Drivers in Aiken pay an overall average of $183 per month for car insurance. This is cheaper than South Carolina’s average of $206 but more expensive than the national average of $144 per month.
Insurers consider numerous factors when setting your premium, including the local crime rate. Aiken has a higher property crime rate than most South Carolina cities, with roughly 37 property crimes per 1,000 residents.1
In addition to crime, insurers consider the frequency of severe weather, and while Aiken isn’t on the coast, South Carolina is no stranger to major storms. You should always compare car insurance quotes from multiple insurers to find the best rate.
Cheapest car insurance companies in Aiken
When it comes to finding cheap car insurance in Aiken, your risk factors, vehicle, and budget all affect which insurer is right for you. Premiums can vary dramatically between insurance companies, and finding the right fit for you and your vehicle can be time-consuming.
Finding the cheapest car insurance in Aiken can be even harder if you have an incident on your record or are putting a teen behind the wheel. The table below highlights some of the best insurers for certain drivers. You’ll want to do your own research and compare quotes from multiple companies before buying a policy.
Best insurer for active military, veterans, and their families: USAA
Best insurer for teen drivers: State Farm
Best insurer for drivers with bad credit: Nationwide
How to get the cheapest car insurance in Aiken
Insurers collect a variety of information when setting a rate. They’ll consider both your personal and vehicle’s risk factors. In addition, your policy choices will also affect your premium, as will the insurer’s cost of doing business.
Here are a few tips for finding cheap car insurance Aiken:
Keep a clean driving record. Drivers with clean records typically pay the cheapest premiums. Drive defensively, and avoid speeding.
Apply for discounts. Auto insurance companies usually offer a plethora of discounts that can help you save money on an auto policy, such as good student and defensive driver discounts.
Bundle your home and auto insurance policies. If you bundle your car insurance with homeowners or renters insurance, you could save a good amount on coverage.
Choose a higher deductible. A higher deductible means a lower premium. Be sure you can afford to pay it out of pocket if you need to file a claim.
Compare quotes. Shop around and compare premiums from at least three car insurance companies before buying a policy. Insurers weigh factors differently, so you may find cheaper rates for the same coverage from certain companies.
Cheapest liability-only car insurance in Aiken: USAA
Liability car insurance covers the other driver’s injuries and property damage and injury costs from an at-fault accident. It’s important to understand that liability won’t pay to repair your own vehicle or cover any medical bills related to injuries you may have received in the accident. If you’re only carrying liability coverage, you’ll need to cover repairs to your vehicle out of pocket.
The cheapest insurer for liability-only car insurance in Aiken is USAA, with an average cost of $56 per month.
The table below shows the cheapest liability-only coverage in the Aiken area. Premiums will vary depending on your personal and vehicle rating factors, so be sure to shop your coverage with a variety of insurance companies.
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in Aiken: USAA
Full-coverage car insurance provides liability coverage as well as collision and comprehensive protection. Collision coverage will pay to repair or replace your vehicle if it’s damaged in an accident, while comprehensive will pay for damage caused by fire, flood, vandalism, and more.
If you want to fully repair your car after an accident, you should carry full-coverage car insurance. If you have a loan or lease on the vehicle, your lender will require full coverage to protect its investment in your vehicle.
The cheapest insurer for full-coverage car insurance in Aiken is USAA, with an average cost of $88 per month. The table provides details on some other affordable insurers and their average monthly quotes.
Car insurance requirements in South Carolina
South Carolina, like most other states, is an at-fault state, which means that the person responsible for a car accident needs to pay for other people’s injuries and property damage that results from the accident.
South Carolina legally requires all drivers to carry liability coverage. Liability coverage is broken into two categories: bodily injury and property damage. Bodily injury (BI) covers medical and legal bills for other drivers you injure with your vehicle, while property damage (PD) will pay for damaged or destroyed property.
The table below lists South Carolina’s minimum car insurance requirements:
While these are the required limits, they may not be sufficient in a serious accident. You’d have to cover any expenses that exceed your coverage limits out of pocket.
Some additional coverages to consider carrying to protect your wallet include:
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with an incident
Insurance companies consider your driving record when setting your premium. You’ll likely pay a higher rate if you have any incidents on your record. Incidents include at-fault accidents, speeding tickets, driving under the influence (DUI), reckless driving, and other moving violations.
How much your rate will climb with an incident on your driving record will vary depending on the type of incident, as well as other personal factors. Multiple incidents in a short time will result in a dramatic premium increase. Serious violations such as a DUI or reckless driving will result in a large premium increase, while a minor speeding ticket may only lead to a slight bump.
Average cost of car insurance by age
One rating factor that insurers consider is your age. It can have a major effect on your premium. In most cases, premiums will be sky-high for newly minted drivers, stabilize in middle age, and climb again as you hit your golden years.
Young drivers pay more for car insurance than any other group. Adding a teen to your policy can often double the cost of your premium. They pay so much for coverage because they’re inexperienced on the road and tend to take more risks, leading to plenty of at-fault accidents.
The risk of motor vehicle crashes is higher among teens ages 16 to 19 than among any other age group, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).4 Teen drivers in this age group have a fatal crash rate almost three times as high as drivers 20 and older per mile driven.5
Car insurance rates stabilize in your 30s (assuming a clean record) but will start climbing again around age 70 because statistics show that senior drivers tend to be involved in more accidents. Older drivers don’t suffer from a lack of experience but typically have slower reactions, medical issues, and injure more easily, making them a greater risk to insure.
Check out the table below to find average monthly rates for various age groups.
Aiken car insurance quotes by credit tier
While you might not think your credit history has anything to do with your car insurance, your insurer would disagree. Most states (South Carolina included) allow insurers to consider your credit information when setting a premium.
Insurers consider your credit as part of a larger credit-based insurance score to determine your premium. Drivers with lower credit scores almost always pay more for car insurance than drivers with excellent or good credit. Improving your credit score can lead to massive savings.
The chart below shows how poor credit can result in a more expensive car insurance policy, and vice versa.