For teenagers, one of the more important factors that aid in calculating the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you keep your vehicle in Santa Ana. Cities with larger populations tend to pay slightly more, whereas areas with lower vehicle theft rates and fewer weather claims tend to receive cheaper rates.
The table below rates the most costly cities in California for high school students to purchase a policy in. Santa Ana ranks #16 with a yearly cost of $1,453 for the average policyholder, which is about $121 monthly.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,146 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,058 |
| 3 | Oakland | $1,704 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,693 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,669 |
| 6 | Long Beach | $1,626 |
| 7 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
| 8 | Stockton | $1,588 |
| 9 | Santa Clarita | $1,580 |
| 10 | Moreno Valley | $1,536 |
| 11 | Fontana | $1,535 |
| 12 | Modesto | $1,532 |
| 13 | Garden Grove | $1,508 |
| 14 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 15 | Fresno | $1,457 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,453 |
| 17 | San Jose | $1,437 |
| 18 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 19 | Irvine | $1,384 |
| 20 | Huntington Beach | $1,360 |
| Find Cheaper Insurance Go | ||
Premium amounts are approximated as specific Santa Ana zip code can decrease or increase prices noticeably.
The car, truck, or SUV you are trying to insure is one of the largest considerations in finding the best car insurance for high school students. Vehicles with lots of speed or power, poor passenger safety features, or an increased likelihood of liability claims will cost much more to insure than safer, lower-performance models.
The table below illustrates insurance prices for a selection of the most affordable automobiles to insure in California.
| Vehicle Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape XLS 4WD | $3,946 |
| Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan | $3,956 |
| Honda CR-V EX 4WD | $3,986 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $4,242 |
| Toyota Prius | $4,285 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport Islander Package 4WD 2-Dr | $4,383 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan CV | $4,423 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 2WD | $4,431 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $4,543 |
| Ford Edge SEL 2WD | $4,639 |
| Ford Focus S 4-Dr Sedan | $4,644 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $4,679 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $4,685 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 2WD | $4,679 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS AWD | $4,689 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $4,679 |
| Ford F-150 Lariat Super Cab 4WD | $4,722 |
| Toyota Camry SE | $4,938 |
| Chevrolet Impala LTZ | $4,947 |
| Toyota Corolla LE | $4,938 |
| Start a Quote Go | |
Data based on single male driver age 17, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, and claim-free. Rate quotes do not factor in specific Santa Ana, CA garaging location which can increase or decrease auto insurance rates significantly.
Based on these rates, we can assume that cars like the Ford Escape, Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, and Hyundai Elantra should be a few of the cheaper vehicles to insure for teenagers. Rates will be higher anyway because there is a higher risk for high school students, but generally speaking those specific models will tend to have the cheapest car insurance rates that you are likely to find.
Get discount Santa Ana car insurance rates
Insurance companies that offer quotes for high school students may also provide rate discounts that could reduce prices by as much as 35% or more if you meet specific criteria. Large auto insurance companies and a partial list of their discounts are shown below.
- GEICO includes discounts for air bags, daytime running lights, multi-vehicle, anti-theft, multi-policy, and five-year accident-free.
- MetLife has discounts for accident-free, good driver, multi-policy, good student, defensive driver, claim-free
- State Farm offers discounts including good driver, Steer Clear safe driver discount, Drive Safe & Save, good student, accident-free, passive restraint, and driver's education.
- Progressive offers premium reductions for multi-vehicle, continuous coverage, online quote discount, good student, and multi-policy.
- Mercury Insurance may include discounts for professional/association, accident-free, good driver, low natural disaster claims, type of vehicle, multi-car, and annual mileage.
- 21st Century discounts include good student, theft prevention, early bird, air bags, teen driver, and homeowners.
- Allstate may have discounts that include eSmart discount, premier plus, auto/life discount, resident student, passive restraint, and EZ pay plan discount.
The example below visualizes the comparison of insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. Data assumes a male driver, no accidents, no driving violations, California 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 lower bar shows the rates with good student, continuous coverage, vehicle safety, passive restraint, paperless filing, and paid-in-full discounts applied. When discounts are factored in, theaverage amount saved on auto insurance for high school students is 28% or $903.
Illustration showing the impact of accidents and violations
The easiest method to score affordable auto insurance premiums in Santa Ana for teenagers is to drive attentively and maintain a clean driving record. The example below shows how violations and at-fault claims can raise insurance premiums for different age groups. The prices are based on a single female driver, full physical damage coverage, $100 deductibles, and no other discounts are factored in.
In the previous chart, the average cost of a car insurance policy per year with no accidents or violations is $2,661. Receive two speeding tickets and the average cost surges to $3,591, an increase of $930 each year. Next add two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the 12-month cost of auto insurance for high school students jumps again to an average of $6,749. That's an increase of $4,088, or $341 per month, just for not maintaining a clean driving record!
Liability rates compared to full coverage
Saving money on auto insurance is probably important to most people, and one common way to reduce the cost of insurance for high school students is to not pay for full coverage. The illustration below compares car insurance rates with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The premium estimates are based on no violations or claims, $250 deductibles, drivers are single, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
As an average for all age groups, comp and collision coverage costs an additional $3,147 per year over and above liability only. At some point, about every driver wonders when is it a good idea to stop buying full coverage. There is no clear-cut rule for eliminating physical damage coverage, but there is a general school of thought. If the yearly cost for physical damage coverage is 10% or more of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, the it may be a good time to stop paying for full coverage.
For example, let's assume your vehicle's replacement value is $10,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is damaged in an accident, you would only receive $9,000 after the policy deductible has been paid. If premium cost is more than $900 annually for full coverage, then you may want to consider only buying liability coverage.
There are some cases where dropping full coverage is not financially feasible. If you haven't satisfied your loan, you have to carry full coverage to protect the lienholder's interest in the vehicle. Also, if you can't afford to buy a different vehicle in the event your current vehicle is totaled, you should keep full coverage.
How to find budget-friendly auto insurance for high school students
The list below shows a few penny-pinching ideas that can help Santa Ana drivers buy lower-cost coverage.
- Drive safe vehicles
- Higher credit scores can equal lower rates
- Do not get into accidents
- Buying home and auto together can help save money
- Do not pay for comprehensive and collision coverage on older vehicles
- Compare price quotes at least once a year
That last piece of advice is particularly crucial, as we hit on in the prior article. Prices charged by auto insurers change a lot, so you should be ready to buy from a new company if you find a better deal. Many consumers stick with the same company and that's fine, but it's not a great idea if that loyalty ends up costing several hundred dollars every year. Take a few minutes and compare prices to find cheaper auto insurance for high school students in Santa Ana.