Find Auto Insurance in Portland OR

Which Company Has the Lowest Cost of Car Insurance in Portland?

Do you current reside in or plan to move to Portland, Oregon? As with any state, it’s important to make sure that you are able to comply with all current driving laws. This means you will need to secure some form of auto insurance. The best way to ensure you get a good rate is to research all of your options thoroughly before committing. Rates can vary quite drastically between cities, and what you will end up paying often depends on your credit and driving history. Other factors can impact the cost of insurance, however.

For example, cities with lower population densities often have cheaper insurance premiums. While it varies, locations with fewer than 5,000 people per square mile tend to have the lowest average rates. This was potentially beneficial for Portland, Oregon, in 2010 when it had just over 4,375 people per square mile, though that has likely increased somewhat in the interim.

The time most of the population spends driving to work in the city is also often a factor. After all, the more time a person spends driving, the more opportunity there is for an accident to occur. Insurance companies can use average transportation times to assess potential risks. In Portland, Oregon, workers age 16 and older had a mean travel time to work of just over 26 minutes between the years 2014 and 2018. This equates to around an hour a day or five hours a week for a single-vehicle household. However, it may equal a much greater 10 hours of driving a week for the more common two-vehicle household, and that’s before you take into account travel for groceries, school, activities, and more.

Additionally, the frequency of vehicle theft may impact car insurance rates in a city. This is not always the case, but some areas use these statistics to guide pricing decisions. Those living in Portland, Oregon, may notice a difference. National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) ranked the city #15 for auto theft in 2018, making it one of the nation’s hot spots for vehicular theft.

How Much Auto Insurance Coverage is Needed for Portland Drivers?

In Portland, Oregon, all drivers must ensure their vehicles are covered by insurance and that they have proof of insurance before driving. The state also requires all traffic accidents be reported to the Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles (OR DMV) via a Traffic Accident and Insurance Report, even if police are notified of the incident. To protect drivers and passengers alike, the state has established minimum insurance requirements that must be met.

Coverage expectations include:

Cheap Car Insurance in Portland by Insurer

Portland, Oregon does have some of the highest auto insurance rates in the state. That does not mean, however, that less expensive options are not available. Prices will be different for every driver based on their specific information, but State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance Company tends to be the cheapest solution for auto insurance in Oregon. It is also worth noting that the difference between minimum coverage and more extensive coverage tends to be minimal with most companies.

Compare auto insurance quotes with our expert guide here.

Low Cost Auto Insurance for Bad Credit in Portland

Insurance companies in Oregon often use driver credit to determine auto insurance premiums. It is still possible, however, to find coverage at a reasonable price. While the State Farm Mutual Auto Insurance Company is still a viable option for people with bad credit, GEICO may offer slightly lower rates for drivers in this situation.

Learn how having no credit can affect car insurance costs.

Full Coverage Vs. Liability Coverage

What is Liability Only Coverage?

Liability insurance covers the possible cost of damage you cause to others while driving. This could mean the cost of medical care for those injured in an accident or repair costs of the damage you have caused to other vehicles.

With liability insurance, there are 3 key numbers: injury coverage per person, coverage for total injury per accident, and property damage coverage per accident. Each state has different requirements for car insurance minimums. In a policy that has coverage for 15/30/25 means $15,000 per injured person, with a maximum of $30,000 for all the people who are injured in an accident, and $25,000 in coverage for property damage.

Why You May Want Full Coverage Car Insurance

While liability insurance covers other people and vehicles in an accident where you were the one considered at fault, full coverage insurance can also cover you and your vehicle as well. Full coverage includes two different types of coverage combined into one insurance plan; comprehensive insurance and collision.

Comprehensive coverage is for the damage of other vehicles that are outside of driving situations such as weather damage, fire, or theft.

Collision coverage is basically to pay for damage that you caused while driving such as an accident with another vehicle, hitting an object, or driving off the road.

The difference between collision and comprehensive is, if a tree were to fall on your car and damage it, comprehensive insurance would cover it, however, if you were driving and hit a tree causing damage to your car, then it would be covered by collision.

What are the Major Differences Between Full Coverage and Liability?

Liability coverage kicks in when you back up and hit a kid on a skateboard you did not see. It will also pay for a gate you run into and damage.

Collision insurance pays out when you back into a large rock at a campground, denting your pickup’s tailgate. It will pay to get the tailgate repaired.

Comprehensive coverage will pay for the repair costs when something flies out of the back of a semi-truck and you end up with a cracked windshield.

Salem

Gresham

Beaverton

Ways to Obtain a Lower Cost Auto Insurance Policy

Find additional ways to save on your Portland car insurance premiums with these insurance discounts:

We can help you get the best auto insurance discounts to lower your coverage costs here.

Common Factors that Affect Your Portland OR Vehicle Insurance Rates

Insurance companies factor in many variables when determining your automobile insurance rate. They look at your age, type of car, marital status, gender, and driving record, among other factors. Age is a factor because actuaries have found that older drivers tend to be safer drivers, whether due to experience or caution.

Your type of car is also important. For instance, cherry red convertible sports cars in particular might have the highest insurance rates. On this note, be aware that you might pay a lower premium for driving the sedan version of a sporty, high-horsepower vehicle. Still, what matters most is how you drive your hot-hatch or family wagon.

That’s because your driving record is perhaps the biggest single factor in your insurance rate. It is certainly the one that you have the most control over. That is, the longer you can maintain an incident-free driving record, the lower your rates are sure to be. Incidents can be anything from a minor speeding ticket to a reckless driving charge to being at-fault in a major automobile accident.

If you have a bad driving record and need cheap insurance, compare rates here.

Check Out Car Insurance Companies in Portland and Reviews

• AAA
• Allstate
• American Family
• Amica
• Costco

• Dairyland
• Esurance
• Farmers
• Geico
• Infinity

• Liberty Mutual
• Metromile
• Nationwide
• Progressive
• State Farm

• The General
• Titan
• Travelers
• USAA