For new drivers, one of the more important components that determine car insurance rates is where you live. Areas with increased crime or more people will most likely pay more, whereas areas with fewer weather claims and lower vehicle theft rates can boast about having cheaper rates.
The next table ranks the most expensive areas in California for first-time drivers to purchase car insurance in. San Francisco comes in at #4 with the yearly price of $1,745 for the average policy, which is approximately $145 each month.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,146 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,121 |
| 3 | Oakland | $1,755 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,720 |
| 6 | Long Beach | $1,626 |
| 7 | Stockton | $1,588 |
| 8 | San Bernardino | $1,580 |
| 9 | Garden Grove | $1,570 |
| 10 | Santa Clarita | $1,548 |
| 11 | Riverside | $1,542 |
| 12 | Modesto | $1,532 |
| 13 | Fontana | $1,519 |
| 14 | Santa Ana | $1,497 |
| 15 | Moreno Valley | $1,491 |
| 16 | Fresno | $1,457 |
| 17 | San Jose | $1,437 |
| 18 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 19 | Bakersfield | $1,394 |
| 20 | Fremont | $1,389 |
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Rate information is estimated as zip code location can affect price quotes significantly.
Figuring out which insurers offer the best insurance rates for first-time drivers will take more work in order to find coverage that fits your budget.
Each auto insurance company has a proprietary method for filing rates in each state, so we’ll go over the lowest cost insurance companies in San Francisco. It’s important that you understand San Francisco, CA insurance rates are calculated based on many things that control the price you have to pay for coverage. Improving your credit rating, marrying your spouse, or getting a speeding ticket can trigger price changes that may make certain companies cheaper than competitors.
Find Cheaper Car Insurance for Inexperienced Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,143 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,192 |
| 3 | CSAA | $1,222 |
| 4 | Century National | $1,226 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,263 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | GEICO | $1,529 |
| 9 | Allied | $1,541 |
| 10 | Progressive | $1,542 |
| 11 | Allstate | $1,543 |
| 12 | Mercury | $1,548 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,575 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,590 |
| 15 | Esurance | $1,688 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,733 |
| 17 | State Farm | $1,733 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,831 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,946 |
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USAA may have some of the cheapest car insurance rates in San Francisco at around $1,143 a year. This is $508 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide would also be considered some of the cheaper San Francisco, CA car insurance companies.
As illustrated above, if you are a policyholder with Century National and switched to USAA, you may see an annual premium reduction of around $83. Insureds with Nationwide might save as much as $120 a year, and 21st Century insureds might realize rate reductions of up to $182 a year.
To get a quick, customized rate comparison, click here to begin a quote or visit any of the companies below.
Remember that these prices are averaged across all drivers and vehicles in California and and are not calculated with a specific location for first-time drivers. So the company that fits your situation best may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That underscores the importance of why you need to get quotes using your own driver data and vehicle information.
The type of vehicle you are buying coverage for is one of the largest considerations when comparing quotes for the cheapest auto insurance for first-time drivers. Vehicles with economical engines, advanced safety features, or low incidents of liability claims will cost quite a bit less to insure than fast, unsafe models. The next table presents auto insurance rates for the cheaper vehicles to insure.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $5,402 |
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $5,408 |
| Toyota Prius | $5,869 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $6,060 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $6,357 |
| Ford Edge Limited 2WD | $6,364 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $6,415 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $6,424 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $6,415 |
| Dodge Ram 3500 Crew Cab Laramie 2WD | $6,469 |
| Ford F-150 Lariat Super Cab 2WD | $6,476 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $6,469 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $6,477 |
| Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $6,709 |
| Hyundai Elantra Blue 4-Dr Sedan | $6,715 |
| Toyota Corolla LE | $6,767 |
| Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $6,773 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $6,822 |
| Ford Fusion SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $6,827 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ Crew Cab 4WD | $6,822 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Regular Cab 4WD | $6,830 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $6,822 |
| Ford F-350 XL Crew Cab Cabela Package 2WD | $6,879 |
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Price data assumes single male driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Information does not factor in specific location which can increase or decrease coverage prices noticeably.
Based upon the rates shown, vehicles like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, and Toyota Prius will definitely be the most economical vehicles to insure for new drivers. The price for an auto insurance policy will tend to be more expensive because of the fact that there is more liability risk for first-time drivers, but generally speaking those makes and models will tend to have the lowest insurance prices that you’ll find.
The example below highlights how deductible selection can influence premium costs when getting quotes for cheap insurance for first-time drivers. The premiums assume a single male driver, full coverage, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
As shown above, a 40-year-old driver could lower rates by $492 a year by switching the physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $738 by changing to a $1,000 deductible. Young drivers, like the 20-year-old category, can save up to $1,640 every year just by choosing higher deductibles.
When insureds make the decision to increase the deductibles on their policy, it will be important to have enough funds in savings to enable you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense that is associated with using high deductibles.
Impact of speeding/accidents on insurance rates
The obvious way to enjoy the best insurance premiums for new drivers is to be an attentive driver and avoid traffic citations and accidents. The chart below shows how speeding tickets and at-fault fender-benders drive up yearly insurance costs for each age group. Data assumes a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $100 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
In the prior example, the average cost of a car insurance policy in California per year with no accidents or violations is $2,394. Factor in one speeding ticket and the average cost rises to $2,714, an increase of $320 each year. Then throw in one accident along with the one speeding ticket and the 12-month cost of insurance for first-time drivers increases to an average of $3,611. That’s an increase of $1,217, or $101 per month, just for not driving responsibly!
Get discounts on San Francisco auto insurance
Insurance providers that offer coverage for first-time drivers may also give you rate discounts that may potentially lower prices by as much as 25% or more if you qualify. The best insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer are:
- Farmers Insurance includes discounts for good student, multi-car, alternative fuel, mature driver, and youthful driver.
- State Farm offers discounts for accident-free, Steer Clear safe driver discount, defensive driving training, driver’s education, multiple policy, good student, and safe vehicle.
- Liberty Mutual discounts include safety features, new vehicle discount, good student, preferred payment discount, and new graduate.
- MetLife policyholders can earn discounts including claim-free, good driver, accident-free, multi-policy, and good student.
- Progressive may include discounts for online quote discount, homeowner, continuous coverage, good student, multi-vehicle, and online signing.
The diagram below shows the difference between car insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The premiums are based on a male driver, no accidents, no driving violations, California state minimum liability limits, full physical damage coverage, and $500 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with paperless filing, passive restraint, good student, vehicle safety, continuous coverage, and anti-theft discounts applied. When these discounts are applied, theaverage yearly reduction on insurance for first-time drivers is 28% or $999.