For older drivers, one of the big considerations that aid in calculating the annual cost of car insurance is your zip code. More densely populated places tend to have more expensive auto insurance rates, whereas areas that tend to be more rural profit from lower rates.
The following table lists the most expensive places in California for drivers over age 50 to buy car insurance in. Bakersfield is listed at #21 with a yearly cost of $1,394 on average, which is around $116 per month.
| Rank | City | Annual Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glendale | $2,142 |
| 2 | Los Angeles | $2,083 |
| 3 | Oakland | $1,755 |
| 4 | San Francisco | $1,711 |
| 5 | Sacramento | $1,703 |
| 6 | Long Beach | $1,626 |
| 7 | Stockton | $1,603 |
| 8 | San Bernardino | $1,596 |
| 9 | Garden Grove | $1,554 |
| 10 | Moreno Valley | $1,551 |
| 11 | Fontana | $1,535 |
| 12 | Santa Clarita | $1,533 |
| 13 | Fresno | $1,502 |
| 14 | Modesto | $1,487 |
| 15 | Riverside | $1,482 |
| 16 | Anaheim | $1,474 |
| 17 | Santa Ana | $1,439 |
| 18 | San Jose | $1,437 |
| 19 | Huntington Beach | $1,416 |
| 20 | Fremont | $1,403 |
| 21 | Bakersfield | $1,394 |
| 22 | San Diego | $1,381 |
| 23 | Irvine | $1,343 |
| 24 | Oxnard | $1,318 |
| 25 | Chula Vista | $1,311 |
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Premium costs are comparative as the garaging address in Bakersfield can raise or lower premium rates noticeably.
The type of vehicle that needs insurance is a significant factor in finding low-cost insurance for drivers over age 50. Vehicles with high performance engines, a lack of advanced safety features, or high incidents of liability claims will cost quite a bit more to insure than more economical and safe models.
The next table presents insurance rates for some of the most budget-friendly vehicles to buy coverage for.
| Vehicle Make and Model | Estimated Cost for Full Coverage |
|---|---|
| Hyundai Elantra GLS Touring Station Wagon | $894 |
| Honda CR-V LX 4WD | $901 |
| Ford Escape XLT 4WD | $915 |
| Ford F-150 XLT Regular Cab 2WD | $984 |
| Honda Odyssey LX | $989 |
| Toyota Prius | $990 |
| Toyota Tacoma 4WD | $1,005 |
| Chevrolet Impala LS | $1,040 |
| Volkswagen Jetta 2.0T Station Wagon | $1,046 |
| Toyota RAV4 Sport 2WD | $1,061 |
| Chevrolet Equinox LT 2WD | $1,067 |
| Dodge Grand Caravan SXT | $1,080 |
| Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer AWD | $1,090 |
| Honda Civic LX 4-Dr Sedan | $1,095 |
| Ford Edge Sport AWD | $1,117 |
| Toyota Camry SE | $1,123 |
| Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8 4WD | $1,136 |
| Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD LTZ Crew Cab 4WD | $1,145 |
| Ford Fusion SE 4-Dr Sedan | $1,136 |
| Toyota Corolla XRS | $1,144 |
| Chevrolet Malibu LTZ | $1,136 |
| GMC Sierra SLT Extended Cab 2WD | $1,144 |
| Nissan Rogue SL 2WD | $1,138 |
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Above prices assume single female driver age 50, no speeding tickets, no at-fault accidents, $1,000 deductibles, and California minimum liability limits. Discounts applied include safe-driver, homeowner, multi-policy, multi-vehicle, and claim-free. Premium costs do not factor in garaging location in Bakersfield, CA which can impact prices noticeably.
Looking at the data, you can assume that vehicles like the Hyundai Elantra, Honda CR-V, and Ford Escape are the cheapest vehicles to insure for older drivers.
Determining which company has the best car insurance rates for drivers over age 50 takes a bit more work in order to find the lowest price quote. Each auto insurer used slightly different criteria for filing rates in each state, so let’s rank the car insurance companies that tend to have lower prices in Bakersfield, CA.
It’s a good idea to be aware that California car insurance rates are influenced by many factors which can significantly increase or decrease the cost of coverage. Simply getting older, having a claim, or getting a reckless driving citation may cause policy rate changes resulting in some rates now being more affordable than before.
Find the Cheapest Auto Insurance for Age 50+
| Rank | Company | Cost Per Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | USAA | $1,143 |
| 2 | Wawanesa | $1,146 |
| 3 | Century National | $1,178 |
| 4 | CSAA | $1,222 |
| 5 | Nationwide | $1,263 |
| 6 | 21st Century | $1,325 |
| 7 | Grange | $1,447 |
| 8 | Mercury | $1,503 |
| 9 | Allstate | $1,513 |
| 10 | GEICO | $1,513 |
| 11 | Progressive | $1,558 |
| 12 | Allied | $1,588 |
| 13 | The Hartford | $1,591 |
| 14 | MetLife | $1,638 |
| 15 | State Farm | $1,699 |
| 16 | Unitrin | $1,750 |
| 17 | Esurance | $1,756 |
| 18 | Travelers | $1,842 |
| 19 | Bristol West | $1,849 |
| 20 | Farmers | $1,966 |
| Find Cheaper Rates Go | ||
USAA quotes some of the lowest car insurance rates in Bakersfield at around $1,143 annually. This is $508 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Century National, CSAA, and Nationwide would also be considered some of the lowest-priced Bakersfield, CA car insurance companies.
As the rates illustrate above, if you are currently insured with Nationwide and switched to Wawanesa, you may realize a yearly savings of in the vicinity of $117. Customers with 21st Century may save as much as $179 a year, and Grange customers might cut rates by $301 a year.
To compare your rates to other California insurance companies, click here to start your custom quote or visit any of the low-priced companies below.
It’s important to note that these premiums are averages across all drivers and vehicles and are not factoring in an exact zip code location for drivers over age 50. So the company that has the cheapest price for you may not even be in the top 24 companies shown above. That affirms the importance of why you need to get rate quotes from many companies using your own specific driver information and vehicle.
Discounts on Bakersfield insurance
Insurance companies that offer coverage for drivers over age 50 may have discounts that could lower prices by 40% or more if you can meet the requirements. A list of companies and their possible discounts are shown below.
- State Farm policyholders can earn discounts including anti-theft, passive restraint, multiple policy, accident-free, driver’s education, good driver, and safe vehicle.
- Esurance has savings for DriveSense, emergency road assistance, anti-lock brakes, defensive driver, and paid-in-full.
- Progressive offers discounts including multi-policy, continuous coverage, online quote discount, homeowner, online signing, good student, and multi-vehicle.
- Liberty Mutual includes discounts for multi-policy, new move discount, teen driver discount, newly married, new vehicle discount, and hybrid vehicle.
- Auto-Owners Insurance has discounts for anti-theft, paid in full, safe vehicle, company car, and anti-lock brakes.
- GEICO may include discounts for multi-policy, federal employee, seat belt use, anti-theft, military active duty, defensive driver, and anti-lock brakes.
The diagram below shows the difference between insurance prices with and without discounts being applied to the rates. The premium estimates are based on a male driver, no claims or driving citations, California state minimum liability limits, full coverage, and $100 deductibles.
The first bar for each age group shows insurance cost with no discounts. The lower bar shows the rates with passive restraint, anti-theft, multiple policy, defensive driving course, claim-free, and accident-free discounts applied. When taking advantage of discounts, the average savings per year on car insurance for drivers over age 50 is 29% or $738.
Car insurance rates are higher with tickets and accidents
The recommended way to get cheap car insurance rates for older drivers is to drive safe and avoid accidents and traffic citations. The diagram below demonstrates how speeding tickets and at-fault collisions can increase auto insurance costs for each different age category. The data assumes a single male driver, full coverage, $250 deductibles, and no discounts are applied to the premium.
In the previous example, the average cost of car insurance per year with no accidents or violations is $2,558. Get written up for two speeding tickets and the average cost hikes up to $3,399, an increase of $841 each year. Now include two accidents along with the two speeding tickets and the annual cost of car insurance for drivers over age 50 increases to an average of $6,357. That’s an increase of $3,799, or $317 per month, just for being a little careless behind the wheel!
Why you should shop around
California car insurance rates are determined by lots of factors that control the cost of your policy. Simply having a birthday, buying another vehicle, or getting a ticket for careless driving can trigger price changes that can make some companies cheaper than competitors.
Not only that, but companies file new California auto insurance rates as often as every quarter to adjust for unexpected claims or profits. Heavier than normal losses may result in a rate increase, while better underwriting can produce lower-priced Bakersfield car insurance rates.
As an example, the data below shows the companies that have the cheapest car insurance in Bakersfield, CA for a 40-year-old female driver with no prior claims, no tickets, and solid credit. If we estimate rates based on her current risk factors, USAA may have the best car insurance rates in Bakersfield at $1,191 annually. This is $460 less than the average policy premium paid by California drivers of $1,651. Wawanesa, Nationwide, Century National, and CSAA are the remaining most affordable Bakersfield, CA auto insurance companies.
Now we will give the driver from the first set of rates a claim, a lower credit rating, and a blemish on her driving record. Since each insurance company uses their own calculation to determining premium rates, analyzing rates most likely will result in a completely different list of companies as shown below.
Grange now has the cheapest auto insurance in Bakersfield, CA with Mercury, Allied, Progressive, and Allstate also having competitive pricing. This shows why Bakersfield drivers need to compare rates to find cheap auto insurance rates for drivers over age 50. Prices consist of many things and can change without notice, so the lowest-price company when you bought your policy may now be wasting a lot of money.