Finding out which companies offer the cheapest car insurance rates for low credit scores will require a little more sweat in order to find the lowest price. Every insurance provider has their own process to set premium rates, so to begin we’ll rank the most competitive car insurance companies in Columbus.
Find the Cheapest Car Insurance in Ohio
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utica National | $635 |
| 2 | Erie | $661 |
| 3 | Allied | $690 |
| 4 | Frankenmuth | $701 |
| 5 | Travelers | $705 |
| 6 | USAA | $741 |
| 7 | Merchants Insurance Group | $748 |
| 8 | Cincinnati Insurance | $772 |
| 9 | Motorists Mutual | $800 |
| 10 | Grange Mutual | $828 |
| 11 | General Casualty | $829 |
| 12 | Central Mutual | $840 |
| 13 | State Farm | $867 |
| 14 | Hastings Mutual | $893 |
| 15 | Westfield | $908 |
| 16 | Atlantic States | $940 |
| 17 | Progressive | $953 |
| 18 | Western Reserve | $961 |
| 19 | Nationwide | $988 |
| 20 | Auto-Owners | $988 |
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Utica National may offer some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Columbus at around $635 a year. Erie, Allied, Frankenmuth, and Travelers would also be considered some of the lowest-priced Columbus, OH auto insurance companies.
As illustrated above, if you are a customer of Travelers and switched to Erie, you may see yearly savings of in the vicinity of $44. Ohio drivers with USAA may save as much as $80 a year, and Merchants Insurance Group policyholders might see rate reductions of $87 a year.
Be aware that those policy prices are averaged across all drivers and vehicles in Ohio and do not take into consideration a specific zip code for low credit scores. So the company that fits your situation best may not even be in the top 33 companies in the list above. That affirms the importance of why you need to get auto insurance quotes using your own driver data and vehicle information.
One of the many considerations that aid in calculating the annual cost of car insurance is where you keep your car. Areas with more people or even just a higher incidence of claims tend to pay slightly more, whereas areas with less congestion have the enjoyment of a little cheaper coverage.
The following table ranks the highest-priced areas in Ohio for low credit scores to purchase a policy in. Columbus makes the list at #4 with an annual cost of $1,199 for the average insurance policy, which is about $100 each month.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toledo | $1,279 |
| 2 | Cleveland | $1,272 |
| 3 | Youngstown | $1,235 |
| 4 | Columbus | $1,199 |
| 5 | Cleveland Heights | $1,178 |
| 6 | Cincinnati | $1,174 |
| 7 | Akron | $1,157 |
| 8 | Dayton | $1,154 |
| 9 | Hamilton | $1,135 |
| 10 | Euclid | $1,129 |
| 11 | Springfield | $1,105 |
| 12 | Fairfield | $1,095 |
| 13 | Newark | $1,063 |
| 14 | Canton | $1,058 |
| 15 | Middletown | $1,055 |
| 16 | Kettering | $1,040 |
| 17 | Strongsville | $1,031 |
| 18 | Lakewood | $1,031 |
| 19 | Cuyahoga Falls | $1,027 |
| 20 | Parma | $1,027 |
| 21 | Beavercreek | $1,016 |
| 22 | Elyria | $1,005 |
| 23 | Mansfield | $992 |
| 24 | Mentor | $978 |
| 25 | Lorain | $975 |
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Premium amounts are comparative as specific location information can raise or lower prices considerably.
The car, truck, or SUV you are trying to insure is a large consideration that determines whether or not you find the best cheap insurance for low credit scores. Vehicles with high performance engines, poor crash test ratings, or a track record of large liability claims will cost much more to insure than safer, lower-performance models.
The data below features auto insurance prices for some of the most affordable vehicles to buy insurance for.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $1,148 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sahara 4WD 2-Dr | $1,288 |
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $1,298 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $1,303 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,400 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $1,404 |
| Ford Edge SE 2WD | $1,431 |
| Toyota Camry XLE | $1,436 |
| Nissan Rogue S 2WD | $1,458 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LTZ | $1,462 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Super Cab 4WD | $1,499 |
| Hyundai Sonata SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,533 |
| Toyota RAV4 2WD | $1,535 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $1,543 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS AWD | $1,535 |
| Ford Focus SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,540 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Regular Cab 2WD | $1,559 |
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Above prices assume single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Ohio minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, claim-free, multi-policy, and homeowner. Rate information does not factor in specific location information which can decrease or increase insurance rates noticeably.
Looking at the rates, you can expect vehicles like the Honda CR-V, Jeep Wrangler, Ford Escape, and Hyundai Elantra are most likely going to be the more affordable vehicles to insure for bad credit.
Choosing a highly-rated auto insurance provider can be challenging considering how many companies there are to choose from in Columbus. The ranking data displayed below could help you decide which auto insurers you want to consider when trying to find cheaper insurance for low credit scores. These ratings only include the largest companies in America, so smaller companies are not taken into consideration for these rankings.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 99 | 100 | 90 | 92% | A++ | 97.4 |
| 21st Century | 89 | 86 | 100 | 88% | A | 92.7 |
| GEICO | 97 | 91 | 88 | 85% | A++ | 92.5 |
| Nationwide | 88 | 94 | 91 | 88% | A+ | 91.3 |
| AAA Insurance | 93 | 87 | 88 | 87% | A | 90.8 |
| Liberty Mutual | 91 | 91 | 92 | 87% | A | 90.7 |
| Safeco Insurance | 90 | 93 | 88 | 86% | A | 90.2 |
| State Farm | 91 | 94 | 80 | 88% | A++ | 90.2 |
| Travelers | 89 | 91 | 94 | 79% | A++ | 90.1 |
| American Family | 88 | 92 | 83 | 88% | A | 89.4 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Insurance rate increases from tickets or accidents
The best way to obtain low car insurance rates in Ohio for bad credit is to be a cautious driver and avoid getting tickets or having accidents. The diagram below illustrates how speeding tickets and accident claims impact auto insurance rates for each different age category. The rates are based on a single male driver, comp and collision included, $1,000 deductibles, and no additional discounts are factored in.
In the previous example, the average cost of auto insurance in Ohio per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,279. Get one speeding ticket and the average cost rises to $1,444, an increase of $165 each year. Then throw in two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the yearly cost of car insurance for low credit scores jumps again to an average of $2,992. That’s an increase of $1,713, or $143 per month, just for not keeping your driving record clean!
Compare quotes and save
Ohio car insurance rates are influenced by many factors which can substantially change the policy premium. Simply getting older, buying a home instead of renting, or having an at-fault accident may generate price changes resulting in some companies being cheaper in comparison to the competition. In addition to those changes, companies modify rates multiple times each year to ensure their profitability. Larger than normal claims can result in more expensive prices, while a better loss history can result in lower-priced Columbus car insurance rates.
The data below shows the companies that have the cheapest car insurance in Columbus, OH for a 30-year-old male driver with no accidents or violations, and excellent credit. When comparing rates based on his current rating profile, Utica National may have the best car insurance rates in Columbus at $759 per year. This is $281 less than the average rate paid by Ohio drivers of $1,040. Erie, Allied, Frankenmuth, and Travelers are also included in the top five cheapest Columbus, OH auto insurance companies.
The chart below compares rates after we give the driver from the first rate comparison a claim surcharge, a lower credit rating, and a traffic ticket or two. Since every insurance provider has their own guidelines for determining prices, comparing rates most likely will result in a different ranking of affordable Columbus car insurance companies as shown below.
Merchants Insurance Group now has the cheapest insurance rate in Columbus with Cincinnati Insurance, Grange Mutual, Motorists Mutual, and General Casualty completing the list. This demonstrates why it is crucial to take the time to shop around to get affordable auto insurance quotes for low credit scores. Car insurance prices are made up of many risk factors and change frequently, so the cheapest company two years ago may now be an over-priced policy.
How to find economical car insurance for low credit scores
The list below summarizes many money-saving solutions that can help Ohio drivers get cheaper coverage.
- Drive attentively and avoid accidents
- Avoid getting citations and tickets
- Drive vehicles with five-star safety ratings
- Don’t have frequent claims
- Maintaining good credit helps earn cheaper rates
- Keep rates low by shopping around frequently
That last tip is incredibly critical, as was affirmed in the prior information. Prices charged by companies can be adjusted at any time, so don’t be hesitant to change to a new company if a more affordable price is available. Brand loyalty is not necessarily bad, but it isn’t a good idea if that loyalty results in overpaying several hundred dollars every year. It only takes a couple minutes to shop around to find cheaper auto insurance for low credit scores in Columbus.