Cheapest Car Insurance in North Carolina (2024)
Cheapest for full-coverage car insurance
$727/yr
$377/yr
Below average
Pros
Cheapest rates in North Carolina for a full-coverage policy
Several discounts that are easy to qualify for
Great selection of optional coverages
Has a low complaint rating of 0.56 from NAIC, which looks at the number of complaints against a company and compares it to the size of the company to come up with a rating
Cons
Below-average customer satisfaction ratings
Cheapest for liability-only car insurance
$786
$317
Above average
Pros
Cheapest car insurance rates for a liability-only policy
High customer satisfaction rating from J.D. Power
Offers rate-lock coverage that protects against price increases
Cons
Some competitors offer cheaper rates for a full-coverage policy
Cheapest full-coverage car insurance in North Carolina: Progressive
For North Carolina drivers looking for full-coverage car insurance, Progressive offers the cheapest average rate, at $727 a year. State Farm is the next most affordable at $752 a year.
Both companies offer average rates that are much cheaper than the state’s average rate for full coverage, which is $1,305 a year.
Cheapest companies for full-coverage car insurance
| Company | Average annual rate | LendingTree score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive | $727 | |
 | State Farm | $752 |  |
 | Farm Bureau | $758 | Not rated |
| Erie | $786 | |
 | Geico | $1,677 |  |
 | Nationwide | $2,071 |  |
 | Allstate | $2,362 | |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 30-year-old male with a clean driving record.
Full-coverage car insurance combines standard liability coverage with collision and comprehensive coverage.
Collision coverage takes care of damages to your own car after an accident. Comprehensive handles damage from reasons other than an accident, such as falling ice or if you hit an animal.
North Carolina does not require drivers to have full-coverage car insurance, but your lender will probably require it if you financed your vehicle.
Cheapest North Carolina liability-only coverage: Erie
Erie has the cheapest minimum-liability coverage car insurance in North Carolina, at $317 a year on average. Farm Bureau is the next cheapest at $343 a year.
North Carolina’s average minimum-liability car insurance rate is $532 a year.
Cheapest companies for liability car insurance
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $317 |
| Farm Bureau | $343 |
| State Farm | $349 |
| Progressive | $377 |
| Geico | $696 |
| Nationwide | $730 |
| Allstate | $914 |
Rates are for liability-only car insurance for a 30-year-old male with a clean driving record.
Also known as “minimum car insurance” or “standard car insurance,” liability car insurance takes care of legal, medical and repair costs for others involved in an accident you’re responsible for.
Cheapest rates for young drivers in North Carolina: Erie
Teens in North Carolina find the cheapest minimum-coverage car insurance with Erie, at an average of $694 a year, followed by State Farm.
The average rate of minimum car insurance for North Carolina teens is $1,129 a year.
Cheapest liability car insurance companies for young drivers
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $694 |
| State Farm | $723 |
| Farm Bureau | $783 |
| Progressive | $813 |
| Geico | $1,125 |
| Nationwide | $1,684 |
| Allstate | $2,079 |
Rates are for liability-only car insurance for an 18-year-old male with a clean driving record.
Teens often pay the most for car insurance of any age group. Young drivers tend to be inexperienced behind the wheel and so are seen as a higher risk for filing a claim.
To lower the rates of a teen driver in your home, you can add them to your own current car insurance. While this will increase your rates, it should still be cheaper than if you had separate policies.
Savings Tips
On average, drivers can pay under $800 with Progressive, State Farm, Farm Bureau and Erie.
On average, teens pay the least with Erie at an average of $694 a year for a liability-only policy.
You can potentially save around $500 a year by comparing quotes from multiple insurers.
Cheapest rates after a speeding ticket in North Carolina: Progressive
Progressive has the lowest average rate for North Carolina drivers with a speeding ticket or similar traffic violation on their record. Their rates for this group average $961 a year.
For comparison, the average full-coverage rate for North Carolina drivers with a ticket or other violation is $1,799 a year.
Cheapest car insurance companies after a ticket
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Progressive | $961 |
| State Farm | $986 |
| Farm Bureau | $994 |
| Erie | $1,158 |
| Geico | $2,378 |
| Nationwide | $2,732 |
| Allstate | $3,387 |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 30-year-old male with one speeding ticket.
A speeding ticket in North Carolina usually stays on your record for three years. You can expect higher car insurance rates during that time.
Cheapest rates after an accident in North Carolina: Erie
If you have an at-fault accident on your driving record in North Carolina, Erie has the lowest average rate for you, at $868 a year. Progressive is the next lowest, at $1,137.
After an accident, the average rate for full-coverage car insurance in North Carolina is $2,180 a year.
Cheapest car insurance companies after an accident
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Erie | $868 |
| Progressive | $1,137 |
| Farm Bureau | $1,172 |
| State Farm | $1,174 |
| Nationwide | $3,409 |
| Geico | $3,722 |
| Allstate | $3,777 |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 30-year-old male with one accident.
Best rates after a DUI in North Carolina: Progressive
Drivers in North Carolina with a DUI (driving under the influence) conviction generally get the cheapest rate for full-coverage car insurance with Progressive, at $2,717 a year on average.
On average, drivers with a DUI can pay $5,207 a year for full-coverage in North Carolina.
Cheapest car insurance companies after a DUI
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Progressive | $2,717 |
| State Farm | $2,806 |
| Erie | $3,332 |
| Farm Bureau | $4,237 |
| Geico | $5,686 |
| Nationwide | $7,796 |
| Allstate | $9,875 |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 30-year-old male with one DUI.
In North Carolina, a misdemeanor DUI charge stays on your driving record for seven years. A felony DUI stays on for 10 years.
You will see higher premiums during this time. Insurers see drivers with a DUI as very high risk. There is a possibility that your policy could be canceled, or that you will be denied coverage after a DUI.
Best North Carolina rates for bad credit: Progressive
North Carolina drivers with poor credit get the cheapest rates with Progressive, at an average of $727 a year. Erie is the next most affordable at $1,151 a year.
Cheapest car insurance with bad credit
| Company | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Progressive | $727 |
| Erie | $1,151 |
| Farm Bureau | $1,345 |
| Geico | $2,447 |
| Nationwide | $2,682 |
| State Farm | $3,722 |
| Allstate | $5,184 |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 30-year-old male with poor credit.
Insurers see a connection between a driver’s credit rating and the chances of that driver filing a claim. Credit-based scoring is still a debated issue, and some states have either prohibited it or limited its use.
Best car insurance companies in North Carolina
Progressive and Erie are some of the best car insurance companies in North Carolina because of their affordable rates and dependable customer service.
| Company | LendingTree score | J.D. Power customer satisfaction |
|---|---|---|
| State Farm | 4.5 | 842 |
| Progressive | 3.8 | 819 |
| Geico | 3.7 | 835 |
| Allstate | 3.2 | 824 |
| Nationwide | 2.8 | 815 |
| Erie | Not rated | 871 |
| Farm Bureau | Not rated | - |
North Carolina insurance rates by city
Of North Carolina’s biggest cities, Asheville has the cheapest car insurance, with an average rate of $1,183 a year for full coverage.
Charlotte, NC, has the most expensive average rate of $1,575.
Car insurance rates by city in North Carolina
| City | Average annual rate |
|---|---|
| Apex | $1,223 |
| Asheville | $1,183 |
| Burlington | $1,207 |
| Cary | $1,223 |
| Chapel Hill | $1,213 |
| Charlotte | $1,575 |
| Concord | $1,400 |
| Durham | $1,330 |
| Fayetteville | $1,514 |
| Gastonia | $1,468 |
| Greensboro | $1,318 |
| Greenville | $1,313 |
| Hickory | $1,266 |
| High Point | $1,296 |
| Holly Springs | $1,208 |
| Huntersville | $1,325 |
| Jacksonville | $1,267 |
| Kannapolis | $1,379 |
| Mooresville | $1,315 |
| Raleigh | $1,355 |
| Rocky Mount | $1,312 |
| Wake Forest | $1,365 |
| Wilmington | $1,294 |
| Wilson | $1,355 |
| Winston-Salem | $1,200 |
Rates are for full-coverage car insurance for a 30-year-old male with a clean driving record.
Minimum coverage for car insurance in North Carolina
North Carolina requires drivers to have basic car insurance to order to drive legally. You’ll also typically need some more coverage if you have a car loan or lease.
North Carolina’s required liability car insurance coverage limits are:
- $30,000 bodily injury coverage per person
- $60,000 bodily injury coverage per accident
- $25,000 property damage coverage
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury per person: $30,000
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist bodily injury per accident: $60,000
Methodology
LendingTree uses insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services using publicly sourced insurance company filings. Rates are based on an analysis of thousands of car insurance quotes for a typical driver. Prices are shown for comparative purposes only. Your own rates may be different.
Unless noted otherwise, quotes are for a full-coverage policy for a 30-year-old man with good credit and a clean driving record who drives a 2015 Honda Civic EX.
Minimum-liability policies provide liability coverage with the state’s required minimum limits.
Full-coverage policies include collision, comprehensive and liability coverage:
- Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $25,000
- Uninsured / underinsured motorist bodily injury: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident
- Uninsured / underinsured motorist property damage: $25,000 per accident
- Collision: $500 deductible
- Comprehensive: $500 deductible
Our team of insurance experts rated insurance companies based on several categories. These categories include average rates, discounts, coverage options, third party customer service ratings, and app / website experience. We weighted these categories based on what customers value in an insurance company.
For 3rd party customer service ratings, we included NAIC’s Complaint Index scores and financial strength ratings from A.M. Best. NAIC Complaint Index scores are used to determine how satisfied customers are with their claims, while financial strength ratings from A.M. Best reflect the ability to pay out claims.
Overall satisfaction ratings are from the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Auto Insurance Study.