Comparing quotes for budget insurance is hard enough, and finding out which company quotes the cheapest car insurance rates for drivers under 21 will involve even more shopping around. Each insurer uses a little different formula for determining rates in each state, so let’s take a look at the car insurance companies that tend to be cheaper in Baltimore, MD.
It’s important that readers know that Maryland car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors which can substantially change the price you pay for coverage. Simply improving your credit score, becoming a homeowner, or having an accident can cause premium changes that can now make some companies much cheaper than others.
Find the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Minors
USAA offers some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Baltimore at around $948 per year. Penn National, Liberty Mutual, Erie, and State Auto also rank well as some of the best Baltimore, MD car insurance companies.
As depicted above, if you are insured with Penn National and switched to USAA, you could see annual savings of approximately $145. Policyholders with Liberty Mutual may save as much as $166 a year, and Erie insureds might realize rate reductions of up to $213 a year.
If you want to find out if you’re overpaying, click here to begin a quote or quote prices from the following companies.
It’s important to note that these premium estimates are averaged for all insureds and vehicles and and are not figured with an exact vehicle garaging location for drivers under 21. So the auto insurance company that can offer the best rates for your situation may not even be in the top 16 companies shown above. That is why you need to quote rates from many companies using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
The car, truck, or SUV you are buying coverage for is one of the primary factors when comparison shopping for low-cost auto insurance for drivers under 21. Vehicles with higher performance, poor passenger safety features, or an increased likelihood of liability claims will cost quite a bit more to insure than safer, lower-performance models. The table below estimates auto insurance rates for a number of the most economical vehicles to insure.
| Make, Model, and Trim Level | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $7,804 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $7,888 |
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $7,894 |
| Toyota Prius | $8,505 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $8,733 |
| Ford F-150 STX Regular Cab 4WD | $8,742 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $9,031 |
| Honda Odyssey EX W/Rear Entertainment | $9,179 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $9,263 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $9,270 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $9,263 |
| Toyota RAV4 4WD | $9,269 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $9,263 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $9,350 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 2WD | $9,358 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LT | $9,350 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 4WD 4-Dr | $9,617 |
| Start a Quote Go | |
Above prices assume single female driver age 18, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Maryland minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, and claim-free. Premium amounts do not factor in specific location which can influence price quotes significantly.
By looking at the data, we can presume that vehicles like the Hyundai Elantra, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Toyota Prius, and Dodge Grand Caravan are most likely going to be a few of the most affordable vehicles to insure for minors. The price for an auto insurance policy will be higher anyway just due to the fact that there is more liability exposure for drivers under 21, but overall those particular vehicles will most likely have the lowest insurance prices compared to other vehicles.
One of the more important considerations that aid in calculating car insurance rates is where you live in Baltimore. Areas with a lot of weather claims or more people tend to pay slightly more, whereas areas with lower vehicle theft rates and fewer weather claims have the luxury of cheap car insurance rates.
The table below shows the most expensive cities in Maryland for drivers under 21 to buy an auto insurance policy in. Baltimore shows up at #1 having an annual price of $1,760 on average, which is about $147 each month.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore | $1,760 |
| 2 | Woodlawn | $1,608 |
| 3 | Towson | $1,512 |
| 4 | Dundalk | $1,505 |
| 5 | Catonsville | $1,475 |
| 6 | Silver Spring | $1,475 |
| 7 | Aspen Hill | $1,463 |
| 8 | Bowie | $1,432 |
| 9 | Essex | $1,431 |
| 10 | Waldorf | $1,417 |
| 11 | Glen Burnie | $1,342 |
| 12 | Wheaton | $1,321 |
| 13 | Gaithersburg | $1,304 |
| 14 | Severn | $1,288 |
| 15 | Ellicott City | $1,271 |
| 16 | Rockville | $1,264 |
| 17 | Annapolis | $1,255 |
| 18 | Germantown | $1,249 |
| 19 | North Bethesda | $1,243 |
| 20 | Columbia | $1,238 |
| 21 | Potomac | $1,224 |
| 22 | Bethesda | $1,215 |
| 23 | Bel Air South | $1,186 |
| 24 | Frederick | $1,014 |
| 25 | Hagerstown | $990 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | ||
Rate information is estimated as the specific zip code location can revise insurance rates considerably.
Violations and accidents raise rates
A great way to obtain cheap car insurance rates in Maryland for minors is to pay attention while driving and avoid accidents and traffic citations. The information below demonstrates how citations and accident claims raise car insurance costs for different age groups of insureds. The rate quotes are based on a single female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
The chart shows that the average cost of car insurance in Baltimore per year with no accidents or violations is $2,426. Add in one speeding ticket and the average cost increases to $2,754, an increase of $328 each year. Then add in two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the yearly cost of car insurance for drivers under 21 jumps again to an average of $5,705. That’s an increase of $3,280, or $273 per month, just for not being attentive to the road!
Picking a good quality insurance company can be difficult considering how many different companies there are to choose from in Baltimore. The company information shown below can help you select which coverage providers you want to consider putting your business with. The ratings below only include companies that write coverage in many states, so companies that have a smaller presence will not be included in these rankings.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travelers | 93 | 98 | 99 | 88% | A++ | 95.1 |
| USAA | 83 | 99 | 100 | 91% | A++ | 94.1 |
| AAA Insurance | 91 | 95 | 92 | 90% | A | 93.3 |
| Nationwide | 85 | 95 | 97 | 89% | A+ | 92.4 |
| Allstate | 77 | 100 | 97 | 88% | A+ | 90.7 |
| State Farm | 80 | 94 | 96 | 88% | A++ | 90.6 |
| The Hartford | 88 | 93 | 91 | 87% | A+ | 90.4 |
| Safeco Insurance | 91 | 95 | 85 | 88% | A | 90.2 |
| Progressive | 88 | 94 | 83 | 88% | A+ | 90.1 |
| American Family | 91 | 86 | 95 | 83% | A | 89.7 |
| Esurance | 86 | 90 | 94 | 90% | A+ | 89.5 |
| The General | 86 | 93 | 89 | 84% | A- | 88.2 |
| GEICO | 79 | 89 | 95 | 87% | A++ | 87.8 |
| Titan Insurance | 86 | 82 | 92 | 86% | A+ | 86.5 |
| 21st Century | 86 | 82 | 90 | 84% | A | 86.4 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Full coverage rates compared to liability-only
Reducing the cost of car insurance is important to the majority of drivers, and one of the quickest ways to pay lower rates for insurance for drivers under 21 is to not buy full coverage. The chart below visualizes the comparison of annual premium costs with liability coverage only compared to full coverage. The premiums are based on a clean driving record, no claims, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no other discounts are factored in.
As an overall average, comp and collision coverage costs an extra $2,846 per year over liability only. That raises the question if paying for full coverage is a waste of money. There is no specific rule that works best for making the decision to drop physical damage insurance, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of comprehensive and collision coverage is more than around 10% of the vehicle’s replacement cost less your deductible, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
For example, let’s say your vehicle’s book value is $9,500 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is destroyed, the most you would receive is $8,500 after paying the physical damage deductible. If it’s costing you more than $850 a year for comprehensive and collision coverage, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
There are a few situations where dropping physical damage coverage is not financially feasible. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you must maintain physical damage coverage in order to keep the loan. Also, if your savings is not enough to buy a different vehicle if your current one is damaged, you should not consider dropping full coverage.