One of the many factors that are looked at to help calculate insurance cost is where you live. Areas with more people or more claims will most likely pay more, whereas areas with lower crime rates and fewer weather claims benefit from lower prices.
The following table shows the most expensive cities in California for 16 year olds in which to purchase auto insurance. San Francisco makes the list at #4 with the yearly price of $1,711 for car insurance, which is approximately $143 each month.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,146 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,079 |
| 3 | Oakland | $1,755 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,711 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
| 6 | Long Beach | $1,626 |
| 7 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
| 8 | Stockton | $1,588 |
| 9 | Modesto | $1,547 |
| 10 | Moreno Valley | $1,536 |
| 11 | Fontana | $1,535 |
| 12 | Santa Clarita | $1,533 |
| 13 | Garden Grove | $1,508 |
| 14 | Fresno | $1,502 |
| 15 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 16 | Anaheim | $1,474 |
| 17 | Santa Ana | $1,439 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,437 |
| 19 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 20 | Fremont | $1,403 |
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Annual rates are approximated as the specific area where the vehicle is garaged can affect price quotes significantly.
The car, truck, or SUV you are insuring is one of the largest factors when quoting the most affordable insurance for 16 year olds. Vehicles with economical engines, an excellent safety record, or a positive history of liability claims will cost much less to insure than higher performance models.
The table below presents auto insurance rates for a handful of the most budget-friendly automobiles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan | $5,522 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $5,573 |
| Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $5,910 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $5,918 |
| Toyota Prius | $5,960 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport Islander Package 4WD 2-Dr | $6,164 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $6,215 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $6,295 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $6,501 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 2WD | $6,552 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $6,559 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $6,552 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $6,603 |
| Ford Explorer Limited AWD | $6,609 |
| Ford Focus SES 4-Dr Sedan | $6,835 |
| Ford Edge Limited AWD | $6,886 |
| Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $6,894 |
| Toyota Corolla LE | $6,886 |
| GMC Sierra SLT Extended Cab 2WD | $6,937 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LT Crew Cab 4WD | $6,943 |
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Prices based on single female driver age 16, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Premium costs do not factor in specific garaging location which can increase or decrease insurance rates noticeably.
Based on these rates, models like the Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Hyundai Elantra are most likely to be some of the less-costly vehicles to insure for new drivers. Prices will tend to be more expensive just because there is more claim risk for 16 year olds, but generally speaking those specific models will tend to have the cheapest auto insurance rates possible.
Discounts on San Francisco insurance rates
Auto insurance companies that offer quotes for 16 year olds may also offer discounts that can lower rates by as much as 35% or more if you qualify. A list of companies and their offered discounts are shown below.
- State Farm discounts include good student, anti-theft, multiple policy, Drive Safe & Save, good driver, and student away at school.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts for multi-car, distant student, switch companies, bundle discounts, pay in full, and electronic funds transfer.
- GEICO has discounts for air bags, multi-policy, membership and employees, defensive driver, and multi-vehicle.
- American Family offers discounts including Steer into Savings, defensive driver, good student, bundled insurance, mySafetyValet, good driver, and air bags.
- Nationwide has savings for Farm Bureau membership, anti-theft, business or organization, good student, and accident-free.
- Progressive offers premium reductions for good student, homeowner, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, online signing, and continuous coverage.
The chart below illustrates the comparison of car insurance rates with and without discounts. The premiums are based on a male driver, no accidents or driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $1,000 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with continuous coverage, vehicle safety, good student, anti-theft, passive restraint, and paperless filing discounts applied. When these discounts are applied to the policy premium, the average savings per year on auto insurance for 16 year olds is 28% or $929.
Impact of citations and accidents on San Francisco insurance rates
In a perfect world, the ideal way to earn the best auto insurance prices in California for new drivers is to drive safely and not receive tickets or have accidents. The diagram below illustrates how traffic citations and at-fault claims impact insurance premiums for different age categories. The premium estimates are based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
The data charted above shows the average cost of auto insurance per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,418. Get written up for two speeding tickets and the average cost increases to $2,003, an increase of $585 each year. Next add one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of auto insurance for 16 year olds goes up to an average of $2,598. That’s an increase of $1,180, or $98 per month, just for not being a responsible driver!
How to find low-cost insurance for 16 year olds
Below you’ll find some of the recommended money-saving suggestions that can help you locate cheap coverage.
- Raise your deductibles
- Save money by only buying liability coverage for older vehicles
- Safer vehicles cost less to insure
- Clean up your credit
- Save money by insuring your home and auto with the same company
- Avoid filing small claims
- Shop around for cheaper prices often
The last suggestion is incredibly vital, as we discussed in this write-up. Coverage prices fluctuate considerably, so don’t be tentative to switch companies if a more affordable price is available. Having a favorite company is great, but it isn’t a good idea if that stubbornness costs you hundreds of dollars a year. In just a couple of minutes you could shop around and find cheaper auto insurance for 16 year olds in San Francisco.
The insurance agencies below can aid you in deciding which is the best policy, since lots of people like to have some advice when buying car insurance for new drivers. It’s not always simple to find the cheapest auto insurance company, and using a licensed agent can give comfort knowing you have sufficient protection if you have a claim. To find a San Francisco insurance agent in your neighborhood, click the button at the bottom or click here to compare rates now.
- Lynn Petrie Lange – State Farm Insurance Agent
3717 Buchanan St #100 – San Francisco, CA 94123 – (415) 923-0192 - Fillia Fransisca – State Farm Insurance Agent
2315 Noriega St – San Francisco, CA 94122 – (415) 661-3726 - Darlene Chow – State Farm Insurance Agent
206 Spear St – San Francisco, CA 94105 – (415) 441-1119 - Walter Li – State Farm Insurance Agent
1329 Chestnut St – San Francisco, CA 94123 – (415) 346-1000 - Sam and Associates Insurance Agency
2225 Taraval St – San Francisco, CA 94116 – (415) 665-0181