Trying to find cost effective car insurance is confusing at best, and determining which insurers offer the lowest-priced insurance rates for single moms will require even more diligence. Every insurance provider uses different criteria for setting prices, so let’s take a look at the insurance companies with the overall best prices in Maryland.
Best Auto Insurance Prices for Single Moms
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $958 |
| 2 | Penn National | $1,104 |
| 3 | Liberty Mutual | $1,114 |
| 4 | Erie | $1,115 |
| 5 | State Auto | $1,190 |
| 6 | Amica | $1,295 |
| 7 | MetLife | $1,372 |
| 8 | Travelers | $1,426 |
| 9 | Nationwide | $1,435 |
| 10 | GEICO | $1,486 |
| 11 | California Casualty | $1,499 |
| 12 | Allstate | $1,645 |
| 13 | State Farm | $1,646 |
| 14 | Progressive | $2,065 |
| 15 | Encompass | $2,516 |
| 16 | Victoria | $2,963 |
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USAA may have some of the best car insurance rates in Baltimore at around $958 annually. Penn National, Liberty Mutual, Erie, and State Auto also rank well as some of the best Baltimore, MD insurance companies.
In this example, if you are insured with State Auto and switched to Penn National, you may realize annual savings of upwards of $86. Insureds with Amica could save as much as $191 a year, and MetLife insureds might realize rate reductions of up to $268 a year.
These rates are averaged across all drivers and vehicles and do not factor in an exact vehicle garaging location for single moms. So the insurer that fits you best may not even be in the top 16 companies in the list above. That affirms the importance of why you need to get rate quotes from many companies using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.
One of the many components that are used to help calculate insurance cost is where your car is garaged. Cities with larger populations likely pay more, whereas more rural areas have the enjoyment of a little cheaper coverage.
The following table lists the most expensive cities in Maryland for single moms in which to purchase auto insurance. Baltimore comes in at #1 with an annual cost of $1,760 for car insurance, which is approximately $147 monthly.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Baltimore | $1,760 |
| 2 | Woodlawn | $1,625 |
| 3 | Dundalk | $1,535 |
| 4 | Towson | $1,482 |
| 5 | Essex | $1,474 |
| 6 | Aspen Hill | $1,463 |
| 7 | Silver Spring | $1,432 |
| 8 | Catonsville | $1,432 |
| 9 | Waldorf | $1,431 |
| 10 | Bowie | $1,390 |
| 11 | Glen Burnie | $1,383 |
| 12 | Wheaton | $1,361 |
| 13 | Severn | $1,327 |
| 14 | Gaithersburg | $1,304 |
| 15 | Columbia | $1,275 |
| 16 | Ellicott City | $1,271 |
| 17 | Potomac | $1,261 |
| 18 | North Bethesda | $1,256 |
| 19 | Annapolis | $1,255 |
| 20 | Rockville | $1,251 |
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Rate quotes are approximated as the specific geographic location can revise premiums noticeably.
The make and model of vehicle on the policy is a large factor when consumers are trying to find the most economical auto insurance for single moms. Vehicles with higher performance characteristics, poor safety ratings, or high incidents of liability claims will cost quite a bit more to insure than more modest models.
The list below outlines coverage rates for a number of the most affordable automobiles to buy coverage for.
| Insured Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $2,500 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $2,557 |
| Toyota Prius | $2,769 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $2,809 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 2WD | $2,963 |
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $3,067 |
| Toyota Camry XLE | $3,118 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Extended Cab 4WD | $3,175 |
| Hyundai Sonata GLS 4-Dr Sedan | $3,179 |
| GMC Sierra 3500HD SLT Extended Cab 2WD | $3,233 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD LTZ Crew Cab 2WD | $3,290 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $3,333 |
| Ford Edge Limited 2WD | $3,340 |
| Toyota Camry Hybrid | $3,391 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $3,398 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $3,408 |
| Dodge Ram Crew Cab SLT 4WD | $3,448 |
| Ford Explorer Limited AWD | $3,459 |
| Ford Focus SES 4-Dr Sedan | $3,509 |
| Ford F-250 XLT Crew Cab 2WD | $3,545 |
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Data variables include single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Maryland minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and homeowner. Rate information does not factor in specific garaging location which can alter premiums considerably.
Based upon the rates shown, we can infer that makes and models like the Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Toyota Prius, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Toyota RAV4 are most likely to be a few of the cheaper vehicles to insure for single parents.
Difference between liability only and full coverage rates
Lowering the price of insurance is important to most vehicle owners, and one of the quickest ways to buy cheaper insurance for single moms is to not insure for full coverage. The chart below visualizes the comparison of yearly insurance costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying the minimum liability limits required in Maryland. The prices are based on no accidents or driving violations, $100 deductibles, single status, and no additional discounts are factored in.
If we average all the age groups together, full coverage costs an additional $2,323 per year more than buying just liability insurance. Many of you may wonder if buying full coverage is worth the expense. There is no set rule that works best for making the decision to drop comp and collision coverage, but there is a general school of thought. If the yearly cost of full coverage is more than 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then you might consider buying liability only.
There are a few cases where only buying liability is not in your best interest. If you still owe a portion of the original loan, you have to keep full coverage to satisfy the loan requirements. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle if your current one is totaled, you should keep full coverage.
The information below demonstrates how deductible levels can influence insurance costs when trying to find cheap insurance for single moms. The costs are based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, and no additional discounts are factored in.
The chart above illustrates that a 50-year-old driver could reduce rates by $278 a year by changing their physical damage coverage from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $420 by using a $1,000 deductible. Even younger insureds, such as the 20-year-old chart data, could reduce their rates as much as $690 annually by choosing a higher deductible. If you do make the decision to raise your deductibles, it is essential to have plenty of savings on hand to allow you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which deters some drivers from choosing higher deductibles.
Ratings for Maryland insurance companies
Buying coverage from the best auto insurance company is difficult considering how many choices you have in Baltimore. The company rank data below can help you select which auto insurance companies you want to consider when comparing rate quotes. The ratings below only include the largest companies in the United States, so smaller regional companies will not be included in the list.
| 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 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
How to find economical insurance for single moms
Lowering your rates is not difficult, and here are some of the better penny-pinching ideas that can help drivers get more affordable auto insurance.
- Safe vehicles cost less to insure
- Try to not file small claims
- Increase your credit score
- Do not pay for comprehensive and collision coverage on older vehicles
- Buying car and homeowners insurance together can save money
- Increase your policy deductibles
- Compare rate quotes often
The last item on the list is extraordinarily necessary, as was discussed in the prior article. Car insurance prices go up and down frequently, so drivers shouldn’t hesitate to buy from a different company if a more affordable rate is found. Staying with the same company for years is fine, but it’s not a good idea if that faithfulness ends up costing you a small fortune. If you have a few minutes, now is a great time to compare prices to find cheaper insurance for single moms in Baltimore.