You have most likely watched the ads from auto insurance companies like State Farm and The General guaranteeing the cheapest price, so drivers just need to choose the one with the most memorable commercial, right?
Unfortunately, it’s just not that easy, as there are a whole bunch of unknowns like whether or not you own a home, whether you are married or single, and how experienced of a driver you are. This article will discuss the best ways to compare rates and will hopefully give you a good start in finding the cheapest insurance.
For people who own their homes, one of the largest components that help determine auto insurance rates is where you keep your car. Areas with increased crime or more people tend to have more expensive auto insurance rates, whereas areas with less congestion get the luxury of paying less.
The following table lists the most expensive areas in California for homeowners to buy car insurance in. Oakland ranks #4 with an annual cost of $1,738 for coverage, which is about $145 monthly.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,146 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,079 |
| 3 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
| 4 | Oakland | $1,738 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,703 |
| 6 | Long Beach | $1,626 |
| 7 | Fontana | $1,581 |
| 8 | San Bernardino | $1,580 |
| 9 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
| 10 | Stockton | $1,556 |
| 11 | Garden Grove | $1,508 |
| 12 | Modesto | $1,502 |
| 13 | Moreno Valley | $1,491 |
| 14 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 15 | Fresno | $1,472 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,453 |
| 17 | San Jose | $1,437 |
| 18 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 19 | Fremont | $1,389 |
| 20 | Huntington Beach | $1,374 |
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Table data uses comparative as zip code location can increase or decrease premiums considerably.
The type of vehicle to be insured is one of the biggest factors when shopping for low-priced insurance for homeowners. Vehicles with lots of speed or power, a lack of safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost more to insure than safer, lower-performance models.
The table below estimates insurance prices for a handful of the most affordable automobiles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $1,411 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 2WD | $1,583 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $1,674 |
| Ford F-150 Lariat Super Cab 4WD | $1,706 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,719 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $1,725 |
| Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $1,735 |
| GMC Sierra SLT Crew Cab 2WD | $1,794 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ 2WD | $1,799 |
| Kia Optima LX | $1,794 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LT Crew Cab 4WD | $1,801 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $1,797 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $1,802 |
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Data assumes single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, safe-driver, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Table data does not factor in the specific area where the vehicle is garaged which can raise or lower prices substantially.
Based on these rates, we can infer that makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Explorer, Nissan Altima, Ford F-150, and Toyota Prius should be some of the cheapest vehicles to insure for people who own their homes.
How to get discounts on Oakland auto insurance
Insurance companies that provide coverage for homeowners could also offer premium discounts that could reduce prices by 30% or more if you meet specific criteria. Popular insurance companies and a selection of discounts are detailed below.
- GEICO offers discounts including federal employee, multi-policy, emergency military deployment, seat belt use, military active duty, good student, and anti-lock brakes.
- SAFECO may have discounts that include anti-theft, accident prevention training, homeowner, bundle discounts, teen safety rewards, safe driver, and teen safe driver.
- State Farm has savings for driver’s education, multiple autos, defensive driving training, good driver, and good student.
- MetLife includes discounts for multi-policy, claim-free, good student, defensive driver, accident-free, good driver
- 21st Century offers discounts for student driver, early bird, homeowners, teen driver, good student, and automatic seat belts.
- Progressive may include discounts for online quote discount, good student, continuous coverage, homeowner, multi-policy, online signing, and multi-vehicle.
The information below visualizes the comparison of insurance rates with and without discounts applied. The price estimates are based on a female driver, no violations or accidents, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the average annual price with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with marriage, anti-theft, accident-free, homeowner, passive restraint, and multiple vehicle discounts applied. With discounts applied, theaverage yearly reduction on insurance for homeowners is 28% or $738.
Finding the top insurance provider can be rather challenging considering how many companies sell insurance in California. The company rank data in the next section may help you choose which insurers to look at when trying to find cheaper insurance for homeowners.
The rankings below only include the largest auto insurers in America, so companies that may only write in California will not be included in this list. If you’d like to compare prices and find the cheapest rates for homeowners, click here.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 98 | 100 | 100 | 94% | A++ | 98.6 |
| American Family | 98 | 89 | 100 | 86% | A | 95.4 |
| AAA of Southern California | 91 | 94 | 97 | 92% | A+ | 94.1 |
| State Farm | 88 | 93 | 96 | 90% | A++ | 92.4 |
| The Hartford | 94 | 92 | 90 | 89% | A+ | 91.7 |
| AAA Insurance | 88 | 89 | 95 | 91% | A | 91.2 |
| GEICO | 84 | 93 | 93 | 89% | A++ | 90.3 |
| The General | 89 | 91 | 89 | 88% | A- | 90 |
| Titan Insurance | 90 | 87 | 91 | 95% | A+ | 89.6 |
| Progressive | 84 | 91 | 93 | 87% | A+ | 89.5 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Are you paying too much for car insurance in Oakland?
California insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can significantly increase or decrease the cost of a policy. Improving your credit rating, having a claim, or getting a few speeding tickets can trigger rate changes resulting in some companies being more affordable than competitors.
Not only may your risk profile change, but insurance companies amend premium rates every year or even multiple times each year in order to maintain liquidity for claims. An unexpected high level of claims may cause higher prices, while a better loss history can result in lower-cost Oakland car insurance rates.
For instance, the chart below shows the companies that have the cheapest car insurance in Oakland, CA for a 30-year-old male driver with a clear driving record, no claims, and excellent credit. If we look at prices based on his current risk profile, USAA may have the best car insurance rates in Oakland at $1,531 a year. This is $120 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide are the remaining best Oakland, CA auto insurance companies.
Now let’s give the driver from the first rate comparison a claim surcharge, poor credit, and a few traffic violations. Since each company uses their own method to set premium rates, comparing prices may now present a completely different list of the cheapest companies as shown below.
Grange now has the cheapest auto insurance in Oakland, CA with Progressive, Mercury, Allstate, and GEICO completing the list. This illustrates why consumers need to spend some time comparing rates when trying to find the most economical insurance quotes for homeowners. Car insurance prices can be determined by many factors and can decrease or increase without notice, so the best price the last time you shopped your coverage around may now be quite expensive.
How to find cheaper insurance for homeowners
Lowering your rates is not difficult, and here are some money-saving ideas that can help you quote more affordable coverage.
- Keep your driving record clean
- Prevent rate increases by staying accident-free
- Higher credit scores may earn you cheaper rates
- Having too many claims will increase rates substantially
- Buy a vehicle with excellent safety ratings
- Compare rates once a year for cheaper prices
The last idea is notably necessary, as was pointed out in this article. Insurance prices vary considerably, so don’t be unwilling to switch companies if a lower price can be found. Many drivers prefer to stick with one company, but we do not recommend it if your bullheadedness ends up costing you thousands of dollars over several years. Take a few minutes and compare rates to find cheaper car insurance for homeowners in Oakland.