For bad credit, one of the big factors that are used to help calculate the cost of insurance is your address. Regions with larger populations or more claims will most likely pay more, whereas areas with less congestion tend to receive slightly lower rates.
The information below lists the most expensive cities in Washington for low credit scores to buy an auto insurance policy in. Seattle shows up at #4 with a yearly cost of $1,405 for the average insured, which is around $117 each month.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tacoma | $1,441 |
| 2 | Federal Way | $1,435 |
| 3 | Lakewood | $1,434 |
| 4 | Seattle | $1,405 |
| 5 | Kent | $1,391 |
| 6 | Renton | $1,389 |
| 7 | Auburn | $1,380 |
| 8 | South Hill | $1,340 |
| 9 | Shoreline | $1,312 |
| 10 | Everett | $1,238 |
| 11 | Kirkland | $1,231 |
| 12 | Redmond | $1,214 |
| 13 | Marysville | $1,208 |
| 14 | Bellevue | $1,206 |
| 15 | Sammamish | $1,196 |
| 16 | Vancouver | $1,181 |
| 17 | Olympia | $1,105 |
| 18 | Spokane | $1,093 |
| 19 | Spokane Valley | $1,087 |
| 20 | Lacey | $1,078 |
| Start a Quote Go | ||
Prices are comparative as the specific geographic location can alter price quotes substantially.
The make and model of vehicle that needs insurance is one of the primary factors that determines whether or not you can buy affordable car insurance for low credit scores. Vehicles with limited top-end speed, good crash test ratings, or low incidents of liability claims will cost significantly less to insure than high performance models. The data below shows auto insurance prices for a handful of the most cost-effective automobiles to buy insurance for.
| Make, Model, and Trim Level | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford Escape Limited 4WD | $1,468 |
| Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,476 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,502 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $1,556 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 2WD | $1,601 |
| Ford F-150 Lariat Crew Cab 2WD | $1,635 |
| Ford Edge SE 2WD | $1,655 |
| Hyundai Elantra SE Touring Station Wagon | $1,663 |
| Jeep Wrangler Sport Islander Package 4WD 2-Dr | $1,655 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $1,709 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $1,716 |
| Nissan Rogue S 2WD | $1,715 |
| GMC Sierra 2500HD SLE Extended Cab 4WD | $1,721 |
| Honda Civic GX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,769 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Sport Package 4WD | $1,786 |
| Volkswagen Jetta S 4-Dr Sedan | $1,795 |
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | $1,805 |
| Ford Focus SE 2-Dr Coupe | $1,800 |
| Toyota Camry Hybrid | $1,834 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD | $1,837 |
| Start a Quote Go | |
Prices above based on married male driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Washington minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include multi-vehicle, claim-free, multi-policy, safe-driver, and homeowner. Information does not factor in vehicle garaging location which can impact rates substantially.
Looking at the rates, we can presume that makes and models like the Ford Escape, Honda Accord, Toyota Prius, Honda CR-V, and Toyota RAV4 should be the cheaper vehicles to insure for bad credit.
Determining which insurers offer the best insurance rates for low credit scores will require a tad more effort in order to find the best policy. Each auto insurance company has a proprietary formula to determine premium rates, so we’ll go over the most competitive insurance companies in Seattle, WA.
Keep in mind that Washington insurance rates are calculated based on many things which can substantially decrease or increase the price you pay. Simply having a birthday, adding a teenager to your policy, or getting a couple of tickets can trigger price changes resulting in some rates now being more affordable than others.
Find the Cheapest Car Insurance in Washington
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Capital | $784 |
| 2 | Grange | $847 |
| 3 | Nationwide | $952 |
| 4 | PEMCO | $964 |
| 5 | Travelers | $1,008 |
| 6 | The Hartford | $1,058 |
| 7 | Mutual Enumclaw | $1,065 |
| 8 | California Casualty | $1,072 |
| 9 | USAA | $1,092 |
| 10 | Allied | $1,098 |
| 11 | Chubb | $1,116 |
| 12 | State Farm | $1,130 |
| 13 | American Family | $1,160 |
| 14 | Amica | $1,206 |
| 15 | Safeco | $1,216 |
| 16 | Liberty Mutual | $1,270 |
| 17 | Farmers | $1,355 |
| 18 | Progressive | $1,465 |
| 19 | National General | $1,495 |
| 20 | MetLife | $1,631 |
| Find Your Rate Go | ||
Capital offers some of the lowest car insurance rates in Seattle at around $784 a year. This is $628 less than the average rate paid by Washington drivers of $1,412. Grange, Nationwide, PEMCO, and Travelers also make the cut as some of the cheapest Seattle, WA insurance companies.
In the rate table above, if you have coverage with PEMCO and switched to Grange, you may see an annual savings of in the vicinity of $117. Drivers with Travelers may save as much as $161 a year, and The Hartford customers might lower prices by $211 a year.
To see if your current coverage is too expensive, click here to start your custom quote or visit any of the companies below.
Bear in mind that those rates are averaged for all insureds and vehicles and are not factoring in a specific location for low credit scores. So the auto insurance company that fits your age and vehicle best may not even be in the top 25 companies in the list above. That emphasizes why you need to get auto insurance quotes using your own driver information and specific vehicle type.
Discount Seattle car insurance rates
Insurers that offer coverage for low credit scores may also provide premium discounts that could reduce prices by 40% or more if you meet certain criteria. Larger insurance companies and a summarized list of policyholder discounts are outlined below.
- State Farm may have discounts that include safe vehicle, Steer Clear safe driver discount, multiple autos, driver’s education, student away at school, and Drive Safe & Save.
- Progressive has savings for multi-policy, homeowner, online quote discount, continuous coverage, multi-vehicle, online signing, and good student.
- Travelers offers premium reductions for continuous insurance, new car, student away at school, payment discounts, and driver training.
- American Family includes discounts for Steer into Savings, TimeAway discount, accident-free, good student, and early bird.
- Liberty Mutual offers discounts including multi-policy, exclusive group savings, teen driver discount, preferred payment discount, and newly married.
The information below visualizes the comparison of car insurance costs with and without some available policy discounts. The premium estimates are based on a female driver, no accidents or driving violations, Washington state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows the price with no discounts. The second shows the rates with defensive driving course, accident-free, anti-theft, passive restraint, safe-driver, and vehicle safety discounts applied. When drivers qualify for the discounts, the average amount saved each year on insurance for low credit scores is 28% or $442.
Safe drivers pay less for insurance
The best way to enjoy cheap insurance premiums in Washington for bad credit is to drive safe and not get tickets or have accidents. The information below shows how traffic citations and at-fault collisions can influence car insurance costs for different age groups of insureds. The premiums are based on a married female driver, comprehensive and collision coverage, $500 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
In the chart above, the average cost of an auto insurance policy per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $1,074. Get two speeding tickets and the average cost jumps to $1,518, an increase of $444 each year. Then throw in one accident along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of insurance for low credit scores jumps again to an average of $1,965. That’s an increase of $891, or $74 per month, just for not being a responsible driver!
Chances are good that you’re overpaying for Seattle car insurance
Washington insurance rates are influenced by many factors which can substantially decrease or increase the price you have to pay for coverage. Simply having another birthday, buying a new vehicle, or having a fender bender can trigger rate changes resulting in some companies being cheaper than competitors. And not only may your rating factors change, but companies change their prices as often as every three months to adjust for gains or losses. Heavier than normal losses may cause a rate increase, while lower claim levels may cause lower-cost Seattle car insurance rates.
For instance, the graph below shows which companies have the cheapest car insurance in Seattle, WA for a 30-year-old male driver with a clear driving record, no claims, and a high credit rating. If we compare prices based on his current risk factors, Capital has the most affordable car insurance rates in Seattle at $1,105 each year. This is $307 less than the average policy premium paid by Washington drivers of $1,412. Grange, Nationwide, PEMCO, and Travelers are the remainder of the best Seattle, WA auto insurance companies.
In this next rate comparison, we will give the driver from the first example an accident surcharge, a lower credit rating, and a traffic citation. Because each insurer has a proprietary formula to set premium rates, comparing prices most likely will result in a substantially altered list of the cheapest companies as shown below.
USAA now has the cheapest price in Seattle, WA with The Hartford, California Casualty, Chubb, and State Farm now rounding out the top five. This example shows why it is important to compare rates when trying to get cheap car insurance rates for low credit scores. Prices are calculated by many factors and can change substantially, so the cheapest option when you last compared rates may now be priced much higher than other options.
If you aren’t sure which coverage you need and prefer to get some professional input when comparing insurance rates for low credit scores, the agencies below are a good start to provide answers to your questions and help you determine which auto insurance coverages would be the best in your situation.
To locate a Seattle insurance agent closest to you, click the link at the bottom or click here to get price quotes now.
Cairns Insurance Agency
13751 Lake City Way NE #214 – Seattle, WA 98125 – (206) 368-8117
State Farm: Karrie Dubose
1530 Westlake Ave N Suite 100 – Seattle, WA 98109 – (206) 971-5400
Northwest Insurance Group
6055 California Ave SW – Seattle, WA 98136 – (206) 932-2500
View more Seattle, WA insurance agencies
Tips for buying low-cost car insurance for low credit scores
The list below shows some of the recommended penny-pinching ideas that can help Washington drivers find more affordable coverage.
- Accident-free drivers may qualify for discounts
- Better credit scores save money
- Lower rates by purchasing a safer vehicle
- Avoid getting citations and tickets
- Too many claims can make car insurance unaffordable
- Compare quotes from other companies often
The last idea is highly critical, as was stressed in the prior article. Prices charged by auto insurers can be changed at any time, so drivers shouldn’t be reluctant to buy a policy from a new company if a lower price can be found.
Loyalty to a specific company is fine, but it’s not recommended if that dedication is costing money that could be used for better things. Take a couple minutes and compare rates and find cheaper car insurance for low credit scores in Seattle.