In a Nutshell
Your car insurance costs are based on circumstances like age, credit, driving history and vehicle. We looked at several different insurers to find the lowest-cost options for basic coverage in North Carolina.Note from our editor: Maybe you’re searching for car insurance for the first time or want to do some insurance shopping to help lower your monthly premium? This article can serve as a starting point for your car insurance research. There are a lot of factors when it comes to the cost of car insurance, so while you may not see the exact premiums we’ve researched, they can give you an idea of some of the insurers offering the cheapest rates in your state.
It’s hard to beat a scenic mountain drive in North Carolina — especially if you know you’re getting good value for your car insurance
We estimated car insurance costs for basic coverage across insurers in North Carolina to calculate the average cost and find the cheapest insurance companies for several driver profiles and needs.
As outlined in our full methodology, we based our calculations on a relatively neutral driver profile to give us the best sense of insurers’ rates. That’s because there are several factors that affect car insurance, like your age, mileage, vehicle type and coverage options. Your rates might be higher or lower based on your profile.
But if you don’t match our standard North Carolina driver profile — no accidents, tickets or claims — we’ve also calculated rates for drivers with various credit outlooks, driving histories, ages and coverage options.
Read on to learn about North Carolina’s average car insurance rates and our findings for the cheapest options.
- Cost of car insurance in North Carolina
- 5 cheapest car insurance companies in North Carolina
- Cheapest state-minimum car insurance in North Carolina
- Cheapest car insurance for good credit in North Carolina
- Cheapest car insurance for poor credit in North Carolina
- Cheapest car insurance for drivers with multiple claims in North Carolina
- Cheapest car insurance for young drivers in North Carolina
- North Carolina auto insurance requirements
- Is usage-based insurance available in North Carolina?
- FAQs about the cheapest car insurance rates in North Carolina
- Methodology
Cost of car insurance in North Carolina
Average monthly premiums for basic car insurance in North Carolina range from just over $40 up to around $65, depending on the type of coverage and driver profile.
Average monthly auto insurance premiums in North Carolina
| Driver or coverage | Avg. monthly cost |
|---|---|
| State-minimum car insurance in North Carolina | $41.35 |
| Drivers with poor credit in North Carolina | $50.35 |
| Drivers with multiple claims in North Carolina | $65.52 |
| Young drivers in North Carolina | $53.53 |
5 cheapest car insurance companies in North Carolina
Here are the top five cheapest insurers in North Carolina, calculated from minimum-coverage rates based on our specific North Carolina driver profile.
Unless otherwise noted, driver characteristics include no tickets or coverage gaps, a $20,000 to $30,000 car value, a credit score between 680 and 719, and a driver age 36 to 45. Not you? We also calculated the cheapest basic-coverage rates for drivers with poor credit and young drivers.
1. State Farm
State Farm is one of the largest auto insurers in the U.S., with thousands of local agents nationwide. In addition to standard auto insurance coverages like liability, comprehensive and collision, State Farm offers optional coverages, such as emergency roadside service and rideshare insurance. State Farm offers numerous discounts, including discounts for safe driving and bundling. Read reviews of State Farm to learn more.
2. Progressive
One of the largest insurers in the country, Progressive offers a wide range of insurance products spanning auto, home, life, renters, pet and more. On top of standard car insurance coverage options, potential customers can choose optional add-ons such as rideshare, custom parts, trip interruption and rental car reimbursement coverages. Progressive offers many ways to save and has discounts for good driving behavior, loyalty, how you buy your premium and more. Read reviews of Progressive to learn more.
3. North Carolina Farm Bureau
North Carolina Farm Bureau sells auto, home and renters insurance through local agents, but you can get a quote online. Customers must be a NC Farm Bureau member to access its insurance products.
4. Erie
Founded in 1925, Erie Insurance includes automatic extras such as windshield repair and pet injury coverage, which will help cover vet treatment costs by reimbursing you up to $500 per pet (or $1,000 total) for pets injured in your vehicle in an accident. Standout options include new car replacement coverage, which gives you the true replacement value of your vehicle if it’s totaled. Read reviews of Erie to learn more.
5. Titan
Founded in 2015 and based in Massachusetts, TItan car insurance offers policies through independent agents in a handful of states. To get a quote, you’ll need to fill out a form and wait for a response.
Cheapest state-minimum car insurance in North Carolina
State-minimum insurance, as its name implies, is the least amount of coverage you can carry and still meet your state’s legal requirements. Because the coverage is basic, it is often one of the cheapest options.
Here are the five cheapest car insurance companies for drivers looking for state-minimum insurance only.
5 cheapest car insurance companies in North Carolina for state-minimum coverage
| 1 | State Farm | $26.42 |
| 2 | Progressive | $28.19 |
| 3 | North Carolina Farm Bureau | $29.67 |
| 4 | Erie | $34.08 |
| 5 | Titan | $36.67 |
Cheapest car insurance for good credit in North Carolina
One factor that insurers look at when determining the cost of your insurance is your credit. In most cases, drivers with good credit will pay less for coverage than drivers who are considered to have poor credit.
Here are the five companies that have the cheapest car insurance coverage for drivers with good credit.
5 cheapest car insurance companies in North Carolina for those with good credit
| 1 | State Farm | $19.58 |
| 2 | North Carolina Farm Bureau | $23.89 |
| 3 | Progressive | $28.19 |
| 4 | Erie | $28.64 |
| 5 | Titan | $32.14 |
Cheapest car insurance for poor credit in North Carolina
Drivers with lower credit scores often must pay more for car insurance. But your credit is just one of several factors that go into calculating your car insurance costs. Keeping a clean driving record is one way to save money on car insurance, even if your credit outlook isn’t extraordinary.
Here are the companies that may offer the cheapest insurance rates on minimum coverage for North Carolina drivers with less-than-stellar credit.
5 cheapest car insurance companies in North Carolina for those with poor credit
| 1 | Progressive | $28.19 |
| 2 | Erie | $35.48 |
| 3 | Penn National | $38.42 |
| 4 | Metropolitan | $39.56 |
| 5 | Titan | $42.17 |
Cheapest car insurance for drivers with multiple claims in North Carolina
Your driving record is another significant component of your overall insurance calculation. In general, drivers with more claims on their records will have higher car insurance costs than those with no or very few claims.
The following companies have the lowest estimated rates on basic coverage for drivers with multiple claims.
5 cheapest car insurance companies in North Carolina for multiple claims
| 1 | State Farm | $37.75 |
| 2 | Progressive | $40.69 |
| 3 | North Carolina Farm Bureau | $42.50 |
| 4 | Erie | $45.83 |
| 5 | Penn National | $55.08 |
Cheapest car insurance for young drivers in North Carolina
Your age also plays a role in determining how much your car insurance costs, with younger drivers often paying more for insurance than older ones.
Here are the five cheapest car insurers for young drivers in North Carolina, looking at rates for minimum coverage.
5 cheapest car insurance companies in North Carolina for young drivers
| 1 | Progressive | $28.19 |
| 2 | North Carolina Farm Bureau | $32.25 |
| 3 | Penn National | $37.08 |
| 4 | Metropolitan | $39.56 |
| 5 | State Farm | $40.25 |
North Carolina auto insurance requirements
North Carolina requires $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident for bodily injury liability and an additional $25,000 of coverage for property damage. If you have a car loan or lease, you’ll likely be required to get more coverage.
Is usage-based insurance available in North Carolina?
Usage-based insurance is a type of vehicle insurance that allows customers to pay premiums based on their driving behavior. Some North Carolina insurers may offer UBI, or telematics, programs to help drivers save money by driving safely.
FAQs about the cheapest car insurance rates in North Carolina
North Carolina is an at-fault state, which means if you are found to be at fault in an accident, your insurance will be responsible for covering the other driver’s costs for any damage and medical care.
Driving without insurance in North Carolina could cost you $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second offense and $150 for any offenses after that.
We found that Progressive and State Farm offered the lowest rates for basic coverage for many different driver profiles.
Methodology
The estimated rates in this article are the lowest estimated rates for minimum coverage based on the profile of a driver age 36 to 45 living in North Carolina as of August 2022. Unless otherwise noted, the rates displayed assume a single driver on the insurance policy with no tickets on their driving record and no claims or coverage lapses. The vehicle used in this estimate is valued between $20,000 and $30,000 and has annual mileage of 12,000 to 15,000. Estimated rates for insurance for good credit apply to scores of 720 and above. Estimated rates for insurance for poor credit apply to scores from 350 to 579. Estimated rates for young drivers include those age 18 to 21. Estimated rates for those with multiple claims are calculated based on two claims.
Note that the rates are provided every six months by Quadrant Information Services. Quadrant Information Services doesn’t include all insurance companies in its rate data. These are estimated rates meant only to provide a frame of reference and comparison. Your rates may vary depending on various factors, such as age, vehicle driving habits, history and coverage.
The average monthly premium for full-coverage car insurance includes bodily injury, property damage, uninsured motorist, personal injury protection, collision and comprehensive coverages. The average monthly premium for state-minimum car insurance includes North Carolina-mandated 30/60/25 insurance policy.