The words “cheap” and “insurance” really should not be used together, in particular when searching for the best insurance rates for high school students. Because it’s not cheap, let’s start off by going over some situations that significantly impact car insurance premiums, and figure out some ways to reduce the price of the next policy you buy.
The make and model of vehicle driven is one of the main factors when consumers are trying to find the most economical insurance for high school students. Vehicles with higher performance, poor safety features, or a history of substantial liability claims will cost significantly more to insure than more modest models. The information below features coverage costs for some of the most affordable vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $17,985 |
| Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $19,150 |
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $19,158 |
| Toyota Prius | $19,334 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $19,955 |
| Toyota Tacoma 2WD | $20,935 |
| Chevrolet Silverado LT Extended Cab 4WD | $21,119 |
| Toyota RAV4 4WD | $21,126 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $21,119 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $21,126 |
| Ford F-150 SVT Raptor Super Cab 4WD | $21,304 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 4WD | $21,309 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 2WD 4-Dr | $22,080 |
| Honda Civic LX-S 4-Dr Sedan | $22,099 |
| Ford Focus SES 4-Dr Sedan | $22,109 |
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Cost estimates assume single male driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Pennsylvania minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, and safe-driver. Price estimates do not factor in garaging location in Philadelphia, PA which can change premium rates noticeably.
Looking at the data, we can tell that models like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Honda Accord, Toyota Prius, and Dodge Grand Caravan are going to be a few of the less-costly vehicles to insure for teenagers. The price for an auto insurance policy will be more expensive just due to the fact that there is more liability risk for high school students, but in general those specific models will probably have the cheapest car insurance rates that you are likely to find.
Deciphering which company offers the cheapest car insurance rates for high school students will take more time in order to find the best price. Every insurance provider has their own unique process to set their prices, so we’ll take a look at the overall cheapest car insurance companies in Philadelphia, PA.
Find the Cheapest Car Insurance for Students
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | General Casualty | $740 |
| 2 | Travelers | $779 |
| 3 | USAA | $793 |
| 4 | Erie | $824 |
| 5 | Penn National | $840 |
| 6 | Auto-Owners | $1,003 |
| 7 | Atlantic States | $1,016 |
| 8 | Amica | $1,022 |
| 9 | Donegal Mutual | $1,091 |
| 10 | GEICO | $1,123 |
| 11 | Allied | $1,144 |
| 12 | State Farm | $1,162 |
| 13 | California Casualty | $1,198 |
| 14 | State Auto | $1,279 |
| 15 | Encompass | $1,344 |
| 16 | Nationwide | $1,433 |
| 17 | Harleysville | $1,438 |
| 18 | Mutual Benefit Group | $1,454 |
| 19 | Progressive | $1,457 |
| 20 | Chubb | $1,583 |
| Get Personalized Rates Go | ||
General Casualty normally has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Philadelphia at around $740 per year. This is $917 less than the average rate paid by Pennsylvania drivers of $1,657. Travelers, USAA, Erie, and Penn National also are some of the cheaper Philadelphia, PA car insurance companies.
As the rates illustrate above, if you are a customer of USAA and switched to General Casualty, you could realize savings of in the vicinity of $53. Insureds with Erie may save as much as $84 a year, and Penn National insureds might reduce rates by $100 a year.
Bear in mind that those prices are averages across all types of insureds and vehicles and do not take into consideration a specific zip code for high school students. So the car insurance company that has the cheapest rates for you may not even be in the list above. That point stresses why you need to get car insurance quotes using your own driver and vehicle profiles.
For teenagers, one of the big factors that help determine the cost of insurance is where your car is garaged in Philadelphia. Areas with more people or higher crime rates tend to have more expensive auto insurance rates, whereas areas with lower vehicle theft rates and fewer weather claims have the gratification of cheaper auto insurance rates.
The table below lists the highest-priced places in Pennsylvania for high school students in which to purchase auto insurance. Philadelphia makes the list at #1 with an annual premium of $2,037 for the average insured, which is about $170 monthly.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Philadelphia | $2,037 |
| 2 | Drexel Hill | $1,504 |
| 3 | Chester | $1,379 |
| 4 | Levittown | $1,365 |
| 5 | Norristown | $1,268 |
| 6 | Erie | $1,115 |
| 7 | Allentown | $1,097 |
| 8 | Pittsburgh | $1,085 |
| 9 | Municipality of Monr | $1,081 |
| 10 | Hazleton | $1,078 |
| 11 | Scranton | $1,071 |
| 12 | Reading | $1,066 |
| 13 | Easton | $1,058 |
| 14 | Wilkes-Barre | $1,057 |
| 15 | Plum | $1,057 |
| 16 | New Castle | $1,046 |
| 17 | Bethlehem | $1,045 |
| 18 | Altoona | $1,032 |
| 19 | Lancaster | $995 |
| 20 | Bethel Park | $989 |
| 21 | Harrisburg | $985 |
| 22 | Williamsport | $966 |
| 23 | Lebanon | $922 |
| 24 | York | $916 |
| 25 | State College | $878 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | ||
Premium amounts are approximated as specific Philadelphia zip code can impact prices significantly.
The diagram below demonstrates how choosing different deductibles can affect insurance costs when trying to find cheap insurance for high school students. The price estimates are based on a married male driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, and no discounts are factored in.
The data above shows that a 30-year-old driver could reduce rates by $254 a year by switching their comprehensive and collision coverages from a $100 deductible to a $500 deductible, or save $384 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Younger drivers, like the age 20 example, could lower their rates $762 or even more by using higher deductibles when buying full coverage. If you do raise deductibles, it’s a good idea to have enough spare savings to enable you to cover the extra out-of-pocket expense, which deters some drivers from choosing higher deductibles.
Full coverage rates compared to liability-only
Saving money on car insurance is the goal of most vehicle owners, and one common way to find cheap insurance for high school students is to only buy liability coverage. The diagram below illustrates the difference between insurance premiums when comparing full coverage to liability only. The costs are based on no driving violations, no at-fault accidents, $100 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
On average, full coverage on your policy costs $1,889 per year more than buying just liability insurance. Many people question if buying full coverage is a waste of money. There isn’t a steadfast formula for dropping physical damage coverage, but there is a general convention. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than around 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
A good deal can quickly turn bad
Pennsylvania car insurance rates are influenced by many factors which can substantially decrease or increase the cost of coverage. Improving your credit score, having a claim, or getting a speeding ticket can trigger changes in premium that can now make some companies cheaper in comparison to the competition. Not only may your risk profile change, but car insurance companies change premium rates as often as every quarter to adjust for unexpected claims or profits. Higher than normal claim frequency or severity may cause higher priced premiums, while a better claims history may result in lower-priced Philadelphia car insurance rates.
To illustrate this example, the graph below compares the cheapest car insurance in Philadelphia, PA for a 35-year-old female driver with a clean driving record, no accidents, and a good credit rating. If we look at prices based on her current risk profile, General Casualty may have the cheapest car insurance rates in Philadelphia at $1,718 each year. This is $61 more than the average premium paid by Pennsylvania drivers of $1,657. Erie, Penn National, Travelers, and USAA are also included in the top five cheapest Philadelphia, PA auto insurance companies.
In the next rate comparison, we’ll give the driver from the first rate comparison a claim or two, a lower credit rating, and an imperfect driving record. Because every insurance company has their own process to set premium rates, comparing rates will most likely result in a different set of affordable Philadelphia car insurance companies as shown below.
Atlantic States now has the lowest car insurance rate in Philadelphia, PA with Amica, Donegal Mutual, Erie, and Allied now being in the top five. This demonstrates why Philadelphia drivers need to compare lots of rates to get the most affordable car insurance rates for high school students. Prices can be determined by many things and can decrease or increase without notice, so the most economical option the last time you checked may now cost much more than other companies.