If you’re looking for cheap car insurance in Oregon, you’d be well-served to shop around. There can be enormous gaps among rates depending on the company you choose. Personal circumstances such as your crash history and credit rating also help determine which insurer is cheapest for you.
We tested quotes from the seven largest insurers in the Beaver State and ranked the three cheapest options for these driver groups:
Drivers with one at-fault crash
Also in the article
Minimum car insurance requirements in Oregon
Alternative car insurance for high-risk drivers
» COMPARE: Car insurance quotes
Cheapest for good drivers
For drivers with no DUIs, at-fault crashes or moving violations; range of average prices from the seven largest insurers: $793 to $3,257 per year.
price
- $793/year
price
- $1,077/year
price
- $1,173/year
The average rate for good drivers among the three cheapest companies was $1,014 per year. However, Country Financial led the field with sample prices far lower than anyone else, just $793 on average.
To help lower rates even more, make sure you take advantage of your clean record by shopping around and checking into discounts for good drivers.
Cheapest for young drivers
For drivers in their early 20s; range of average prices from the seven largest insurers: $741 to $2,155 per year.
price
- $741/year
price
- $923/year
price
- $985/year
Drivers in their early 20s can usually get by with less coverage than middle-age motorists who have greater assets and savings. We factored this into our analysis, which is why rates for this group were slightly lower than prices for 30-year-old good drivers.
Geico notched the most affordable average quote at $741 per year, or about $62 a month. Insurers may provide discounts in Oregon for young people who take a driver-training course and who maintain good grades.
Cheapest for drivers with one at-fault crash
Range of average prices from the seven largest insurers: $1,327 to $4,285 per year.
price
- $1,327/year
price
- $1,527/year
price
- $2,177/year
Causing an accident with damage or injuries means your insurer has to pay out; you can generally expect the company to raise your rates as a result. For example, Country Financial’s average quote of $1,327 for this group was $534 a year higher than its price for drivers of the same age with no crashes.
Having accidents on record is no reason to settle for the first quote you get, however. There was nearly a $3,000 disparity between the lowest and highest estimates, proving that drivers with checkered histories have just as much to gain as the other groups, if not more, by shopping around.
Cheapest for drivers with poor credit
For drivers placed in a “Poor Credit” tier using NerdWallet’s car insurance rates tool; range of average prices from the seven largest insurers: $793 to $3,312 per year.
price
- $793/year
price
- $1,391/year
price
- $1,728/year
Insurers in most states, including Oregon, may use your credit information as a predictor of future crashes and claims, and could charge higher rates if you have poor credit.
If you’re worried about credit issues affecting your cost, strongly consider Country Financial. The company had the cheapest average price for this group at $793 per year and, more important, returned the same quote for those with poor credit as it did for our sample good drivers (who had no credit problems). By comparison, Geico’s average price went up by $314 under the same scenario.
Cheapest for retired drivers
For drivers in their mid-to-late 60s who no longer use their car for commuting; range of average prices from the seven largest insurers: $715 to $3,002 per year.
price
- $715/year
price
- $901/year
price
- $1,030/year
We tested for retirees who drove half as many annual miles as other groups and found fairly affordable prices. Country Financial led the pack with an average quote of $715 per year, which comes to roughly $60 a month.
Retired Oregonians are entitled to some extra savings, too. The state requires insurers to provide a discount to drivers 55 and older who complete a state-certified accident prevention course.
Minimum car insurance requirements in Oregon
Oregon requires drivers to carry liability insurance, uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage and personal injury protection.
Here are the minimum limits you must select for each coverage type:
- $25,000 bodily injury liability per person
- $50,000 bodily injury liability per crash
- $20,000 property damage liability per crash
- $25,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
- $50,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per crash
- $15,000 personal injury protection
See our guide to car insurance requirements by state for a breakdown of how these coverage requirements work and to learn about optional coverage types, such as collision and comprehensive.
Alternative car insurance for high-risk drivers
If you’re denied car insurance on the voluntary market because of DUIs, at-fault crashes or other reasons, you can seek coverage through the Automobile Insurance Plan of Oregon.
For more help getting a great deal on car insurance in Oregon, try NerdWallet’s comparison tool, which allows you to get quotes from the state’s leading insurers all in one place.
Alex Glenn is a staff writer at NerdWallet, a personal finance website. Email: aglenn@nerdwallet.com.
This article was updated June 27, 2016. It was originally published in February 2016.
METHODOLOGY
For most categories, NerdWallet averaged rates from the largest insurers for 30-year-old men and women in 10 ZIP codes and with 100/300/50 liability insurance limits, 100/300 uninsured motorist bodily injury coverage, $15,000 personal injury protection, and collision and comprehensive with a $1,000 deductible. We used a 2012 Toyota Camry in all cases.
Our sample retired driver was age 67 and drove 5,000 annual miles; all other groups drove 10,000 annual miles. Our sample young driver was age 22 and carried the minimum required coverage. These are sample rates generated through Quadrant Information Services. Your own rates will be different.
from NerdWallet
https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/insurance/cheapest-car-insurance-in-oregon-or/
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