Car Insurance for Columbus in 2024
Drivers in Columbus pay an average of $1,777 per year for car insurance, but you might find cheaper coverage if you shop around.
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If you’re looking for cheap car insurance in Columbus, Ohio, you’ll want to shop around and compare quotes from multiple companies. Insurers use a variety of factors to determine the cost of auto insurance, including your age, address, the type of car you drive and your driving history, which means every driver will ultimately get a different rate. That’s why shopping around is your best bet to getting the cheapest car insurance in Columbus — or anywhere.
To find the cheapest companies in Columbus, NerdWallet looked at average full coverage rates calculated from public filings obtained by pricing analytics company Quadrant Information Services. We analyzed rates for male and female drivers for all ZIP codes in Columbus driving a 2021 Toyota Camry LE.
Did your rates go up? Auto insurance prices are on the rise in Columbus. Be sure to get car insurance quotes from three or more companies to find the lowest rate possible.
Read on to find out how auto insurance companies in Columbus stack up. You can also check out our list of the cheapest car insurance companies nationwide.
» MORE: The best car insurance companies
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Cheapest car insurance companies in Columbus
The biggest variable in your insurance cost will be the company you choose, so you’ll want to shop around to be confident you’re getting the best rate. In Columbus, these are the cheapest car insurance companies based on average rates for a 35-year-old driver with good credit and a clean driving record, according to NerdWallet’s most recent analysis. It's important to remember that rates are determined individually, so these may not be the cheapest companies for you.
| Company | Median annual rate |
|---|---|
| Central Insurance | $1,032 |
| Hastings Mutual | $1,124 |
| State Farm | $1,463 |
| Buckeye | $1,511 |
| Western Reserve | $1,582 |
| American Family | $1,658 |
| Auto-Owners | $1,705 |
| Nationwide | $1,751 |
| Encova | $1,774 |
| USAA* | $1,242 |
*USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
Average car insurance cost in Columbus and Ohio
Rates across Ohio differ from those in Columbus for lots of reasons. The number of accidents, the type of roads and even the weather can affect the rates drivers are charged. According to NerdWallet’s most recent analysis, the average rate in Ohio is $1,544, while in Columbus it's $1,777.
| Median city rate | Median state rate |
|---|---|
| $1,777 | $1,544 |
Average cost of car insurance in Columbus’s largest ZIP codes
The cost of auto insurance varies based on where you live, even from one neighborhood to the next. Some parts of a city may have higher rates of accidents or thefts, which can lead to an increase in the price you pay. According to NerdWallet’s analysis, here are the most populated ZIP codes in Columbus and the average annual cost of car insurance for a 35-year-old driver with good credit and a clean driving record.
| ZIP | Median rate |
|---|---|
| 43228 | $1,761 |
| 43230 | $1,624 |
| 43229 | $1,841 |
| 43207 | $1,782 |
| 43235 | $1,615 |
| 43232 | $1,825 |
| 43224 | $1,845 |
| 43204 | $1,776 |
| 43201 | $1,776 |
| 43213 | $1,809 |
Cheap car insurance in Columbus by age
Along with where you live, your age is another major factor in the price you pay for car insurance. For example, younger drivers usually pay more than older drivers with similar driving histories and credit scores due to having less experience on the road.
You could easily find that the cheapest company for you changes as you age. Here's a breakdown of prices in Columbus for similar drivers at various ages, according to NerdWallet’s most recent analysis.
Cheapest for 20-year-olds
While teen drivers are the most likely to be in an accident, 20-year-old drivers are still relatively new to the road. A higher rate of accidents among younger drivers means they also pay more for car insurance. According to NerdWallet’s most recent analysis, here's what 20-year-olds in Columbus might pay, on average.
| Company | Median annual rate |
|---|---|
| Central Insurance | $1,554 |
| Hastings Mutual | $2,844 |
| QBE | $2,921 |
| American Family | $3,003 |
| Western Reserve | $3,069 |
| Encova | $3,550 |
| Auto-Owners | $3,569 |
| Geico | $3,657 |
| Progressive | $3,699 |
| USAA* | $2,863 |
*USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
Cheapest for 35-year-olds
By 35, your car insurance rates should plateau. This is a great age to compare rates, as the cheapest insurer you found in your 20s may no longer be the best deal.
Here’s what 35-year-old drivers might pay, on average, in Columbus, according to NerdWallet’s analysis.
| Company | Median annual rate |
|---|---|
| Central Insurance | $1,032 |
| Hastings Mutual | $1,124 |
| State Farm | $1,463 |
| Buckeye | $1,511 |
| Western Reserve | $1,582 |
| American Family | $1,658 |
| Auto-Owners | $1,705 |
| Nationwide | $1,751 |
| Encova | $1,774 |
| USAA* | $1,242 |
*USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
Cheapest for 60-year-olds
At age 60, your car insurance rates are about as low as they're going to get if your history is clean. Most drivers in this age group have lots of experience on the road and established driving records, so insurers know what they're getting into and charge less accordingly. That doesn't mean you won't be able to save money by bundling or tapping into other discounts, so keep shopping around. Below are the cheapest companies, on average, in Columbus, according to NerdWallet’s most recent analysis.
| Company | Median annual rate |
|---|---|
| Hastings Mutual | $988 |
| Central Insurance | $1,020 |
| State Farm | $1,308 |
| Western Reserve | $1,341 |
| Buckeye | $1,343 |
| Progressive | $1,395 |
| Frankenmuth | $1,488 |
| American Family | $1,489 |
| Nationwide | $1,525 |
| USAA* | $974 |
*USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
Columbus’s cheapest companies and rates by driving record
Your driving history also plays a large role in your auto insurance rate. Drivers who have clean records will usually pay less than those with accidents, speeding tickets or other violations. Again, comparing insurance companies is your best bet to getting the lowest rate.
According to NerdWallet’s analysis, these are the average rates in Columbus by company for good drivers and those with violations on their record.
Good drivers
Drivers without any marks on their records are almost always going to pay the lowest prices for auto insurance when compared to drivers with an accident or driving violation. Insurers set rates based on the potential risk of you filing a claim, and good drivers are considered among the least risky. Here are the average rates for good drivers in Columbus according to NerdWallet’s most recent analysis.
| Company | Median annual rate |
|---|---|
| Central Insurance | $1,032 |
| Hastings Mutual | $1,124 |
| State Farm | $1,463 |
| Buckeye | $1,511 |
| Western Reserve | $1,582 |
| American Family | $1,658 |
| Auto-Owners | $1,705 |
| Nationwide | $1,751 |
| Encova | $1,774 |
| USAA* | $1,242 |
*USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
Drivers with a DUI
Drivers with a DUI can struggle to find affordable insurance and may need to turn to a high-risk car insurance company. A DUI on your record means you should expect to pay substantially more than a driver without one.
Here are the average rates for drivers with a DUI in Columbus according to NerdWallet’s most recent analysis.
| Company | Median annual rate |
|---|---|
| American Family | $1,983 |
| Central Insurance | $2,135 |
| State Farm | $2,206 |
| Progressive | $2,396 |
| Grange | $3,111 |
| Allstate | $3,278 |
| Nationwide | $3,299 |
| Auto-Owners | $3,427 |
| Frankenmuth | $3,434 |
| USAA* | $2,326 |
*USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
Drivers with an at-fault accident
If you've got an at-fault accident on your record, you'll pay more than a driver with a clean record, but likely less than someone with a DUI. Your insurance company may ask for details about the accident to determine your rate — a fender bender will likely be treated differently from an accident caused by running a red light. Here are the cheapest average rates for drivers with an at-fault accident on their record in Columbus, according to NerdWallet’s most recent analysis.
| Company | Median annual rate |
|---|---|
| Hastings Mutual | $1,124 |
| Central Insurance | $1,519 |
| American Family | $1,866 |
| State Farm | $1,890 |
| Westfield | $2,205 |
| Frankenmuth | $2,207 |
| Western Reserve | $2,223 |
| Encova | $2,408 |
| Auto-Owners | $2,477 |
| USAA* | $1,864 |
*USAA is only available to military, veterans and their families.
Shop around to get cheap insurance
No matter what company you're currently getting auto insurance from, remember that it's important to shop around and compare quotes from multiple companies. Prices and offers change over time, and you may be able to save by switching to another insurer.
Be sure to take advantage of potential discounts. Many insurers offer car insurance discounts for things like bundling other types of insurance with your auto policy or going years without filing a claim.
Methodology
NerdWallet averaged rates based on public filings obtained by pricing analytics company Quadrant Information Services. We examined rates for men and women for all ZIP codes in any of the 50 states and Washington, D.C. Although it’s one of the largest insurers in the country, Liberty Mutual is not included in our rates analysis due to a lack of publicly available information.
In our analysis, “good drivers” had no moving violations on record; a “good driving” discount was included for this profile. Our “good” and “poor” credit rates are based on credit score approximations and do not account for proprietary scoring criteria used by insurance providers.
These are average rates, and your rate will vary based on your personal details, state and insurance provider.
Sample drivers had the following coverage limits:
$100,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person.
$300,000 bodily injury liability coverage per crash.
$50,000 property damage liability coverage per crash.
$100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per person.
$300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage per crash.
Collision coverage with $1,000 deductible.
Comprehensive coverage with $1,000 deductible.
In states where required, minimum additional coverages were added. We used the same assumptions for all other driver profiles, with the following exceptions:
For drivers with minimum coverage, we adjusted the numbers above to reflect only the minimum coverage required by law in the state.
We changed the credit tier from “good” to “poor” as reported to the insurer to see rates for drivers with poor credit. In states where credit isn’t taken into account, we used only rates for “good credit.”
For drivers with one at-fault crash, we added a single at-fault crash costing $10,000 in property damage.
For drivers with a speeding ticket, we added a single speeding ticket from within the last six months.
For drivers with a DUI, we added a single drunken driving violation.
We used a 2021 Toyota Camry LE in all cases and assumed 12,000 annual miles driven.
