Cheapest Car Insurance in San Antonio, TX
Cheapest Car Insurance in San Antonio, TX
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in San Antonio
State Farm has the cheapest minimum coverage auto insurance in San Antonio for most drivers. At $637 per year, State Farm's average rate is 32% cheaper than the city average, which is $934 per year.
Auto insurance rates are slightly higher in San Antonio than in Texas as a whole. The statewide average is $926 per year for minimum coverage, while residents of San Antonio pay $934 per year. To avoid overpaying, it's important for San Antonio drivers to shop around. We found that Allstate, the most expensive insurer, charges more than double what State Farm does for the same coverage.
Which company has the cheapest auto insurance in San Antonio?
State Farm and Fred Loya have the most affordable rates for minimum coverage in San Antonio. These insurers charge 32% and 23% less than the city average, respectively.
If you are a current or former member of the armed forces, however, you could get even cheaper coverage from USAA. Rates from this company average $510 per year, making it the cheapest insurer overall.
Find Cheap Auto Insurance Quotes in San Antonio, TX
Many drivers select minimum coverage because of its affordability. However, it may not provide sufficient coverage in the event of an accident. The state-mandated coverages in Texas are:
- Bodily injury liability coverage, which covers any injuries sustained by the other driver or their passengers
- Property damage liability coverage, which covers any damage to the other driver's car or property
In other words, if you want protection for your own car, you'll need to purchase a full coverage policy. ValuePenguin generally recommends full coverage to most drivers but particularly to those who drive a new car or a high-value car.
Rank | Insurance company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Farm | $637 |
| 2 | Fred Loya | $721 |
| 3 | Dairyland | $960 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $960 |
| 5 | Chubb | $1,035 |
| 6 | Geico | $1,102 |
| 7 | Allstate | $1,550 |
| N/A* | USAA | $510 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
Which company offers San Antonio’s cheapest full coverage policy?
Fred Loya, State Farm and Geico offer San Antonio residents the best rates for full coverage. Together, these three insurers charge $1,624 per year for full coverage, which is 51% cheaper than the city average of $2,462.
Rank | Insurance company | Average premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fred Loya | $1,196 |
| 2 | State Farm | $1,367 |
| 3 | Geico | $2,309 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $2,487 |
| 5 | Chubb | $2,688 |
| 6 | Dairyland | $3,697 |
| 7 | Allstate | $4,592 |
| N/A* | USAA | $1,363 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
The average annual difference in cost between minimum coverage and full coverage in San Antonio is $1,528, or roughly $127 per month.
Unlike minimum coverage policies, full coverage policies include collision and comprehensive coverage. Together, these two coverages make sure your own car is protected, albeit under different kinds of circumstances.
- Collision coverage: Protects you when you crash your car into another vehicle or a fixed object like a tree or lamppost. It also protects you when you drive your car into a ditch, your car flips over or you are involved in a hit-and-run and don't have uninsured motorist coverage.
- Comprehensive coverage: Protects you against "acts of God" or events that are out of your control. This includes natural disasters, theft and explosions.
Cheap car insurance for drivers with prior incidents
If you have some kind of driving incident on your record, your insurance company will likely view this as a sign that you're a high-risk driver and charge you more expensive rates. To help San Antonio drivers with incidents on their record find affordable coverage, we found the cheapest insurance for drivers who have:
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with prior accidents: Fred Loya
The most affordable full coverage policies for drivers who have been involved in an at-fault accident come from Fred Loya, State Farm and Geico. Loya charges San Antonio drivers $2,186 less than the state average, State Farm charges $2,061 less and Geico charges $87 less.
We recommend comparing quotes every time your driving record changes. Insurers take different approaches to driving incidents, with some companies penalizing drivers more strongly than others. Allstate, for instance, raises rates by $2,772 after an accident, while State Farm only raises them by $292.
Rank | Company | Rate after accident |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fred Loya | $1,488 |
| 2 | State Farm | $1,613 |
| 3 | Geico | $3,587 |
| 4 | Nationwide | $3,834 |
| 5 | Chubb | $4,585 |
| 6 | Dairyland | $4,869 |
| 7 | Allstate | $7,364 |
| N/A* | USAA | $2,050 |
*USAA is not ranked because only military members (current and former) and their families are eligible.
While there's virtually no avoiding an increase in rates after an accident, ask your insurer if there are any additional discounts you may be eligible for. If you take steps like enrolling in a defensive driving class or adding certain safety features to your car, you can secure lower rates.
Cheapest car insurance for people with a speeding ticket: Fred Loya
For San Antonio drivers, rates increase by 49% after a speeding ticket. This makes it the least-costly incident in our study. Rates increase by 95% after an at-fault accident and 62% after a citation for driving under the influence (DUI).
San Antonio residents seeking affordable coverage after getting caught speeding on the roads should begin their search with Fred Loya. Full coverage from Loya for drivers with a speeding ticket costs just $1,196 per year, which makes it 56% more affordable than the city average.
Rank | Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fred Loya | $1,196 |
| 2 | State Farm | $1,367 |
| 3 | Chubb | $2,688 |
| 4 | Geico | $2,797 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $2,993 |
| 6 | Dairyland | $4,364 |
| 7 | Allstate | $4,592 |
| N/A* | USAA | $1,540 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with a DUI: Progressive
Car insurance costs $1,532 more per year, or around $128 more per month, for San Antonio drivers who have received a citation for driving under the influence. Additionally, DUI citations generally stay on your record longer than accidents or speeding tickets, so they will have a bigger impact on your rates over time.
Fred Loya offers San Antonio drivers the most affordable average rate, at $2,047 per year for full coverage, though State Farm comes in as a close second, at $2,098 per year. If you're looking for cheap coverage, start with these two companies.
Rank | Company | Annual rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fred Loya | $2,047 |
| 2 | State Farm | $2,098 |
| 3 | Dairyland | $3,713 |
| 4 | Geico | $4,066 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $4,889 |
| 6 | Chubb | $5,819 |
| 7 | Allstate | $7,280 |
| N/A* | USAA | $2,061 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with poor credit
If you have a low credit score, you'll pay more in San Antonio for auto insurance than a driver with a high credit score. This is because insurers see a low credit score as a sign that you may not be able to make your insurance payments, so insurers raise your rates to account for that risk. A sample San Antonio driver with a low credit score was charged $2,920 per year on average, while one with a very good credit score was charged only $1,708 per year on average.
Fred Loya has the cheapest rates for San Antonio drivers with poor credit. Full coverage costs $1,196 per year, making it 59% cheaper than the city average.
Rank | Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loya | $1,196 |
| 2 | State Farm | $2,112 |
| 3 | Nationwide | $2,816 |
| 4 | Geico | $3,272 |
| 5 | Chubb | $3,505 |
| 6 | Dairyland | $4,192 |
| 7 | Allstate | $4,194 |
| N/A* | USAA | $2,072 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
Cheapest full coverage insurance for San Antonio’s young drivers
Young San Antonio drivers looking to find an affordable full coverage policy for themselves should start their search with Fred Loya. The average annual premium for a sample 18-year-old driver was $3,485 from Loya, making it 42% cheaper than the city average.
Age is just a number to some people — but not to insurance companies. Young drivers are more likely to be involved in an accident than middle-aged drivers. As a result, young and inexperienced drivers will be quoted at higher rates than their older counterparts. The insurers in our study charged a 30-year-old driver $2,462 per year, but they charged an 18-year-old driver $6,079 per year — a whopping 147% increase.
Rank | Insurance company | Average rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fred Loya | $3,485 |
| 2 | State Farm | $4,180 |
| 3 | Geico | $4,920 |
| 4 | Chubb | $7,127 |
| 5 | Dairyland | $8,453 |
| 6 | Allstate | $8,721 |
| 7 | Nationwide | $9,255 |
| N/A | USAA | $2,489 |
*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families.
Insurance rates can be unaffordable for the average young person, but there are a few ways to save money on car insurance:
- Ask about discounts. Many insurers offer discounts for installing security devices in your car, getting good grades as a student and being a safe driver, among other things. These discounts can add up to hundreds or even thousands in savings.
- Combine policies with your parents. Ask your parents about the possibility of getting a combined or multicar policy under their insurer. Their annual rates will definitely go up, but it’ll be cheaper than two separate policies.
- Contact multiple insurers. As you can see from the table above, the difference between the cheapest and most expensive insurers can be over $7,000. To make sure you're getting a good deal, we recommend comparing quotes from at least three insurers.
Best car insurance company in San Antonio, by customer service
Great service can go a long way. Everyone likes affordable insurance, but poor service, long wait times or a disorganized claims process can make low rates not worth it.
ValuePenguin surveyed customers of major insurance companies about their satisfaction with their most recent claim experience. Of the insurers in this study, USAA, Nationwide and State Farm had the highest percentage of customers who said they were "extremely satisfied" with their most recent claim experience.
To learn more about the customer service reputations of the insurers in this study, check out our analysis of the best car insurance companies in Texas.
Average cost of car insurance, by ZIP code
Each neighborhood and area of San Antonio has a different crime rate, density and accident rate. As a result, prices can vary depending on what ZIP code you live in. For example, residents of the ZIP code 78238 pay an average of $373 more per year for full coverage than residents of ZIP code 78266.
ZIP code | Annual rate - full coverage | Annual rate - minimum coverage |
|---|---|---|
| 78023 | $2,647 | $984 |
| 78109 | $2,635 | $975 |
| 78112 | $2,749 | $1,019 |
| 78201 | $2,880 | $1,100 |
| 78202 | $2,868 | $1,092 |
Auto theft statistics in San Antonio
Of the most populous cities in Texas, San Antonio has the third-highest rate of auto theft. For every 1,000 residents, approximately 5 cars are stolen per year, according to our analysis of 2019 FBI crime data.
Theft rank | City | Population | Motor vehicle thefts in 2019 | Thefts per 1,000 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dallas | 1,363,295 | 10,257 | 7.5 |
| 2 | Houston | 2,355,606 | 13,098 | 5.6 |
| 3 | San Antonio | 1,559,166 | 7,781 | 5.0 |
| 4 | Lubbock | 259,208 | 1,225 | 4.7 |
| 5 | Fort Worth | 915,237 | 3,335 | 3.6 |
Motor vehicle theft data was pulled from the FBI 2019 Texas crime report.
Minimum auto insurance requirements in Texas
Every state has a minimum car insurance coverage requirement that drivers must follow to be able to legally drive. Every Texas car owner is required to follow the state limits of 30/60/25.
- $30,000 of bodily injury liability per person
- $60,000 of bodily injury liability per accident
- $25,000 of property damage liability
This is the lowest amount of coverage every San Antonio driver is required to have, but it doesn’t mean that this is the best coverage for your background and needs. Supplemental coverages can be a worthwhile investment for drivers with new or expensive cars. If you get into an accident and don’t have sufficient protection, you could be on the hook for more than you can pay.
Methodology
Our analysis used a sample male driver who owns a 2015 Honda Civic EX and has an average credit score. Unless otherwise stated, our driver was looking for a full coverage policy with the following limits:
Bodily injury liability | $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident |
|---|---|
| Personal injury protection | $10,000 |
| Property damage liability | $25,000 per accident |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury | $50,000 per person/$100,000 per accident |
| Comprehensive and collision | $500 deductible |
ValuePenguin's analysis used insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes may be different.
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Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.