auto | $100 |
| GEICO | $100 |
| Bristol West | $105 |
| State Farm | $106 |
| Travelers | $112 |
| 21st Century | $122 |
| Nationwide | $150 |
| Chubb | $190 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Santa Barbara
Full-coverage auto insurance adds additional protections beyond the required state-minimum liability insurance. It typically includes both collision and comprehensive insurance. Collision insurance pays for your losses in a crash, no matter who caused it. Comprehensive coverage pays for your losses from something other than a collision, such as falling objects, theft, or vandalism.
If you lease or finance your vehicle, your leasing company or lender will require you to buy full coverage for greater financial protection.
The table below shows how quotes in Santa Barbara compare with the state full-coverage average rate of $200 per month.
The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Friday, October 31 at 5:00 PM PDT.
Insurance Company | Average Monthly Quote |
|---|---|
| USAA | $158 |
| Root | $160 |
| Anchor | $162 |
| Mercury | $169 |
| GEICO | $176 |
| Sun Coast | $202 |
| Allstate | $219 |
| National General | $221 |
| Farmers | $225 |
| State Farm | $243 |
| Bristol West | $246 |
| Travelers | $255 |
| Direct Auto | $265 |
| 21st Century | $278 |
| Dairyland | $285 |
| Nationwide | $343 |
| Chubb | $434 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Car insurance requirements in California
California requires every driver to have liability coverage to protect others when they cause a collision.
State lawmakers approved an increase in coverage limits, which will take effect Jan. 1, 2025. The table below reflects this change and the types and amount of coverage all drivers need to carry:
Coverage | 2024 Coverage Limits | 2025 Coverage Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident | $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident |
| Property damage liability | $5,000 per accident | $15,000 per accident |
While the table above includes your minimum requirements, you may want to expand your protection with some additional coverages. Some other kinds of coverage you may want include:
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident
Speeding tickets, at-fault accidents, driving under the influence, and other moving violations make you a riskier driver in the eyes of insurers. As a result, insurers charge higher premiums when motorists have such incidents on their driving record. Depending on the incident, your rates in California could almost double compared to what a driver with a clean record might pay.
The table below shows the cheapest auto insurance for drivers who have various incidents on their record.
The below rates are estimated rates current as of: Friday, October 31 at 5:00 PM PDT.
Insurance Company | Clean Record | With At-Fault Accident | With Speeding Ticket | With DUI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | $69 | $86 | $87 | $94 |
| Sun Coast | $80 | $95 | $98 | $99 |
| National General | $77 | $96 | $95 | $105 |
| Dairyland | $82 | $102 | $101 | $111 |
| Root | $87 | $107 | $114 | $117 |
| Allstate | $95 | $118 | $120 | $129 |
| GEICO | $100 | $120 | $128 | $132 |
| Farmers | $99 | $123 | $124 | $134 |
| Anchor | $100 | $124 | $122 | $139 |
| Mercury | $89 | $126 | $123 | $126 |
| Direct Auto | $100 | $129 | $124 | $136 |
| Bristol West | $105 | $130 | $130 | $143 |
| State Farm | $106 | $131 | $131 | $144 |
| Travelers | $112 | $141 | $142 | $152 |
| 21st Century | $122 | $154 | $156 | $166 |
| Nationwide | $150 | $188 | $190 | $204 |
| Chubb | $190 | $235 | $236 | $258 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers and quote estimates from Quadrant Information Services. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
Average cost of car insurance by age
People at the beginning and end of their driving lives present a higher risk of auto accidents. For teens, this is because of their inexperience. For older drivers, it’s due to their reduced faculties. This is why auto insurance rates are generally higher for drivers younger than 25 and older than 70, although rates do vary by insurer.
The table below shows what Santa Barbara drivers of different ages can expect to pay for auto insurance.
Age | Average Monthly Quote |
|---|---|
| Teens | $233 |
| 20s | $170 |
| 30s | $124 |
| 40s | $116 |
| 50s | $111 |
| 60s | $97 |
| 70s | $101 |
Disclaimer: Table data sourced from real-time quotes from Insurify's 500+ partner insurance providers. Actual quotes may vary based on the policy buyer's unique driver profile.
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Santa Barbara car insurance FAQs
Looking for more information to help you find the lowest rates in Santa Barbara? Consult the answers below.
How much is car insurance in Santa Barbara?
The average rate for car insurance in Santa Barbara is $85 for liability-only policies and $167 for full coverage. This makes Santa Barbara more affordable than the California state averages of $93 and $200 per month, respectively.
Which insurance company has the lowest rates in Santa Barbara?
USAA offers the cheapest car insurance rates in Santa Barbara. Its liability-only coverage starts at $69 per month. Santa Barbara drivers can also find affordable rates from the city's second- and third-cheapest insurance providers, National General, and Sun Coast. Their monthly liability quotes start at $77 and $80, respectively.
Can insurers review your credit history in California?
No. California law prevents insurers from reviewing your credit history as part of their underwriting process. In the states where this is legal (which is most states), people with good or excellent credit pay significantly less for insurance compared to people with poor credit histories.
What are the best car insurance companies in Santa Barbara?
Mercury, Clearcover, and USAA are three of the top insurers in Santa Barbara, and each is known for serving specific groups. Mercury’s student discounts are appealing to the thousands of college students in the area, while Clearcover offers some of the lowest rates for drivers with a DUI on their record. Finally, USAA is dedicated to serving the military community and has several offerings military members can take advantage of.
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