Columbia, Missouri, is a vibrant college town with a relatively low cost of living. If you live there or are considering moving there, you have many options for finding low-cost car insurance. Some of the cheapest insurers are USAA, Progressive, and State Farm, though others may better suit your needs.
The average monthly cost of auto insurance in Columbia is $93 for liability-only coverage and $172 for full coverage. The costs are generally a little cheaper than the state averages of $91 and $175, respectively.
Your car insurance costs will vary depending on your situation, deductible, coverage levels, and the number of vehicles on your policy. Always compare quotes before buying a policy.
Columbia drivers will find the cheapest liability-only and full-coverage auto insurance rates from USAA.
Columbia had 15 traffic fatalities in 2023, according to the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety data.1
Missouri is prone to natural disasters, such as ice storms, tornadoes, and flooding, which can lead to car insurance claims.
3 of the cheapest car insurance companies in Columbia
The best car insurance company for you will depend on your insurance needs and driving history, among various other factors.
USAA is a great choice for military members, veterans, and their families. State Farm is well-suited for many drivers, especially drivers looking for specialty coverage like rideshare insurance. Travelers is great for drivers looking to bundle their auto policies with other policies, like pet and home insurance.
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 full coverage: USAA
Best insurer for rideshare coverage: State Farm
Best insurer for bundling: Travelers
How to get the cheapest car insurance in Columbia
If you want to get the cheapest car insurance in Columbia, Missouri, here are a few tips:3
Compare prices. Numerous car insurance companies serve Columbia. When shopping for insurance, get quotes from three to five car insurance companies to ensure you get the best rate for your circumstances.
Select a safe vehicle. Operating a vehicle with high safety scores and important safety features could help reduce your car insurance costs.
Bundle your insurance policies. If you already have home or renters insurance, ask your insurance company for quotes to add on car insurance. Many insurance companies will discount your car insurance when you purchase more than one type of insurance from them.
Raise your deductible. If you want a lower car insurance rate, a straightforward way to get it is by raising your deductible — the amount you’re responsible for paying after an incident or accident before your insurance kicks in. Of course, make sure you have the amount of your deductible in savings, just in case.
Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Columbia
Liability-only car insurance only covers a third party’s property and injuries in the case of an accident. It won’t cover your own property damage or medical needs.1
Drivers who want to save on monthly car insurance costs would be a good fit for liability-only insurance, as long as they understand the risks of being underinsured in case of an accident. A liability-only policy can make sense if you drive an older, less-expensive vehicle that's paid for.
Generally, however, insurance professionals recommend carrying more than your state’s minimum required amount of liability insurance to protect yourself financially if you cause an accident. Liability-only policies in Columbia, Missouri, cost an average of $93 per month.
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Columbia
Though more expensive than liability-only policies, full-coverage car insurance includes liability coverage and also pays for your own medical needs and property damages through collision and comprehensive coverage. It’s a good fit if you can’t or don’t want to pay for your own expenses out of pocket in case of an accident, which you’d have to do if you only had liability car insurance. And if you lease or finance your vehicle, your leasing company or lender will require you to carry full coverage.
Full-coverage policies in Columbia, Missouri, cost an average of $172 per month.
Car insurance requirements in Missouri
Missouri law states that all vehicles, whether parked or driven, must have insurance. Drivers also must be able to present their insurance information when a police officer requests it. Like many states, Missouri has specific minimum requirements for car insurance. Drivers will likely need more than the minimum to be fully covered in case of an accident, however.
Here are the minimum coverage requirements in Missouri:2
Drivers should also consider getting the following optional coverages:
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident
If you have a clean driving record, it’s likely you’ll qualify for some of the best car insurance rates. However, if you have a driving incident on your driving record, you’ll typically have to pay more because insurance companies consider you a riskier driver.
Some examples of driving incidents include speeding tickets, driving under the influence, or being in at-fault accidents.
In Missouri, drivers with a DUI pay substantially more on average than those with a clean driving record. They also pay more per month on average than those with speeding tickets and at-fault accidents on their records.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a speeding ticket: USAA
In Missouri, getting a speeding ticket while driving typically means an increase in auto premiums. Insurance companies consider you a riskier driver and, thus, more of a liability. So, it costs more for them to insure you. Here are the companies with the lowest average monthly liability rates for drivers with speeding tickets.
The average cost of car insurance for Columbia drivers with a speeding ticket is $113 per month for minimum coverage and $208 for full coverage.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an at-fault accident: USAA
If you have an at-fault accident while driving in Missouri, your car insurance premiums will likely go up. Here are the cheapest car insurance companies offering minimum coverage for drivers with accidents on their records.
The average cost of car insurance for Columbia drivers with an at-fault accident on record is $120 per month for minimum coverage.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI: USAA
A DUI is a serious offense. Drivers can get a DUI for driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, recreational drugs, or prescription drugs.
Each state has different legal blood alcohol level (BAC) limits. Missouri uses the term “DWI,” meaning driving while intoxicated/impaired. In Missouri, the BAC limit is 0.08 for drivers older than 21 and 0.02 for drivers younger than 21.
Here are the cheapest liability-only quotes for Columbia, Missouri drivers with DUIs. The average cost of car insurance for Columbia drivers with a DUI on record is $150 per month for liability only and $277 for full coverage.
Cheapest car insurance for seniors: USAA
Older adults typically have lower car insurance rates because they’re considered experienced drivers. However, rates can go up after drivers reach age 70. Drivers 70 and older have a higher likelihood of death in a crash than drivers age 35 to 54, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here are the companies with the best auto insurance quotes in Columbia for senior drivers.
The average cost of car insurance for Columbia seniors is $144 per month for liability only and $144 for full coverage.
Cheapest car insurance for teens: USAA
Buying car insurance for teenagers is typically more expensive than purchasing insurance for adults. Teenage drivers lack driving experience and have a higher incidence of accidents, so insurance companies consider them riskier. The average cost of car insurance for teen drivers in Columbia is $321 per month for full coverage and $174 for liability only.
You can usually reduce the cost of a teenager’s driver’s insurance by keeping them on the family insurance policy, purchasing them a safe car, teaching them good driving habits, and utilizing discounts, like a good student discount.
Columbia car insurance quotes by credit tier
Missouri is one of the many states where insurance companies can incorporate your credit history when calculating insurance rates. Insurify data shows drivers with excellent credit pay around $2,000 less per year than drivers with poor credit.
If you want to increase your credit score, you have a few ways to do so. Your payment history — whether or not you pay your bills on time — makes up the largest portion of your credit score (35%). The next largest portion of your score is amounts owed (30%). That reflects the amount of debt you have in relation to the amount of credit you have.4
Making payments on time and reducing your debt load are two ways to improve your credit if you want to qualify for cheaper car insurance rates.
Is car insurance more expensive in Columbia?
The national average cost of car insurance is $182 per month for full coverage and $103 for liability-only policies. Columbia's average car insurance rates are lower, at $172 and $93, respectively. The city’s averages are also lower than the Missouri state averages.
Car insurance rates vary by location, crime, and personal facts about drivers, such as age and driving history. If you move to another city in Missouri, your insurance rates may increase or decrease.
More cities in Missouri
Several other cities in Missouri have comparable car insurance rates to Columbia. Here is a list of other cities and how their average monthly car insurance rates compare to those in Columbia, Missouri.
Columbia car insurance FAQs
Finding the best car insurance can be challenging. Below, you’ll find answers to some commonly asked questions about how to find the best auto insurance in Columbia.
How much is car insurance in Columbia, Missouri?
Car insurance in Columbia costs $133 per month, on average. Drivers in the state pay $172 per month for full-coverage insurance and $93 per month for liability coverage.
The exact cost of your premium will depend on your insurer, driving record, age, credit history, vehicle type, chosen coverage level, and more.
What are the cheapest car insurance companies in Columbia, Missouri?
Columbia drivers will find the cheapest car insurance rates with USAA. The insurer's liability policies start at $58 per month.
Progressive and State Farm are the second- and third-cheapest auto insurers for Columbia drivers, with minimum-coverage rates as low as $67 and $68, respectively.
What are the best car insurance companies in Columbia, Missouri?
With an Insurify Quality (IQ) Score of 9.3 out of 5 and an AM Best financial strength rating of A++ (Superior), State Farm is the best car insurance company in Columbia.
Of the insurers Insurify has rate data for, other top Columbia choices include USAA and Allstate.
What are the penalties for driving without insurance in Missouri?
Driving without insurance in Missouri is illegal. If you’re caught driving without at least the minimum amount of required coverage, you could receive four points on your driving record, lose your license for up to a year, and pay up to $400 in reinstatement fees.5
Should you purchase medical payments coverage in Missouri?
It depends. Medical payments cover your medical costs up to your policy limits. It typically covers you and any passengers in your car, regardless of who was at fault in an accident. While it may increase your premium costs, it can be worth it if you want to fully protect yourself and your passengers.