Best Car Insurance Rates in Arkansas

We researched auto insurance quotes in Arkansas by company and city to give consumers an idea of who had the best rates in the state. We analyzed and compared quotes from 18 companies to bring you results on the cheapest car insurance companies in Arkansas.

We found that, on average, car insurance in Arkansas cost $1,639 per year. However, we found rates for identical coverage varied from company to company. This is why drivers should look around to make sure they're getting fair quotes. Enter your zip code above to start shopping for great rates among the top car insurers near you.

Cheap Car Insurance Companies in Arkansas

Our analysis looked at 18 auto insurance companies and their annual premiums across 39 Arkansas cities. We then averaged the costs across the cities for each company, and ranked them from cheapest to most expensive to surface those with the best rates. Based on that analysis, here are the six companies with the best car insurance rates that we found in our study:

The table below lists 18 auto insurance companies in the Natural State, organized from those with the lowest rates to the highest. Auto Club, State Farm, Shelter, and Progressive have the most affordable car insurance rates in Arkansas.

Cheap Car Insurance in Arkansas: by City

As we showed in the table above, the three auto insurance companies with the lowest costs and most affordable quotes were Auto Club, State Farm and Shelter across the state. While those are the cheapest at the statewide level, companies do quote differently depending on where you live. In this table below, we identify the cheapest companies in each city:

Little Rock, Arkansas

The cheapest car insurance in Little Rock can be found at Auto Club, Progressive, and Shelter. The mean cost at these three companies is $1,080 a year, which is 37% lower than the overall citywide average. As the capital of Arkansas and home of the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Library, Little Rock has some of the highest auto insurance rates in our study. Quotes for our sample driver averaged $1,715 per year for car insurance—about 5% higher than the state average in our study.

Fayetteville, Arkansas

The lowest cost auto insurance companies in Fayetteville are: Auto Club, State Farm, and Progressive. Our survey revealed Fayetteville drivers pay about $1,435 each year on average to insure their cars. Based on the annual premiums of the three cheapest companies in Fayetteville, drivers could save 36% by comparing rates over going with an insurer that offers average rates. This places auto insurance rates in Fayetteville 12% cheaper than the state average.

Pine Bluff, Arkansas

We found cheap auto insurance quotes in Pine Bluff from Shelter, Auto Club, and Columbia Insurance. The annual cost of car insurance in Pine Bluff is $1,674 based on our data—which is 2% higher than the state average. One of the factors contributing to this is the high auto theft rate relative to the state average. According to national statistics in 2009, there were almost eight auto thefts in the city per 1,000 residents compared to the state average of two thefts per 1,000 inhabitants.

Texarkana, Arkansas

Texarkana drivers, at least those that live on the Arkansas side of the border, can expect to pay an average rate for car insurance of $1,661 per year—which just slightly above the statewide average. However, those that compare quotes to find the cheapest insurance company could pay 37% less than the mean for their auto coverage. Our survey found that the insurers that offered the lowest premiums in Texarkana were Progressive, State Farm and Auto Club. These companies offered rates that were 35% less than the citywide average.

Jacksonville, Arkansas

Our study found that residents in the Little Rock suburb of Jacksonville pay 5% less than drivers that live in the principal city—amounting to an annual difference of $82. This difference in rates could be attributed to a number of factors, including fewer vehicle thefts or car accidents. Jacksonville drivers looking for the cheapest auto insurance should consider Auto Club, State Farm and Shelter. These three companies offered an average rate of $1,020, which is 38% less than the citywide average of $1,633.

Best Auto Insurance Companies in Arkansas

The best-rated auto insurance companies in Arkansas are Columbia Insurance Group, Cornerstone, Esurance, MetLife, and Auto-Owners based on their low complaint index numbers. The complaint index measures how much larger a company's share of complaints is compared to its share of business in the state. Companies that have a complaint index number below 1 are better than average, while those coming in higher than 1 are worse than the average insurer in Arkansas. Note that we excluded smaller companies with less than $5MM in premiums to make this most relevant to the majority of drivers in the state.

Here are the companies ranked from best to most complained about (an index below 1 is better than average; above 1 is worse than average).

Cost of Car Insurance in Arkansas: by City

The average cost of car insurance by city in Arkansas ranged from $1,435 in Fayetteville to $1,774 in West Memphis. Below, we've provided the average car insurance costs for each of the 39 states included in our survey.

Arkansas Car Insurance Requirements

Arkansas drivers are required to have a minimum amount of liability insurance—which pays out for damages that they may be responsible for in the event of an accident. Those caught driving without insurance can face fines and vehicle registration suspension. Below, we've provided the minimum car insurance policy limits in Arkansas:

Methodology

We collected quotes from 18 insurance companies across 39 towns and cities in Arkansas for our sample 30-year-old male Toyota Camry driver with a clean driving record. Sample policies include liability coverage, above the state minimum, as well as comprehensive and collision coverage.

Surveyed auto insurance costs in Arkansas are for illustrative purposes only. Consumers' actual quotes will differ based on their physical residence, driving history and vehicle.