Find Auto Insurance in Columbus OH

Find the Best Rates and Best Insurance Companies Near You

What is the Average Cost of Car Insurance in Columbus?

Approximately 328,000 people call Columbus, Ohio home. It’s not only the state capital, but also the city with the highest population in Ohio. Columbus also serves as Franklin County’s county seat. As with most states, the cost of car insurance is dependent on many factors in Ohio, including the average commute in an area and the car theft rate.

The mean travel time to work is just over 23 minutes. This means that a household with a single vehicle, that vehicle will spend 3.85 hours on the road each week just to get to work and back. In a 2-vehicle household, this doubles to 7.7 hours spent on the road. And that’s before you include trips for school activities, groceries, and general entertainment.

In 2018, Columbus ranked 116th out of all national metropolitan statistical areas for the number of vehicle theft. There were 5,437 vehicles stolen in total that year, making the per capita rate 258.1 per 100k residents. This puts the city in the average rather than the high-risk category for this crime.

Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Columbus include American Electric Power, Big Lots, Cardinal Health, L Brands, and Nationwide. Columbus is also home to Ohio State University, one of the largest public universities in the country.

How Much Car Insurance Coverage Do I Need in Columbus

Ohio requires motorists to carry a minimum of $25,000 in bodily injury liability (BIL) insurance for the death or injury of one person, $50,000 in BIL insurance for the deaths or injuries of two or more people, and $25,000 in property damage insurance. These amounts refer only to damage caused by the motorist to others, not for their own injuries or vehicle damage in an accident for which they are found to be at-fault. Most drivers should purchase more than the mandatory minimum to protect their personal assets in the event of a serious crash.

If you own your car outright, you aren’t required to carry collision and comprehensive insurance. However, if your vehicle is leased or you still owe payments on it, your lessor or lender will almost certainly require you to purchase this coverage to protect their interest in the car.

Most Expensive and Least Expensive Insurance Rates by Zip Code

Cheap Car Insurance in Columbus by Insurer

Everyone wants cheap car insurance. However, cheap car insurance is not one-size-fits-all. The cheapest car insurance for a friend or family member may not prove right for you because of your driving history. Credit scores also play a role. A driver with good credit will pay less for insurance, all other things being equal, than someone with less than stellar credit. Fortunately, you can improve your credit score by paying down debt and taking other measures, thus lowering your insurance rates over time.

The average car insurance rate in Columbus is $1,304, which is somewhat cheaper than the premiums for car insurance in other Ohio cities. It is considerably below the national average of $1,679.

Check out our guide to find cheap auto insurance rates close by.

Low Cost Auto Insurance for Bad Credit in Columbus

While you are working to boost your credit score, you can still find relatively low-cost auto insurance in Columbus, Ohio. Compare insurance quotes to find the carrier offering the best rates based on your information.

Find out how your car insurance rates are impacted with bad credit.

What is the Difference Between Full Coverage and Liability?

What is Liability-Only?

Liability-only coverage is the cheapest option for automobile insurance. This coverage level only covers vehicles that are not at fault in an accident. Thus, if you carry liability-only coverage and cause an accident, the other driver will be covered by your policy. Any damage done to your car must be covered out of pocket, if at all.

Another way to think of liability insurance is that it protects you from claims made by another driver. Without the protection of insurance, you might be sued if you were to collide with another vehicle.

What does Full Coverage Insurance Cover?

Full Coverage is a commonly used term which covers more than just the damage you might cause in an accident, or the coverage you are liable for. If your policy covers your liability to another vehicle, the damage done to your vehicle (collision insurance), and any incidental damage done to your car by any non-auto elements (comprehensive coverage), then you have a policy that is indeed full coverage. If you have a new car, you may wish to cover it with such a policy, as you might want the peace of mind that any damage will be covered by insurance.

What You Need to Know About the Differences Between the Car Insurance Types

Liability and Full coverage policies have many distinctions but the chief one is that under a liability policy your car is not covered. If you are in an accident and are found at-fault, your liability policy will cover the other driver and her passengers. A full coverage policy, on the other hand, covers damage done to your car as a result of a wide range of accidents, even if you are at-fault. These policies also differ when it comes to premium payments.

Average Annual Car Insurance Rates in Ohio by City

Additional cities in Ohio you can check out.

Cincinnati 

Cleveland

Dayton

Tips to Get a Cheaper Car Insurance Rate

Save on Your Insurance Policy Rates With These Discounts in Columbus:

  • Shop around:

    It could not be clearer. The smallest difference in our driver demographics between the most expensive and the bargain insurance rate was over $1,100 yearly. It is a good idea to shop around yearly, especially if your policy rate goes up, since insurance carriers can change their rates whenever they feel it’s necessary.

  • Avoid accidents and moving violations:

    These will increase your rate, sometimes substantially.

  • If you have an accident or moving violation:

    It is often a good idea to spend a little bit of money now and attend traffic school, rather than have these violations stay on your driving record for years.

  • Insure your home and car with the same company:

    If you can insure your home or apartment and your vehicles with the same insurance carrier, you can also save money, as there is often a discount for bundling multiple services.

  • Look for discounts :

    Often, there are good driver rates for those with no moving violations or student driver rates. Sometimes, your insurance agent will not tell you about these discounts, but you can find them online.

  • Rates are influenced by the type of vehicle :

    Insurance rates are much higher if you carry full liability and have a vehicle you are paying off. Sometimes it is best to buy a new car and just maintain it thoroughly. Eventually, you will have no car payment, and you can eventually drop the collision insurance. When cars get to a certain age, you will not receive enough back from the insurance company if your car is totaled in an accident to justify buying the collision insurance each year.

Using this guide to take full advantage of all driver discounts.

Common Factors that Affect Your Columbus Vehicle Insurance Rates

Your car insurance rate in Columbus, OH is based upon many factors. You will be charged more or less on your policy based upon your age, marital status, and your number of moving violations and accidents. You will also be charged by the carrier based upon the type of vehicle you drive, whether it is paid for or not, and whether you decide that it is cost effective and prudent to have collision insurance or not. Also, insurance agency rates are highly variable, based upon the company and what area of the country you live in. Those in rural areas often pay less, while people in large, metropolitan cities often pay more. Armed with knowledge and by shopping around, you overcome some of these factors and save substantial money each year on auto insurance.

Find the best insurance rates with tickets and accidents using this guide.

Check Out Car Insurance Companies in Columbus and Reviews

Helpful Columbus, Ohio Vehicle Resources:

Live Traffic Accidents by City
https://ohgo.com/columbus?lt=39.998999999999995&ln=-83.02&z=11&ls=incident,construction

DMV (Find Locations, Vehicle Registration, Titles and Insurance Info)
https://www.bmv.ohio.gov/

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