Wouldn’t life be so easy if we could look into our crystal ball and tell you that one special company that has the cheapest rates for single moms? It’s not quite that easy, unfortunately, as there are a whole bunch of unknown aspects such as if you are a man or woman, your marital status, and how many years you have been driving. This article covers the best ways to avoid high prices and will give you some help in finding cheaper rates.
For single parents, one of the more important criteria that are looked at to help calculate the price you pay for insurance is where you live in Columbus. Regions with more people or even just more weather-related claims tend to pay slightly more, whereas areas with lower crime rates and fewer weather claims get the luxury of paying less.
The table below shows the most expensive areas in Ohio for single moms to purchase auto insurance in. Columbus shows up at #6 with a yearly cost of $1,199 for the average insurance policy, which is around $100 per month.
| Rank | City | Average Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Youngstown | $1,285 |
| 2 | Toledo | $1,279 |
| 3 | Cleveland | $1,259 |
| 4 | Cincinnati | $1,222 |
| 5 | Cleveland Heights | $1,202 |
| 6 | Columbus | $1,199 |
| 7 | Dayton | $1,154 |
| 8 | Akron | $1,135 |
| 9 | Euclid | $1,129 |
| 10 | Hamilton | $1,102 |
| 11 | Canton | $1,091 |
| 12 | Fairfield | $1,085 |
| 13 | Springfield | $1,061 |
| 14 | Middletown | $1,055 |
| 15 | Newark | $1,053 |
| 16 | Lakewood | $1,041 |
| 17 | Cuyahoga Falls | $1,037 |
| 18 | Beavercreek | $1,027 |
| 19 | Kettering | $1,020 |
| 20 | Lorain | $1,015 |
| 21 | Strongsville | $1,001 |
| 22 | Parma | $997 |
| 23 | Mansfield | $992 |
| 24 | Mentor | $978 |
| 25 | Elyria | $965 |
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Rates are estimated as specific Columbus zip code can decrease or increase premium rates substantially.
The vehicle model you are buying coverage for is one of the largest considerations when comparing quotes for the best coverage for single moms. Vehicles with more horsepower, a lack of safety features, or a high likelihood of having liability claims will cost quite a bit more to insure than more modest models.
The list below illustrates insurance premiums for the most cost-effective vehicles to insure.
| Vehicle Insured | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Ford F-150 XL Regular Cab 4WD | $1,398 |
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $1,429 |
| Ford Escape XLT 2WD | $1,437 |
| Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,447 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $1,474 |
| Honda Accord EX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,528 |
| Ford Edge Limited AWD | $1,550 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,578 |
| Toyota Corolla XRS | $1,585 |
| Nissan Rogue S 2WD | $1,581 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD LTZ Crew Cab 2WD | $1,634 |
| Ford Fusion SEL AWD 4-Dr Sedan | $1,682 |
| Nissan Altima 2.5 S 2-Dr Coupe | $1,685 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 2WD | $1,687 |
| Dodge Ram 3500 Crew Cab Laramie 2WD | $1,710 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 2WD | $1,713 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 2WD 4-Dr | $1,718 |
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Prices based on single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Ohio minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, multi-vehicle, multi-policy, homeowner, and claim-free. Rate quotes do not factor in zip code location which can affect prices substantially.
Looking at the data, vehicles like the Ford F-150, Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Ford Focus, and Chevrolet Impala are most likely going to be a few of the most economical vehicles to insure for single parents.
Do you need full coverage?
Reducing premiums for insurance should be important to the majority of drivers, and one of the fastest ways to buy cheaper insurance for single moms is to only pay for liability coverage. The diagram below illustrates the difference between insurance premiums with full physical damage coverage compared to only buying the minimum liability limits required in Ohio. The prices are based on no claims or driving citations, $250 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no policy discounts are applied.
Averaged for all age groups, comp and collision coverage costs $1,601 per year more than just insuring for liability. At some point, every insured wonders when is it a good idea to stop buying full coverage. There is no clear-cut formula of when to eliminate physical damage coverage, but there is a general convention. If the yearly cost of comp and collision coverage is 10% or more of the replacement cost of your vehicle minus the policy deductible, then it may be the right time to buy liability only.
There are some situations where dropping physical damage coverage is not a good plan. If you still have a lienholder on your title, you have to keep full coverage as part of the loan conditions. Also, if you can’t afford to buy a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should not eliminate full coverage.
Drive safe and save
The recommended way to earn the cheapest insurance rates in Ohio for single parents is to drive cautiously and avoid getting tickets or having accidents. The illustration below shows how traffic citations and at-fault claims can raise car insurance costs for different categories of driver ages. The prices are based on a single male driver, comp and collision included, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are factored in.
In the previous chart, the average cost of car insurance in Ohio per year with no violations or accidents is $1,200. Get two speeding tickets and the average cost surges to $1,587, an increase of $388 each year. Now add in two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the yearly cost of insurance for single moms goes up to an average of $3,013. That’s an increase of $1,813, or $151 per month, just for being a less-than-perfect driver!
Finding the right car insurance company can be a challenge considering how many companies are available to choose from in Columbus. The ranking information in the lists below may help you select which car insurance companies to look at when shopping around. These ratings are only made up of large insurance companies, so companies that focus mainly on Ohio business are not taken into consideration for these rankings.
| Company | Value | Customer Service | Claims | Customer Satisfaction | A.M Best Rating | Overall Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USAA | 99 | 100 | 90 | 92% | A++ | 97.4 |
| 21st Century | 89 | 86 | 100 | 88% | A | 92.7 |
| GEICO | 97 | 91 | 88 | 85% | A++ | 92.5 |
| Nationwide | 88 | 94 | 91 | 88% | A+ | 91.3 |
| AAA Insurance | 93 | 87 | 88 | 87% | A | 90.8 |
| Liberty Mutual | 91 | 91 | 92 | 87% | A | 90.7 |
| Safeco Insurance | 90 | 93 | 88 | 86% | A | 90.2 |
| State Farm | 91 | 94 | 80 | 88% | A++ | 90.2 |
| Travelers | 89 | 91 | 94 | 79% | A++ | 90.1 |
| American Family | 88 | 92 | 83 | 88% | A | 89.4 |
| Titan Insurance | 89 | 91 | 83 | 86% | A+ | 89.3 |
| Allstate | 90 | 90 | 84 | 85% | A+ | 89.1 |
| Progressive | 83 | 85 | 99 | 87% | A+ | 88.7 |
| Erie Insurance | 92 | 90 | 82 | 88% | A+ | 88.5 |
| The Hartford | 87 | 89 | 84 | 87% | A+ | 88 |
| Esurance | 84 | 88 | 85 | 83% | A+ | 86 |
| Farmers Insurance | 79 | 88 | 84 | 87% | A | 84.7 |
| The General | 88 | 80 | 85 | 80% | A- | 84.5 |
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Data Source: Insure.com Best Car Insurance Companies
How to find the cheapest auto insurance for single moms
Below you’ll find some money-saving solutions that can help Columbus drivers buy lower-cost coverage.
- Drive attentively and avoid accidents
- Ensure your driving record is clean
- Higher deductibles mean lower rates
- Pay cheaper rates with good credit scores
- Buy a vehicle with excellent safety ratings
- Ensure you have the best deal by shopping around regularly
The last tip in the list is certainly valuable, as we hit on in the article above. Auto insurance prices fluctuate considerably, so drivers shouldn’t be reluctant to switch carriers if a lower price can be found.
Many consumers stick with the same company and that’s fine, but it isn’t a good idea if that devotion results in you overpaying money that could be spent on other things. If you have a few minutes, compare prices and find cheaper car insurance for single moms in Columbus.