The words “low-cost” and “insurance” probably shouldn’t be used together, in particular when trying to find the cheapest coverage for high school students. Let’s go over some situations that determine insurance prices, and find a way to reduce the price of the next policy you buy.
For teenagers, one of the more important factors that determine the amount you pay each year for auto insurance is where you live. Areas with more people or higher crime rates tend to pay more, whereas more rural areas have the benefit of cheaper car insurance.
The illustration below shows the highest-priced places in California for high school students to purchase auto insurance in. Chula Vista ranks #25 with an annual premium of $1,311 for car insurance, which is approximately $109 monthly.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,104 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,058 |
| 3 | Oakland | $1,755 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,745 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,703 |
| 6 | Stockton | $1,588 |
| 7 | Fontana | $1,581 |
| 8 | San Bernardino | $1,580 |
| 9 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
| 10 | Long Beach | $1,562 |
| 11 | Modesto | $1,547 |
| 12 | Garden Grove | $1,508 |
| 13 | Moreno Valley | $1,506 |
| 14 | Riverside | $1,497 |
| 15 | Fresno | $1,472 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,439 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,423 |
| 19 | Irvine | $1,384 |
| 20 | Bakersfield | $1,381 |
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Prices are estimated as specific location information can decrease or increase coverage prices substantially.
The make and model of vehicle requiring coverage is a significant factor when trying to find the lowest-priced car insurance for high school students. Vehicles with reasonable performance levels, good crash test ratings, or a positive history of liability claims will cost quite a bit less to insure than adrenaline junky models. The next list presents car insurance rates for a selection of the cheapest automobiles to insure in California.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX 2WD | $2,568 |
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $2,596 |
| Toyota Prius | $2,797 |
| Ford F-150 STX Super Cab 2WD | $2,845 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 4WD | $2,873 |
| Ford Edge SEL 2WD | $3,018 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $3,046 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $3,055 |
| GMC Sierra SL Extended Cab 2WD | $3,046 |
| Toyota RAV4 4WD | $3,055 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS AWD | $3,046 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SXT | $3,074 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $3,082 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $3,074 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 2WD 4-Dr | $3,135 |
| Honda Civic EX 4-Dr Sedan | $3,191 |
| Toyota Corolla XLE | $3,219 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE 4-Dr Sedan | $3,228 |
| Honda Odyssey EX-L W/Rear Entertainment | $3,219 |
| Toyota Camry SE | $3,224 |
| Compare Cheap Rates Go | |
Prices above based on single female driver age 18, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, and claim-free. Table data does not factor in vehicle location which can affect coverage prices significantly.
Based upon these rates, you can assume that makes and models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Toyota Prius, and Ford F-150 will be the most economical vehicles to insure for teenagers. Car insurance rates will be more expensive just because there is more claim risk for high school students, but in general those models will tend to have the cheapest rates compared to other types of vehicles.
Buying low-priced auto insurance is hard enough, and figuring out which company quotes the best insurance rates for high school students will involve even more diligence.
Each company uses a different method to establish rates, so we need to take a look at the insurance companies that tend to have lower prices in California. It’s important to know that California insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can substantially change the price you pay for coverage. This price variability is why consumers need to take the time to do a thorough rate comparison to get affordable insurance quotes for high school students. Prices are impacted by many things and change frequently, so the best option the last time you shopped your coverage around may now be quite expensive.
Best Cheap Insurance Rates for Students
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,121 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,157 |
| 3 | CSAA | $1,198 |
| 4 | Century National | $1,226 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,263 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,379 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,477 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,488 |
| 9 | Allied | $1,541 |
| 10 | Allstate | $1,543 |
| 11 | Progressive | $1,558 |
| 12 | GEICO | $1,559 |
| 13 | MetLife | $1,590 |
| 14 | The Hartford | $1,639 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,682 |
| 16 | Esurance | $1,705 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $1,733 |
| 18 | Bristol West | $1,777 |
| 19 | Travelers | $1,788 |
| 20 | Farmers | $2,006 |
| Find Your Rate Go | ||
USAA has some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Chula Vista at around $1,121 per year. This is $530 less than the average premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, CSAA, Century National, and Nationwide would also make the list of some of the more affordable Chula Vista, CA car insurance companies.
In the above rates, if you are a customer of Century National and switched to Wawanesa, you could see a yearly price reduction of approximately $69. Customers with Nationwide might save as much as $106 a year, and 21st Century policyholders might reduce rates by $222 a year.
Understand that those rates are averages for all drivers and vehicles in California and are not factoring in an exact location for high school students. So the insurer that has the cheapest price for you may not even be in the top 24 companies in the list above. That emphasizes why you need to compare prices as often as possible using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
Full coverage versus liability-only in Chula Vista
Finding the cheapest insurance is probably important to the majority of people, and an easy way to save on the cost of insurance for high school students is to buy only liability coverage. The diagram below visualizes the comparison of auto insurance rates with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The premium estimates are based on no accidents or driving violations, $1,000 deductibles, marital status is single, and no discounts are applied.
If averaged for all ages, full coverage costs $1,849 per year more than buying just liability insurance. Many people question if you should buy full coverage. There isn’t a steadfast formula of when to phase out full coverage, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than around 10% of the settlement you would receive from your company, then it could be time to drop full coverage.
There are some cases where removing full coverage is not a good plan. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you have to keep full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle in case of an accident, you should maintain full coverage.
Types of discounts on Chula Vista insurance rates
Insurance providers that offer cheap quotes for high school students may provide discounts that may potentially lower prices by 40% or more if you qualify. Larger insurance companies and some of the premium reductions they offer can be read below.
- Progressive discounts include good student, multi-policy, homeowner, online signing, online quote discount, and continuous coverage.
- AAA has discounts for good student, good driver, AAA membership discount, anti-theft, and multi-policy.
- Farmers Insurance offers discounts including pay in full, teen driver, mature driver, homeowner, and good student.
- GEICO may have discounts that include multi-vehicle, good student, emergency military deployment, membership and employees, five-year accident-free, and anti-theft.
- Esurance offers premium reductions for online quote, online shopper, Switch & Save, claim free, good driver, and anti-lock brakes.
- SAFECO may offer discounts for safe driver, teen safe driver, drive less, anti-theft, anti-lock brakes, homeowner, and bundle discounts.
- State Farm includes discounts for multiple policy, Drive Safe & Save, safe vehicle, good driver, good student, and anti-theft.
The illustration below visualizes the comparison of car insurance rates with and without discounts. The premiums assume a female driver, a clean driving record, no claims, California state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $250 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the average rate with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with anti-theft, paid-in-full, continuous coverage, vehicle safety, paperless filing, and good student discounts applied. When discounts are applied, theamount saved on insurance for high school students is 28% or $738.
How accidents and violations affect rates in Chula Vista
One of the best ways to find the cheapest insurance rates for teenagers is to be a good driver and avoid accidents and traffic violations. The diagram below shows how violations and at-fault claims can affect auto insurance rates for different age groups of insureds. The premium estimates are based on a single female driver, full coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
The chart shows that the average cost of car insurance in California per year with no accidents and a clean driving record is $2,354. Receive two speeding tickets and the average cost swells to $3,138, an increase of $784 each year. Now include one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of insurance for high school students goes up to an average of $3,950. That’s an increase of $1,596, or $133 per month, just for not driving attentively!
If you would rather get some help when shopping around for cheaper insurance for teenagers, the agencies below are willing to help you determine which auto insurance policy would work best for you. To find an agent using an interactive map, click the button after the list.
- Hoffman Hanono Insurance Agency
2090 Otay Lakes Rd #102 – Chula Vista, CA 91915 – (619) 420-1861 - La Rosa Insurance Agency
1152 Third Ave – Chula Vista, CA 91911 – (619) 427-5950 - Allstate Insurance: Donald Sewell
355 3rd Ave B – Chula Vista, CA 91910 – (619) 425-5370
View map of Chula Vista, CA insurance agents
Tips to find more affordable car insurance for high school students
It’s not impossible to find cheaper rates, and here are some penny-pinching solutions that can help Chula Vista drivers buy more affordable coverage.
- Do not get tickets
- Prevent rate increases by staying accident-free
- Good credit can save money
- Safer vehicles generally have cheaper insurance rates
- Raise comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles
- Compare rates and switch if you can find a better deal
That last tip is very valuable, as was noted in this article. Insurance prices in Chula Vista can change considerably based on profitability, so drivers shouldn’t hesitate to switch carriers if a cheaper rate is available. We understand brand loyalty, but we do not recommend it if that loyalty ends up costing money that could be going to better use. It takes less than five minutes to shop around to find cheaper insurance for high school students.