For teenagers, one of the largest components that are looked at to help calculate the price you pay for insurance is where you live. Areas with more people or even just a higher incidence of claims tend to have higher auto insurance costs, whereas areas that tend to be more rural can boast about having cheaper rates.
The following table rates the most expensive places in California for high school students to purchase a policy in. Sacramento is listed at #3 with an annual cost of $1,720 on average, which is about $143 per month.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,058 |
| 3 | Sacramento | $1,720 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,704 |
| 5 | San Francisco | $1,693 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,628 |
| 7 | Long Beach | $1,626 |
| 8 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
| 9 | Garden Grove | $1,570 |
| 10 | Moreno Valley | $1,551 |
| 11 | Stockton | $1,541 |
| 12 | Fontana | $1,535 |
| 13 | Modesto | $1,532 |
| 14 | Fresno | $1,517 |
| 15 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,453 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 18 | Huntington Beach | $1,402 |
| 19 | San Jose | $1,395 |
| 20 | Bakersfield | $1,381 |
| 21 | San Diego | $1,368 |
| 22 | Chula Vista | $1,350 |
| 23 | Fremont | $1,348 |
| 24 | Irvine | $1,343 |
| 25 | Oxnard | $1,318 |
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Rates are comparative as zip code location can lower or raise rates considerably.
The vehicle model that needs insurance is a significant factor when looking for the most economical insurance for high school students. Vehicles with limited speed and performance, excellent safety ratings, or a low likelihood of having liability claims will cost much less to insure than higher performance models. The data below shows insurance costs for a handful of the most budget-friendly automobiles to buy coverage for.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $5,208 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $5,214 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $5,550 |
| Toyota Prius | $5,608 |
| Ford F-150 XL Regular Cab 4WD | $5,767 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $6,050 |
| Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $6,056 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $6,109 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $6,117 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $6,109 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan Crew | $6,167 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $6,175 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Off-Road Package 4WD | $6,167 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 2WD 4-Dr | $6,297 |
| Honda Civic EX 4-Dr Sedan | $6,395 |
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Prices above based on single male driver age 18, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Prices do not factor in your specific Sacramento, CA location which can alter prices substantially.
Based on these rates, we can presume that vehicles like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Volkswagen Jetta, and Toyota Prius are most likely going to be the most affordable vehicles to insure for teenagers. Auto insurance rates will be higher anyway just because there is more liability risk for high school students, but overall those particular models will most likely have the best rates available.
Difference between full coverage and liability only rates
Paying less for car insurance is important to the majority of vehicle owners, and a great way to save on the cost of insurance for high school students is to buy liability only. The information below compares car insurance costs with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The price estimates are based on no claims or violations, $500 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are applied.
As an average, physical damage coverage costs an extra $2,075 per year more than insuring for liability only. Many drivers will wonder if it’s worth it to buy full coverage. There is no definitive rule of when to exclude comp and collision coverage, but there is a general school of thought. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is more than 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.
Discount Sacramento car insurance
Car insurance companies that offer cheap quotes for high school students may provide rate discounts that may potentially lower prices by as much as 25% or more if you meet eligibility requirements. A list of car insurance companies and their possible discounts can be found below.
- Progressive offers discounts including online quote discount, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, continuous coverage, good student, and homeowner.
- GEICO discounts include driver training, daytime running lights, federal employee, air bags, seat belt use, and anti-theft.
- State Farm has savings for driver’s education, accident-free, anti-theft, multiple autos, Drive Safe & Save, passive restraint, and student away at school.
- Esurance offers discounts for online shopper, DriveSense, Pac-12 alumni, anti-theft, and online quote.
- The Hartford may include discounts for bundle, vehicle fuel type, anti-theft, defensive driver, air bag, and good student.
The diagram below visualizes the comparison of car insurance rates with and without some available policy discounts. The premium estimates are based on a male driver, no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with vehicle safety, continuous coverage, anti-theft, paid-in-full, passive restraint, and paperless filing discounts applied. When taking advantage of discounts, the average savings per year on car insurance for high school students is 28% or $1,079.
Your low-price policy may be costing you money
Sacramento car insurance rates are impacted by many things that can increase the price you have to pay for coverage. Simply getting older, increasing deductibles, or getting caught speeding can trigger changes in premium that may make certain companies more affordable than others.
Not only may things change on your end, but insurers change premium rates at least once a year as an adjustment for underwriting gains or losses. Significantly higher claims can result in additional premium costs, while profitable underwriting may result in lower-priced Sacramento car insurance rates.
For instance, the chart below demonstrates which company has the cheapest car insurance in Sacramento, CA for a 30-year-old male driver with a clear driving record, no claims, and good credit. When quoting prices based on his current risk profile, USAA may offer the lowest car insurance rates in Sacramento at $1,485 annually. This is $166 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. Century National, Wawanesa, CSAA, and Nationwide are also included in the most affordable Sacramento, CA auto insurance companies.
Now we will pretend the driver from the above example a chargeable accident, poor credit, and a speeding ticket. Since each insurance company uses their own calculation for filing rates in each state, analyzing rate quotes may now result in a substantially altered list of the cheapest companies as shown below.
Grange now has the best price on car insurance in Sacramento, CA with GEICO, Allstate, Mercury, and Progressive also having competitive pricing. This example shows why California drivers need to compare rates to find the most economical insurance quotes for high school students. Insurance rates are influenced by many different factors and change dramatically, so the cheapest option when you bought your policy may now be priced much higher than other options.
The agencies below can probably provide answers to your questions and help you determine which coverages you need, as some drivers wish to have a professional recommendation when trying to find lower insurance rates for high school students. It can be challenging to find coverage yourself, so insurance agents licensed in the state of California can give peace of mind knowing your coverage gives you sufficient protection if you have a claim. To locate a Sacramento insurance agent in your neighborhood, click the link at the bottom.
- Timothy Aust – State Farm Insurance Agent
2710 Arden Way – Sacramento, CA 95825 – (916) 482-5328 - Greg Lauck – State Farm Insurance Agent
950 Fulton Ave #175 – Sacramento, CA 95825 – (916) 978-9110 - Bob Spears – State Farm Insurance Agent
3110 Fulton Ave – Sacramento, CA 95821 – (916) 482-9227 - Indus Insurance Agency Incorporated
6968 65th St – Sacramento, CA 95823 – (916) 391-3000 - Travis Beyer – State Farm Insurance Agent
2455 Jefferson Blvd #115 – West Sacramento, CA 95691 – (916) 375-0144