One of the more important components that are looked at to help calculate the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you live. Regions with larger populations or more claims tend to have higher auto insurance costs, whereas areas with fewer weather claims and lower vehicle theft rates have the benefit of cheaper car insurance.
The next table ranks the highest-priced areas in California for welfare recipients to buy an auto insurance policy in. San Diego makes the list at #21 with a yearly premium of $1,381 for the average insured, which is about $115 monthly.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,058 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,704 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,703 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,644 |
| 7 | Long Beach | $1,610 |
| 8 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
| 9 | Fontana | $1,566 |
| 10 | Stockton | $1,556 |
| 11 | Moreno Valley | $1,551 |
| 12 | Fresno | $1,517 |
| 13 | Garden Grove | $1,508 |
| 14 | Modesto | $1,487 |
| 15 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,439 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,423 |
| 19 | Bakersfield | $1,394 |
| 20 | Irvine | $1,384 |
| 21 | San Diego | $1,381 |
| 22 | Huntington Beach | $1,360 |
| 23 | Fremont | $1,348 |
| 24 | Oxnard | $1,318 |
| 25 | Chula Vista | $1,311 |
| Quote Best Rates Go | ||
Rates are approximated as the specific geographic location can alter premiums noticeably.
Determining which insurers offer the cheapest auto insurance rates for welfare recipients may require a bit more effort than just picking a company at random. Every insurance company uses their own formula for setting prices, so let’s look at the rankings for the most budget-friendly auto insurance companies in San Diego.
It’s important that readers know that San Diego auto insurance rates are influenced by many factors that control the policy premium. Getting older, buying a different home, or having a fender bender may generate price changes that can make some companies cheaper than others.
Find the Cheapest Car Insurance in California
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,143 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,157 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,178 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,198 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,263 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,379 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 9 | Progressive | $1,542 |
| 10 | Allstate | $1,543 |
| 11 | Mercury | $1,548 |
| 12 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
| 13 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,654 |
| 15 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,699 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,750 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,795 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
| Find Your Rate Go | ||
USAA generally has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in San Diego at around $1,143 annually. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide also are some of the more affordable San Diego, CA auto insurance companies.
As illustrated above, if you are insured with Century National and switched to USAA, you might achieve yearly savings of around $35. Policyholders with CSAA might save as much as $55 a year, and Nationwide policyholders might lower prices by up to $120 a year.
These rates are averages across all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and and are not figured with an exact vehicle garaging location for welfare recipients. So the auto insurance company that fits your needs best may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That underscores the importance of why you need to compare rates from as many companies as possible using your own specific driver information and vehicle.
Safe drivers pay less for auto insurance
The best way to receive cheap auto insurance prices in San Diego for drivers on welfare is to drive attentively and not receive tickets or have accidents. The example below demonstrates how speeding tickets and at-fault collisions can increase premium costs for different age groups. The prices are based on a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, $250 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
In the prior example, the average cost of a car insurance policy in California per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,785. Receive one speeding ticket and the average cost increases to $2,078, an increase of $293 each year. Then include two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the yearly cost of auto insurance for welfare recipients jumps again to an average of $4,613. That’s an increase of $2,828, or $236 per month, just for not being attentive to the road!
Discount San Diego insurance rates
Car insurance companies that offer cheap quotes for welfare recipients may also offer price discounts that may potentially lower prices by 25% or more if you meet specific criteria. A list of auto insurance companies and the discounts they provide are outlined below.
- GEICO has discounts for five-year accident-free, military active duty, membership and employees, seat belt use, anti-theft, and driver training.
- MetLife policyholders can earn discounts including claim-free, good student, accident-free, multi-policy, and good driver.
- Progressive offers discounts including online signing, continuous coverage, multi-policy, homeowner, and online quote discount.
- Travelers has savings for payment discounts, home ownership, new car, hybrid/electric vehicle, and continuous insurance.
- SAFECO includes discounts for safe driver, accident prevention training, multi-car, teen safety rewards, homeowner, and teen safe driver.
- AAA offers premium reductions for pay-in-full, anti-theft, good student, AAA membership discount, good driver, and education and occupation.
The diagram below shows the comparison of car insurance rates with and without some available policy discounts. The data is based on a female driver, no claims or driving citations, California state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with passive restraint, anti-theft, marriage, defensive driving course, accident-free, and multiple policy discounts applied. When drivers take advantage of discounts, theamount saved on auto insurance for welfare recipients is 28% or $662.
How to find the cheapest insurance for welfare recipients
Lowering your rates is not difficult, and here are some penny-pinching solutions that can help you quote cheaper coverage.
- Pay for small claims rather than turning them in to your insurance company
- Avoid getting citations and tickets
- Full coverage is expensive so only insure older vehicles for liability only
- Avoid preventable accidents
- Increase your policy deductibles
- Compare rates often to find the best deal
That last tip is extraordinarily crucial, as was emphasized in the prior article. Insurance rates in San Diego vary greatly, so don’t be hesitant to buy a policy from a new company if a more affordable price is available. We understand brand loyalty, but it’s not a great idea if that loyalty ends up costing hundreds of dollars a year. If you have a few minutes, now is a great time to compare prices and find cheaper car insurance for welfare recipients.