Who Has The Cheapest Renters Insurance Quotes in South Carolina?

South Carolina is the 23rd most populous state in the U.S. and has some of the more affordable renters insurance rates in the country. The southern corner and the coastline of South Carolina are especially vulnerable to weather-related risks compared to other states. The state’s exposure to hurricanes and tropical storms is typical of other southern coastal areas, but not subject to as high a volume of annual weather events as other states. Read more to find the cheapest renters insurance in South Carolina, or enter your zip code above for a list of companies to begin shopping for rates.

Cheapest Renters Insurance In South Carolina

We conducted a study of South Carolina to show which insurance companies generally had the cheapest renters insurance rates in the state. Our study analyzed quotes for a sample property from five major insurance carriers across 23 cities. The average renters insurance quote for State Farm was 36% or $99 cheaper than the average Liberty Mutual renters insurance quote in South Carolina. Below is the average premium quoted by the carrier for the sample property across all the cities.

*The annual premiums quoted are rounded to the nearest whole dollar amount.

This does not mean State Farm will have the cheapest policy for every renter or in every area of South Carolina. Anyone searching for a renters insurance policy should use obtain at least several quotes or consult local agents before purchasing a policy. Unlike identical studies performed in 46 other states, we were only able to obtain partial data for South Carolina. Even the largest insurance companies with some of the highest market shares did not generate quotes online for policies in some cities or areas.

Most Expensive Renters Insurance Company

Out of the five insurance companies we gathered quotes from, Liberty Mutual had the highest average quote for the sample property. Their average rates were roughly 24% higher than the average in our study. Despite the limited data, this finding was consistent with identical studies for other states.

Best Renters Insurance in South Carolina by City

We provided some details of the five most populous cities we have data for below.

Columbia, SC

Columbia is the capital and largest city in South Carolina, with more than 130,000 residents and some of the best renters insurance rates in the state. It is inland and located at the center of the state at the confluence of the Saluda River and the Broad River, which merge in Columbia to form the Congaree River. Renters insurance quotes for Columbia were 3.9% lower compared to the other cities included in the study. State Farm had the cheapest renters quote out of the five carriers for our sample property, which was $170 for one year of coverage.

Rock Hill, SC

The second largest municipality with complete data in our 23-city analysis was Rock Hill, which has fairly affordable renters insurance. The city of more than 66,000 residents is 70 miles north of Columbia and is part of the Charlotte, North Carolina metropolitan area. There are three colleges in Rock Hill, the most prominent being Winthrop University. Renters Insurance rates in Rock Hill were 2.4% lower than the state's average rate, according to our study. State Farm had the least expensive renters insurance rates for our sample property at $183.

Greenville, SC

Greenville is part of the large Greenville-Anderson-Mauldin Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has more than 850,000 residents and is the largest population for a metropolitan area in South Carolina. It is approximately halfway between Atlanta and Charlotte and Bloomberg named Greenville the "3rd Strongest Job Market" in 2010. It also has some of the best renters Renters Insurance rates in Greenville were 3.5% lower than the state's average rate, according to our study. A policy for our sample property was quoted $174 by State Farm, which placed the carrier with the lowest renters insurance in Greenville.

Summerville, SC

With more than 44,000 residents, Summerville is is a medium-sized city outside Charleston and is included in the coastal city's statistical area. It was first settled after the American Revolutionary War and was first referred to as Pinelnad Village. It attracts visitors with the annual Flowertown Festival, which is the largest arts and crafts festival in South Carolina. Renters Insurance rates in Summerville were $242 for our model home - 8.7% higher than the state's average rate, according to our study. However, State Farm quoted a renters insurance policy for our sample property at only $192. With rates 21% lower, State Farm ranked as the most affordable renters insurance company.

Sumter, SC

Originally known as Sumterville, Sumter was named after General Thomas Sumter, the "Fighting Gamecock" of the American Revolutionary War. During the American Civil War, the city was an important supply and railroad repair center for the Confederacy. The city has some of the better renters insurance rates in South Carolina. Rates in Sumter were 1.4% higher than the state's average rate, according to our study. State Farm had the lowest renters insurance rates out of the carriers included in our study. The company quoted a renters insurance policy for our sample property at $188 per annum.

Average Cost of Renters Insurance by City

Here we listed the 23 cities we were able to gather renters insurance quotes for in South Carolina.

Data was unavailable for eight cities in the study: Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Hilton Head Island, Myrtle Beach Conway, Beaufort and Bluffton. We don't know for certain why the five insurance companies we gathered quotes from did not provide quotes online for our sample property in these places. However, all but one of these places is located on the Atlantic coastline (Conway is 15 miles inland from Myrtle Beach). The most likely reason is that renters insurance is more costly in coastal areas threatened annually by hurricanes and tropical storms.

Study Methodology

Our study examined renters insurance quotes for a 1,000-square-foot residence with at least $25,000 in personal property coverage and $100,000 in liability coverage. We then collected quotes for that sample residence from five of the major carriers that offer a renters insurance product in the state of South Carolina. We averaged each carrier’s rates for the sample across 23 cities to show which carrier was relatively cheaper or more expensive. The average premiums for the insurance companies are for the sample property and are not indicative of what all tenants can expect to pay for an annual renters insurance premium.