One of the more important components that determine the amount you pay for auto insurance is where you keep your vehicle. Areas with high crime rates or more dense population will most likely pay more, whereas areas with less congestion have the gratification of cheaper auto insurance rates.
The information below sorts the most costly cities in California for teachers in which to buy car insurance. Santa Ana is ranked at #16 with an annual cost of $1,453 for the average insured, which is around $121 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | $2,168 |
| 2 | Glendale | $2,142 |
| 3 | Oakland | $1,704 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,693 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,652 |
| 6 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
| 7 | Stockton | $1,588 |
| 8 | Long Beach | $1,578 |
| 9 | Fontana | $1,566 |
| 10 | Garden Grove | $1,554 |
| 11 | Moreno Valley | $1,551 |
| 12 | Santa Clarita | $1,548 |
| 13 | Fresno | $1,517 |
| 14 | Modesto | $1,502 |
| 15 | Riverside | $1,497 |
| 16 | Santa Ana | $1,453 |
| 17 | Anaheim | $1,430 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,395 |
| 19 | Irvine | $1,384 |
| 20 | San Diego | $1,368 |
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Information shown are estimated as vehicle location can revise premiums substantially.
The car, truck, or SUV that needs insurance is a significant factor when looking for economical auto insurance for teachers. Vehicles with lower performance, excellent safety ratings, or a positive history of liability claims will cost much less to insure than high performance models. The next table outlines coverage prices for a number of the most cost-effective automobiles to insure in California.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda Accord LX-P 4-Dr Sedan | $1,026 |
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $1,061 |
| Ford Escape XLS 2WD | $1,071 |
| Ford F-150 STX Super Cab 4WD | $1,072 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $1,090 |
| Toyota Camry LE | $1,111 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 2WD | $1,116 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,142 |
| Ford Focus SES 4-Dr Sedan | $1,149 |
| Honda Odyssey Touring | $1,192 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 4WD 4-Dr | $1,203 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,216 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $1,224 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 4WD | $1,216 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SXT | $1,240 |
| Ford Explorer Limited 2WD | $1,247 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $1,251 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LS 2WD | $1,256 |
| Kia Optima SX | $1,273 |
| Hyundai Elantra Blue 4-Dr Sedan | $1,284 |
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Table data represents single male driver age 30, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, multi-policy, safe-driver, homeowner, and claim-free. Table data does not factor in Santa Ana, CA location which can alter insurance rates significantly.
Based upon these rates, we can infer that vehicles like the Honda Accord, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Ford F-150, and Chevrolet Impala are most likely going to be a few of the more affordable vehicles to insure for teachers and educators.
The diagram below highlights how deductible choice can increase or decrease insurance rates when trying to find cheap insurance for teachers. The costs are based on a married male driver, comp and collision included, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
The chart above illustrates that a 40-year-old driver could lower rates by $308 a year by switching their comprehensive and collision coverages from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $466 by switching to a $1,000 deductible. Even younger insureds, like the Age 20 chart data, could roll back prices $1,026 annually by using higher deductibles when buying full coverage. When increasing deductibles, it will be required to have additional savings on hand to allow you to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense, which is the main inconvenience of larger deductibles.
Liability only or full coverage
Paying a lower price for car insurance is the goal of most drivers, and an effective way to pay lower rates for insurance for teachers is to only pay for liability coverage. The example below compares annual premium costs with full coverage compared to only the California minimum liability coverage. The rates are based on no accidents or driving violations, $100 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are taken into consideration.
If all age groups are averaged, full coverage costs an extra $3,444 per year more than just buying liability only. At some point, about every driver wonders if it's a good idea to buy full coverage. There is no clear-cut rule for dropping physical damage coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can use. If the annual cost of coverage is more than 10% of replacement cost minus your deductible, then you might want to think about dropping full coverage.
For example, let's say your vehicle's claim settlement value is $6,000 and you have $1,000 policy deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled in an accident, the most your company will settle for is $5,000 after you pay the deductible. If premium cost is more than $500 annually to have full coverage, then you may need to consider dropping full coverage.
There are a few cases where buying only liability insurance is not recommended. If you still owe money on your vehicle, you have to carry full coverage to satisfy the loan requirements. Also, if you cannot afford to purchase a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should keep full coverage.
Here's why price comparisons are so important
Santa Ana car insurance rates are calculated based on many things that will increase or decrease the cost of having a policy. Simply turning a year older, buying a different vehicle, or getting a DUI may generate price changes that can now make some companies more affordable than before. Not only may things change on your end, but insurance companies change rates multiple times each year to help ensure profitability. An extended period of higher than normal claims can result in additional price hikes, while better underwriting may result in lower-priced Santa Ana car insurance rates.
As an example, the bar chart below shows a variety of companies that have the cheapest car insurance in Santa Ana, CA for a 40-year-old male driver with a clear driving record, no claims, and solid credit. Based on his current rating profile, USAA quotes the most affordable car insurance rates in Santa Ana at $1,211 a year. This is $440 less than the average rate paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Nationwide, Century National, and CSAA are also on the list of the cheapest Santa Ana, CA auto insurance companies.
The example below compares rates after we give the driver from the first set of rates a claim surcharge, slightly worse credit, and a blemish on his driving record. Since each auto insurer has a different process for establishing rates, getting updated rate quotes will most likely result in a significantly different list of the cheapest car insurance companies in Santa Ana as shown below.
Grange now has the best price in Santa Ana with Progressive, GEICO, Allied, and Allstate now rounding out the top five. This example illustrates why Santa Ana drivers need to compare as many rates as possible when trying to find the lowest auto insurance quotes for teachers. Insurance rates can be altered by many different factors and can change substantially, so the most affordable company the last time you shopped your coverage around may now be an over-priced policy.