Who Has Affordable Car Insurance for Active Military in Columbus?

Figuring out which company has the lowest-priced car insurance rates for active military takes a bit more work in order to find the best policy.

Each auto insurance company has their own formula to set policy rates, so let’s take a look at the most affordable car insurance companies in Ohio.

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Ohio car insurance ranked by cost per year
Rank Company Cost Per Year
1 Utica National $654
2 Erie $661
3 Allied $669
4 Frankenmuth $708
5 Travelers $712
6 USAA $719
7 Cincinnati Insurance $749
8 Merchants Insurance Group $778
9 General Casualty $805
10 Grange Mutual $812
11 Motorists Mutual $824
12 State Farm $858
13 Central Mutual $866
14 Hastings Mutual $884
15 Atlantic States $940
16 Westfield $946
17 Western Reserve $961
18 Progressive $962
19 Nationwide $988
20 Auto-Owners $988
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Utica National has some of the best car insurance rates in Columbus at around $654 each year. This is $386 less than the average policy premium paid by Ohio drivers of $1,040. Erie, Allied, Frankenmuth, and Travelers are also some of the lowest-priced Columbus, OH insurance companies.

In the rate table above, if you are a customer of Frankenmuth and switched to Erie, you might see yearly savings of around $47. Insureds with Travelers may save as much as $51 a year, and USAA policyholders might lower prices by up to $58 a year.

These policy prices are averaged for all drivers and vehicles in Ohio and are not factoring in an exact location for active military. So the company that has the lowest price for you may not even be in the top 33 companies shown above. That’s why you need to get rate quotes using your own driver and vehicle profiles.

For military personnel, one of the more important factors that are looked at to help calculate car insurance rates is where you keep your car. Cities with larger populations tend to have more expensive auto insurance rates, whereas areas that tend to be more rural tend to receive slightly lower rates.

The next table sorts the most costly cities in Ohio for active military in which to buy car insurance. Columbus is listed at #4 having an annual price of $1,199 for the average policy, which is approximately $100 per month.

How much does car insurance cost in Columbus, OH?
Rank City Annual Rate
1 Toledo $1,279
2 Youngstown $1,247
3 Cleveland $1,222
4 Columbus $1,199
5 Cincinnati $1,174
6 Akron $1,169
7 Cleveland Heights $1,166
8 Dayton $1,142
9 Euclid $1,140
10 Hamilton $1,113
11 Springfield $1,105
12 Canton $1,091
13 Fairfield $1,085
14 Newark $1,053
15 Kettering $1,051
16 Lakewood $1,041
17 Mansfield $1,032
18 Strongsville $1,031
19 Beavercreek $1,027
20 Middletown $1,024
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Annual rates are comparative as specific location information can influence insurance rates considerably.

The make and model of vehicle driven is a large consideration when comparison shopping for cheap coverage for active military. Vehicles with economical engines, good crash test ratings, or a positive history of liability claims will cost significantly less to insure than adrenaline junky models.

The table below ranks car insurance costs for a number of the most cost-effective vehicles to insure.

Cheapest Vehicles to Insure in Columbus, OH
Vehicle Estimated Cost for Full Coverage
Ford Escape XLS 2WD $1,051
Honda CR-V LX 4WD $1,143
Toyota Prius $1,166
Chevrolet Impala LS $1,218
Ford Edge SEL 2WD $1,226
Chevrolet Silverado LT Extended Cab 4WD $1,243
Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan $1,249
Toyota Camry LE $1,243
Ford Explorer Limited 2WD $1,268
Dodge Grand Caravan SE $1,281
Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan $1,283
Hyundai Elantra GLS 4-Dr Sedan $1,306
Toyota Corolla LE $1,316
Chevrolet Malibu LTZ $1,331
Kia Optima LX $1,340
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Data rating is based on married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Ohio minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, homeowner, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, and safe-driver. Estimates do not factor in vehicle location which can revise premiums noticeably.

Based upon the table data, you can figure that vehicles like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Toyota Prius, and Chevrolet Impala are likely to be some of the more affordable vehicles to insure for military personnel.

Accidents and violations increase rates

The ideal way to enjoy the cheapest car insurance rates in Columbus for military personnel is to drive attentively and avoid accidents and traffic violations. The diagram below demonstrates how speeding tickets and fender-benders can influence insurance rates for each different age category. The premiums assume a married female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.

In the previous example, the average cost of an auto insurance policy in Ohio per year with no violations or accidents is $1,256. Receive two speeding tickets and the average cost hikes up to $1,784, an increase of $528 each year. Then throw in one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of car insurance for active military jumps again to an average of $2,316. That’s an increase of $1,060, or $88 per month, just for not driving attentively!

Picking the right insurance company is difficult considering how many companies there are in Columbus. The company rank data displayed below could help you choose which car insurance companies you want to consider to insure your vehicles.

The ratings below only include the companies with a significant amount of written premium nationwide, so companies that may only write in Ohio will not be included in the list. To get price quotes from these top-rated insurers and more, click this link.

Top 10 Large Auto Insurance Providers Overall in Columbus

  1. USAA
  2. 21st Century
  3. GEICO
  4. Nationwide
  5. AAA Insurance
  6. Liberty Mutual
  7. Safeco Insurance
  8. State Farm
  9. Travelers
  10. American Family

Your cheap policy may actually be overpriced

Columbus, OH car insurance rates are influenced by many factors which can substantially change the price you have to pay. Improving your credit score, moving across town, or getting a reckless driving citation may cause policy rate changes that can cause some rates to be more affordable than competitors. Not only that, but companies file new Ohio auto insurance rates as often as every quarter to help ensure profitability. Higher than normal claim frequency or severity can result in price increases, while lower claim levels may result in lower-priced Columbus car insurance rates.

To illustrate this point, the data below demonstrates which company has the cheapest car insurance in Columbus, OH for a 30-year-old female driver with no accidents or violations, and excellent credit. Based on her current situation, Utica National might offer the best car insurance rates in Columbus at $810 per year. This is $230 less than the average price paid by Ohio drivers of $1,040. Erie, Allied, Travelers, and Frankenmuth also make the list of the best Columbus, OH auto insurance companies.

In this example, we will give the driver from above an accident surcharge, a little lower credit rating, and a few traffic violations. Since every insurance provider uses their own method for filing rates in each state, comparing quotes could now result in a different list of affordable Columbus car insurance companies as shown below.

Cincinnati Insurance now has the best price on car insurance in Columbus, OH with Merchants Insurance Group, Motorists Mutual, General Casualty, and Grange Mutual now being in the top five. This example shows why it is critical to perform a complete rate comparison when trying to find the lowest insurance rates for active military. Prices are impacted by many factors and change dramatically, so the best company the last time you checked may now be quite expensive.