Why South Carolina Car Insurance Might Be Expensive for You

At $1,139 per year, the average cost of auto insurance in South Carolina is cheaper than more expensive states like New York or Michigan but still more expensive than other states in the country. Many factors contribute to these higher insurance costs, such as heavy highway traffic density or vehicle theft rates, but it can also depend on a driver’s particular situation. To find cheap auto insurance in South Carolina, residents must be proactive when shopping around for policies.

Insurers determine the cost of auto insurance in South Carolina using factors related to location and driver profiles. While drivers can control some of these factors to mitigate the risk of high premiums, others are out of their hands and must be planned for accordingly.

Insurance companies in South Carolina use your personal information to determine your level of risk, which then dictates your premiums. Details like your age, gender and marital status are considered. Additionally, insurers factor traffic violations you have, the type of vehicle you drive, your mileage, the distance you commute to calculate your auto insurance rates.

Driving history alone can impact premiums greatly, as drivers in the state with a clean record pay an average of $1,139 per year for auto insurance, but those with a speeding ticket pay $224 more or $1,363 per year.

Where you live and drive in South Carolina also affects auto insurance premiums. North Charleston, for instance, has two zip codes where drivers pay more than the rest of the state — 29405 and 29418. Drivers in the ​​29418 zip code pay an average of $1,262 per year for auto insurance, which is $152 more expensive than residents in the cheapest South Carolina zip code pay for coverage.

Drivers who live in cities and counties with a high risk of theft or vandalism may pay more for auto insurance. For example, Richland County’s motor vehicle theft rate reached 58 thefts per 10,000 residents in 2019, much higher than the state average of 30.6. As a result, drivers in Columbia — a city in the county — pay an average of $1,144 per year for auto insurance, which is a little higher than the state average of $1,139.

Insurers consider the highway traffic density of an area when determining premiums since more dense traffic leads to increased risks on the road. For instance, frequent bumper-to-bumper traffic in South Carolina can increase the likelihood of crashes. If this leads to more auto insurance claims, insurance providers react by raising premiums.

The rate of accidents in South Carolina is another factor that contributes to high auto insurance costs. North Charleston, one of the most expensive cities to insure a car within the state, has a high rate of fatal traffic accidents, with an average of 20.31 fatal car accidents per 100,000 people. Residents in the city of Columbia also have high auto insurance premiums, which can be attributed to their rate of fatal car accidents of 11.24 out of 100,000 people.

Auto insurance rates change every year. As a whole, car insurance rates have been increasing in the United States, and South Carolina is no exception. Case in point: the average ​​cost of auto insurance in South Carolina increased by $114 or 11.8% between 2015 and 2021.

If you are still confused about the cost of auto insurance in South Carolina, here are a few frequently asked questions.