This would be a really short article if we could simply tell you the single best car insurance company that has the best auto insurance prices in Texas. Regrettably, it’s not quite that easy, as there are a ton of unknowns like where you live in Houston, how experienced of a driver you are, if you need full coverage or liability-only, and if you are a man or woman, that all impact the cost of your policy. Car insurance is kind of a dry topic, but this article will explain the best ways to pay less and educate you enough to have a good beginning to your quest for cheaper car insurance in Houston.
The car, truck, or SUV you are insuring is one of the largest considerations when trying to find affordable insurance for drivers over age 50. Vehicles with economical engines, advanced safety features, or low incidents of liability claims will cost much less to insure than fast, unsafe models.
The next table presents coverage rates for a number of the more affordable automobiles to insure in Texas.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $1,281 |
| Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD | $1,309 |
| Ford Escape Limited 2WD | $1,319 |
| Honda Accord EX-L 4-Dr Sedan | $1,386 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,415 |
| Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 4WD 2-Dr | $1,435 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $1,445 |
| Ford Edge SEL 2WD | $1,484 |
| Honda Odyssey EX | $1,494 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 4-Dr Sedan | $1,512 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $1,521 |
| Toyota RAV4 4WD | $1,512 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $1,520 |
| Start a Quote Go | |
Data assumes single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Texas minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include claim-free, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and homeowner. Premium amounts do not factor in garaging location in Houston, TX which can modify price quotes greatly.
By looking at the data, you can figure that vehicles like the Hyundai Elantra, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Honda Accord are most likely going to be some of the most economical vehicles to insure for older drivers.
For older drivers, one of the big things that are looked at to help calculate auto insurance rates is where your car is garaged in Houston. Cities with larger populations will most likely have higher rates, whereas more rural areas tend to receive cheaper rates.
The illustration below sorts the most expensive places in Texas for drivers over age 50 in which to purchase auto insurance. Houston comes in at #2 with an annual cost of $1,909 for coverage, which is about $159 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Premium |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McAllen | $2,016 |
| 2 | Houston | $1,909 |
| 3 | Brownsville | $1,908 |
| 4 | Dallas | $1,893 |
| 5 | Laredo | $1,851 |
| 6 | Pasadena | $1,812 |
| 7 | Grand Prairie | $1,811 |
| 8 | Mesquite | $1,807 |
| 9 | Amarillo | $1,804 |
| 10 | Garland | $1,796 |
| 11 | Beaumont | $1,772 |
| 12 | Irving | $1,719 |
| 13 | San Antonio | $1,688 |
| 14 | Fort Worth | $1,670 |
| 15 | Lubbock | $1,665 |
| 16 | Austin | $1,659 |
| 17 | Carrollton | $1,647 |
| 18 | Arlington | $1,642 |
| 19 | Corpus Christi | $1,620 |
| 20 | El Paso | $1,584 |
| 21 | Waco | $1,584 |
| 22 | Plano | $1,576 |
| 23 | McKinney | $1,561 |
| 24 | Killeen | $1,518 |
| 25 | Abilene | $1,515 |
| Quote Best Rates Go | ||
Prices are estimated as the specific garaging location can raise or lower insurance rates greatly.
Finding out which company quotes the cheapest auto insurance rates for drivers over age 50 takes a tad more effort in order to find the most economical policy. Each auto insurer uses their own calculation for setting rates, so to begin we’ll rank the most budget-friendly auto insurance companies in Houston, TX.
Cheapest Insurance Rates for Age 50+
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travelers | $1,010 |
| 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 | $1,597 |
| 10 | Nationwide | $1,600 |
| 11 | Progressive | $1,647 |
| 12 | Allstate | $1,701 |
| 13 | Amica | $1,775 |
| 14 | GEICO | $2,093 |
| 15 | Home State | $2,155 |
| 16 | MetLife | $2,249 |
| 17 | Unitrin | $2,264 |
| 18 | Encompass | $2,324 |
| 19 | 21st Century | $2,469 |
| 20 | Titan | $2,594 |
| Quote Your Rates Go | ||
Travelers has some of the most affordable car insurance rates in Houston at around $1,010 a year. USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, Germania Mutual, and California Casualty also make the cut as some of the most economical Houston, TX car insurance companies.
As depicted above, if you are insured with USAA and switched to Travelers, you could see an annual premium reduction of approximately $107. Insureds with Texas Farm Bureau might save as much as $237 a year, and Germania Mutual insureds might lower prices by up to $284 a year.
It’s important to note that these policy rates are averages across all drivers and vehicles and and are not calculated with a specific zip code for drivers over age 50. So the car insurance company that fits you best may not even be in the top 23 companies in the list above. That helps illustrate why you need to quote rates from many companies using your own individual information.
The example below shows how different deductible levels can raise or lower insurance costs when researching cheap insurance for drivers over age 50. The prices are based on a married male driver, full physical damage coverage, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
A 50-year-old driver could lower their car insurance rates by $264 a year by switching from a $100 deductible up to a $500 deductible, or save $402 by using a $1,000 deductible. Even younger drivers, such as the 20-year-old chart data, could lower their rates $884 annually just by choosing larger deductibles.
When using a larger deductible, it is essential to have plenty of savings on hand to pay the extra out-of-pocket expense. This is the primary disadvantage of choosing high deductibles.
Discount Houston car insurance rates
Car insurance companies that sell policies for drivers over age 50 may have special discounts that could potentially reduce rates by as much as 30% if you meet specific criteria. The best auto insurance companies and their possible discounts can be found below.
- American Family may include discounts for multi-vehicle, good student, early bird, good driver, air bags, and Steer into Savings.
- State Farm includes discounts for multiple policy, good student, student away at school, multiple autos, Drive Safe & Save, and Steer Clear safe driver discount.
- 21st Century may have discounts that include defensive driver, good student, teen driver, homeowners, early bird, and anti-lock brakes.
- Travelers has savings for payment discounts, continuous insurance, multi-policy, driver training, early quote, student away at school, and good student.
- GEICO policyholders can earn discounts including multi-vehicle, emergency military deployment, driver training, daytime running lights, defensive driver, and air bags.
The illustration below illustrates the difference between insurance costs with and without discounts applied to the policy premium. The prices are based on a male driver, no accidents, no driving violations, Texas state minimum liability limits, comprehensive and collision coverage, and $500 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows premium with no discounts. The second shows the rates with anti-theft, multiple vehicle, claim-free, passive restraint, safe-driver, and defensive driving course discounts applied. With discounts applied, theamount saved on auto insurance for drivers over age 50 is 30% or $721.
Liability rates compared to full coverage
Saving money on auto insurance should be important to the majority of vehicle owners, and one easy way to find cheaper insurance for drivers over age 50 is to buy only liability coverage. The illustration below illustrates the comparison of yearly insurance costs with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying the minimum liability limits required in Texas. The data is based on no accidents, no driving violations, $1,000 deductibles, single status, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
If we average the cost for ages 20 through 70, comp and collision coverage costs an additional $1,598 per year more than carrying just liability coverage. That is a large expense which might make you wonder if buying full coverage is worth the money. There is no specific rule of when to eliminate full coverage on your policy, but there is a guideline you can consider. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is more than about 10% of any settlement you would receive from your insurance company, then it’s probably a good time to buy liability coverage only.
Comparing rates can save you money
Houston auto insurance rates are influenced by many factors that can increase the price of coverage. Getting older, having a claim, or getting a ticket for careless driving can produce rate changes that can cause some rates to be cheaper in comparison to the competition. And not only may your rating factors change, but companies file new Texas car insurance rates at least once a year to adjust for unexpected claims or profits. A period of increased losses can result in rate hikes, while lower claim levels may produce cheaper Houston car insurance rates.
As an example, the data below analyzes the cheapest car insurance in Houston, TX for a 35-year-old female driver with no accidents, a clean driving record, and a good credit rating. If we estimate rates based on her current risk profile, Travelers might offer the cheapest car insurance rates in Houston at $1,337 each year. This is $567 less than the average premium paid by Texas drivers of $1,904. USAA, Texas Farm Bureau, Germania Mutual, and Esurance are also included in the cheapest Houston, TX auto insurance companies.
In this next rate comparison, we will give the driver from the first rate comparison a claim surcharge, poor credit, and a blemish on her driving record. Because each insurer has a unique formula for setting rates, comparing quotes will most likely result in a new list of cheap Houston auto insurance companies as shown below.
USAA now has the lowest price on auto insurance in Houston with Mercury, State Farm, Safe Auto, and Nationwide completing the list. This example shows why it is important to compare lots of rates when trying to get the most affordable auto insurance quotes for drivers over age 50.
Prices can be determined by many different factors and can change substantially, so the best option when you bought your policy may now be an over-priced policy.