The words “affordable” and “insurance” really shouldn’t be used in the same sentence, in particular when you are searching for the lowest insurance prices for postal workers. Because it’s so expensive, let’s lead off by showing you some things that significantly impact auto insurance prices, and find some ways to cut the cost of your next policy.
One of the many factors that are used to help calculate auto insurance rates is your zip code. Regions with more people or even just more weather-related claims likely pay more, whereas less populated areas have the benefit of cheaper auto insurance prices.
The illustration below ranks the most expensive places in Ohio for postal workers in which to buy car insurance. Columbus comes in at #3 costing $1,235 for the average policy, which is around $103 monthly.
| Rank | City | Premium Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Youngstown | $1,247 |
| 2 | Cleveland | $1,235 |
| 3 | Columbus | $1,235 |
| 4 | Toledo | $1,229 |
| 5 | Cleveland Heights | $1,214 |
| 6 | Cincinnati | $1,186 |
| 7 | Akron | $1,157 |
| 8 | Hamilton | $1,146 |
| 9 | Euclid | $1,140 |
| 10 | Dayton | $1,120 |
| 11 | Canton | $1,102 |
| 12 | Newark | $1,085 |
| 13 | Springfield | $1,061 |
| 14 | Beavercreek | $1,058 |
| 15 | Fairfield | $1,053 |
| 16 | Strongsville | $1,041 |
| 17 | Parma | $1,037 |
| 18 | Middletown | $1,035 |
| 19 | Lakewood | $1,031 |
| 20 | Cuyahoga Falls | $1,027 |
| Start a Quote Go | ||
Table data uses approximated as the vehicle garaging location can change insurance rates considerably.
Establishing which company quotes the lowest-priced auto insurance rates for postal workers involves a little more sweat in order to find the best policy. Every insurance provider uses their own formula for setting prices, so let’s take a look at the auto insurance companies that tend to have lower prices in Columbus.
Find the Cheapest Car Insurance for USPS Employees
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utica National | $635 |
| 2 | Frankenmuth | $680 |
| 3 | Erie | $681 |
| 4 | Allied | $690 |
| 5 | Travelers | $712 |
| 6 | USAA | $719 |
| 7 | Cincinnati Insurance | $772 |
| 8 | Merchants Insurance Group | $778 |
| 9 | Grange Mutual | $804 |
| 10 | Motorists Mutual | $824 |
| 11 | General Casualty | $837 |
| 12 | Central Mutual | $840 |
| 13 | Hastings Mutual | $858 |
| 14 | State Farm | $867 |
| 15 | Western Reserve | $932 |
| 16 | Atlantic States | $940 |
| 17 | Westfield | $946 |
| 18 | Auto-Owners | $968 |
| 19 | Progressive | $982 |
| 20 | Nationwide | $1,018 |
| Get a Custom Quote Go | ||
Utica National normally has some of the cheapest car insurance rates in Columbus at around $635 annually. Frankenmuth, Erie, Allied, and Travelers are also some of the more affordable Columbus, OH insurance companies.
As shown in the table above, if you are insured with Allied and switched to Utica National, you might see annual savings of about $55. Policyholders with Travelers might save as much as $77 a year, and USAA policyholders might realize rate reductions of up to $84 a year.
It’s important to note that these prices are averaged for all ages of drivers and types of vehicles and do not factor in a specific zip code for postal workers. So the auto insurance company that can offer the best rates for your situation may not even be in the top 33 companies shown above. That’s why you need to compare as many prices as possible using your own specific driver and vehicle information.
The vehicle driven is one of the main factors that determines the availability of the lowest-priced insurance for postal workers. Vehicles with limited top-end speed, advanced safety features, or a track record of few liability claims will cost significantly less to insure than adrenaline junky models.
The data below shows coverage prices for a number of the most affordable automobiles to insure in Ohio.
| Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Honda CR-V LX 2WD | $1,131 |
| Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $1,163 |
| Ford Edge SEL 2WD | $1,176 |
| Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4WD | $1,222 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Crew Cab 4WD | $1,231 |
| Toyota Prius | $1,232 |
| Ford Explorer XLT 4WD | $1,240 |
| Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sahara 2WD 4-Dr | $1,242 |
| Toyota Corolla S | $1,264 |
| Honda Odyssey EX-L W/Rear Entertainment | $1,274 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SE | $1,269 |
| Volkswagen Jetta SEL 4-Dr Sedan | $1,286 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ Crew Cab 4WD | $1,296 |
| GMC Sierra SL Crew Cab 4WD | $1,286 |
| Ford Focus SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,311 |
| Honda Civic GX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,326 |
| Chevrolet Impala LT | $1,343 |
| Toyota RAV4 Limited 4WD | $1,350 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LS | $1,343 |
| Chevrolet Silverado Crew Cab Hybrid 2WD | $1,348 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | |
Data variables include married male driver age 40, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and Ohio minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include homeowner, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, safe-driver, and claim-free. Premium amounts do not factor in garaging location in Columbus, OH which can decrease or increase coverage rates significantly.
Based on these rates, you can figure that vehicles like the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Ford Edge, and Toyota Tacoma are most likely going to be a few of the more affordable vehicles to insure for postal employees.
Cost comparison with and without full coverage
Saving money when shopping for auto insurance is important to the majority of people, and an effective way to pay less for insurance for postal workers is to not pay for full coverage. The information below visualizes the comparison of yearly insurance costs with full physical damage coverage and with liability coverage only. The information is based on no violations or accidents, $1,000 deductibles, drivers are not married, and no discounts are factored in.
If averaged for all ages, physical damage coverage on your policy costs $1,279 per year more than insuring for liability only. At some point, about every driver wonders when is it safe to stop buying full coverage. There is no exact rule to eliminate full coverage on your policy, but there is a general guideline you can use. If the annual cost of your full coverage insurance is about 10% or more of the settlement you would receive from your company, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
For example, let’s assume your vehicle’s replacement value is $7,000 and you have $1,000 deductibles. If your vehicle is totaled, the most your company will settle for is $6,000 after paying your deductible. If you are paying in excess of $600 a year for your policy with full coverage, then you might want to consider buying only liability coverage.
There are a few cases where dropping full coverage is not a good idea. If you haven’t satisfied your loan, you are required to maintain full coverage to protect the lienholder’s interest. Also, if you don’t have enough money to buy a different vehicle if your current one is in an accident, you should not drop full coverage.
How accidents and tickets impact rates
In a perfect world, the best way to snag cheap auto insurance premiums in Columbus for postal employees is to pay attention while driving and not receive tickets or have accidents. The information below illustrates how violations and accident claims influence annual premium costs for each different age group. The data is based on a married female driver, full physical damage coverage, $1,000 deductibles, and no policy discounts are applied.
The chart shows that the average cost of car insurance in Ohio per year with a clean driving record and no accidents is $994. Get written up for one speeding ticket and the average cost jumps to $1,161, an increase of $167 each year. Then include two accidents along with the one speeding ticket and the yearly cost of auto insurance for postal workers jumps again to an average of $2,713. That’s an increase of $1,719, or $143 per month, just for not driving safely!
Get discounts on Columbus insurance
Insurance providers that provide policies for postal workers may also give you special discounts that could potentially reduce rates by as much as 25% or more if you qualify for them. A list of auto insurance companies and a selection of discounts can be found below.
- GEICO offers discounts including emergency military deployment, daytime running lights, five-year accident-free, seat belt use, membership and employees, federal employee, and anti-theft.
- MetLife may have discounts that include good student, good driver, claim-free, defensive driver, and accident-free.
- State Farm may include discounts for accident-free, good student, safe vehicle, multiple policy, driver’s education, passive restraint, and Drive Safe & Save.
- Progressive has discounts for multi-policy, multi-vehicle, online quote discount, online signing, and homeowner.
- Mercury Insurance includes discounts for ease of repair, good student, annual mileage, location of vehicle, age of vehicle, and anti-theft.
- 21st Century policyholders can earn discounts including automatic seat belts, theft prevention, anti-lock brakes, homeowners, defensive driver, air bags, and 55 and older.
- Allstate has savings for resident student, good payer, early signing, passive restraint, senior citizen, and FullPay discount.
The diagram below shows the difference between premium costs with and without discounts applied to the premium. The data is based on a female driver, no claims or driving citations, Ohio state minimum liability limits, comp and collision included, and $100 deductibles. The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The second shows the rates with vehicle safety, homeowner, multiple vehicle, claim-free, passive restraint, and multiple policy discounts applied. When these discounts are applied, theaverage amount saved on auto insurance for postal workers is 28% or $458.