Wouldn’t life be great if you could just know the one best company that has the lowest rates for active military? It’s just not that easy, however, as there are a whole bunch of unknown elements like if you have ever had a gap in coverage, if you have any tickets or accidents, whether you are female or male, and if you are a homeowner, that all impact the price you pay. This article will cover the best ways to shop for cheaper coverage and also should give you a good beginning to your search for cheaper coverage.
The make and model of vehicle you are buying coverage for is a significant factor that determines whether or not you find cheaper auto insurance for active military. Vehicles with lower performance, a great safety record, or a positive history of liability claims will cost much less to insure than higher performance models. The data below outlines car insurance costs for the most economical vehicles to insure.
| Insured Vehicle | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Volkswagen Jetta S 2.5 Station Wagon | $1,244 |
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $1,252 |
| Honda Accord LX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,257 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,268 |
| Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $1,281 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $1,283 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 2WD | $1,326 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport Islander Package 4WD 2-Dr | $1,425 |
| Toyota Corolla S | $1,428 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 4WD | $1,452 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LTZ AWD | $1,460 |
| Ford Edge Limited 2WD | $1,454 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Regular Cab 4WD | $1,459 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $1,483 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $1,512 |
| Dodge Ram 3500 Crew Cab Laramie 2WD | $1,517 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $1,529 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | |
Prices above based on single male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and North Carolina minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, claim-free, multi-policy, and homeowner. Estimates do not factor in specific zip code location which can affect auto insurance rates noticeably.
Based on these rates, we can assume that cars like the Volkswagen Jetta, Hyundai Elantra, Honda Accord, Toyota Prius, and Ford Escape are most likely to be some of the most affordable vehicles to insure for military personnel.
One of the many components that are looked at to determine car insurance rates is where you live. Larger areas tend to have higher rates, whereas more rural areas benefit from lower prices.
The illustration below lists the most costly cities in North Carolina for active military to purchase auto insurance in. Durham is listed at #4 with an annual cost of $797 for the average insurance policy, which is about $66 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fayetteville | $905 |
| 2 | Jacksonville | $864 |
| 3 | Charlotte | $832 |
| 4 | Durham | $797 |
| 5 | Gastonia | $787 |
| 6 | Greensboro | $786 |
| 7 | Wilmington | $781 |
| 8 | Cary | $765 |
| 9 | Greenville | $760 |
| 10 | Wilson | $754 |
| 11 | High Point | $753 |
| 12 | Goldsboro | $743 |
| 13 | Raleigh | $737 |
| 14 | Huntersville | $734 |
| 15 | Indian Trail | $731 |
| 16 | Rocky Mount | $726 |
| 17 | Hickory | $718 |
| 18 | Apex | $717 |
| 19 | Salisbury | $712 |
| 20 | Chapel Hill | $703 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | ||
Premium amounts are comparative as specific Durham garaging address can affect prices considerably.
Discount Durham car insurance
Insurers that offer cheap quotes for active military may also offer price discounts that can reduce rates by 25% or more if you qualify for them. A list of car insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts include:
- State Farm offers discounts for good driver, defensive driving training, accident-free, Steer Clear safe driver discount, student away at school, and good student.
- American Family may include discounts for good driver, air bags, mySafetyValet, multi-vehicle, Steer into Savings, and defensive driver.
- AAA offers discounts including AAA membership discount, education and occupation, pay-in-full, multi-policy, multi-car, good student, and good driver.
- GEICO has discounts for federal employee, good student, driver training, five-year accident-free, anti-lock brakes, anti-theft, and military active duty.
- Mercury Insurance may have discounts that include multi-policy, good student, age of vehicle, multi-car, accident-free, and good driver.
- Farmers Insurance offers premium reductions for youthful driver, business and professional, electronic funds transfer, bundle discounts, switch companies, distant student, and pay in full.
- Progressive includes discounts for multi-policy, good student, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, and homeowner.
The example below shows the comparison of annual premium costs with and without discounts applied. The prices are based on a male driver, no accidents, no driving violations, North Carolina state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $250 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows the average annual price with no discounts. The second bar shows the rates with anti-theft, passive restraint, multiple vehicle, safe-driver, accident-free, and claim-free discounts applied. With discounts applied, theaverage amount saved on car insurance for active military is 27% or $361.
The chart below highlights how deductible choice can influence insurance costs when getting quotes for cheap insurance for active military. The price estimates are based on a single male driver, comp and collision included, and no additional discounts are factored in.
As shown above, a 30-year-old driver could save $310 a year by increasing from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $466 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Younger drivers, like the 20-year-old category, could lower their rates $924 every year by using higher deductibles when buying full coverage.
If you make the decision to raise deductibles, it’s a good idea to have plenty of money set aside to allow you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the main inconvenience of larger deductibles.
Finding a high-quality car insurance company is difficult considering how many companies provide coverage in Durham. The company ratings below could help you decide which insurers to look at when comparing rate quotes.
The rankings below are for large insurance companies, so smaller regional companies are not included in the list. To get price quotes from the most competitive companies in North Carolina, simply click here.
Top 10 Large Auto Insurers in Durham Ranked by Customer Satisfaction
- USAA – 91%
- AAA Insurance – 90%
- Esurance – 90%
- Nationwide – 89%
- Travelers – 88%
- Progressive – 88%
- Safeco Insurance – 88%
- State Farm – 88%
- Allstate – 88%
- The Hartford – 87%
Top 10 Large Auto Insurers in Durham Ranked by Value
- Travelers
- American Family
- AAA Insurance
- Safeco Insurance
- Progressive
- The Hartford
- The General
- 21st Century
- Esurance
- Titan Insurance
Why are you paying too much for Durham car insurance?
Durham car insurance rates are influenced by many factors which can substantially decrease or increase the policy premium. Simply having another birthday, moving across town, or getting a driving violation may prompt premium changes resulting in some companies being cheaper than others. Also, car insurance companies modify pricing as needed to adjust for gains or losses. An extended period of higher than normal claims may result in increased policy costs, while a better loss history can produce cheaper Durham car insurance rates.
To illustrate this example, the chart below shows which company has the cheapest car insurance in Durham, NC for a 35-year-old female driver with a good driving record, no prior claims, and a good credit rating. If we compare prices based on her personal risk profile, Utica National has the cheapest car insurance rates in Durham at $767 per year. This is $105 less than the average rate paid by North Carolina drivers of $872. Progressive, Liberty Mutual, NC Farm Bureau, and GEICO are the remaining top five cheapest Durham, NC auto insurance companies.
The example below compares rates after we give the driver in the first example a couple of claims, poor credit, and a traffic citation. Due to the fact that every auto insurer has a different formula for determining rates, comparing prices may now show a different ranking of affordable Durham car insurance companies as shown below.
State Farm now has the best price in Durham, NC with Titan, Auto-Owners, National General, and Travelers now rounding out the top five. This example demonstrates why Durham drivers need to shop around to find the cheapest car insurance quotes for active military. Insurance rates are determined by many different factors and can change without notice, so the most affordable company two years ago may now be one of the higher cost companies.