This would be a really short article if we could just give you the name of the company that has the cheapest rates in Texas. That is not the case, however, as there are many unknown elements like the number of miles you drive in a year, the amount of liability coverage you want, and if you want full coverage included, that all influence how much you pay for auto insurance. The content below will cover the best ways to avoid high prices and will give you a jump start in finding the best auto insurance in Houston.
Finding out which companies quote the most affordable car insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record will require a little more effort than just picking a company at random. Each insurer uses different criteria to determine rates, so we will examine the car insurance companies with the most affordable rates in Houston.
It’s important that you understand Houston car insurance rates are impacted by many things which can substantially decrease or increase the price you have to pay. Simply getting older, buying a different home, or having an accident can produce rate changes resulting in some rates now being more affordable than before.
Find Cheaper Auto Insurance for Imperfect Drivers
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travelers | $1,021 |
| 2 | USAA | $1,117 |
| 3 | Texas Farm Bureau | $1,247 |
| 4 | Germania Mutual | $1,294 |
| 5 | California Casualty | $1,396 |
| 6 | Esurance | $1,407 |
| 7 | Mercury | $1,461 |
| 8 | State Farm | $1,465 |
| 9 | Safe Auto | $1,565 |
| 10 | Nationwide | $1,600 |
| 11 | Progressive | $1,647 |
| 12 | Allstate | $1,667 |
| 13 | Amica | $1,705 |
| 14 | Home State | $2,071 |
| 15 | GEICO | $2,072 |
| 16 | MetLife | $2,161 |
| 17 | Encompass | $2,255 |
| 18 | Unitrin | $2,333 |
| 19 | 21st Century | $2,494 |
| 20 | Titan | $2,646 |
| Find Your Rate Go | ||
Travelers offers some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Houston at around $1,021 a year. This is $883 less than the average price paid by Texas drivers of $1,904. USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, Germania Mutual, and California Casualty also qualify as some of the lowest-priced Houston, TX insurance companies.
As depicted above, if you are a customer of Texas Farm Bureau and switched to Travelers, you might see an annual savings of about $226. Insureds with Germania Mutual could save as much as $273 a year, and California Casualty policyholders might lower prices by up to $375 a year.
Bear in mind that those policy rates are averages for all drivers and vehicles in Texas and do not factor in a specific vehicle garaging location for drivers with a bad driving record. So the auto insurance company that is best suited for you may not even be in the list above. That points out the importance of why you need to compare rates from as many companies as possible using your own personalized driver profile and vehicle information.
For bad drivers, one of the more important criteria that are used to help calculate the annual cost of car insurance is where you live in Houston. Regions with larger populations or more claims tend to pay slightly more, whereas areas with less crime or weather claims benefit from having to pay less for coverage.
The following table ranks the most expensive areas in Texas for drivers with a bad driving record to purchase auto insurance in. Houston shows up at #4 having an annual price of $1,909 for the average insured, which is approximately $159 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McAllen | $1,996 |
| 2 | Brownsville | $1,927 |
| 3 | Dallas | $1,911 |
| 4 | Houston | $1,909 |
| 5 | Laredo | $1,889 |
| 6 | Amarillo | $1,804 |
| 7 | Irving | $1,789 |
| 8 | Garland | $1,778 |
| 9 | Mesquite | $1,771 |
| 10 | Beaumont | $1,754 |
| 11 | Pasadena | $1,740 |
| 12 | Grand Prairie | $1,740 |
| 13 | San Antonio | $1,739 |
| 14 | Arlington | $1,692 |
| 15 | Lubbock | $1,682 |
| 16 | Austin | $1,627 |
| 17 | McKinney | $1,625 |
| 18 | Plano | $1,624 |
| 19 | Carrollton | $1,615 |
| 20 | Fort Worth | $1,604 |
| Start a Quote Go | ||
Information shown are estimated as the garaging address in Houston can modify premium rates noticeably.
What is the best car insurance company in Texas?
Finding the best car insurance company is difficult considering how many companies sell coverage in Houston. The rank data shown next can help you analyze which providers to look at putting your business with. These ratings only include companies with a nationwide focus, so companies that may only write in Texas are not taken into consideration for these rankings.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travelers | 93 | 98 | 99 | 88% | A++ | 95.1 |
| USAA | 83 | 99 | 100 | 91% | A++ | 94.1 |
| Mercury Insurance | 97 | 96 | 88 | 89% | A+ | 93.4 |
| AAA Insurance | 91 | 95 | 92 | 90% | A | 93.3 |
| Nationwide | 85 | 95 | 97 | 89% | A+ | 92.4 |
| Allstate | 77 | 100 | 97 | 88% | A+ | 90.7 |
| State Farm | 80 | 94 | 96 | 88% | A++ | 90.6 |
| The Hartford | 88 | 93 | 91 | 87% | A+ | 90.4 |
| Safeco Insurance | 91 | 95 | 85 | 88% | A | 90.2 |
| Progressive | 88 | 94 | 83 | 88% | A+ | 90.1 |
| American Family | 91 | 86 | 95 | 83% | A | 89.7 |
| Esurance | 86 | 90 | 94 | 90% | A+ | 89.5 |
| The General | 86 | 93 | 89 | 84% | A- | 88.2 |
| GEICO | 79 | 89 | 95 | 87% | A++ | 87.8 |
| Titan Insurance | 86 | 82 | 92 | 86% | A+ | 86.5 |
| Compare Rates Now Go | ||||||
Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
Irresponsible driving raises your rates
The obvious way to maintain good car insurance rates for bad drivers is to be an attentive driver and avoid at-fault accidents and violations. The example below shows how traffic citations and at-fault claims can influence car insurance rates for different age groups. The price estimates are based on a married female driver, comp and collision included, $500 deductibles, and no discounts are applied.
In the prior example, the average cost of auto insurance per year with no accidents or violations is $1,833. Get written up for two speeding tickets and the average cost surges to $2,603, an increase of $770 each year. Now throw in two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of car insurance for drivers with a bad driving record jumps again to an average of $5,639. That’s an increase of $3,806, or $317 per month, just for not being more responsible behind the wheel!
Why you should be shopping around
Texas car insurance rates are impacted by many factors which can significantly increase or decrease the cost of your policy. Improving your credit score, moving to a different location, or getting a couple of tickets can trigger changes in premium that can make some companies more affordable than competitors. Not only may things change on your end, but insurers file new Texas auto insurance rates without warning to ensure their profitability. Higher than normal claims can result in more expensive premiums, while profitable underwriting may cause cheaper Houston car insurance rates.
To illustrate this point, the chart below shows which company has the cheapest car insurance in Houston, TX for a 30-year-old male driver with no prior accidents, a clean driving record, and excellent credit. If we estimate prices based on his current risk profile, Travelers might offer the cheapest car insurance rates in Houston at $1,272 annually. This is $632 less than the average policy premium paid by Texas drivers of $1,904. USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, Germania Mutual, and Esurance are also included in the most affordable Houston, TX auto insurance companies.
Now we will pretend the driver from the above example an at-fault accident, a little lower credit rating, and a traffic ticket or two. Since each insurance company has a different process for setting rates, comparing rates could now result in a substantially altered list of the cheapest companies as shown below.
State Farm now has the lowest price in Houston with Mercury, Nationwide, Safe Auto, and USAA now being in the top five. This example proves why Houston drivers need to shop around with many companies when trying to find affordable auto insurance quotes for drivers with a bad driving record. Insurance rates consist of many different factors and can decrease or increase without notice, so the cheapest rate two years ago may now be wasting a lot of money.
How to find more affordable insurance for drivers with a bad driving record
Here are a few money-saving suggestions that can help Texas drivers quote more affordable coverage.
- Higher comprehensive and collision coverage deductibles will save money
- Save money by insuring older vehicles for liability only
- Frequent claims will increase rates
- Do not get into accidents
- You will pay more if you get tickets or have at-fault accidents
- Compare prices frequently to find the best deal
The last idea is extraordinarily vital, as we stressed in the prior article. Rates vary considerably, so don’t be tentative to switch companies if a better deal can be had.
Having a favorite company is fine, but we do not recommend it if that stubbornness costs you a lot of money. Take a couple minutes and compare prices to find cheaper auto insurance for drivers with a bad driving record in Houston.
The insurance agencies listed below can provide answers to your questions and help you determine which insurance coverage will be best for you, since lots of drivers aren’t clear which coverage they need and would like to have the advice of a professional agent when trying to find the best insurance rates for drivers with a bad driving record. It’s not always easy to find the best coverage on your own, so professional agents can add peace of mind knowing you have sufficient protection if you have a claim. To find a Houston insurance agent by location nearest to you, click the button link following the list.
Noveri Insurance Agency
2657 Gessner Rd – Houston, TX 77080 – (713) 460-9400
Memorial Insurance Agency, LLC
13624 Memorial Dr – Houston, TX 77079 – (713) 461-8272
Jason Jimenez Insurance Agency
8323 Southwest Fwy #390 – Houston, TX 77074 – (713) 270-0073
ProTECH Insurance Agency, Inc.
#100, 3120 SW Freeway Service Rd – Houston, TX 77098 – (713) 520-1090
Anna Santa Ana – State Farm Insurance Agent
7710 Cherry Park Dr d – Houston, TX 77095 – (281) 550-0333